Exile
The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots
Published on 3. July 2025
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-78027-838-4 (ISBN)
Description
Discover a thrilling true story of treachery, deceit, hope and despair.
From the moment Mary, Queen of Scots set foot on English soil in 1568 until her execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587, she was the prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Unlike Mary's time on the Scottish throne, the dramatic events of these years - almost half her life - took place while she was a captive. But while trouble was perpetually simmering beyond her prison walls, within them Mary was constantly plotting. Only towards the end did she lose faith in returning to her homeland as rightful ruler.
This is the story of Mary's tumultuous later years, told through the many atmospheric locations where she was confined. Drawing on the latest research, including a treasure trove of recently decoded letters, Exile sheds fascinating new light on her captivity and the charged political climate of the period. Reading like a 16th-century thriller, this account of treachery, deceit, hope and despair is a penetrating and enthralling psychological portrait of one of history's endlessly fascinating queens.
From the moment Mary, Queen of Scots set foot on English soil in 1568 until her execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587, she was the prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Unlike Mary's time on the Scottish throne, the dramatic events of these years - almost half her life - took place while she was a captive. But while trouble was perpetually simmering beyond her prison walls, within them Mary was constantly plotting. Only towards the end did she lose faith in returning to her homeland as rightful ruler.
This is the story of Mary's tumultuous later years, told through the many atmospheric locations where she was confined. Drawing on the latest research, including a treasure trove of recently decoded letters, Exile sheds fascinating new light on her captivity and the charged political climate of the period. Reading like a 16th-century thriller, this account of treachery, deceit, hope and despair is a penetrating and enthralling psychological portrait of one of history's endlessly fascinating queens.
Reviews / Votes
'Goring is a superb writer who artfully breathes life into the tale of Mary's captivity... Goring's sympathetic and deeply human portrayal of a wronged yet scheming woman is superb... and a narrative style which makes facts read like fiction' * Scottish Field * 'Taps into the current vogue for intensely personal journeys, allowing the reader to experience vicariously Mary's historical confinements' * Country Life * 'Written very lucidly... This is a new take on Mary' -- Dr Louise Heren * History Scotland Webinar * 'Homecoming was a very good book... this sequel, Exile, telling of her years in captivity in England, is even better. Together they have claim to be not only the most complete account of Mary's life, but also the fairest and most intelligent' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman * 'Showcasing the many ways in which examining this period of Mary Queen of Scots life tells us a whole bunch of things we maybe did not know already, despite how much attention certain aspects of her life have had over the centuries' * NewBooks Network * 'an engrossing story of Mary's tumultuous later years' * Britain Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Dimensions
Height: 237 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
744 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78027-838-4 (9781780278384)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Rosemary Goring was born in Dunbar and studied at the University of St Andrews. She worked at W&R Chambers as a reference editor before becoming literary editor of Scotland on Sunday. She was also the literary editor for The Herald and Sunday Herald, and is the author of two historical novels, After Flodden and Dacre's War.