This exciting collection includes a brand-new character guide, along with reading group guides for seven books. Read all nine novels in order for the first time digitally and delve into the lives of this fascinating dynasty—full of intrigue, betrayal, marriages, and deaths, in a complete package, never before available.    1. To Hold the Crown In this sweeping tale of marriage and power, love and heartbreak, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York’s troubled ascension to the throne of England ultimately launches the Tudor dynasty.   2. Katharine of Aragon Katharine of Aragon held her husband Henry VIII’s affection—but only for so long.   3. Murder Most Royal One powerful king. Two tragic queens. Sophisticated Anne Boleyn and innocent Catherine Howard meet with the all-consuming—and fickle—passions of tempestuous King Henry VIII.   4. The King’s Confidante The King’s servant, but God’s first.  The English lawyer Sir Thomas More rises to become King Henry VIII’s most trusted advisor, but his refusal to recognize Henry as the supreme head of the Church of England ends his political career . . . and leads to his trial for treason.   5. The Sixth Wife Dangerous court intrigue and affairs of the heart collide during the story of Katherine Parr, the last of Henry VIII’s six queens.   6. The Thistle and the Rose The story of Princess Margaret Tudor, whose life of tragedy, bloodshed, and scandal would rival even that of her younger brother, Henry VIII.   7. Mary, Queen of France The story of Princess Mary Tudor, a celebrated beauty and born rebel who would defy the most powerful king in Europe—her older brother.   8. For a Queen’s Love Power-hungry monarch, cold-blooded murderer, obsessive monster—who could love such a man? Set against the glittering courts of sixteenth-century Europe, the Spain of the dreaded Inquisition, and the tortured England of Bloody Mary, this is the story of Philip II of Spain—and of the women who loved him as a husband and father.   9. A Favorite of the Queen Torn between her heart’s passion and duty to her kingdom, Elizabeth I must make a decision that will shape her country and place her name in history forever.

    Can the young noble -- a true prince of the realm -- clear his name before the dark shadows of civil war settle over fair England's lands?Margaret Frazer, the author of the Edgar-nominated and award-winning Sister Frevisse and Player Joliffe novels, weaves the hidden details of history into a taut thriller. A game of kings is being played, and the throne of England may be the prize!PRAISE FOR MARGARET FRAZER'S BOOKS“The setting brims with historical details... A brilliant study of human nature... Ms. Frazer reveals her genius… Highly recommended.” – Historical Novels Review“Mystery… Suspense… Frazer executes with audacity and ingenuity.” – Kirkus Reviews"Prepare to be enchanted as Margaret Frazer transports you back to the 15th century." - Romantic Times“A smooth and absorbing saga of conspiracy and treachery in 15th-century England… A tantalizing secret turns out to have stunning political implications.” – Publishers Weekly“Margaret Frazer has quietly claimed her place as one of the preeminent writers of historical crime fiction, delivering the whole package – a good mystery, wonderful characters, and a fascinating period of history. Her novels are a dream to read.” - Aunt Agatha’s NewsletterHerodotus Award Winner.Twice nominated for the Edgar AwardTwice nominated for the Minnesota Book AwardA Romantic Times Top Pick.(This short story is one of the Bishop Pecock Tales.)

    Frideswide, and its foul touch is striking down those closest to the church. Can Dame Frevisse thwart the servants of the devil before the hellfire of hysteria sears the souls of the faithful? Or is there more to this magic than meets the eye? The truth can only be found in the Witch's Tale.(The Witch's Tale is part of the Margaret Frazer's Tales series of short stories.)PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FREVISSE MEDIEVAL MYSTERY SERIES“There is action aplenty and intrigue in abundance.” – Historical Novels Review"Frazer uses her extensive knowledge of the period to create an unusual plot ... appealing characters and crisp writing." - Los Angeles Times"Frazer's writing is both erudite and vivid, and she has the ability to bring characters to life within a strong, clear story." - The Drood Review of Mystery "Exquisitely written... A superbly researched medieval mystery series!” – Publisher’s Weekly

    

    THINK Currency THINK Relevancy THINK Human Sexuality THINK Human Sexuality covers the essentials every human sexuality student should know. The chapters are briefer than a standard text--allowing for a lower cost to students and using less printed paper. Unlike other brief texts, THINK Human Sexuality includes 18 chapters of content--giving instructors the flexibility to choose what they want to cover without the worry that skipping several chapters will mean leaving out hundreds of pages of content. THINK Human Sexuality provides currency and relevance through design, current examples, and high-interest readings. The readings have been chosen from a range of well respected journals and popular press publications. With the concise presentation of material in the chapters, instructors have the option of incorporating these readings and helping students connect to issues occurring outside of the classroom. The instructor supplements package will help bring the key concepts of Human Sexuality to life, without burdening students with dense and too expensive learning solutions.

    Performed by a handful of players, mostly masked and using minimal props and exceedingly understated movements, this is theater pared down to its essentials. Yet, as an art form, Noh drama is highly complex^DDLrichly symbolic, nuanced and exquisite in its austerity.Since the emergence of Noh drama over six centuries ago, the masks worn by the actors have been integral to the work. A Noh mask, with its subtle fusion of the real and the imaginary, is a beautiful object; but it only comes fully to life when a talented actor is able to transcend the mask's unchanging expression and convey a wide range of emotions.In recent years, Noh drama has seen a resurgence in prestige and popularity, both in Japan and abroad. Today, the masks worn by most Noh thespians are either old, passed down from generation to generation within a particular school of acting, or the work of an artist who specializes in this craft. Only one Noh master-actor continues to make masks in addition to teaching, writing and performing. Michishige Udaka is a shite-kata (lead and producer), with a career spanning almost 50 years. As an actor and playwright, he is able to bring to the task of mask-making a deep understanding both of the character the mask represents and of the actor's intentions while playing that role. These insights have enabled Udaka to add greater dimension to his own performances.The Secrets of Noh Masks presents 32 pieces, a representative sample of the more than 200 produced to date by the author. Every one has passed the ultimate test^DDLuse in actual performances^DDLand may be seen on stage today. The stunning photos are accompanied by captions and essays about the history of Noh, its performance style, mask-making philosophy and techniques. There is also an index listing each mask with a thumbnail sketch.Those who know little of this ancient dramatic form, might assume that Noh masks lack expression. But the images showcased in this volume reveal an emotional depth and humanity that is as powerful in the 21st century as it was over 600 years ago.

    The Cambridge Companion to Machiavelli brings together sixteen original essays by leading experts, covering his life, his career in Florentine government, his reaction to the dramatic changes that affected Florence and Italy in his lifetime, and the most prominent themes of his thought, including the founding, evolution, and corruption of republics and principalities, class conflict, liberty, arms, religion, ethics, rhetoric, gender, and the Renaissance dialogue with antiquity. In his own time Machiavelli was recognized as an original thinker who provocatively challenged conventional wisdom. With penetrating analyses of The Prince, Discourses on Livy, Art of War, Florentine Histories, and his plays and poetry, this book offers a vivid portrait of this extraordinary thinker as well as assessments of his place in Western thought since the Renaissance.

    This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

    He was a consistently loyal supporter of the Yorkist dynasty from the late 1450s until his death at Bosworth in 1485. He was an indefatigable royal servant, active in the military field, as an agent of the Crown at home in East Anglia, as a councillor at Westminster and as an ambassador who became England's leading envoy to France. And yet there were other men of the period, equally significant in their careers, for whom no biographies have been forthcoming.To the question - why write a biography of John Howard? one answer must be - because we can. With the exceptions of the kings he served, no other man of the fifteenth-century peerage has left us so much in the way of evidence of his day-to-day life, not only of his royal service but his domestic concerns. Information about other men of his time depends largely on well-documented political or administrative action; very little information is available on their private lives. The same is not true of Howard. The unparalleled records that he left behind are four volumes of household memoranda covering the periods 1462 -1471 and 1481-1483.The memoranda were a daily record of the money received and dispersed by Howard himself, his family and senior household members. The lack of distinction between business and domestic concerns and the great range of subjects, from payments for ships to laces for his wife's gowns, are what make them so illuminating. Taken together, these surviving records illustrate almost every aspect of his life and bring him alive: talented, efficient, ambitious and not above some dishonourable dealings, short-tempered, paternalistic and loyal.

    Deserted by his father who had left to fight the Lancastrian cause, the embittered and determined lad set out on a mission of vengeance and became embroiled in the bitter struggle for the throne of England between the Houses of Lancaster and York. There were those in 1461 who avowed that Edmund had been divinely chosen and anointed to be the Avenger of Righteous Blood something the boy himself never claimed. What is certain, in command of the Wespen (Wasps), an elite unit of crossbow mercenaries, he turned events in York s favor at the decisive Battle of Towton. Despite protests from Yorkist lords, King Edward IV (himself a youth of eighteen), gave the accolade to the former herder of pigs from Thryberg declaring him to be The truest and most loyal knight in all England . With the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the ascent of the Lancastrian Tudors the many stories of the Yorkist boy hero were suppressed. However, for fifty years fanciful tales of The Hawk lingered on in the towns and villages of the West Riding of Yorkshire until in 1509 Edmund s brother arrived in chains at Conisbrough Castle. Before his burning in Doncaster Fish Market the condemned heretic tells the true story of the Lost Legend of the Hawk."

    This period witnessed the diaspora of the Sephardic Jews, the emigration of Portuguese to West Africa and the islands, and the beginnings of the black diaspora associated with the slave trade. The documents show how the Portuguese tried to understand the societies with which they came into contact and to reconcile their experience with the myths and legends inherited from classical and medieval learning. They also show how Africans reacted to the coming of Europeans, adapting Christian ideas to local beliefs and making use of exotic imports and European technologies. The documents also describe the evolution of the black Portuguese communities in Guinea and the islands, as well as the slave trade and the way that it was organized, understood, and justified.