Shadow King

Johnson is to be commended for doing something different, putting [Henry VI] back where he belongs. It is Henry's character, scrupulously and sensitively drawn by Johnson, that did most to shape the extraordinary and dramatic events of his reign * The Times * [Lauren Johnson's] intention is to rediscover the man behind the myths and she has succeeded. Johnson has written a long, scrupulously researched book, but an eminently readable one * New Statesman * A lively telling of a hapless reign * Strong Words * Enthrallingly told... [Lauren Johnson] gives us a convincing picture of Henry, a gentle man unsuited to his position, and of his bloody and brutal times... The Shadow King is a scholarly work aimed at the common reader - and the common reader is richly rewarded' * Wall Street Journal * This evocative life of Henry VI shows how betrayal and defeat drove him out of his wits... An involving account of a still undersung saga' * Daily Telegraph * Unanimously impressed... Praised its courage in portraying a less obvious protagonist than bigger and bloodier characters' * The Oldie * A vivid, unusual story, and Johnson tells it well * Daily Telegraph *