Together with two eminent historians, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Philippa Gregory presents "an engrossing introduction to three courageous matriarchs who shaped English history" ( Publishers Weekly). In this unique presentation, Gregory and her collaborators offer extensive biographical essays on the lives of three key figures from her Wars of the Rosesnovels: Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford; Elizabeth Woodvil≤ and Margaret Beaufort. In her essay about Jacquetta, Gregory breaks new ground, creating the first summation on the duchess's life ever written and based on primary sources. David Baldwin, author of four books about the people and events of the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, and Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes Margaret Beaufort's story. The Women of the Cousins' Waralso includes an insightful introduction by Gregory, which answers many of the questions posed by her fans and history scholars: What is the difference between writing history and writing historical fiction? How much of a role does speculation play in writing each? How much fiction and how much fact should there be in a historical novel?