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A review by nickartrip102
Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance by Amy Licence
3.0
I decided to pivot back to nonfiction and picked up Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance by Amy License, which I had started several months ago after finishing Lauren Johnson’s work on Henry VI. I somehow got lost in the Stuart era for most of the year, but have once more returned to the War of the Roses. When Edward of York seized the English throne, he had a slew of mistresses and was expected to marry a foreign princess, such is the life of a monarch during the Middle Ages. No one imagined he would marry a widow, five years his elder, but that’s exactly what he did when he pledged himself to Elizabeth Woodwville.
The preface to the text looks at Joan of Arc and emphasizes themes such as women in power, witchcraft, and gender relations — all issues that tie back to the story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. This also ties back to the principle players since Elizabeth’s mother, Jacquetta, was married to the Duke of Bedford who was responsible for Joan’s trial. I appreciated this, because it framed the book nicely and showed me how License would be treating her subject matter. Elizabeth Woodville has always been one of those figures that has sort of captured my imagination, marrying a king, all the fleeing into sanctuary, but she certainly wasn’t romanticized by her contemporaries and License does a terrific job of unpacking the treatment she both during and after her lifetime.
A perk of this book is that I felt I got a more intimate look at Edward IV. Most of my reading about the War of the Roses has prioritized other subjects, so it was nice to finally explore a work where he mostly took center stage. He’s certainly one of those historical figures that I wish I could get an actual glimpse at. As License points out, he must have been a fairly attractive man. He would have cut quite the figure in comparison to the pious Henry IV. Although I’m not sure this book is a great entry point for someone desiring to learn more about the War of the Roses, I really think it’s a great supplement that gives a sympathetic understanding of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. License also approaches the subject matter with caution, never making any specific claims about disputed topics - such as the princes in the tower - instead offering different theories presented by other historians which I really appreciated.
The preface to the text looks at Joan of Arc and emphasizes themes such as women in power, witchcraft, and gender relations — all issues that tie back to the story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. This also ties back to the principle players since Elizabeth’s mother, Jacquetta, was married to the Duke of Bedford who was responsible for Joan’s trial. I appreciated this, because it framed the book nicely and showed me how License would be treating her subject matter. Elizabeth Woodville has always been one of those figures that has sort of captured my imagination, marrying a king, all the fleeing into sanctuary, but she certainly wasn’t romanticized by her contemporaries and License does a terrific job of unpacking the treatment she both during and after her lifetime.
A perk of this book is that I felt I got a more intimate look at Edward IV. Most of my reading about the War of the Roses has prioritized other subjects, so it was nice to finally explore a work where he mostly took center stage. He’s certainly one of those historical figures that I wish I could get an actual glimpse at. As License points out, he must have been a fairly attractive man. He would have cut quite the figure in comparison to the pious Henry IV. Although I’m not sure this book is a great entry point for someone desiring to learn more about the War of the Roses, I really think it’s a great supplement that gives a sympathetic understanding of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. License also approaches the subject matter with caution, never making any specific claims about disputed topics - such as the princes in the tower - instead offering different theories presented by other historians which I really appreciated.