Antonia Fraser

About the Author

Antonia Fraser is the author of numerous internationally bestselling biographies, including "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "Cromwell: Our Chief of Men". (Publisher Provided)

Includes the names: Lady Fraser, ntonia Fraser, Antonia Fraser, Antonio Fraser, Antonio Fraser, Antonia Fraser, Antonia Fraser, Antonia Freser, Antonia Frazer, Antonia Frasier, Antonia Pakenham, ed Antonia Fraser, ed. Antonia Fraser, ed. Antonio Fraser, ed. Antonia Fraser, Antonia Fraser ed., Lady Antonia Fraser, Antonia Lady Fraser, ed.by Antonia Fraser, editor Antonia Fraser, Antonia Fraser editor, compiler Antonia Fraser, Antonia Pakeenham Fraser, Edited By Antonia Fraser, Edited by Antonia Fraser, Antonio Fraser Chosen By, Antonia Fraser (chosen by), Lady Fraser Antonia Pakenham, Antonia Fraser; Editor; Heraldic Consultant J.P. B

Image credit: Susan Greenhill

Series

Jemima Shore

Works by Antonia Fraser

Popular Recent

Marie Antoinette: The Journey (2001) 3,338 copies

Mary Queen of Scots (1969) 2,912 copies

The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1992) 2,267 copies

The Warrior Queens (1988) 1,304 copies

The Weaker Vessel (1984) 1,293 copies

Cromwell, Our Chief of Men (1973) 1,164 copies

The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England (1975) — Editor — 1,144 copies

Faith and Treason: The Story of the Gunpowder Plot (1996) 1,107 copies

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King (2007) 970 copies

King Charles II (1979) 808 copies

Quiet as a Nun (1977) 356 copies

Must You Go?: My Life with Harold Pinter (2010) 354 copies

Oxford Blood (1985) 245 copies

A Splash of Red (1981) 204 copies

The Pleasure of Reading (1992) — Editor — 189 copies

Your Royal Hostage (1987) 185 copies

The Wild Island (1978) 180 copies

Love Letters: An Illustrated Anthology (1976) — Editor — 177 copies

The Cavalier Case (1990) 167 copies

King James VI of Scotland, I of England (1974) 162 copies

Perilous Question: Reform or Revolution? Britain on the Brink, 1832 (2013) 154 copies

Cool Repentance (1982) 144 copies

Jemima Shore's First Case and Other Stories (1986) 129 copies

My History: A Memoir of Growing Up (2015) 127 copies

Political Death (1996) 114 copies

The King and the Catholics: England, Ireland, and the Fight for Religious Freedom, 1780-1829 (2018) 105 copies

Jemima Shore at the Sunny Grave (1991) 103 copies

Scottish Love Poems: A Personal Anthology (1975) — Editor — 91 copies

The Stuarts (2000) — Editor — 83 copies

The Pleasure of Reading: 43 Writers on the Discovery of Reading and the Books that Inspired Them (2015) — Editor & Introduction — 82 copies

The Weaker Vessel: Woman's Lot in Seventeeth-Century England, Part Two (1658) 71 copies

Robin Hood (1955) 65 copies

The Houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (2000) — Editor — 63 copies

The King and the Catholics: The Fight for Rights 1829 (2018) 61 copies

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1955) 54 copies

A history of toys (1966) 48 copies

Lady Caroline Lamb: A Free Spirit (2023) 45 copies

The Case of the Married Woman: Caroline Norton and Her Fight for Women's Justice (2021) 43 copies

Dolls (1963) 43 copies

The Life and Times of Queen Anne (1972) — Editor — 41 copies

The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605, Part One (2002) 37 copies

Mary Queen of Scots: Illustrated Abridged Edition (1978) 32 copies

The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605, Part Two (2002) 30 copies

Mary Queen of Scots, Part Two (1969) 25 copies

King Charles II : Part Two (2001) 25 copies

King Charles II : Part One (2002) 23 copies

Heroes and Heroines (1980) — Editor — 23 copies

Our Israeli Diary: Of That Time, Of That Place (2016) 20 copies

Three Great Novels: Quiet as a Nun, Tartan Tragedy, A Splash of Red (2005) 20 copies

Mary Queen of Scots, Part One (1984) 19 copies

The Warrior Queens: Boadicea's Chariot (Part 1) (2002) 17 copies

The Weaker Vessel: Woman's Lot in Seventeeth-Century England, Part One (1775) 17 copies

Jemima Shore Investigates (1983) 12 copies

Oxford and Oxfordshire in Verse (1982) 12 copies

The Warrior Queens: Boadicea's Chariot (Part 2) (2002) 10 copies

Jemima Shore on the Case (2006) 9 copies

Agnes Strickland's Lives of the Queens of England (2011) 8 copies

English Crime Stories of Today (1705) 7 copies

A Red Rose and a Satin Heart: An Anthology of Scottish Love Poems (2010) 5 copies

Mary,Queen of Scots: A Poetry Anthology (1981) 3 copies

Mary, Queen of Scots: A Poetry Anthology 2 copies

How to write : memoir & biographies (2008) — Introduction — 1 copy

Jemima Shore Investigates [1983 TV Series] (1983) — Creator — 1 copy

Boots 1 copy

Have a Nice Death 1 copy

Rare LOVE LETTERS & POEMS - Easton Press - LADY ANTONIA FRASER - JOHANNA BROWNELL 1 copy

Cromwell, Volume 1 1 copy

Cromwell, Volume 2 1 copy

'TRADE SECRETS, CLEANING' 1 copy

Annals of such patriots of the distinguished family of Fraser, Frysell, Sim-Son, or Fitz-Simon, as have signalised… (2010) 1 copy

King James VI of Scotland; I of England 1 copy

Armastus ja Louis XIV : naised Päikesekuninga elus (2008) 1 copy

Faith and Treason - The Story of the Gunpower Plot r 1 copy

Cromwell The Lord Protector r 1 copy

Perilous Questions - Reform and Revolution? Britain on the Brink, 1832 r 1 copy

Faith and Treason - The Story of the Gunpowder Plot r 1 copy

The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England — Editor — 1 copy

Flying Finish 1 copy

Robin Hood / King Arthur (1994) 1 copy

Love Letters | Scottish Love Poems (1977) 1 copy

Oxford Blood | Cavalier Case (1995) 1 copy

COMPLETE SERIES OF 'LIFE AND TIMES OF THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND', 31 BOOKS AND 25 ILLUSTRATED GUIDES TO PLACES OF… 1 copy

The Warrior Queens | Mary Queen of Scots 1 copy

The Antonia Fraser Collection (2013) 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

The Franchise Affair (1948) — Introduction, some editions — 2,154 copies

Framley Parsonage (1861) — Introduction, some editions — 1,861 copies

A Woman's Eye (1991) — Contributor — 275 copies

Marie Antoinette [2006 film] (2006) — Original book — 229 copies

Women on the Case (1996) — Contributor — 212 copies

Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense (1988) — Contributor — 192 copies

What Might Have Been : Leading Historians on Twelve 'What Ifs' of History (2004) — Contributor — 185 copies

The life and times of Henry VIII (1972) — Editor; Introduction — 169 copies

The Virago Book of Ghost Stories (2006) — Contributor — 141 copies

Women of Mystery (1992) — Contributor — 126 copies

The Middle Ages (2000) — Editor — 117 copies

The Life and Times of Charles II (1972) — Editor — 116 copies

The Clans of the Scottish Highlands: The Costumes of the Clans (1899) — Foreword — 101 copies

The Virago Book of Ghost Stories: The Twentieth Century, Volume 2 (1991) — Contributor — 98 copies

Murder Most Scottish (1656) — Contributor — 93 copies

The Big Book of Female Detectives (2018) — Contributor — 84 copies

The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories (1985) — Contributor — 81 copies

Crime Through Time II (1998) — Introduction — 78 copies

Midsummer Nights (1702) — Contributor — 75 copies

Dior by Dior (1958) — some editions — 73 copies

2nd Culprit: A Crime Writers' Association Annual (1993) — Contributor — 66 copies

The Life and Times of Charles I (1972) — Introduction, some editions — 59 copies

1st Culprit: A Crime Writers' Association Annual (1992) — Contributor — 59 copies

A Century of British Mystery and Suspense (2000) — Contributor — 56 copies

Reader's Digest Great Biographies 08 (1986) 54 copies

Women of Mystery II: Stories From Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (1994) — Contributor — 53 copies

A Guide to Tudor and Jacobean Portraits (2008) — Foreword, some editions — 37 copies

The Life and Times of Mary Tudor (1868) — Editor — 35 copies

Mysterious Pleasures (2003) — Contributor — 34 copies

Great Commanders of the Early Modern World, 1583–1865 (1721) — Contributor — 25 copies

Women of Mystery - Book 3 (1998) 24 copies

The Life and Times of Edward I (1981) — Introduction, some editions — 23 copies

Murder Most Divine: Ecclesiastical Tales of Unholy Crimes (2000) — Contributor — 23 copies

The Mammoth Book of Movie Detectives and Screen Crimes (1998) — Contributor — 20 copies

The Man Who ... (1992) — Contributor — 13 copies

John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1985 (1985) — Contributor — 13 copies

Crime Waves: No. 1 (1991) — Contributor — 12 copies

Great Tales of Crime and Detection (1992) — Contributor — 9 copies

Dangerous Ladies (1992) — Contributor — 8 copies

Death on Wheels (1999) — Contributor — 8 copies

The Best of Winter's Crimes: A selection from Winter's Crimes 1-17, .Vol 1 (1986) 7 copies

The Year's Best Mystery and Suspense Stories, 1990 (1990) — Contributor — 7 copies

Winter's Crimes 10 (1978) — Contributor — 7 copies

Reader's Digest World's Greatest Biographies: George Washington | Mary Queen of Scots | Colin Powell (2001) 6 copies

Great Mystery Series: Top Female Sleuths by 8 of the Best Women Mystery Writers (1991) — Contributor — 6 copies

Winter's Crimes 15 (1983) 5 copies

John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1990 (1990) — Contributor — 5 copies

John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1987 (1987) — Contributor — 5 copies

John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1989 (1989) — Contributor — 5 copies

Great Mystery Series: Eight of the Best Mysteries by the Top Women Writers [audiobook] (2000) — Contributor — 3 copies

John Creasey's Crime Collection, 1982 (1982) — Contributor — 3 copies

The execution of Mary Queen of Scots : an eyewitness account by Sir Robert Wingfield of Upton (1587) — Foreword — 1 copy

Tagged

16th century (173) 17th century (341) 18th century (108) 19th century (110) anthology (232) biography (2,221) Britain (188) British (273) British history (488) crime (212) England (828) English History (383) European History (148) fiction (1,124) Folio Society (147) France (390) French History (172) French Revolution (137) Great Britain (110) Henry VIII (150) history (3,521) literature (115) Marie Antoinette (125) Mary Queen of Scots (127) monarchy (133) mystery (1,122) non-fiction (1,451) novel (140) own (112) read (184) royalty (396) Scotland (306) short stories (291) to-read (1,065) Tudor (132) Tudors (117) UK (119) unread (152) women (325) women's history (154)

Common Knowledge

Legal name: Fraser, Antonia Margaret Caroline
Other names: Fraser, Lady Antonia
Pinter, Lady Antonia
Birthdate: 1932-08-27
Gender: female
Nationality: UK
Birthplace: London, England, UK
Places of residence: London, England, UK
Education: Oxford University (Lady Margaret Hall ∙ History)
Dragon School, Oxford
St. Mary's School, Ascot
Occupations: historian
crime writer
aristocrat
biographer
Relationships: Pakenham, Frank, 7th Earl of Longford (father)
Longford, Elizabeth (mother)
Pinter, Harold (second husband)
Fraser, Flora (daughter)
Billington, Rachel (sister)
Pakenham, Thomas Francis Dermot, 8th Earl of Longford (brother) (show all 15)
Kazantzis, Judith (sister)
Fraser-Cavassoni, Natasha (daughter)
Fraser, Rebecca (daughter)
Pakenham, Valerie (sister-in-law)
Powell, Lady Violet (aunt)
Pakenham, Edward (uncle)
Fraser, Sir Hugh (first husband) m.1956-1977
Clive, Mary (aunt)
Lamb, Lady Pansy (aunt)
Organizations: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
British Crime Writers Association (chairman)
Awards and honors: Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2011)
Norton Medlicott Medal (2000)
Order of the Companions of Honour (2018)
Fellow, Royal Society of Literature (2003)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1999)
James Tait Black Memorial Prize (1969) (show all 9)
Wolfson History Prize (1984)
Enid McLeod Literary Prize (2001)
Gold Dagger Award (1996)
Short biography: Lady Antonia Fraser, née Pakenham, was born in London to an aristocratic English family. Her mother was the distinguished biography Elizabeth Longford. She was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford, St. Mary's School, Ascot, and Oxford University. She is the author of major historical biographies, including Mary, Queen of Scots (1969), The Weaker Vessel (1984) and The Wives of Henry VIII (1996), as well as a popular mystery series featuring British television personality and investigative journalist Jemima Shore. She is a past chairman of the British Crime Writers Association. Lady Antonia married her second husband, the late Harold Pinter, in 1980, and is sometimes known as Lady Antonia Pinter. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2011.

Members

Discussions

BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE JUNE - FRASER & CONRAD in 75 Books Challenge for 2016 (December 2016)

Reviews

Quiet as a Nun: A Jemima Shore Mystery by Antonia Fraser

Muddled plot & muddled writing.

Flagged

Abcdarian | 15 other reviews | May 18, 2024 |

Must You Go?: My Life with Harold Pinter by Antonia Fraser

Enjoyable love story with good literati gossipy tidbits (but not enough of those either)and too careful "surface" writing without the depth and understanding which may be found in an unauthorized bio. I closed it with more questions than it answered: what about Pinter's severed relationship with his son? Her children? More of the politics of their PEN demonstrations and relationships to people like Vaclav Havel. I will have to try the Billington bio of Pinter.

Flagged

featherbooks | 11 other reviews | May 7, 2024 |

The Pleasure of Reading by Antonia Fraser

A compilation of pieces showcasing the passions for literature of forty authors. This is a book that is enjoyed in bits and pieces, and it contains both intriguing essays and recommendations for further reading.

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jwhenderson | 7 other reviews | Apr 27, 2024 |

Quiet as a Nun (Jemima Shore, #1) by Antonia Fraser

Best known for writing British histories, this book, written in 1977, is the first in the Jemima Shore series of mysteries.

This one has a strong grounding in Roman Catholicism, and is set in a convent. It is written in a "high British" style, slightly formal: "As I made the preparations for my nocturnal adventure,..." reminiscent of Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. Once you get into the rhythm of the words, it reads very cleanly. It is well written, the main characters are well drawn, though the secondary characters less so.

The mystery is not the main point of the book, though it does build suspense well. The satisfactory nature of the resolution will, in part, depend on your sympathy with the spiritual views presented.

Based on the synopses of the next few books in the series, it looks like Fraser relies heavily on her strengths writing about history, at the expense of the mystery side. As a mystery fan, I will not be seeking out the rest of this series.

… (more)

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Dorothy2012 | 15 other reviews | Apr 22, 2024 |

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