USA Today Bestseller

"What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more?"

Saxon England, 1002. Not only is AEthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom-and her crown-are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England's shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.

Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.

"Praise for Helen Hollick"

"If only all historical fiction could be this good." "-Historical Novels Review"

"Hollick juggles a large cast of characters and a bloody, tangled plot with great skill."
"-Publishers Weekly"

"A very talented writer."
-Sharon Kay Penman, bestselling author of "Devil's Brood "

"Helen Hollick has it all. She tells a great story." -Bernard Cornwell

"What Readers Are Saying"

"Paints an exceptional portrait of Emma...an extremely excellent read...once you begin reading you won't want to stop until you absolutely have to "

"Every fan of medieval history fiction and of Anglo-Saxon England should read this book."

"For any historical novel fans this is a must. Impossible to put down."

(This book was previously published in the U.K. as THE HOLLOW CROWN.)"

The historian R. H. Tawney famously wrote, 'The sixteenth century lives in terror of the tramp.' The eighteenth century lived in terror of the tramps of the seas - pirates. Pirates have fascinated people ever since. It was a harsh life for those who went 'on the account', constantly overshadowed by the threat of death - through violence, illness, shipwreck, or the hangman's noose. The lure of gold, the excitement of the chase and the freedom that life aboard a pirate ship offered were judged by some to be worth the risk. Helen Hollick explores both the fiction and fact of the Golden Age of piracy, and there are some surprises in store for those who think they know their Barbary Corsair from their boucanier.Everyone has heard of Captain Morgan, but who recognises the name of the aristocratic Frenchman Daniel Montbars? He killed so many Spaniards he was known as 'The Exterminator'. The fictional world of pirates, represented in novels and movies, is different from reality. What draws readers and viewers to these notorious hyenas of the high seas? What are the facts behind the fantasy? Helen Hollick reveals all, weaving into the history her own fictional creations.