The English Friend - A Life of William De La Pole, First Duke of Suffolk (1396-1450) (Paperback)

'Orleans would never be theirs; the great expanse of central and eastern France south of the Loire would never be theirs. Henry on his deathbed had ordered them to keep at the war till they held the whole country, but to Suffolk, haggard in defeat, that was not a realistic option. It was time to secure what they now possessed, and come to terms with the Valois. The quest for peace would dominate the rest of Suffolk's life. And in the end it would destroy him.' An illustrated biography of William de la Pole, first duke of Suffolk (1396-1450) William de la Pole spent half his life fighting for the Lancastrian kings in France, in the later stages of the Hundred Years War. The war cost him his father and his four brothers. Taken prisoner, he lost a fortune paying his ransom - and gained two friends: his captor, the bastard of Orleans, and the bastard's half-brother, the famous French poet Charles of Orleans. Suffolk, also a poet, was to become Orleans' jailer. He spent the remainder of his life trying to bring about peace between England and France. It made him the most hated man in England. This powerful true story of friendship, loyalty and treachery is the first full-length biography of an extraordinary man. It features two kings of England, Henry V and Henry VI; the astonishing Jeanne d'Arc; and the three loves of Suffolk's life: Jacqueline of Hainault, a Flemish duchess; Malyne de Cay, a nun who bears his daughter; and the woman he marries, Alice Chaucer, grand-daughter to the poet. Susan Curran uses a wide range of sources including contemporary documents and chronicles to bring Suffolk's story to life. The illustrations include photographs of the places Suffolk knew, and many stunning examples of contemporary stained glass from England and France.