The King's Assassin

The Secret Plot to Murder King James I

Biography & Memoir, Royalty, Nonfiction, History, British, Historical
Cover of the book The King's Assassin by Benjamin Woolley, St. Martin's Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Benjamin Woolley ISBN: 9781250125057
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group Publication: July 17, 2018
Imprint: St. Martin's Press Language: English
Author: Benjamin Woolley
ISBN: 9781250125057
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication: July 17, 2018
Imprint: St. Martin's Press
Language: English

An absorbing account of the conspiracy to kill King James I by his handsome lover, the Duke of Buckingham, an historical crime that has remained hidden for 400 years.

The rise of George Villiers from minor gentry to royal power seemed to defy gravity. Becoming gentleman of the royal bedchamber in 1615, the young gallant enraptured James, Britain’s first Stuart king, royal adoration reaching such an intensity that the king declared he wanted the courtier to become his ‘wife’. For a decade, Villiers was at the king’s side – at court, on state occasions, and in bed, right up to James’s death in March 1625.

Almost immediately, Villiers’ many enemies accused him of poisoning the king. A parliamentary investigation was launched, and scurrilous pamphlets and ballads circulated London’s streets. But the charges came to nothing, and were relegated to a historical footnote.

Now, new research suggests that a deadly combination of hubris and vulnerability did indeed drive Villiers to kill the man who made him. It may have been by accident – the application of a quack remedy while the king was weakened by a malarial attack. But there is compelling evidence that Villiers, overcome by ambition and frustrated by James’s passive approach to government, poisoned him.

In The King’s Assassin, acclaimed author Benjamin Woolley examines this remarkable, even tragic story. Combining vivid characterization and a strong narrative with historical scholarship and forensic investigation, Woolley tells the story of King James’s death, and of the captivating figure at its center.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

An absorbing account of the conspiracy to kill King James I by his handsome lover, the Duke of Buckingham, an historical crime that has remained hidden for 400 years.

The rise of George Villiers from minor gentry to royal power seemed to defy gravity. Becoming gentleman of the royal bedchamber in 1615, the young gallant enraptured James, Britain’s first Stuart king, royal adoration reaching such an intensity that the king declared he wanted the courtier to become his ‘wife’. For a decade, Villiers was at the king’s side – at court, on state occasions, and in bed, right up to James’s death in March 1625.

Almost immediately, Villiers’ many enemies accused him of poisoning the king. A parliamentary investigation was launched, and scurrilous pamphlets and ballads circulated London’s streets. But the charges came to nothing, and were relegated to a historical footnote.

Now, new research suggests that a deadly combination of hubris and vulnerability did indeed drive Villiers to kill the man who made him. It may have been by accident – the application of a quack remedy while the king was weakened by a malarial attack. But there is compelling evidence that Villiers, overcome by ambition and frustrated by James’s passive approach to government, poisoned him.

In The King’s Assassin, acclaimed author Benjamin Woolley examines this remarkable, even tragic story. Combining vivid characterization and a strong narrative with historical scholarship and forensic investigation, Woolley tells the story of King James’s death, and of the captivating figure at its center.

More books from St. Martin's Publishing Group

Cover of the book The Art of Hugging by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book Shark Island by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Heiresses #6 by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book Secrets of Ginseng by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Essence of Malice by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Amory Ames Mysteries, Books 1-3 by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book Shatter the Night by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book What Rose Forgot by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Lemon Juice Diet by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book Death of a Nation by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book Rebels and Traitors by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Warrior Vampire by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Bitter Taste of Time by Benjamin Woolley
Cover of the book The Nele Neuhaus Collection by Benjamin Woolley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy