The Severed Crown

by Jane Lane

The Civil War in England is at an end. Yet for three years a defeated king continues to influence the country's religious and political life to profound effect. With passion and excitement, Jane Lane evokes the world of Charles I, unravels an intriguing, controversial figure in the King himself, and reconstructs the drama of a tragic reign. Was Charles a pawn to French diplomacy, a tyrant or martyr? The astonishing portrayals in The Severed Crown entice the reader to make up their own mind.

210 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Jane Lane (1905 – 1978) was the pen name of Elaine Kidner Dakers, an English historical novelist and biographer distantly related to the Jane Lane who aided Charles II after his defeat at Worcester. She is best known for her books about the Stuart period and 18th century Scotland, written from a Catholic and Royalist perspective. A State of Mind is unique among her books, being set in a dystopian future.

The Tablet described her as "one of the few contemporary writers who excel both as novelists and historians."

Reviews

[Misty Gardner]

I usually like Jane Lane's novels - she is one of the few authors of historical fiction that I trust to get it right, but this one did not work for me, and I gave up very quickly - something that I rarely do, but my reading time is precious and I decided that life is just too short!

The main problem with this one, for me, is that she has used the device of fictional correspondence in order to tell the story. Had she used surviving letters and woven a story round them I might have managed to engage more, but this just didn't feel right.