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In Chaucer's London, betrayal, murder, and intrigue swirl around the existence of a prophetic book that foretells the deaths of England's kings
London, 1385. Surrounded by ruthless courtiers—including his powerful uncle, John of Gaunt, and Gaunt's artful mistress, Katherine Swynford—England's young king, Richard II, is in mortal peril. Songs are heard across London—catchy verses said to originate from an ancient book that prophesies the ends of England's kings—and among the book's predictions is Richard's assassination. Only a few powerful men know that the cryptic lines derive from a "burnable book," a seditious work that threatens the stability of the realm. To find the manuscript, wily bureaucrat Geoffrey Chaucer turns to fellow poet John Gower, a professional trader in information with connections high and low.
Gower discovers that the book and incriminating evidence about its author have fallen into the unwitting hands of innocents, who will be drawn into a conspiracy that reaches from the king's court to London's slums and stews—and potentially implicates Gower's own son. As the intrigue deepens, it becomes clear that John Gower, a man with secrets of his own, may hold the key to saving the king, and England itself.
Medieval scholar Bruce Holsinger draws on his vast knowledge of the period to add colorful, authentic detail—on everything from poetry and bookbinding to court intrigues and brothels—to this highly entertaining and brilliantly constructed literary mystery that brings medieval England gloriously to life.
Bruce Holsinger is the author of the first John Gower novel, A Burnable Book, and an award-winning scholar of the medieval period who teaches at the University of Virginia. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and a recipient of research fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies and the National Endowment for the Humanities. www.bruceholsinger.com
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 18477445-n
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780007493326
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 512 pages. 7.72x5.04x1.34 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0007493320
Book Description Condition: New. A stunning debut historical thriller set in the turbulent 14th Century for fans of CJ Sansom, The Name of the Rose and An Instance of the Fingerpost. Num Pages: 512 pages. BIC Classification: FFH. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 129 x 198 x 32. Weight in Grams: 362. . 2014. 0th Edition. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780007493326
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. A stunning debut historical thriller set in the turbulent 14th Century for fans of CJ Sansom, The Name of the Rose and An Instance of the Fingerpost. Seller Inventory # B9780007493326
Book Description Condition: New. A stunning debut historical thriller set in the turbulent 14th Century for fans of CJ Sansom, The Name of the Rose and An Instance of the Fingerpost. Num Pages: 512 pages. BIC Classification: FFH. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 129 x 198 x 32. Weight in Grams: 362. . 2014. 0th Edition. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780007493326
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 18477445-n
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