First of the Tudors

‘A great tale… the golden thread that led to the crown of England’ Conn Iggulden

Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half-brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future.

Bestowing Earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
He seeks solace in his estates and in the arms of Jane Hywel, a young Welsh woman who offers him something more meaningful than a dynastic marriage. But passion turns to jeopardy for them both as the Wars of the Roses wreak havoc on the realm.

Loyal brother to a fragile king and his domineering queen, Marguerite of Anjou, Jasper must draw on all his guile and courage to preserve their throne - and the Tudor destiny…

Reviews

Praise for First of the Tudors:
‘A great tale… the golden thread that led to the crown of England’ Conn Iggulden'

‘An intriguing tale, told with confidence’ The Times

‘Rich and Warm’ Sunday Express

'Colourful and vivid' Elizabeth Chadwick

‘A big-hearted and engrossing novel.’ Elizabeth Freemantle

Praise for Joanna Hickson:

‘Thoroughly engrossing’ The Lady

A gripping and emotional story’ Woman

‘A bewitching first novel…alive with historical detail’ Good Housekeeping

'An enthralling blend of fact and fiction, drama and danger, passion and politics’ Lancashire Evening Post

About the author

Joanna Hickson spent twenty five years presenting and producing News and Arts programmes for the BBC. Her first published book was a children’s historical novel Rebellion at Orford Castle but more recently she has turned to adult fiction, concentrating on bringing fifteenth century English history and some of its fascinating principal characters to life.

She is married with a large family and gets inspiration from her Wiltshire farmhouse home, which dates back to her chosen period.