The Plantagenets reigned over England longer than any other family - from Henry II, to Richard III. Four kings were murdered, two came close to deposition and another was killed in a battle by rebels. Shakespeare wrote plays about six of them, further entrenching them in the National Myth.Based on major contemporary sources and recent research, acclaimed historian Desmond Seward provides the first readable overview of the whole extraordinary dynasty, in one volume.

Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire has been the seat of the Sitwell family since 1625. Its remarkable story is only matched by that of the family who have dwelled there, and with whose fortunes it has risen and fallen, only to rise again.Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell were some of the brightest stars of 1920s literary society. They counted among their friends and acquaintances some of the greatest writers and artists of the age, many of whom came to love the beautiful Renishaw Hall (Whistler and Evelyn Waugh were frequent visitors).Infested by ghosts as some houses are by rats, Renishaw has had colourful owners since it was built by a Cavalier turned Roundhead a Regency Buck who hunted a tiger with his hounds then added the great rooms. The creator of today s Renishaw was eccentric Sir George, who laid out the beautiful gardens, bought the Italian furniture and had Sargent paint his family, but was belittled in his son Osbert's biography. Recent restoration has...