Exile

The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots

Rosemary Goring author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Birlinn General

Published:3rd Jul '25

Should be back in stock very soon

Exile cover

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.

'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 onlythe 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 Magazi

ISBN: 9781780278384

Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 36mm

Weight: 747g

368 pages