Preface and Acknowledgments
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2019
Summary
I first encountered Margaret of Anjou's letters while studying her exercise of power. From the start they fascinated me. Even when I had published a book in which they played a significant part, they stuck in my head. Soon after, I received an email from Boni Cron, who had likewise been going after the accreted ‘wisdom’ surrounding Margaret. We began an electronic correspondence and were soon discussing Margaret's letters. When Boni asked if I had any further projects planned, I suggested that the collection published by Cecil Monro in 1863 badly needed re-editing. And wouldn't it be great if allof Margaret's letters could appear together, in one place? Boni was intrigued. We talked about joining forces and decided to give it a try. So, there we were, two somewhat sideways-ofthe- mainstream historians who had never edited anything or collaborated with anyone else before, and there were Margaret's letters.
We dove in. I had a general organizational picture in mind, but we agreed to figure out the rest of it as we went along. We also agreed that we were doing it for fun, no pressure. But as the pages added up, we knew that we were both committed. It turned out to be a long journey. That we were able to finish the project despite the interruptions and setbacks that our lives presented, moreover, that we did it in a state of reasonable agreement, seemed to us an achievement in itself. The book's completion also offers testimony to the power of technology, for we shared our research, our drafts, and our revisions entirely online.
Along the way, we have incurred debts to persons who have provided us with assistance, encouragement, and good advice. Since we did not always follow it, they should in no way be blamed for our shortcomings. In alphabetical order, we would like to thank Caroline Barron, Lisa Benz-St John, Glynnis Cropp, Jim Given, Miki Goral, Andrew Gough, Alison Hanham, Samantha Harper, Ann Kettle, Delphine Mercuzet, Sharon Michalove, Belinda Peters, Compton Reeves, John Sisson, Dunstan Speight, and Vanessa Wilkie. A special thank you to my husband Ed, who supported this effort in countless ways and never once suggested that pursuing the letters of a long-dead queen was anything but the most normal and obvious thing to do.
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- The Letters of Margaret of Anjou , pp. ix - xPublisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2019