Transmittal
Section: Network Services Section
Date: August 20, 1999
Instructions: The attached listing is the second in the
1999 series of minibibliographies revised
in the Network Services Section for use by
network libraries. This minibibliography
replaces The Planatagent Series and Other
Series by Jean Plaidy issued in 1987.
If you need extra copies, a limited supply
is available from the Network Services
Section.
Please update your minibibliography table of
contents by adding the revision date of this
Minibibliography.
The Plantagenet Series and Other Series
by Jean Plaidy (1906-1993)
No. NSS 87-4
Revised August 1999
Introduction
The Plantagenet novels of Jean Plaidy (pseudonym of Eleanor
Hibbert) offer readers a glimpse of the significant people
and events of early English and continental European history
portrayed through the eyes of a novelist. The Plantagenet
series begins with the romance of Eleanor of Aquitaine and
Henry II in twelfth-century England. In succeeding volumes,
their descendants are brought to life; these include sons
Richard the Lionhearted and the tyrannical King John, and,
generations later, Henry V, whose exploits as Prince Hal and
as king were recounted by Shakespeare. Large events of
history--the Crusades, the signing of the Magna Carta, the
black death, the Hundred Years' War, and the Wars of the
Roses--are set against a backdrop of the passions,
conflicts, triumphs, and failures of these historical
personages.
Other series in this minibibliography are the Georgian Saga
and Isabella and Ferdinand. The Georgian Saga covers the
reigns of the first four Georges of the House of Hanover,
successors to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland after
1714. Scandals and madness plague them. The German kings are
unpopular with their British subjects, and their scandals and love
affairs only add to the alienation. Isabella and Ferdinand ruled what is
now Spain. They are both hungry for power and to conquer new lands.
Each book, in addition to being entertaining, is solidly
based in fact and includes a brief bibliography. The books
tend to emphasize the royal women and their lives. Plaidy's
skillful blending of her two loves, literature and history,
and her use of dramatic detail spiced with romance have
earned her a large and admiring public.
Following is a list of books in these series in the order in
which they should be read according to Sequels: An Annotated
Guide to Novels in Series, 3rd. ed., by Janet Husband and
Jonathan F. Husband. All titles are available from NLS
library collections.
Plantagenet Prelude
The saga begins with the stormy romance of King Henry
II of England and his consort, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and
with the monarch's duel of wills with his former friend
Thomas Becket. 1976
RD 18203
The Revolt of the Eaglets
Historical novel about Henry Plantagenet, who is
accused of the murder of Thomas Becket by all of
Christendom. Although at the height of his powers, he is
beset by frustration. Henry's wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine,
hates him and has sown the seeds of her discontent in their
sons. 1981
RC 39110 RD 18298 BR 3892
The Heart of the Lion
The dramatic story of Richard the Lion Heart, one of
England's most romanticized and strangest kings. Known for
both chivalry and cruelty, Richard maintains a cool distance
from his elegant wife while suffering torment from his
relationships with the king of France, an apparent ally, and
the warrior Saladin, an apparent enemy. 1977
RC 43542 RD 17573
The Prince of Darkness
Richard is mortally wounded in 1199. Because his
marriage to Berengaria failed to produce an heir, his
brother John becomes king. John savagely murders his only
rival to the throne, his young nephew, Arthur. John's
cruelty, fierce temper, lustfulness, and indifference
to duty and justice cause people to believe that he is the
devil. His subjects finally defy him, forcing him into
battle at Runnymede and the signing of the Magna Carta.
1978
RD 17908
The Battle of the Queens
The first half of the thirteenth century is dominated
by two vindictive queens--Blanche of Castile, queen of
France, and Isabella, the widowed queen of England. The two
beautiful rulers share an ambition so strong that they will
stop at nothing to destroy each other. 1978
RC 38826 RD 17574
The Queen from Provence
Historical novel about Eleanor of Provence, a beauty
without a dowry, who nevertheless wins the heart of King
Henry III of England. Precocious Eleanor soon dominates her
husband and, through him, England itself. 1979
RC 40686 RD 19040
Hammer of the Scots; or, Edward Longshanks
Historical novel of Edward I, king of England who
united England, Scotland, and Wales and won claims to lands
in France. Married first to Eleanor of Castile and then to
Margaret, sister of the king of France, he was a devoted
husband and a doting father to his daughters. 1979
RC 25035
The Follies of the King
Focuses on the tragic reign of Edward II. Edward's
first act as king is to recall his lover Piers Gaveston, who
was banished by Edward's father. Edward's devotion to
Gaveston and to other handsome young men after
Gaveston's death humiliates his beautiful French wife,
Isabella, who eventually becomes one of his most deadly
enemies. 1982
RC 38827 RD 19804
The Vow on the Heron
Focuses on King Edward III and the beginnings of the
bloody Hundred Years' War brought about in part by the young
English monarch. Detailed account of Edward's relationships
with his devoted wife, Philippa, and their children. 1981
RC 40055 RD 20320
Passage to Pontefract
Life at court in the tumultuous fourteenth century
follows Edward III's grandson, reckless young Richard II,
from his unsteady rise to power to his lonely death at the
hands of others who wanted that power. 1981
RC 40056 RD 19006
The Star of Lancaster
Charts the romance and marriage of Mary de Bohun and
Henry IV and the birth of their children. While Henry
battles to hold on to the land he has inherited and the
throne he has seized, his son and heir, Prince Hal,
transforms from a wanton youth into formidable Henry V.
1981
RC 40057 RC 10922
Epitaph for Three Women
Superimposes the lives of three women of consequence
against the background of Lancastrian England and war-torn
France. The women are Katherine of Valois, grieving young
widow of Henry V and mother of an infant king-to-be; Joan of
Arc, a French peasant; and Eleanor of Gloucester, a
passionate and treasonous sorcerer. 1981
RC 40058 RD 21882
Red Rose of Anjou
Begins with the events leading up to Margaret of
Anjou's marriage to King Henry VI of England and continues
with the conflicts during Henry's reign. 1982
RC 40059 RD 24099
Sun in Splendour
Begins with Edward of York successfully wresting the
throne from the Lancasters and continues with his marriage
to Elizabeth Woodville, who presents him with ten children.
But his reign is continually plagued by the conflict between
the houses of York and Lancaster. 1982
RC 44731
Uneasy Lies the Head
Following the Plantagenet series, this first Tudor
novel begins with the impending birth of Henry Tudor's son
in 1486. Newly crowned Henry VII has fulfilled his
contractual obligation to unite the houses of York and
Lancaster by marrying Elizabeth, daughter of the late Edward
IV. He now hopes to shore up his shaky reign with a son and
heir, but the birth of a son proves not to eliminate all of
the king's problems. 1982
RC 37986
__Georgian Saga__
Princess of Celle
It has been arranged that Princess Sophia Dorothea of
Celle will marry George Lewis of Hanover. But when she
arrives in Hanover, the princess finds much to displease her
in a court where infidelities and scandals are common. She
thinks only of Count Philip Konigsmarck, whom she left
behind. Then Philip comes to court and Sophia Dorothea's
fate is changed forever. 1967
RC 31055
Queen in Waiting
Caroline of Ansbach dreams of being queen and therefore
defies her stepfather to marry George Augustus, Prince of
Hanover and next in line to be king. But Caroline and
George Augustus must wait. They suffer much at the hand of
King George I, since father and son hate each other. 1967
RC 31056
Caroline, the Queen
George Augustus of Hanover has finally been crowned as
George II, and Caroline's dream of being queen has come
true. In fact, if truth be known, it really seems to be
Queen Caroline and Prime Minister Robert Walpole who are
ruling England. But in her rise to true greatness, Caroline
has acquired some powerful enemies. And she is also very
ill. 1986
RC 31057
The Prince and the Quakeress
George Frederick William, grandson of George II and
Queen Caroline, becomes the Prince of Wales at
his father's death and later is crowned George III. As a
young man, he is under the control of his mother and Lord
Bute. But one day, while out in his chair, he spots Hannah
Lightfoot, a strict Quaker, and from then on life changes
greatly for the young man who will be king. 1968
RC 31058
The Third George
George III, now married to Queen Charlotte, wants very
much to be a good king. He must put behind him the scandal
caused by his affairs with Hannah Lightfoot and Lady Sarah
Lennox. It has not been easy to love Charlotte, but he is
becoming fond of her as he realizes her devotion to him and
to England. But as he struggles to rule a growing
empire--tragedy strikes. 1969
RC 31059
Perdita's Prince
George, son of George III and Queen Charlotte, is
straining at the reins placed on him by his mother. His
seductions of Harriot Vernon and Mary Hamilton have already
earned him a reputation as a lady's man. When the king
orders a command performance at Drury Lane, the prince is
required to accompany his parents. It is there that he
meets Perdita, and their subsequent romance becomes a
national scandal. 1969
RC 31060
Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill
When Maria Fitzherbert, a devout Catholic, returns to
her native England from Paris, she moves to Richmond, not
far from London. She has been twice widowed and is in no
hurry to remarry. The Prince of Wales, son of George III,
is still trying to put behind him his rather costly affair
with Perdita when he meets Maria. They fall in love and
want to marry--but the Marriage Act mandated by his father
stands in the way. 1970
RC 31061
Indiscretions of the Queen
Although the Prince of Wales has secretly married Maria
and still loves her, he is forced to marry Caroline of
Brunswick in order to appease Parliament. He is not a man
to resign his hopes of the crown for the sake of a woman.
But it is not a happy marriage. Caroline proves to be
everything the future queen should not be. Shocked by her
behavior, the prince seeks ways to rid himself of her. 1970
RC 31062
The Regent's Daughter
George, Prince of Wales, has become the prince regent
now that his father is unable to keep up the pretense of
sanity. George's feud with his wife, Caroline, continues.
Their daughter, Princess Charlotte, heir to the throne,
manages to survive all the scandal surrounding the family,
knowing that one day she will find true love and also become
queen of England. 1989
RC 31063
Goddess of the Green Room
Prince William, brother of the prince regent, has had
his share of romances. His brother and mother have been
trying to end his affair with Dorothy Jordan, the comic
genius of Drury Lane Theatre, which has lasted twenty years
and produced ten children. But they have been unsuccessful,
until William himself unwittingly ends up making it easy for
them. 1989
RC 31064
Victoria in the Wings
The death of Princess Charlotte, the daughter of George
IV, places the House of Hanover in a dangerous
position--there is no longer an heir to the throne.
George's brother William has ten children, all illegitimate.
Thus it is arranged for both William and his brother Edward
to marry. When both couples have children, it is the
daughter of Edward who survives to become Queen Victoria.
1972
RC 31065
__Isabella and Ferdinand__
Castile for Isabella
The king of Castile is on his deathbed, and his
hysterical second wife, Isabella, worries about the fate of
her two children. The king's son by his first marriage,
Henry, is heir to the throne, but Henry's marriage to
Blanche of Aragon has produced no heirs. Isabella is
preparing her young daughter, also Isabella, to become
queen. Then Henry divorces and takes a second wife, who
bears a child. Now there is uncertainty about the rightful
heir. 1960
RC 39769
Spain for the Sovereigns
Isabella is queen of Castile, and Ferdinand is her
consort--a fact he is none too pleased with. But there are
those who would benefit if Isabella's half-brother Henry's
adolescent daughter Joanna were to claim the crown. Because
there are questions regarding her legitimacy, Joanna's
people must take Castile by force if she is to reign.
Isabella and Ferdinand prepare to fight them. Some
violence. 1960
RC 39799
Daughters of Spain
Queen Isabella's consort, Ferdinand, has become even
more hungry for power. Angry when his wife refuses to give
his bastard son the archbishopric of Toledo, Ferdinand turns
his attention to their children's future. He arranges
powerful marriages, even for ten-year-old Catalina.
Isabella chides herself into thinking like a monarch instead
of a mother. 1961
RC 39813
Katharine, the Virgin Widow
A fictional account of Katharine of Aragon, who weds
Arthur, heir apparent to England. Because they are too
young to consummate their marriage, Arthur's death leaves
Katharine without position. Intrigue in the Spanish and
English courts further complicates her fate. Some
descriptions of sex. 1991
RC 42006
The Shadow of the Pomegranate
After years of being the young widow of Arthur,
Katharine of Aragon is pleased to be married to Arthur's younger
brother Henry, the king of England. She is twenty-five to his
twenty and still of childbearing age. She becomes pregnant
over and over, but when no child survives, Henry blames her.
Meanwhile, now that Katharine's mother, Isabella, is dead,
greedy Ferdinand tries to take advantage of his daughter's
position. 1994
RC 40766
King's Secret Matter
A fictional account of intrigue in the court of the
Tudor king Henry VIII. Without a male heir, Henry plots to divorce
his first wife, Katharine of Aragon, in order to marry his mistress,
Ann Boleyn. Katharine and her daughter, Mary, are forced apart into
exile. 1995
RC 46442
Compiled by Ellie Friedman
Revised and expanded by Joyce Y. Carter
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