The History Books
Sunday 29 June
Layer Marney Tower
Built as a statement house by Henry, 1st Lord Marney, Henry VIII’s Lord Privy Seal, in the 1520s, Layer Marney Tower is one of the jewels in the Essex ‘crown’. And, as such, the perfect venue for The History Books. Explore the UK’s tallest Tudor Gatehouse and stunning gardens for free with your Essex Book Festival ticket.
Make a Day of It! Ticket Deal
£14 per event or all 3 events for £36.
Discount automatically applied at checkout when tickets for all 3 events are booked:
12.00pm – Paul French, Her Lotus Year
2.00pm – S.J. Parris, Traitor’s Legacy
4.00pm – Gareth Russell, Queen James
Paul French, Her Lotus Year
Sunday 29 June, 12.00pm
China, The Roaring Twenties and the Making of Wallis Simpson
New York Times bestselling author, Paul French who specialises in the history of 20th century China, joins us to examine a controversial and revealing period in the early life of the legendary Wallis Simpson. French will reveal the untold story of what really happened to Wallis during that year in China, dispelling many of the myths and gossip surrounding it.
S.J. Parris, Traitor’s Legacy
Sunday 29 June, 2.00pm
The start of an incredible new series from No.1 Sunday Times bestselling S.J. Parris
Bestselling author of the Giordano Bruno books, S. J. Parris will be joining us to discuss her latest book, Traitor’s Legacy. England, 1598. Queen Elizabeth’s successor remains unnamed. The country teeters on a knife edge. A young heiress is found murdered at the theatre. A page-turning new historical series that pitches Tudor secret agent Sophia de Wolfe into a dangerous game with the royal court.
Gareth Russell, Queen James
Sunday 29 June, 4.00pm
Historian and broadcaster, Gareth Russell, will explore the life and loves of Britain’s first King. James Stuart did not always love wisely, but he never failed to do so boldly. This groundbreaking book puts James – genius, liar, spendthrift, idealist, witch-hunter – and the men he loved at the centre of one of the most dramatic stories in British royal history.