The author of "She-Wolves" documents the lives and reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose rivalry led their nation to the brink of collapse — and back again. The work has been longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2025 and is shortlisted for the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography 2025, while being recognized as one of the best books of the year by The Telegraph in 2024. According to Tom Holland of The Spectator, it is "a magnificent history... a gripping and haunting tragedy... There hasn't been any book published this year, including novels, that I found richer in characters; no plot more tense." Simon Sebag-Montefiore describes the book as "a stunning tour de force of epic royal history: a necessary, insatiable true-life thriller, a captivating depiction of fierce political power, and a study of British tyranny... written with the sensitivity and elegance of one of the brightest historians in Britain at the height of her creativity." Andrew O'Hagan notes that "if there is a history book with contemporary relevance, this is it. The astonishing, paranoid, narcissistic King Richard; Henry IV's thrilling course, constantly chasing the notions of legitimacy. These men seem as if they were cut from today’s news. The main strength of the work is storytelling — the unfolding drama, the secrets of power and ambition beautifully controlled in the narrative." Richard of Bordeaux and Henry of Bolingbroke were first cousins, born just three months apart. Their lives have been intertwined from the very beginning. As children, Richard was crowned King Richard II with Henry at his side, holding the sword of authority: a ten-year-old lordserving the ten-year-old king. However, as their emblems showed, they grew to be opposites: Richard was the white stag, a sensitive narcissist, and Henry the eagle, a chivalrous hero and a leader who inspired trust, while Richard inspired only fear. Henry possessed all the qualities Richard lacked — all the qualities a ruler needed, except one: the right of birth. As Richard, threatened by his charismatic cousin, was consumed by the need for absolute power, in a time of constant conflicts, rebellions, and reprisals. When he exiled Henry, the stage was set for a final confrontation, as the stag became a tyrant and the daring eagle his usurper. Helen Castor narrates this story of one of the most peculiar and defining relationships in English history. It is a story of power and masculinity in crisis, and of a country driven to the brink of disaster. At the center is the story of two men whose lives unfolded in extraordinary parallel courses, with devastating consequences. Pages: 688, Dimensions: 13x13cm