Books : The Founding (Morland Dynasty)

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Author name: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

: The Founding (Morland Dynasty)
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN num: 9780751503821
ISBN number: 0751503827
Label: Little, Brown Book Group
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Book Group
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 527
Printing Date: December 01, 1981
Publishing house: Little, Brown Book Group
Sale Popularity Level: 220159
Studio: Little, Brown Book Group



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Editor's Notes and Comments:

Product Description:
In the Morland Dynasty series, the majestic sweep of English history is richly and movingly portrayed through the fictional lives of the Morland family. It is 1434, and seeking power and prestige, ambitious Yorkshireman Edward Morland arranges a marriage between his meek son Robert and spirited Eleanor, young ward of the influential Beaufort family. Eleanor is appalled at being forced to marry a mere 'sheep farmer;' she is, besides, secretly in love with Richard, Duke of York. Yet in time this apparently ill-matched union becomes both passionate and tender, the foundation of the Morland dynasty, and sustains them through bloody civil war which so often divides families, sets neighbor against neighbor, and brings tragedy close to home.




Customer Reviews
User popularity level: out of 5 stars

Rated by buyers 5 out of 5 stars - British historical fiction series beginning with the Wars of the Roses ...
THE FOUNDING begins THE MORLAND DYNASTY series, which as of this writing consists of 29 titles. It opens during the Wars of the Roses with Henry VI at the helm and Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, struggling to gain power. Eleanor, a teen raised by the Beaufort's, leaves home to marry Robert Morland, a wealthy sheep farmer.

The book covers the years 1434 to 1485; it ends shortly after what will come to be known as the Battle of Bosworth where Richard III dies. While the wars serve as a backdrop, the author weaves much of the history as we know it yesterday into the story.

The book also reveals a lot about the clothing industry during medieval times. The family's matriarch (Eleanor) takes it from a well-to-do sheep farm to wool merchandising to cloth manufacturing.

After reading Sharon Kay Penman's THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR, I was skeptical about this book. I didn't think any other novelist could to the period justice. I was wrong. THE FOUNDING (originally published in 1980 before Penman's work) is a wonderful start to what should prove to be both an entertaining and educational series.


Rated by buyers 4 out of 5 stars - First in a series
This book is the very first in what promises to be a fantastic read, there being about 20 in the series. Eleanor Courteney is an 18 year old woman with connections to a noble family but who has no money of her own.In 1434, she marries Robert Morland, the son of a wealthy man of very ordinary birth who has aspirations to rise in society through his son's advantageous marriage to a penniless woman of noble birth. After the death of her extremely unpleasant father-in-law, Eleanor urges her somewhat dull but worthy husband on to greater things by increasing the family business from sheep farmers to clothiers to the nobility and even the royal family. Duke Richard of York has always been Eleanor's secret love and so, after his death, she transfers her love and loyalty to his son, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. This book recounts the history of the Morland family through the reigns of the Lancastrians, Plantagenets and onwards to the turbulent coming of the Tudors. It's an easy, although longish read which history buffs will love for its' wealth of detail of family life in the 15th century. Now to find book 2 in the series, The Dark Rose.


Rated by buyers 4 out of 5 stars - An enjoyable series
I picked this up in a Canadian bookstore (it can be hard to find in the U.S.) and eagerly ordered each subsequent volume from Amazon. This is historical fiction at its best. Perhaps the characterizations are not as deep as another type of novel, but the plots zip along as Harrod Eagles plunges the reader into historical England. I enjoyed the details, such as the description of the road from Yorkshire to London in the winter. And for the most part, I really cared about the characters. Even if one volume in this series is not quite as good as the others, the series as a whole makes for fascinating and entertaining reading.


Rated by buyers 3 out of 5 stars - could be worse
This book lays the foundation for Harrod-Eagles 20+ series of the Morland dynasty. I won't go into the plot details as it's already been said by many other reviewers; I'll just list what I found to be the good and the bad of this book.

What I disliked was how the author only mentions one facet of each character's personality. Eleanor, the main character, is repeatedly characterized as being a strong, imposing, dutiful woman. She is described as such over and over again. And the other characters are treated the same. By about the tenth time it's mentioned how strong-willed Eleanor is, you want to scream. The only real exception to this is the daughter, Isabella. She goes through circumstances which force a dramatic personality change in her and so she gets to be a slightly rounder character. But everyone else is more or less flat and one-dimensional.

The other negative comment I have is the history involved in these stories. Having accurate history is less important than having good character development but some of Harrod-Eagles claims leave you wondering just where she got her information. She has the princes in the tower being killed after Richard III in this very first book, and then states in the second book that the Princes were shipped out of England and probably died in obscurity in a cottage in France! And, in her foreword to the second book, she says that Henry VIII had only two mistresses in his lifetime! Such inaccuracies tend to irritate me as a history buff but if you can overlook that, then this book isn't so bad (aside from the lack of good characterization).

The good thing about this series is that they are light, easy reads for when you're in the mood to go back in time but don't want to be bogged down in something deep and dark. The story is entertaining enough, even with those flaws, that you can quickly go through it.


Rated by buyers 4 out of 5 stars - Intelligent historical fiction
This is the very first book in a long series about the Morland family. Their saga spans the centuries and the characters are indirectly involved in the main events of English history.
The Founding describes the beginnings of the dynasty. Robert Morland has made money farming sheep in York. Eleanor is poor, but has powerful relations. Their arranged marriage is not a grand passion, but both work hard to establish their family as one of the richest and most respected in Yorkshire.
Harrod-Eagles cleverly weaves the turbulent events of the Wars of the Roses into the story. The Morlands are not aristocrats, but they choose sides to protect their family and business interests. Their fortunes roll with the highs and lows of the Yorkist cause.
The book is historically accurate, from the dates of battles to the fashions and sheep farming practices of the late Middle Ages. But these do not overshadow the story, which is essentially a well-written family saga. Often this book is displayed in the Romance section of bookstores amongst bodice rippers and melodramatic romances. This is sad, because it is far more intelligent than that. While it isn't too deep and meaningful, this is a nice read which won't make you cringe in disbelief.

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