Elizabeth Woodville (1437 - 1492), her Life and Times

by David MacGibbon

Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, mother of Elizabeth of York and the Princes in the Tower, and grandmother of Henry VIII, has been vilified and defended in turn. Was she a cunning enchantress, an ambitious advancer of her family's fortunes, or a courageous and tragic figure who lost husbands, brothers and sons during this turbulent period? Discover the real story of the 'White Queen'. Born into a family of Lancastrian supporters, the exceptionally beautiful Elizabeth captured the heart of the young Yorkist king, Edward IV, and found herself caught in the complex web of rivalries, loves and conspiracies that lay at the heart of the Wars of the Roses. She would wield immense influence as queen, watch her brother-in-law confine her sons to the Tower of London to face an unknown fate, and ultimately unite the Houses of Lancaster and York through the marriage of her daughter to Henry Tudor.

Genres: History, Biography, British Literature, Medieval, Historical, 15th Century, Nonfiction

259 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1935

Reviews

[Christine LeBlanc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent introduction to Elizabeth Woodville but has lots of typos and misplaced names. Although it was recently republished, it was originally written in the 1930s so you'll come across irritating mentions of 'feminine panic' or 'feminine helplessness'. The author also quotes primary sources for 2-3 pages at a time with no break.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Elizabeth Woodville, also spelled as Wydeville, was the first born child of Sir Richard Woodville and Jacquetta. Her parents would have several children afterwards. Her birth is noted as being in 1437. At an early age Elizabeth was one of four ladies of the bedchamber in Queen Margaret of Anjou's court. Her family was well-respected and favored. Elizabeth was first married to Sir John Grey. He was a commander in the Lancaster army. They had two sons before he died in battle. Her choice in marriage according to the author may have began the intense hatred of her to Earl of Warwick, also known as the King Maker. The Earl of Warwick would be a thorn that scratched them both for many years. As a young widow Elizabeth was noticed by Edward IV. The quick marriage, and it was done in secret, began a lengthy chain of gossip and myth surrounding Elizabeth and her family. The author David MacGibbon has written a wonderful non-fiction work with the focus on what is fact, not fluff.

My Thoughts:
In my opinion it is a breath of fresh air when an author writes on a historical figure, and does not seek to sensationalize on what other's have written before. The movie The White Queen will begin tomorrow on BBC1, America will get to watch this in August on Starz. It is adapted from Philippa Gregory's books, The Cousin's War. Other books have been written as well on Elizabeth Woodville, some author's writing more from their instinct about her, or from what other's had written.
I enjoyed reading MacGibbon's account of Elizabeth Woodville, I feel it is a great beginning point for anyone wanting to read about the true Elizabeth Woodville.
Other notable historical character's such as the Lancaster's, Yorks, Edward IV, Richard III, Earl of Warwick and his two daughter's, and Jane Shore, are in MacGibbon's book.
I felt the author made a point of steering clear of misconceptions about Elizabeth. The author gave the facts about her, and let me see from her actions that it was apparent she was calculating, intelligent, influential, and charming. She used these traits to her advantage, with the main goal of elevating her family and her station.
She was a savvy woman in an age when men ruled, yet she had a unique blend of personality which included bravery, that even if I may not like her as a person, I admire her tenacity.

Thank you to Amberley Books for my FREE review copy!

[Debra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great....and dated, as subsequent readings indicate much of what MacGibbon included has been proven false.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Feminine panic" aside this was really good.

[Alex Laycock · Rating 1 out of 5]

one of the most confusing books i've ever attempted....

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understandably dated in tone and analysis, considering it was written in the 1930's, its still a solid biography of the very full life of Elizabeth Woodville.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The occasional typo and misplacement of names should be reexamined by editors. Other than that an interesting introduction into Elizabeth Woodville's life.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

A balance and sympathetic reconstruction of an unpopular queen consort during a turbulent era in British history.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say this is rather a tragic story and all of these intrigues makes wonder what regular people did while the royals fought