In Love’s Magic, Celestia Montehue is the misfit in a family of flame-haired goddesses descended from notorious Queen Boadicea. Her only family likeness is her magical healing ability. An arranged marriage with Nicholas Le Blanc, who is haunted with the guilt of unspeakable actions on crusade, does not bode happiness for the two. Celestia begins to fall in love with him, but her new home, a broken-down keep, is haunted by the ghost of Nicholas’ suicidal mother. A maid is murdered, a curse is revealed, and the couple must discover if there is healing in love’s magic. In Beauty’s Curse, the beautiful, hallowed, and adored Galiana Montehue injures Lord Rourke Wallis, rendering him blind, unable to see the beauty she curses with vehemence. As she nurses the knight to health, she experiences a man’s sincere affection and integrity, and Rourke discovers a depth of fervor he cannot deny. Yet he must complete his mission to recover the stolen magical Breath of Merlin. Together, the passionate couple must unlock the secret to this dangerous, mystical gem or face a future without the love they so recently discovered. In Boadicea’s Legacy, Ela Montahue is a talented sorceress with the ability to heal. However, she must wed for love or forfeit her supernatural power. For her family’s sake, she should marry Lord Thomas de Havel. When Ela refuses, Thomas de Havel abducts her and wages battle against her father in retaliation. Only Osbert Edyvean, a knight with the highest creed, can save her and preserve her gift.

Taking a long chronological view and a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach, this is an innovative and distinctive book. It is the definitive work on the posthumous reputation of the ever-popular warrior queen of the Iceni, Queen Boadicea/Boudica, exploring her presence in British historical discourse, from the early-modern rediscovery of the works of Tacitus to the first historical films of the early twentieth century. In doing so, the book seeks to demonstrate the continuity and persistence of historical ideas across time and throughout a variety of media. This focus on continuity leads into an examination of the nature of history as a cultural phenomenon and the implications this has for our own conceptions of history and its role in culture more generally. While providing contemporary contextual readings of Boudica's representations, Martha Vandrei also explores the unique nature of historical ideas as durable cultural phenomena, articulated by very different individuals over time, all of whom were nevertheless engaged in the creative process of making history. Thus this study presents a challenge to the axioms of cultural history, new historicism, and other mainstays of twentieth- and twenty-first- century historical scholarship. It shows how, long before professional historians sought to monopolise historical practice, audiences encountered visions of past ages created by antiquaries, playwrights, poets, novelists, and artists, all of which engaged with, articulated, and even defined the meaning of "historical truth". This book argues that these individual depictions, variable audience reactions, and the abiding notion of history as truth constitute the substance of historical culture.

"This is the first book to concentrate exclusively on texts about Boudica and to cover the full chronological range from the first surviving historical account by Tacitus in AD 98 to the triumphant conclusion of Manda Scott's series of novels in 2006. All our knowledge of the ancient British queen Boudica, and her ferocious yet ultimately unsuccessful rebellion against the Romans, is derived from a few accounts in ancient Greek and Latin. Yet they have inspired a flood of history, fictional narrative, drama, and poetry, and there is no indication that the process has ended. This study illuminates and celebrates the rich variety generated by the creative tensions between writers' knowledge and their individual tastes, beliefs, and political or artistic aims and considers whether Boudica's textual metamorphoses are without limits or variations on a distinctive theme bounded by a flexible yet enduring narrative pattern." --Book Jacket.

This volume explores how art and artifacts can tell women’s stories of war—a critical way into these stories, often hidden due to the second-tier status of reporting women’s accomplishments. This unique lens reveals personal, cultural, and historically noteworthy experiences often not found in records, manuscripts, and texts. Nine stories from history are examined, from the mythical Amazons of Ancient Greece to a female prisoner of war during World War II. Each of the social, political, and battlefield experiences of Penthesilea, Artemisia, Boudica, the feminine cavaliers, the Dahomey Amazons, suffragists, World War I medical corps, and a World War II prisoner of war are intertwined with a particular work of art or an artifact. These include pottery, iconographic images, public sculpture, stone engraving, clothing, decorative arts, paintings, and pulp art. While each story stands alone, brought together in this volume they represent a cross-sectional reflection on the record of women and war. The chapters cover not only a diverse range of women from around the globe - the African continent, the Hispanic territory of Europe, Carian and Ancient Greece and Rome, Iran, Great Britain-Scotland-ancient Caledonia, Western Europe, and North America—but also a diverse choice of artwork and artifacts, eras, and the nature of the wars being fought. This book will be of value to those interested in gender across history and its interplay in the field of war.

The Legacy of Boadicea explores the construction of personal and national identities in early modern England. It highlights the problems and anxieties of national identity in a nation with no native classical past. Written in an accessible style, The Legacy of Boadicea: * offers powerful new readings of the ancient British past in Shakespeare's King Lear and Cymbeline * persuasively illuminates a 'Boadicean' heritage in royal iconography, drama, and the social symptoms of religious dissent * articulates parallels between the eventual domestication of Britain's warrior queen in Restoration drama, and the social, political and legal decline in the status of women.

The Collected Works of E. M. Delafield: The Complete Provincial Lady Series, 15 Novels, Short Story Collections & Plays (Illustrated) is a masterful collection showcasing the wit and charm of Delafield's writing. Set in the early 20th century, the novels explore the life of an upper-middle-class woman living in the English countryside, providing a humorous and insightful look into the nuances of society and relationships. Delafield's prose is elegant and her characters are unforgettable, making this collection a must-read for fans of classic British literature. Each work in the collection is a gem, offering a unique glimpse into the world of the Provincial Lady and her witty observations on everyday life. Delafield's writing style is both sophisticated and engaging, drawing readers into the lives of her characters with warmth and humor. The Complete Provincial Lady Series is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its delightful storytelling and timeless themes. E. M. Delafield's collection is a literary treasure that deserves a place on the bookshelves of every avid reader, providing an enriching reading experience that will linger in the mind long after the final page is turned.