Marie and Mary — Nigel Tranter

The turbulent sixteenth century is the background for the story of Scotland's most fascinating queens.

Marie de Guise ruled Scotland alone after the death of her husband James V. She foiled Henry Tudor of England's plans to marry her baby daughter to his son Edward and unite the two thrones under English rule by sending Mary to France. And she kept the peace between Protestants and Catholics while John Knox was becoming a fiery power in the land.

Beautiful, lively and clever, Mary Queen of Scots was welcomed back to the country of her birth after her mother died. But her troubles mounted with her disastrous marriages to Lord Darnley and to Lord Bothwell after Darnley's murder. In spite of numerous plots against her, and even after her little son James was crowned king while she still reigned, she always believed that Elizabeth of England would help her.

Trustingly, she set off for England -- and her tragic fate.