15 used from �0.63

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Search inside another edition of this book

Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley (Paperback)

by Alison Weir (Author) "TO EVERYONE'S DISMAY, THE BABY born to James V of Scotland and his second wife, Marie de Guise, on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace..." (more)

3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

15 used from �0.63

Other Editions:	RRP:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover	�20.00	�15.49	78 used & new from �0.01
Paperback	�8.99	�5.49	28 used & new from �1.70
Unknown Binding			Order it used

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Elizabeth, The Queen

by Alison Weir

4.6 out of 5 stars (17) �6.27

The Princes in the Tower

by Alison Weir

2.7 out of 5 stars (7) �6.58

Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558

by Alison Weir

4.6 out of 5 stars (13) �6.97

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

by Alison Weir

4.8 out of 5 stars (42) �5.52

Henry VIII: King and Court

by Alison Weir

4.0 out of 5 stars (15) �6.97

› Explore similar items

Product details

Paperback: 640 pages
Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd; Airport ed edition (11 Aug 2004)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0224071033
ISBN-13: 978-0224071031

Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,469,812 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#74 in Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > Historians > Weir, Alison

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

The prolific Scottish historian Alison Weir, in her new book Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley, grapples painstakingly with a mystery that has dogged history for centuries.

At midnight on February 9 1567, a violent explosion ripped apart Kirk o’Field, the Edinburgh residence of Lord Darnley, the 20-year-old King and second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. His unmarked body was found lying under a tree, together with that of his valet. The cause of his death and its perpetrators have remained obscured since that night, though Mary was a prime suspect in her husband's murder. Her apparent apathy regarding the murder investigation was regarded with deep suspicion but more incriminating were the infamous "Casket" letters, said to have been written by her to her lover Lord Bothwell, the supposed architect of Darnley’s assassination. Yet if Mary had good reasons for wanting her (Catholic) husband dead, then so had much of Scottish nobility.

Using contemporary evidence Weir argues exhaustively that the letters could have been the work of forgers employed by Protestant lords "laying snares for the queen". Sympathetic to Elizabeth I, intent on justifying Mary's subsequent imprisonment and forcing her abdication, the prospect of a young foreign Catholic queen, unversed in diplomacy, refusing a Protestant alliance through marriage was anathema to the Scottish lords. Weir's book claims that Mary’s fate was sealed as much by the country of which she was monarch as by Elizabethan England.

Alison Weir’s carefully researched addition to the wealth of material on the myth and reality of Mary Queen of Scots is too long, at 600 pages, but nevertheless makes for a thoughtful, scholarly and compelling read. --Catherine Taylor --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Book Description

Bestselling historian Alison Weir turns her attention to Mary, Queen of Scots and one of the great mysteries of the 16th century.

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence
TO EVERYONE'S DISMAY, THE BABY born to James V of Scotland and his second wife, Marie de Guise, on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace was a girl. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

mary queen of scots(1)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	58% buy the item featured on this page: Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley 3.2 out of 5 stars (15)
	16% buy Elizabeth, The Queen 4.6 out of 5 stars (17) �6.27
	11% buy The Six Wives of Henry VIII 4.8 out of 5 stars (42) �5.52
	8% buy Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558 4.6 out of 5 stars (13) �6.97

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.2 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Queen Mary & Lord Darnely - 511 pages of fascinating reading, 24 Nov 2003

By	Klaus van Amelrode "kmcva" - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mary, Queen of Scots: And the Murder of Lord Darnley (Hardcover)

511 pages on the murder of Lord Darnely and the story of Mary Queen of Scots ist quite an achievement, maybe even an over-achievement. Alison Weir tells this facinating story in great detail and in her usual eloquent and immensely readable style. One follows her arguments with increasing interest as she unveils the legal issues and more importantly the politics behind this after more than 400 years still so well-known crime. As with all Alison Weir' s books I like very much that she presents the facts and arguments for or against a position, does not hide opinons even if they conflict with her very own. She never leaves her readers guessing what her point of view is. And above all she makes a very convincing case I! Mary Queen of Scots is kind of a romantic figure especially as history seems to be viewed from her tragic end. In Alison Weir new book the story is not told from the end that is to say from the execution of the Queen, but from the beginning. Mary emerges as a beautiful and charming personality who could in many ways inspire love and loyalty but who was not in the least capable to fullfil the role she was born into: the role of a reigning monarch. She might have been an ideal queen consort but as the sovereign she utterly failed. Mrs Weir makes this very clear by unravelling the complex intrigues surrounding the murder of Ld Darnley. Eventough I feel that the book is a bit too long and that the extensive quotation from letters -I never had been too keen on this method of writing - I enjoyed very much reading Alison Weir' s book and can only recommed it. It should be on one' s bookshevles!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in depth study., 29 Jun 2003

By	Bob Farquharson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary, Queen of Scots: And the Murder of Lord Darnley (Hardcover)

Befeore I go any further let me say this is a truly excellent book. Having said that I can now be a little more critical. The book essentially splits into 3 parts. An introduction to Mary and the build up to her marriage with Darnley, the marriage to darnley and his murder and finally Mary's imprisonment and execution in England. I think this is a mistake. The book is essentially an in depth study of Darnley's murder. If it had stayed with this area of speciality it could have been reduced from 600 to 450 pages and not lost any if its impetus. We would also had greater focus. The first and third parts are general overviews, whereas the main part of the book is a very detailed account. The two styles sit uneasily with each other.

When we get to the main account of Darnley and his murder from being easy going, the book becomes hard work. It is extremely detailed and often difficult to work out who is who with so many characters entering the plot. However the author writes superbly and manages to tie up this immense level of detail in a highly readable manner. It is extremely well researched and very careful in it's dealings with highly biased source material. Alison's Weir's conclusions on Mary and the murder of Darnley hardly rock the boat, but nevertheless this is a readable and highly detailed account of a most interesting historical event.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mary Queen of Scots, more sinned against than Sinned!!, 31 Jan 2004

By	Steven A leppard (Irvine, North Ayrshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary, Queen of Scots: And the Murder of Lord Darnley (Hardcover)

What a superb book this was, Alison weir is to be congratulated in the way she investigated all the princile characters that had a vested interest in the removal of Darnley.
What as so freshing about this book was the auther approached the subject from an unbiased veiw, exploring all possabilities and showing just how treacherous the Scottish nobility were, and how they acted out of self interest and gain.

The book beautifully illustrated just how dificult it was for Mary , the first actual ruling Queen of Scotland, ( although both Margaret , Maid of Norway and Gruoch were also Queen of Scots, they never ruled soley in person). She was firstly a women, ruling in a male dominated country, Catholic, ruling a newl turned protestant state, and basically a foreigner, ruling an alien land and people, from what she was used to in France.

I have read many books on Mary Queen of Scots and this is the first book that really blew away the idea that Mary was resonsible for Darnleys murder, she put the blame where it truly belonged, the protestant lords, on Cecil and Elizabeth who were aware of the plot but said nothing.

Alison Weir is to be congratulated in the way she brings Mary to life, creatin the viliot times she lived in and with the treacherous people she mixed with, a kind generous woman, who was betrayed by her nobility, and illegial deposted and imprisioned.

Elizabeth stands condemded by her actions, in supporting rebel subjects against their legitimate Queen, Falsely betraying Mary and the majesty of monarchy, illegially imprisioning her, despite promising her aid, and to ultimatly excute Mary for treason, which she was never guilty.

Alison Weirs last line in this superb book is most appropriate,
She must with justice, be regarded as one of the most wronged women in history.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 15 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Biased and uncritical use of the sources
I always really enjoy reading Weir's books but I've never been impressed by her as a historian, principally because of her very biased and uncritical use of sources. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Roman Clodia

3.0 out of 5 stars A very insightful read
I enjoyed this book, Weir writes in such a manner that you get to know the characters, not just the well known facts, but the day to day aspects of theie lives. Read more

Published 2 months ago by L. mckay

4.0 out of 5 stars MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS AND THE MURDER OF LORD DARNLEY
This is an excellent book, full of information and very rich in detail. It is a very thick volume and I have not finished reading it yet but it gives a good picture of how... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Mrs. E. A. Barker

3.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, but drier than her other works
This was rather dry and considerably too long. It is my least favourite Alison Weir book. But, on the positive side, it is very well researched and extremely, indeed exhaustively,... Read more

Published 9 months ago by John Hopper

1.0 out of 5 stars Alison Weir has done what I thought couldn't be done
taken one of the most enduring mysteries in history, with a love story, a romantic heroine and a murder than turns people into partisans for and against even today, - and made it... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Mrs Miniver

4.0 out of 5 stars Impeccably researched historical detective work and overall a good read
This book is essentially an exploration and 'whodunnit' of the murder of Mary, Queen of Scot's second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, rather than a biography of Mary herself... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Gary Selikow

4.0 out of 5 stars great for basic knowldge
from the point of view of someone who has only really studied mary queen of scots at primary school it was great to come back to her story and read it quite a lot of detail about... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Lindymck

2.0 out of 5 stars The trials of a queen
Anyone still defending hereditary monarchy as a valid political concept should spend a few days [weeks?] plowing through this soporific account. Read more

Published on 8 Jul 2004 by Stephen A. Haines

1.0 out of 5 stars mawkish and offensive
I opened this book expecting to find new information but Weir has once again shown she is no historian. Read more

Published on 13 Jun 2004 by drjoel13

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a slog
I have read all of Alison Weir's books to date, and some of them (The Six Wives of Henry V111, Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Wars of the Roses) several times, but this one is a real... Read more

Published on 10 May 2004

› See all 15 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }