Marking the 500th year anniversary of the birth of Queen Mary I in 1516, this book both commemorates her rule and rehabilitates and redefines her image and reign as England's first queen regnant. In this broad collection of essays, leading historians of queenship (or monarchy) explore aspects of Mary's life from birth to reign to death and cultural afterlife, giving consideration to the struggles she faced both before and after her accession, and celebrating Mary as a queen in her own right.

I charmed the playboy. I married the billionaire. I became a criminal. Flynn Campbell is mine. I’m his wife, and the mother of his first born son. We’re in love. Our world is perfect… And then a traitor threatens everything I hold sacred. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect my family. There isn’t any place on earth they can hide from me now. Run, traitor. I’m coming for you.

“Marilyn Yalom has written the rare book that illuminates something that always has been dimly perceived but never articulated, in this case that that the power of the chess queen reflects the evolution of female power in the western world.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer Everyone knows that the queen is the most dominant piece in chess, but few people know that the game existed for five hundred years without her. It wasn't until chess became a popular pastime for European royals during the Middle Ages that the queen was born and was gradually empowered to become the king's fierce warrior and protector. Birth of the Chess Queen examines the five centuries between the chess queen's timid emergence in the early days of the Holy Roman Empire to her elevation during the reign of Isabel of Castile. Marilyn Yalom, inspired by a handful of surviving medieval chess queens, traces their origin and spread from Spain, Italy, and Germany to France, England, Scandinavia, and Russia. In a lively and engaging historical investigation, Yalom draws parallels between the rise of the chess queen and the ascent of female sovereigns in Europe, presenting a layered, fascinating history of medieval courts and internal struggles for power.

Almost 200 years ago, the cries of a newborn baby echoed through the halls of London’s Kensington Palace. No one who celebrated Princess Victoria’s birth in the late spring of 1819 could have imagined that the little girl born fifth in line to the English throne would be the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom in just a few short years.The 19th century was a time of great change. For Princess Alexandrina Victoria, misfortune would strike early with the loss of her father, a lonely childhood, and a mother determined to control her. As teen queen, Queen Victoria ruled with stubbornness, strength, and humility that nourished the advancement of the Industrial Revolution, soothed the tempers of European warmongers, and changed life in England in diverse and sometimes controversial ways. Through her published journals and letters, this beloved figure has come to be known as more than just an aristocratic young woman with a crown, but a queen for the ages. Victoria ruled on her own terms for an astounding 63 years. She survived illness, political plots, the birth of nine children, assassination attempts, and a personal heartbreak that would transform her from a royal ruling mother into a mourning widow. Through it all, she maintained an iron determination to finish her course. Under her reign, the United Kingdom reached its historic peak of world power and dominion, influencing change and life around the globe. A small woman with glowing, round eyes and a ready wit, Queen Victoria is remembered today as the charming giantess who ruled while the sun never set on the British Empire.

A "giant of the seas, " the transatlantic liner Queen Mary 2 is longer than the Eiffel Tower is high and can carry more passengers than any ship in history (up to 3,090, in addition to 1,253 crew members). This book provides an in-depth look at the ship, with photos illustrating the laborious construction process.