Against common sense and the urgings of his most trusted advisors, Henry defied all, blindly following his passion for Anne, using the power he held over the bodies and souls of all who reside in his realm and beyond. ‘All eyes and hair,’ a courtier had said disparagingly of her, but when King Henry VIII fell for young Anne, nothing could keep him from what he desired. The king first noticed Anne Boleyn as a heartbroken sixteen year old, sullen and beautiful after a thwarted romance with the son of the Earl of Northumberland. Here Was a Man is another timeless classic from the legendary Norah Lofts.Īcclaimed and beloved historical novelist Norah Lofts brings to life the danger, romance, and intrigue of the Tudor court that forever altered the course of English history.

With cameo appearances by Shakespeare, Marlowe, Sydney, and other luminaries of the day, Lofts once again paints a colorful, nuanced, and moving portrait of the Elizabethan Age. His loyalties are split between the boundless opportunities the queen can bestow and the pull of his own heart. Meanwhile, between journeys, his passion is stirred, not by the queen but by her lady in waiting Lisbeth. The queen will not allow her young knight to be taken from her side, repeatedly refusing his requests for expeditions, until she at last reluctantly grants him permission to conquer in her name. Raleigh’s wit, ambition, and adventurous spirit endear him to all, including the queen herself, but Elizabeth’s favor proves as much hindrance as help, as Raleigh still has but one goal in mind to take to the seas and secure his place as one of the great explorers of the age. He dreams of someday exploring the New World he’s heard about in snippets of sailors’ stories on the docks of the fishing villages where he was raised and his good fortune leads him to rise in the court of Elizabeth I, becoming a most trusted friend and advisor to the power players of the day. Raleigh knew from the time he was a boy that his life would be exceptional. In one of her earliest works, beloved author Norah Lofts brings us her riveting and romantic account of Sir Walter Raleigh and the court of Elizabeth I.

The Fall of Midas (As:Juliet Astley) (1975).

Rupert Hatton’s Story / Rupert Hatton’s Tales (1972).

The Maude Reed Tale / Story of Maude Reed (1971).

Her Own Special Island / Uneasy Paradise (1971).

The Witches / The Little Wax Doll / The Devil’s Own (As:Peter Curtis) (1960).

Afternoon ofan Autocrat / The Devil in Clevely / The Deadly Gift (1956).

Eleanor the Queen / Queen in Waiting (1955).

Lady Living Alone (As:Peter Curtis) (1945).

Michael and All Angels / The Golden Fleece (1943).

The Road to Revelation / Winter Harvest (1941).

Bride of Moat House / Dead March in Three Keys / No Question of Murder (As:Peter Curtis) (1940).

The Concubine by Norah Lofts