White Queen

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Susan Lyons

Brother turns on brother. The throne of England is at stake. The deadly Wars of the Roses have begun....

They ruled England before the Tudors, and now internationally best-selling author Philippa Gregory brings the Plantagenets to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women.

Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition, secretly marries the newly crowned boy king of England. While she rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become the central figures in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London.

Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another best-selling classic series.

©2009 Philippa Gregory (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"It would be hard to make history more entertaining, lively or engaging." ( Sunday Express)

"Queen of the historical novel." ( Mail on Sunday)

"Gregory brings to life the sights, smells and textures of 16th-century England." ( Financial Times)

More Awesomeness from Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory continues to produced stories backed by a wealth of research that truly bring historical events to life. In this story, Gregory tells of royal intrigue, power struggles, and romance. The story is beautifully crafted and narrator Susan Lyons does a wonderful job of bringing the voices to life. I absolutely adored this book and listened to it for hours at a time. Hated to have to turn it off and was very sad when the story was over.

Another great story by Philippa Gregory

Would you listen to White Queen again? Why?

Yes. Because it is an enlightening view of 15 century England.

What other book might you compare White Queen to and why?

The other two in the trilogy and the Boyleyn series. Very smartly written historical fiction.

Solid

A glimpse into medieval Europe. Insightful. The first half sets up the second half. It works because you care about the main character.

Loved it!

It is so amazing how she brings back every detail of a world so unlike our own right now.

Loved this story

I saw the series on starz and because like any book to movie/series it leaves alot out so I had to read the story and very happy that I did loved loved loved it the story amazes me!!and. The narrator very good

I enjoyed it

I really liked this book, it was good to pass the time, but I am hesitate to buy more in the series.

Starts as a sappy romance novel... but WAIT

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh heck no... In fact, I stopped listening to this book early on because it seems to be just a stupid romance novel. I planned to return it but hadn't gotten around to it yet. But on a long trip, I finished another book and found I had nothing to listen to so I gave this book another chance. Voila - the fascinating part finally begins! Once again all the elements I look for in Phillipa Gregory's books unfolded. History, intrigued galore. Definitely worth getting through the silly beginning.

Engaging - created amazing visions

Would you consider the audio edition of White Queen to be better than the print version?

Never before have I been interested in this part of history. The book and narration have sparked a hunger for more and I am now listening to the Red Queen. The narrator captures the characters and story line very well and is quite easy to listen to. Amazing! I found myself creating and scheduling time to listen on.

What other book might you compare White Queen to and why?

I have nothing to compare it to at this time.

What does Susan Lyons bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The expressions of her voice bring the story to life in a way that truly complements the written word.

If you could rename White Queen, what would you call it?

The title is very fitting.

Love this book

What made the experience of listening to White Queen the most enjoyable?

I really love this story. Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV are such an interesting couple during such a crazy time in history. They're certainly flawed but I wanted such good things for them. It's a longer book and as a result I really enjoyed listening to the audio version.

What other book might you compare White Queen to and why?

This is like a real life Game of Thrones.

If you could rename White Queen, what would you call it?

I wouldn't. It's perfect.

Where "Game of Thrones" Got It's Stories

What did you like best about this story?

Having seen this story on STARZ, and fallen in love with Elizabeth, I was excited to hear the book version! The STARZ version followed very closely the book, and it was interesting to visualize the scenes as they played out. I wondered why the TV version just stopped, and was rewarded with the second part of the book, that brought it to conclusion.

Which scene was your favorite?

The story of Elizabeth succeeding from a commoner to Queen was wonderful. I loved the love story between her and Edward, truly unusual for important people of royalty! To see her succeed becoming Queen and bear many children, with the love and care she showed them all, was my favorite aspect of the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The double standard for men and women made me shake my head! It was expected that men, even the king, would behave as he pleased, while women behaved as they were expected to on surface, though behind the scenes manipulating their fates.

Any additional comments?

Taking place in the reign of Edward IV in England, it traced his reign from 1461 to 1483. This story showed how even royal people were pawns, females used for alliances and duty, males trained to be rulers. Just because you had a position in society didn't mean you would maintain it. The constant battles, dangers of the times, threat of succumbing to illness, plotting and manipulations against each other wove interesting tales! "Game of Thrones" demonstrated this, and had glimpses of this time period - the passion of Henry Tutor's mother Margaret to see him king, the battles for position, and the stories of their families, like those of the House of York, Lancaster, and Tudor. It was interesting to look up the timeline of Edward IVs reign, and see two additional successors from the House of York followed him for only 2 years, then was Henry VII from 1485-1509 from the House of Tudor! Bet there's a story there!