The ardent queen: Margaret of Anjou and the Lancastrian heritage

First of all, I would say Abbott's book is solidly good. For anyone who is simply interested in reading a biography of a very interesting woman than I highly encourage them to read this one. However, for people who know quite a bit about Margaret of Anjou and Wars of the Roses or have high standards when it comes to reading history than I have a few warnings. The facts surrounding her childhood in general are very vague. Some believe she was in Anjou, others still claim she was in Naples with her mother. Either way, I don't trust all the information he gives in the first two chapter and reccommend you check it by other biographies. Secondly, the author seems to have fallen in love with his subject and he is quick to add his own impressions of various characters. There are times, especially towards the end where Margaret and her life are romanticized to the point of ridiculous. However, the substance is still there behind the rhetoric. It would also have been helpful for the author to back up his claims within the text. The lack of support makes me wonder where he got his information. Overall it's a good biography and a fairly good read.