Non-fiction book of the month: The Lost Tudor Princess. ANSWERS BACK FROM ALISON!

[UrsulaMumsnet]

Our non-fiction book of the month is Alison Weir's The Lost Tudor Princess, and we've got 50 copies to give away! Should Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, niece of Henry VIII, have been queen of England? Go to our giveaway page to find out more and apply for a copy of this fascinating biography.

Alison Weir was a guest on Woman's Hour this week talking about her book Six Tudor Queens and her work in general. If you missed it, listen at 35:30.

An extremely well-researched and well-written book by Alison Weir about a little-known member of the Royal Family, one Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, one of Henry VIII's nieces. The family trees and maps are excellent as reference can be made to them when reading so as to remember who everyone is and where they lived. Excellent book.

Thoroughly enjoying this so far, learning lots. Gets a bit confusing with so many people sharing names - so glad there are the family trees at the beginning so I can keep checking. Will definitely be trying other Alison Weir books

Thank you mumsnet for the free copy.

I am about half way through and I am finding it a fascinating biography of a woman that I must confess, despite being interested in the Tudors, I had little knowledge of. This is the second book by Alison Weir that I have read (the first being Isabella she wolf of France) and I find her an easy to read non-fiction writer. Having said that though, I did struggle with the chapter of poems early on and would have preferred these to perhaps be contained in an appendix instead.

I will return with my thoughts again when I have read a bit more.

Have now finished the book which outlined a fascinating story and shed light on other Tudor lives too. I did find some of the sections about political intriguing a bit heavy going and some more paraphrasing of letters and documents would have been helpful to me, but overall felt the author maintained a good balance between presenting scholarly research and keeping the book readable for non-historians.

Thank you very much for my copy. My question for Alison is actually related to another book of hers, about Katherine Swynford. I have been fascinated by her since I read Anya Seton's Katherine. What does Alison think of that book, and also, who are her favourite authors of historical fiction?

Many thanks for the free book - I really enjoyed it.

It has clearly been thoroughly researched and is well written. You do need to concentrate when reading as some of the political plotting is quite complex and, as with all historical books, several people have the same first name. Also I would agree with Cordelia re the poems - I would have been happy with the explanation of them and for the actual poems to be in an appendix. But overall, I found this to be a satisfying read and very interesting, especially as I studied this period of history for A level and Margaret Douglas barely got a mention, I also liked the inclusion of the illustrations. Haven't read anything by Alison Weir previously but will be looking out for more of her books.

It's great to hear so many people are enjoying The Tudor Princess and we're delighted that Alison has agreed to answer your questions about this, her other books and tudor history. Post your questions on this thread before 25 April and we'll post up Alison's answers on 2nd May.

Thanks so much for my copy! I'm a massive Alison Weir fan, and love pouring over the family trees that she includes. I love everything Tudor, so usually I'm familiar with the story, but with Margaret, there was so much I didn't know about her, which makes this book all the more enjoyable ... I'd highly recommend this to Tudor fans as something a bit different from the norm!

Was very pleased to receive a copy, thank you. Really enjoyed the book and loved the pictures. Love the historical period of Henry VIII and this book really sets the scene. I've passed it on to my Mum to read as thought it was brilliant. And she loves books like this. Thanks Alison :)

Thanks for my copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit daunting as it is chunky and it looked a bit intimidating but it was a really easy read once I'd got my head round who everyone was. The family trees were very handy and the photos really helped to bring the story to life.

Very enjoyable and recommended.

I am about halfway through this book now and am enjoying it although I am having to concentrate as it can be quite complicated and heavy going in places, especially the political bits. Thanks again for selecting me for this.

Thanks for my free copy! I love books that are based on real events. Could not put it down!

Thank you for my copy of The Lost Tudor Princess. It is the first time that I have read anything by Alison Weir. Whilst it is very informative, crammed pack with dates, names and events, it is an accessible and enjoyable read. The Tudor times were without doubt one of the more fascinating periods of history for me. Margaret Douglas must have been a very strong character to have got through as much as what she did.

Why were you drawn to researching and writing about times long gone?

Most of your books are set within Tudor times (or just before). Do you think you will ever venture outside this period? If so, which period will it be?

Thanks MN for the free copy. I had enjoyed "innocent traitor" and was keen to give "the lost Tudor princess" a try even though I don't often read non-fiction books for pleasure. I'm not from the UK so am less familiar with the intricacies of British history, royal family trees etc. I also find it hard to keep track of who's who as there are so many repeated names. It's lucky I'm not going to be quizzed on dates and names! So all in all, I am taking an embarrassingly long time to read the book. Having said that, I have found the poetry fascinating and beautiful. The inclusion of Margaret's own writings and those of her contemporaries helps to bring her character and the period to life. I begin to feel that I know her a bit better by reading her own account of her feelings and experiences and Alison Weir's explanations and interpretations make it easier to understand the archaic style of writing, the context and the implications of the subject's own words. Some of the poetry feels almost timeless and I wonder why we don't have more exposure to it.

I would like to know if Alison Weir plans to adapt and dramatise even a part of Margaret Tudor's life as a TV series because it would be quite captivating.

An amazing book - I didn't really know anything about Margaret Tudor other than seeing her name on Tudor family trees and being aware that she was the grandmother of James I of England. The book really describes how precarious court life could be and it is remarkable how Margaret relentlessly campaigned to further her ambition for her family.

My question for Alison is as a writer of both historical non-fiction and historical novels does she have a different working approach to how she writes each genre.

Firstly I would just like to say to Alison, I have been immensely enjoying reading your books on historical figures (in particular, The Children of Henry VIII) since my A level history teacher recommended them!

My question is, after Margaret Douglas, which Tudor are you tackling next?

Hi everyone- thanks for the great questions! We've got Alison's answers back so will post them now...

@Annamaria0

Thank you very much for my copy. My question for Alison is actually related to another book of hers, about Katherine Swynford. I have been fascinated by her since I read Anya Seton's Katherine. What does Alison think of that book, and also, who are her favourite authors of historical fiction?

It remains one of my favourite books, and I still think it is a benchmark for historical fiction. Anya Seton spent four years researching it, and while a lot of research done since has rendered parts of the novel a little dated, it wonderfully evokes the world of the 14th century and weaves a poignant story.

My favourite authors of historical fiction are Norah Lofts, Hilda Lewis and Anya Seton.

@BearAusten

Thank you for my copy of The Lost Tudor Princess. It is the first time that I have read anything by Alison Weir. Whilst it is very informative, crammed pack with dates, names and events, it is an accessible and enjoyable read. The Tudor times were without doubt one of the more fascinating periods of history for me. Margaret Douglas must have been a very strong character to have got through as much as what she did.

Why were you drawn to researching and writing about times long gone?

Most of your books are set within Tudor times (or just before). Do you think you will ever venture outside this period? If so, which period will it be?

After reading my first historical novel at 14, I wanted to find out what really happened! It went from there...

Yes, my specialism is the British Monarchy as well as Tudor and Medieval history. I have published books on Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century) and Isabella of France (14th century), and my next non-fiction will cover another period - but I'm not yet allowed to divulge details!

@Greensmurf1

Thanks MN for the free copy. I had enjoyed "innocent traitor" and was keen to give "the lost Tudor princess" a try even though I don't often read non-fiction books for pleasure. I'm not from the UK so am less familiar with the intricacies of British history, royal family trees etc. I also find it hard to keep track of who's who as there are so many repeated names. It's lucky I'm not going to be quizzed on dates and names! So all in all, I am taking an embarrassingly long time to read the book. Having said that, I have found the poetry fascinating and beautiful. The inclusion of Margaret's own writings and those of her contemporaries helps to bring her character and the period to life. I begin to feel that I know her a bit better by reading her own account of her feelings and experiences and Alison Weir's explanations and interpretations make it easier to understand the archaic style of writing, the context and the implications of the subject's own words. Some of the poetry feels almost timeless and I wonder why we don't have more exposure to it.

I would like to know if Alison Weir plans to adapt and dramatise even a part of Margaret Tudor's life as a TV series because it would be quite captivating.

There has been some interest in filming the book, but I never get too hopeful! If that happened, I'd be delighted!

@starlight36

An amazing book - I didn't really know anything about Margaret Tudor other than seeing her name on Tudor family trees and being aware that she was the grandmother of James I of England. The book really describes how precarious court life could be and it is remarkable how Margaret relentlessly campaigned to further her ambition for her family.

My question for Alison is as a writer of both historical non-fiction and historical novels does she have a different working approach to how she writes each genre.

Yes, you have to take a different approach. Writing history is a stricter discipline because it has to be based on evidence. And, of course, you have to reference and index non-fiction. Writing fiction allows you more freedom, because you can use your imagination to fill in the gaps; even so, what you write must be credible in the context of what is known about your subject, so you can't indulge in wild flights of fancy!

@HarrietMWelsch

Firstly I would just like to say to Alison, I have been immensely enjoying reading your books on historical figures (in particular, The Children of Henry VIII) since my A level history teacher recommended them!

My question is, after Margaret Douglas, which Tudor are you tackling next?

I'm about to publish Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, the first of six novels on the wives of Henry VIII. My forthcoming series of non-fiction books will be announced later this year.

I thought this book was well researched and well written. I'd never heard of Margaret Douglas before and I learned a lot more about Mary Queen of Scots. I don't think I enjoyed it as much as other people seemed to and I liked reading about Margaret as a person more than all the political ins and outs but it was a refreshing aspect of Tudor history.