William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle was a man with human appeal and versatility.
Prominent though he was in the Civil War, his military reputation has been buried under Clarendon's oft-quoted, dismissive judgement blindly accepted by subsequent historians.
But those northern campaigns, ending so tragically on Marston Moor, are only part of a colourful life-story running from Elizabethan days to beyond the Restoration.
Grandson of the legendary Bess of Hardwick, Newcastle expressed his own passion for building at Welbeck, Bolsover and Nottingham, while his other enthusiasms included music, literature, art, science, horses and, it is now evident, women.
A courtier under James I, he earned the friendship of Charles I and his queen, who entrusted him with the future Charles II's education.
He was intimate with the philosophers Hobbes and Descartes, painters such as Van Dyck, and numerous writers from Jonson to Dryden.
Poet and playwright himself, man of action, reputedly the foremost horseman in Europe and author of a major book on the subject, he presents a character of fascinating diversity.
In building up this absorbing and outstandingly readable portrait, Geoffrey Trease has investigated a mass of little-known material, some of which, letters and poems from the family papers, is published here for the first time.
Portrait of a Cavalier is an enlightening biography that helps create an in-depth and very real impression of a man often overlooked.
"Geoffrey Trease has certainly got the knack. He can write for young people, in this case mainly for teenagers, without being obvious. The excitement is there where fact permits. So is the lucidity, with events all round the world fitting smoothly into their proper place and time" - The Daily Telegraph
"I found it a fascinating book. I wish that all history books were so inviting and intelligent." - Naomi Lewes, BBC
"History at its most agreeable and readable." - Time and Tide
Geoffrey Trease (1909-1998) was the author of more than one hundred books, including children's books. He revolutionised children's literature and was one of the first authors to deliberately appeal to both boys and girls through strong leading characters of both genders. In 1966 Trease won the New York Herald Tribune Book Award for This is Your Century. Geoffrey Trease was educated at Oxford University and travelled widely in Europe and beyond. He lived in Herefordshire on the slopes of the Malvern Hills.
Prominent though he was in the Civil War, his military reputation has been buried under Clarendon's oft-quoted, dismissive judgement blindly accepted by subsequent historians.
But those northern campaigns, ending so tragically on Marston Moor, are only part of a colourful life-story running from Elizabethan days to beyond the Restoration.
Grandson of the legendary Bess of Hardwick, Newcastle expressed his own passion for building at Welbeck, Bolsover and Nottingham, while his other enthusiasms included music, literature, art, science, horses and, it is now evident, women.
A courtier under James I, he earned the friendship of Charles I and his queen, who entrusted him with the future Charles II's education.
He was intimate with the philosophers Hobbes and Descartes, painters such as Van Dyck, and numerous writers from Jonson to Dryden.
Poet and playwright himself, man of action, reputedly the foremost horseman in Europe and author of a major book on the subject, he presents a character of fascinating diversity.
In building up this absorbing and outstandingly readable portrait, Geoffrey Trease has investigated a mass of little-known material, some of which, letters and poems from the family papers, is published here for the first time.
Portrait of a Cavalier is an enlightening biography that helps create an in-depth and very real impression of a man often overlooked.
Praise for Geoffrey Trease
"Geoffrey Trease has certainly got the knack. He can write for young people, in this case mainly for teenagers, without being obvious. The excitement is there where fact permits. So is the lucidity, with events all round the world fitting smoothly into their proper place and time" - The Daily Telegraph
"I found it a fascinating book. I wish that all history books were so inviting and intelligent." - Naomi Lewes, BBC
"History at its most agreeable and readable." - Time and Tide
Geoffrey Trease (1909-1998) was the author of more than one hundred books, including children's books. He revolutionised children's literature and was one of the first authors to deliberately appeal to both boys and girls through strong leading characters of both genders. In 1966 Trease won the New York Herald Tribune Book Award for This is Your Century. Geoffrey Trease was educated at Oxford University and travelled widely in Europe and beyond. He lived in Herefordshire on the slopes of the Malvern Hills.
Used availability for Geoffrey Trease's Portrait of a Cavalier