To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York (A Novel of the Tudors) (Paperback)

by Jean Plaidy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From exile and war to love and loss—every dynasty has a beginning.

Henry Tudor was not born to the throne of England. Having come of age in a time of political turmoil and danger, the man who would become Henry VII spent fourteen years in exile in Brittany before returning triumphantly to the Dorset coast with a small army and decisively winning the Battle of Bosworth Field—ending the War of the Roses once and for all and launching the infamous Tudor dynasty.

As Henry’s claim to the throne was tenuous, his marriage to Elizabeth of York, daughter and direct heir of King Edward IV, not only served to unify the warring houses, it also helped Henry secure the throne for himself and for generations to come. And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story that led to seven children and twenty happy years together.
Sweeping and dramatic, To Hold the Crown brings readers inside the genesis of the great Tudor empire: through Henry and Elizabeth’s troubled ascensions to the throne, their marriage and rule, the heartbreak caused by the death of their son Arthur, and, ultimately, to the crowning of their younger son, King Henry VIII.


“Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama.”
—New York Times

About the Author
JEAN PLAIDY is the pen name of the prolific English author Eleanor Hibbert, also known as Victoria Holt. To Hold the Crown is the first book in her nine-book series on the Tudors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307346196
• ISBN-13: 978-0307346193
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,864 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (3.5) Don't be fooled by the new book jacket, this is _not_ a love story, November 4, 2008

By	Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

From the back cover "And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story..." Huh? You have to wonder sometimes what is going through the publisher's heads - the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was not a love match by any means - why would they try to label it as one??

Originally published as Uneasy Lies the Head, this book covers the reign of Henry VII following the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. With a very tenuous claim on the throne of England Henry marries Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV, in an effort to strengthen his claim. Despite keeping peace in the country and restoring the empty coffers, Henry is always fearful of conspiracies to challenge his reign with pretenders to the throne claiming to be one of the lost princes in the tower.

So much of this book is known history, we've all read enough of the Tudors I don't need to rehash it all again. The book takes the reader from the beginning of Henry's reign until the end and at his death and the assumption to the throne of his son Henry VIII. Although I did enjoy this book very much, it was a bit dry at times, especially at the beginning, and those not familiar with the Wars of The Roses might have a difficult time picking up the story.

Henry was nicely portrayed as a parsimonious penny pincher always worried about threats to his crown, the younger Henry a bit too full of himself and his "knightly" responsibilities, Katharine of Aragon suitably pious and obedient - my only complaint was the how Elizabeth of York was portrayed. A virtually non-existent character, the few times she was in the storyline she was quite vapid and very forgettable. She was pretty much there for the procreation of children. All in all a pleasant read, not the best but not the worst either. 3.5/5 stars.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not her best work, but still very good historical fiction, March 24, 2009

By	M. Jacobsen "Stop the Spelling and Grammatica... (Southeast of Disorder) - See all my reviews

I have a love affair going with historical fiction author Jean Plaidy.

It's Plaidy that I turn to when I crave a good comfort-read.

This novel is Plaidy's take on the story of the marriage between King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: the marriage which effectively ended the War of the Roses by uniting the houses of York and Lancaster.

Like her other historical fiction novels, To Hold the Crown will never be compared to, say, a Sharon Kay Penman novel. Plaidy, rather, exists in a class of her own: solid writing and a good historical foundation make her stories feel comfortable.

Kind of like your favorite pair of old sneakers.

The story of Henry and Elizabeth has been written about numerous times, but I still think Plaidy does it best. You won't find any heros or villains in this story. Instead you'll find human beings who make mistakes and are trying to do the best they can with the tools they have. Plaidy is the consummate professional: she presents each character in a fair light, flaws and all, and allows the readers to draw their own conclusions, as opposed to leading you to those conclusions.

Those of you who are still tracking down the infamous Princes in the Tower will find an interesting idea as to their ultimate fate within these pages. Plaidy, as always, is plausible and sharp as a tack.


What didn't I like? The darned new cover chosen by Three Rivers Press!
For now, I'll forgive them simply because they are reprinting so many of Plaidy's historical fiction novels.

If you haven't read one, do so soon. And if you've read Sandra Worth's recent novel, The King's Daughter, you'll recognize that the subject matter is the same. For my money, I recommend Plaidy's version for a more complete and perhaps a more realistic look at the lives of Henry and Elizabeth.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helped clarify confusing Tudor history, May 26, 2009

By	R. Boadway "HF Buff" (Flagsaff, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In general, a pleasant and easy read. Certainly not a love story )as the jacket suggests). Very interesting history. I learned a lot about a very tumultuous time of Tudor history. The author explains things clearly and does a good job of incorporating the facts within the storyline. She repeatedly uses different characters' insights and thoughts as a way to retell the historical events (so as to drill them into the reader's memory). It could occasionally get somewhat redundant, but overall, helped me to understand a confusing history.
Give it a try. Interesting history and a well-written story.