The Life and Reign of Edward the Fourth, King of England and of France and Lord of Ireland: Volume 2

by Cora L. Scofield

Edward IV, (1442-1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death on 9 April 1483. In a turbulent world marred by civil war, Edward, 4th Duke of York—with good title to the throne—overthrew the corrupt government of the weak and feeble-minded Henry VI, setting the foundation stones for a strong and prosperous England. He was an able and successful king who rescued England from the misery of war and created her with a firm, judicious and popular government. Like his grandson, Henry VIII, he was tall and handsome as a young man. Also like his grandson he was pleasure-loving, and in his later years he was increasingly arbitrary and avaricious. Notwithstanding this, he proved capable of creating a successful and highly personal monarchy which in many ways set the scene for the Tudor monarchs who ruled throughout the sixteenth century through the bloodline of his eldest daughter, Elizabeth. Cora L. Scofield's two volumes are a magisterial record of this reign. Although other biographies have appeared, none have replaced this solid work of scholarship. In his authoritative and best-selling biography of Edward IV in 1975, Professor Charles Ross said '. . . my attempt . . . has necessarily involved some foreshortening, and for details one must still refer to Miss C. L. Scofield's elaborate . . . account of Yorkist foreign policy.'

544 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2016

About the author

Cora Scofield (1870-1962) was the daughter of a prominent Washington, Iowa family. She attended Washington Academy and received her B.A. from Vassar in 1890 and her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1898. She taught history at Wellesley College near Boston from 1897 to 1902. Miss Scofield studied for her doctorate in England. Her dissertation was entitled: A Study of the Court of the Star Chamber. She wrote a two-volume book The Life and Reign of Edward IV which is still the primary biography of his era. It was recently republished. Published articles include: Account of the Star Chamber Dinner 1593-94 published in the American Historical Review, The Early life of John de Vere, published in the English Historical Review, and An Engagement of Service to Warwick the Kingmaker 1462, published in the English Historical Review. Miss Scofield died in Boston, and is buried in Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington, Iowa.