This meticulously-researched book sets out in vivid detail the story of the conflict between Scotland and England in 1542-1560, one of the most violent and colourful episodes in British history. After the death in 1542 of King James V of Scotland, his wife Mary of Guise, mother of the future Mary Queen of Scots, was left to rule over a kingdom in torment. Powerful political, regional and feudalistic forces began to battle for the heart and soul of Scotland, while the great families chose - and changed - sides in their hunger for power. Trust was thrown to the wind. Clan was set against clan, France and the Habsburg Empire stormed into the conflict, and loyalties were strained and often broken. In battle after battle men were slaughtered by the hundred, while the opposing sides laid waste to each other's towns and territories. By the time it was all over the Scotland we know today had begun to emerge from the wreckage, the first nation in Europe to revolt successfully against the established church and a constitutional monarchy.

Queen Margaret II of Scotland (1489-1541) has been all but forgotten in the story of the Tudor dynasty established by her father, Henry VII. Misunderstood and underestimated by many historians, she has been seen as a spectator to history, her motivations described as foolish, self-seeking, corrupt or treacherous. Yet the truth is rather different. After her husband, James IV of Scotland, was killed in the battle of Flodden Field in 1513, Margaret found herself fighting for her infant son, the future James V. A young and inexperienced queen without an army, she had to grow up fast. Through love or necessity, she formed alliances with several powerful and dangerous men, while dealing with the clumsy and inept policies of her brother, Henry VIII. Yet despite endless heartbreaks, deceptions and defeats, Queen Margaret proved that she had the determination to win through. This book tells the story of Queen Margaret Tudor and her many struggles to ensure the survival and birthright of her royal son.