The White Princess (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels) Audio CD – Audiobook, July 23, 2013

Philippa Gregory can write. Obviously, as she has so many books to her name. Even when I disagree with content, I still want to keep reading her stories.I watched the Starz version of "The White Princess" and wanted to read the source material. To my dismay I discovered that my issues with the TV show are the same issues I have with the book.I don't consider myself a Tudor expert by any means, but I am fascinated with the War of the Roses. I especially love the story of Henry and Elizabeth since they seemed to truly fall in love with one another and ended the war between their houses.Everything I've read about Henry VII is not presented in this book. That he was fiscally responsible, organized his kingdom well and was a king to be admired is not how Gregory imagines him, apparently. In her book he is a cold, mean, vindictive man who uses his love as a weapon. He's paranoid to the point of almost mental illness and is just generally an unlikable character/man. That goes against all that I've read about his love for his wife and his children. There is also no historical indication that he had an affair with Kathy Gordon/Lady Katherine Huntly. Especially since Elizabeth took her into her household and cared for her the rest of her life. And that when Henry had the chance to marry Kathy after Elizabeth's death, he did not take it. That doesn't sound like a man in love or a man with a mistress. Henry is one of the few English kings to not have an official mistress. Given his mother's piety and upbringing, I believe that he was a man of morals and would not cheat on the queen he adored.While Elizabeth is presented as a strong character in the beginning, toward the end of the book that radically changes. Literally the entire last half of the book is her saying, "I don't know. I don't know." It's so bad that Henry even mocks her for it on several different occasions. Instead of driving her story (as Gregory tells us is most important, that we see all the ways Elizabeth ruled and had influence even if history didn't record it), she is instead out of the loop in every event in her life. So that when questioned, she literally can't say anything but "I don't know." Which is a pity, to see her character reduced to such nothingness in her own story, especially since Gregory wanted the opposite to happen.One of my main issues with the show and this book is that by presenting Henry and Elizabeth as enemies forced to wed (another point that most historians disagree with--they had a good deal of time to get to know one another and it seemed that, especially on her side, there were real feelings there before they married and he certainly didn't rape the girl and try to impregnate her first), part of what drives this story should be Elizabeth's surrender. That you see her husband falling in love with her, and I wanted that moment where she tells him she feels the same. It's sort of in this book (sort of in the show, too), but it falls completely flat. She says it at the end of a scene. So we don't see Henry's reaction. Winning Elizabeth's love is important to him (how can he make the country love him if he can't even get his own wife to?). I wanted to see what happened with that moment. How it changed things for them. What it meant for them as a couple. We don't get that here, at all.I'm not sure how I feel about the Perkin Warbeck thread or who killed the princes in the tower. I don't have enough information on either subject to form a sure opinion, but I'm not sure Gregory persuades me to her point of view in the book. (Like I believe that Richard III killed those boys and the reason he didn't display their bodies was that he didn't want anyone to know that he'd murdered children to be king.)Anyway, this book has very little romance and affection. The characters often have these long monologues that are not how real people speak, but more like a historian is trying to explain a fact by putting it into her characters' mouths and letting them spell out all the different intricacies of what's happening in a particular scene. I wanted more Henry and Elizabeth, their day to day lives and their love story, and what I got was a bunch of explanations about battles and fear and obsession with pretenders to the throne.Not one I'd ever read again.

I used to love Gregory's books. The characters were richly drawn and dialogs revealed their inner worlds. I noticed that has not been the case with the last several books. I am thinking the author may be getting lazy and is cranking out these books without putting as much thought into them as she did with her first ones. Did these books become just a money-making machine for her? I don't want to accuse her of anything but really, for the price she is charging, the quality is just not there anymore.The main character Elizabeth is so incredibly boring. I laughed when I saw somebody else say in the review how Elizabeth got on their nerves because the only thing she ever said was "I don't know." And that even Henry's character got irritated with that. I laughed because it was exactly what I thought at some point. And when Henry commented on it, I thought "Man, I am with you, she is so annoying!"The dialog, in general, was kept to a minimum so the book read more like a historical chronical vs. a novel.I really don't like the latest trend of narrating from the first person because it limits our access to other characters' inner worlds. All we can rely on is the person's perception of others' emotions and thoughts. The problem with Elizabeth's character is that she never knew what was happening around her (hence the consistent answer "I don't know" to most of the questions she was ever asked). So the whole story is being told from the perspective of someone who has an extremely limited view of events. You judge it for yourself how interesting that could possibly be!

First and foremost, readers should remember that this is historical fiction not history, per se. This is the story of Henry Tudor, who got his crown and became King Henry VII of England by defeating King Richard lIl of the house of York at the battle of Bosworth. He soon marries Princess Elizabeth of the house of York, daughter of King Edward IV and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. He does so to give his kingship stability and unite England. Unfortunately, the best laid plans often go awry.Not much is known about the women of that era, other than the basics: birth, marriage, children, and death. So, here the author tries to make the women three dimensional. The author also weaves a narrative on the women's take of the events of the day. It is certainly an intriguing tapestry that the author weaves. While at times the book is a bit repetitive, it is still an entertaining work of historical fiction. Fans of the author will not be disappointed.

After watching the Starz production of The White Princess , I was eager to read the Philippa Gregory novel. As a fan of Elizabeth of York, I devour most everything I can find about her and the first Tudor king, the underrated Henry VII. Disappointment is the only way I can describe my reaction to this novel. It starts out well, although leaning heavy on the theory Elizabeth was Richard III’s lover (not proven). Henry is a complex but admirable character until about three-quarters into the book where he turns into this hateful, extremely paranoid, dare I say just idiot. To say this book doesn’t do Henry justice is a massive understatement. When I finished it, it truly left a bad taste in my mouth. Nobody likes to witness a character assassination.

I really enjoy reading her books but my heart breaks for Elizabeth in this. How depressing her short life was. It's really hard to keep going to the end knowing it doesn't get any better for her. While I don't think the boy was Prince Richard, I firmly believe they were related. He was likely one of Edwards many bastards and it must have been really difficult for her to live through all of the constant death and never ending suspicion.

If you like historic fiction bases on facts (faction) the this is a brilliant series. There are 6 books and, although each book stands alone, if you are going to read all 6 you should/must read them in the right order. Lady of the Rivers, White Queen, Red Queen, Kingmakers daughter, White Princess and Kings Curse. I found each difficult to put down. They all look at the same period of history but each from the view of different women of the time. They are a brilliant read. Each is a great story, brilliantly told, based on historical facts and not a little imagination. Highly recommended.

I bought this book after first seeing the TV series. As is the case with most books that have been adapted for the big or small screen, I expected the book to be the better format. I was looking for a less sensational - albeit fictional - account of historic events in the context of the eventually happy marriage between King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York. This book isn't it. King Henry VII comes across as immature and petulant. If you're expecting a transformation in his character as the story progresses (similar to how this is depicted in the TV series), you will be very disappointed. He is unlikeable throughout the book. This contributes to making the book rather tiresome - quite an achievement since this is a rather exciting time in England's history.

.The White Princess - Philippa GregoryThere are many periods in English history of which one cannot be terribly proud. This is not usually one of them that springs immediately to mind. We were taught in school that 'and the victor of Bosworth, Henry Tudor, married Elizabeth of York thus uniting the red rose and the white, the houses of York and Lancaster, and then followed the Great and Good Tudor dynasty, and there was peace.' Of course, everyone knows that the Tudors and their times were really tyrannical and bloodthirsty. Henry VII comes across as not only a weaselly pretender in this novel, but the spymaster general, the coward in battle, the twisted money -grubbing mummy's boy, the unloved and unlovable scion of Lancaster and Tudor. There must have been a time when he was a normal and joyous young man, but poor lad did not stand much of a chance in the face of his mother's single-minded ambitions. Of course, Tudor is not a Great House yet, and it has fallen to him to make it so. No pressure there then. Knowing that the period was one of propaganda and deceit and tyrannical megalomania did not prepare me for the dripping nastiness of it as portrayed here so well by Gregory. I do not doubt that the past-scape she has created is anything but accurate, the atmosphere of fear, intrigue, violence. I liked the bravery of her assumptions. Less Disney, more Twilight Zone, or even Figes' "The Whisperers". The OGPU could have learned something from Henry VII! Character-wise, I found Elizabeth Plantagenet (the first person protagonist, from whose p.o.v. the narrative is given) wishy washy, and her motivation mainly to just get through it all with her body parts still conjoined. Difficult to say if I felt sympathetic towards her or not, her pity and tenderness for the appalling Henry that manifested from time to time made me want to shake her, but I suppose that the character was solid enough for me to imagine shaking it says something. She must have realised that had she rebelled, there was plenty of support (as indicated in the narrative) out there to protect her. I cannot imagine why she did not poison him and/or his harridan of a mother. It is not as if she could ever have felt safe enough in her position (as per this interpretation of events anyway) not to have risked it and saved the people of all estates from the reign of fiscal and bloody terror of the weak, vindictive and craven Henry Tudor and his appalling mother. Then maybe a whole history of a country would have been so different. What if, what if, what if...?So, the book was obviously a good read to cause such reaction in this reader. I do not know if there is historical evidence for the love affair between Richard III and his niece Elizabeth Plantagenet. That there may have been a political expedient for such an alliance, one understood and encouraged by a rapidly failing (in health) Anne Neville to protect Richard and his crown I have no doubt. Richard obviously did inspire love and loyalty, it is well documented, so not beyond the bounds of belief that his young and embattled niece may have had a crush on him, or even loved him in a romantic and sexual way. I did like this take on it though.As in the preceding novels and reviews of them, there were times when the use of modern idiom and colloquialisms grated somewhat. Of course, one does not expect the novel to be written in high medieval English, or Latin or courtly medieval French, but 'I lied to her face' put the speaker more into the realms of the Facebook status of a chavvy teenager than a well educated 15th century aristocratic woman (never mind a Queen). It is an ambivalent criticism, but when trying to understand the actions, reactions, the way people lived and what they considered normal in historical periods from a first person point of view, I do not consider it works to use modern idiom. I can see that it can work in some circumstances but not in these novels, as otherwise, Gregory is a respected historian and thus even her novels given more credence than an anachronistic fantasy romance.Most readers will know the outcome before reading the novel, and the way in which it was reached struck a good balance between suspense and foreknowledge of doom. The acceptance of fate by Elizabeth throughout the narrative was like someone drifting through life on a high dose of tranquillisers. This made the story so much more poignant, maybe contributed to the underlying anger which built up in this reader towards the injustices and the brutality of a past which has brought us to where we are today. The contrast between the personalities of Elizabeth Plantagenet (Tudor) and her mother Elizabeth Woodville and grandmother Jacquetta Woodville - and that of Margaret Beaufort- gives food for thought as the epochs of history move on, as to how far they are representative of a general era. Elizabeth of York's time was certainly a dark and seemingly hopeless one, and she seems to have moulded herself to that. Interesting, that it seems a constant state of affairs then and now that the people always want a change regime, a change of government, and when it comes, the old one is over and a new one in place, the old one doesn't seem as bad and they want it back.

The fifth in the cousins war series.This book concentrates on Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville(the White Queen) and Edward IV and sister of the princes in the tower.She is a young woman caught between her own mother's rebellious ambitions and her domineering mother- in- law, mother of Henry VII. It is essential for Princess Elizabeth to bear children for the Tudor dynasty and unite the white rose of York with the red rose of Lancaster. Henry brutally makes sure of a pregnancy as soon as their betrothal is arranged.Elizabeth loathes him for killing her beloved uncle, Richard III( remains dug up in Leicester car park very recently)with whom she had been having an affair. The tensions between the main characters are maintained by the possibility that one of Elizabeth's missing, presumed murdered brothers, survived under the guise of Perkin Warbeck. This claim became a threat to Henry VII, dividing loyalties and challenging Elizabeth's husband's and childrens' right to inherit the throne of England.Enjoy this book for what it is,an entertaining romp through history, there are times when it is acceptable to be more interesting than accurate.There is a good bibliography at the end of the book for those who want more to read more scholarly views on the historical accuracy.j

I can't recommend this book enough- I was riveted from start to finish . The author backs up her theories on the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower with the evidence/ opinions of dozens of historical texts and books - in particular the romance between RICHARD and his niece Elizabeth. Why would she love a man who murdered her brothers ? Far more likely that Henry VII and his mother did the deed - they had so much more to gain. All of this is entwined in a riveting story that the author paints of the war between the two houses through the eyes of Elizabeth. A must buy.

If you liked the earlier books, you will probably like this one, though I do feel it is a little less successful than the portraits of the White and Red Queens - there is a bit more external narrative describing political and military events, not seen through the eyes of Elizabeth.My remaining remarks cover the other books about the Cousins' war as well as this one. I see many reviewers quibbling about the accuracy or otherwise of historical details in this series. Personally, I read the books as novels, fictional narratives set in a specific period. If you want 100% accuracy read biographies or histories!I have enjoyed the books very much as exciting narratives and above all as attempts to see the world of that time through women's eyes - a nice complement to most other accounts. It is true that this works better with some characters than others. I especially loved the Red Queen's own story, I think Gregory succeeded very well in capturing the perspective of this woman, and showing how extreme religious devotion can turn into complacency, self-aggrandisement and bigotry (there are many contemporary examples of this, and I found this character curiously up-to-date!). The White Queen's tale, on the other hand, is often about the men around her, and this problem seems most noticeable in the White Princess, where the story really seems mainly about 'the Boy', though it is told only through a woman's eyes. But on the whole I really appreciate her attempts to show us a period as experienced by women.I also really enjoyed reading the same incidents as seen by different characters, particularly when the White and Red Queens' stories are juxtaposed. I think the whole series is an interesting experiment in perspective. But above all these are highly readable, gripping stories, to be read not for edification but simply for entertainment.

In my humble opinion, I think this is one of Philippa Gregory's best novels. It is told from the perspective of Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV. From page 1 I was hooked. It evokes the atmosphere of a very troubled time, where one was afraid to even think without court spies reporting everything to the very troubled and neurotic Henry Tudor who was convinced the whole world was out to get him. Elizabeth and Henry's shaky marriage was really brought to life by the author's shining talent for story telling. Margaret de Beaufort's nasty attitude towards Elizabeth and her fanatical and cloying worship of her only son was fascinating. The author's descriptions of court life at this time is superb and I was disappointed to get to the end of the book. The only very slight disappointment for me was that the ending didn't really have a final conclusion - but perhaps that's for another book? I would highly recommend this fabulous novel for anyone who loves history, particularly those interested in the Cousins' War.

The White Princess of the title is Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV, and lover of King Richard II according to Gregory's version of events. Given that this book begins after Richard's defeat at Bosworth at the hand of Henry Tudor, you might feel that Cousins' Wars are over with the establishment of a new Tudor regime, but as Gregory's novel makes clear, there can be little peace of mind for a king who has usurped another. As history records, Elizabeth is soon married to Henry to unite the house of York with that of Lancaster. In Gregory's version, she is a reluctant bride and Henry views their union in a highly instrumental way, heavily influenced by his mother (who is the focus of the earlier novel "The Red Queen"). As the rumours of plots and rival claimants to the throne, Elizabeth finds herself in an impossible situation; of the defeated House of York by birth (the branch of the family the rivals to the throne claim to represent), by virtue of her marriage, her children's future relies on the failure of the usurpers. Of course, no-one knows for sure whether any sons of Edward IV survived (the mystery of the Princes in the Tower rumbles on to this day) and Elizabeth is unsure whether she will ever be confronted with one of her brothers as a rival for her husband's throne. Philippa Gregory clearly has a view which I won't reveal here - you'll need to read the book yourself and I have to say I found her arguments in favour of her opinion quite convincing. I thought Philippa Gregory handled the uncertainty facing the new Tudor regime extremely well. The court was full of convincing characters and the plot, driven by rumour and speculation ensured that the pages turned quickly. If you've enjoyed the previous books in the series, then you'll no doubt enjoy this. The White Queen and the Red Queen are still around and by comparison with them, Elizabeth of York seems perhaps rather passive although I think this can be explained by the fact that it is hard for her to take sides because it isn't clear at all which side she should be on. Another excellent read and I can't wait to get on with the next one in the series.

I liked this book for what it is - a great read. Although based on fact, Miss. Gregory always gives her own slant on what could have happened, but it still doesn't answer the question - Why did Elizabeth become so 'grey' from being a vibrant princess to Tudor's consort with little to say. Was she going to marry Richard? I don't think I could believe that, he would never have done such a thing to his brother's memory and I don't believe he would have hurt Anne Neville the way this book insinuates. Did she know the whereabouts of her brothers? I think perhaps she did, one or both of them. Perhaps that is why her mother secluded herself in a convent, to be able to plot without have the Tudor's spies looking over her shoulder all the time. I suppose these are questions we willknow, but now we have Richard's DNA, surely this would be a good time to DNA test the bones in the urn, supposedly the remains of the Princes.

We’ve heard from Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Anne Neville. Now it’s the turn of Elizabeth of York to put forward her perspective of the Wars of the Roses. This series has been phenomenally successful and Philippa Gregory has done well to get into the heads of her historical characters while introducing just the right amount of dramatic license. However, I do wonder whether the Cousins’ War saga is beginning to run out of steam. Whereas The White Queen and The Red Queen followed women who were real players in the political manoeuvring, in The White Princess Elizabeth is more of an onlooker. Henry VII lurches from crisis to similar crisis; Elizabeth claims to know nothing, continually aware of how vulnerable she is straddling the York and Tudor dynasties. A solid addition to the series, but not the best.

I've read and loved all the other books, and this gave me an insight into this shadowy character of history who was far more than I ever realised. Loved it, and am sorry that we are now full circle into the time when her earlier books about the Tudors began. Its a fictionalised history and who knows if its true. I've always been mystified how the alleged incestuous relationship between Elizabeth and Richard III was never dramatised for the scandal it was; the fact that she was having an affair as a young unmarried princess would be bad enough - the fact her supposed lover was her uncle is never forcefully highlighted... its more of a footnote to their relationship. He would never, ever have been given the required papal dispensation to marry her and that would have been vital in that age, but this never comes to the fore.Nonetheless, thats a small niggle and this was a great book to close the circle and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I knew very little about Henry VII.some people say he was dull. Thus book portrays him as jealous paranoid and ruled by his mother. The central theme is the eternal mystery of the princes in the tower. Elizabeth of York is portrayed as an unwilling bride and wife torn between loyalties to the houses of York and Tudor. Overall I found it a very compelling read although because the narrator is Elizabeth we do not hear of Henry's grief when she dies.

Philippa Gregory has done it again - "the same story" from the different viewpoints and perceptions of the leading character was a very clever way to handle this story and I had already read all of them - the Red Queen, The White Queen, et alThe White Princess is no less interesting and enlightening and a real page turner... though one began to wonder when would Henry stop having to defend the challenges to his throne, One knew he would of course because from hereon in its the House of Tudor and the end of the York/Lancaster regimes.Though a good stand alone novel, I would recommend reading the whole series - that way you have a really good grasp of what has gone before to understand the situation in this novel.Loved it. Can't recommend it highly enough.

I was so looking forward to this book. The characters are well developed and come to life on the page, which you expect from Philippa Gregory. But there is an overwhelming sadness throughout the book which I haven't got from some of her others from this period. You dislike Henry from the start, and I never felt any compassion for him. His Mother is truly horrible in this book, even though I loved The Red Queen, which told her story, and so knew all she had been through to finally get her son on the throne.The book does give you a very real picture of what it must have been like to live at that time, and in Henry's court. You feel the fear and trepidation that consumes the country as this madman becomes obsessed with trying to destroy anyone who is linked to the York dynasty and therefore threatens his rule.I would recommend it though.

I love all these historical novels. Whilst I realise they are fact with a bit of padding out and authors opinions, I find these a great way to learn history. I've learnt more from these than when at school.