Wives & Other Women: Philip II of Spain - Brossura

Carlino, Linda

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0955598028 ISBN 13: 9780955598029

Casa editrice: VeritasPublishing, 2008

Riassunto

This is the story of the marriages and mistresses of Philip II, and his desperate need to provide a suitable male heir. The legacy of his first very brief marriage is the mentally and physically damaged Prince Don Carlos; clearly not the heir he and Spain require. His wife s early death frees him to spend time with his one true love and long standing mistress, Isabel de Osorio. He then leaves for England to marry his dearly beloved aunt , Mary Tudor, sadly even older looking than her thirty eight years. Although entranced by this young and handsome prince her newly found happiness quickly disappears along with her phantom pregnancies. Within four years Philip leaves and Mary is dead. The inadequate Prince Carlos remains Philip s sole heir. In Brussels Philip enjoys a diverting spell with his sparkling and beautiful cousin Princess Christina. His next bride is the French princess, Isabel de Valois. Her first pregnancy ends in a miscarriage after the shock of discovering that one of Philip s mistresses is also pregnant. Prince Carlos screams his intention to kill his father. Some time later, after fathering a girl, Philip s anxieties increase when he discovers that his half brother, the notorious Don Juan, already a threat to the throne, is about to become a father. When Philip meets the son he has fathered with another of his mistresses, the beautiful and alluring Ana with her mysterious eye patch, his frustration increases at Isabel s inability to give him a male heir. That the unacceptable Prince Carlos is still the sole heir is embarrassing and dangerous. Philip alleges treason, and has him arrested and imprisoned in solitary confinement. His death a few months later is very convenient, and suspicious. Four pregnancies in quick succession have undermined Isabel s health, this and the shock of Carlos s death cause a miscarriage and her own untimely death. For his fourth wife Philip chooses his young niece Anne of Austria; he is convinced that she will provide sons with the same ease as her mother. He and Spain will at last have an heir they so desperately need.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

Wives & Other Women, by Linda Carlino. Philip II of Spain could be forgiven for feeling rather depressed when he first set eyes on his bride-to-be, his aunt Mary Tudor, Queen of England, shortly before their wedding in 1554. He was a handsome fellow who was used to having his pick of Europe's most attractive women. She, aged 38 and 11 years older than him, had plain features, tended to squint because of poor eyesight, and had several teeth missing. She was certainly not the beauty that Philip had been promised. But their marriage was to be one of political convenience rather than love, as Linda Carlino points out in this historical novel, which completes her Spanish Hapsburg trilogy. Philip hoped the link with England would give him support during his struggles in Europe. Equally important was an urgent need for an heir. The bridegroom paid only a brief visit to his new wife's bed on their wedding night, and then went off to check on a pretty young thing he had spotted earlier. Poor Mary, daughter of Henry VIII, led a lonely life with a lot of ill health while her husband, who became King Philip II, went off to do battle or dally with other women. She failed to produce a baby and died after four years of marriage, to be succeeded on the throne by her half sister, Elizabeth I. She has stuck firmly to historical facts in this book about the life and loves of Philip II, though she has used her imagination to splice them together in a colourful manner. Linda is now embarking on research for her next book, on the life of an illegitimate baby girl who was placed in a convent by Philip but went on to have a very adventurous life rather than the obscurity intended for her. --J. McTaggart

From the stunningly brilliant and fascinating early chapters about Philip s time in England with Mary Tudor to the closing suspense and terrify account of Philip s harrowing relationship with his lunatic son Prince Don Carlos I was completely swept along: I was barely conscious that I was reading and that time was flying by. Nearing the end I was regretting having to say farewell to the intriguing cast of characters, some of whom had become good friends. This is a wonderful read, just what historical fiction should be: beautifully written, historically accurate and, most important, an engrossing and thrilling read. Bravo! So I have now read the whole trilogy (THAT OTHER JUANA, A MATTER OF PRIDE, WIVES & OTHER WOMEN) a must read for all lovers of historical fiction. --Alain Tomas

This is an excellent book: I started it last night and finished it this morning. I just could not put it down. I was taken into an area of history I knew little about. And what a story! The history I did at school was all about H VIII and QE I with barely a mention of Mary Tudor. The nine chapters about Philip's time in England with Mary quite overwhelmed me. Without a doubt the best historical fiction I have ever read. I came away with an understanding of Mary's horrible predicament and a great sympathy for her. And the chapter about her phantom pregnancy was so emotional and heartrending I shall never forget it. But every part of the story was fascinating and made for a superb read: the unfortunate Prince Don Carlos; his third wife Isabel de Valois; his mistresses; the court intrigue - all of it fascinating and wonderfully told. May you long continue with your research and writing for the likes of myself and many others who would enjoy reading more about other areas of history written so brilliantly an interestingly. --J. Fairlamb

From the stunningly brilliant and fascinating early chapters about Philip s time in England with Mary Tudor to the closing suspense and terrify account of Philip s harrowing relationship with his lunatic son Prince Don Carlos I was completely swept along: I was barely conscious that I was reading and that time was flying by. Nearing the end I was regretting having to say farewell to the intriguing cast of characters, some of whom had become good friends. This is a wonderful read, just what historical fiction should be: beautifully written, historically accurate and, most important, an engrossing and thrilling read. Bravo! So I have now read the whole trilogy (THAT OTHER JUANA, A MATTER OF PRIDE, WIVES & OTHER WOMEN) a must read for all lovers of historical fiction. --Alain Tomas

This is an excellent book: I started it last night and finished it this morning. I just could not put it down. I was taken into an area of history I knew little about. And what a story! The history I did at school was all about H VIII and QE I with barely a mention of Mary Tudor. The nine chapters about Philip's time in England with Mary quite overwhelmed me. Without a doubt the best historical fiction I have ever read. I came away with an understanding of Mary's horrible predicament and a great sympathy for her. And the chapter about her phantom pregnancy was so emotional and heartrending I shall never forget it. But every part of the story was fascinating and made for a superb read: the unfortunate Prince Don Carlos; his third wife Isabel de Valois; his mistresses; the court intrigue - all of it fascinating and wonderfully told. May you long continue with your research and writing for the likes of myself and many others who would enjoy reading more about other areas of history written so brilliantly an interestingly. --J. Fairlamb

L'autore:

Linda Carlino has had a lifelong passion for history and historical fiction. When she visited Spain for the first time twenty years ago she became fascinated with its XV and XVI century history. Since then she has travelled extensively in Spain and studied for long periods in many of its most prestigious public and private libraries. In August 2007 VeritasPublishing published her debut historical novel That Other Juana (Juana la Loca) and in October 2009 it was published in Portugal by Editorial Presença. Her second novel about Juana's son, A Matter of Pride (Charles V, HRE) was published in 2008 and Wives & Other Women about her grandson (Philip II of Spain) in late 2008, thus completing her Spanish Hapsburg Trilogy. In early October 2009 the first book of A Hapsburg Trilogy, That Other Juana, was published in Portuguese by one of Europe's most prestigious publishers, Editorial Presença. It is being sold will be worldwide with the title Joana, a Louca (Joan the Mad) with a stunning cover - a contemporary portrait of Juana as a young girl. In February 2010 Editorial Presença bought the other two books of the trilogy- A Matter of Pride and Wives & Other Women - and will publish them both worldwide in Portuguese during 2010-11.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: VeritasPublishing
• Data di pubblicazione: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0955598028
• ISBN 13: 9780955598029
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 296