Henry the Sixth through Shakespeare's Eyes

Henry the Sixth – the most tragic figure on the English throne – in the new historical book by Alexandra Marinina. At eight months old, he ascended his father's throne. At nine, he was crowned with the French crown. It seemed that William the Conqueror's golden dream of a «unified and indivisible» Anglo-French monarchy had come true. But it did not happen... Henry the Sixth lost everything! He lost the Hundred Years' War to Joan of Arc and her Orléans army. He did not prevent the fratricidal slaughter of the Red and White Roses. He remained in a schizophrenic stupor for months. Unkind tongues whispered that his wife, the beautiful Margaret of Anjou, was unfaithful. Power slipped from his hands while he dreamed of an idyllic life as a shepherd and poet. At 49, the last of the House of Lancaster became a witness to the murder of his only son Edward and perished in captivity. Should it be surprising that the creator of Prince Hamlet dedicated his most substantial play to Henry the Sixth!
Inviting Shakespeare himself as the main witness, Alexandra Marinina ironically and psychologically convincingly tells the story of the unfortunate king and his eccentric contemporaries. With her light hand, the deep lore of the past became as captivating as a detective story, and as elegant and light as a musical miniature.