Review: Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior

Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior by Catherine Hanley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The time of Empress Maud was very difficult. Living through the anarchy was one of the hardest times for the period of England. Reading about it however, is very fascinating. This period of history is surprisingly well documented given the lack of documents which can be relied upon for later periods in English history. Hanley tells the story with masterful detail. Weighing up various different sources and historiographies. Matilda was a tough person, but one who ultimately was unable to secure the crown for herself. She instead was able to hold onto her English campaign long enough for her son, Henry to be the successor to her cousin Stephen. Highly recommend this book.

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Review: Fire And Water: The Art Of Incendiary And Aquatic Warfare In China

Fire And Water: The Art Of Incendiary And Aquatic Warfare In China by Ralph D. Sawyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an incredible book. It goes over in detail throughout Chinese history various different battles involving both fire and water. Reading about fake animals with fire attached to it. Various different techniques used to defeat the enemy using the resources around them. Water could involve flooding, drought, poison or naval warfare. Fire can even be attached to bulls to scare and confuse enemies. I highly recommend this read - you won't read much like it. It's definitely a worthwhile addition and shows how the Art of War could be used in practice.

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Review: Barbarians at the Wall: The First Nomadic Empire and the Making of China

Barbarians at the Wall: The First Nomadic Empire and the Making of China by John Man
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Xiongnu, based on an almost unpronounceable name to most English speakers, sound very obscure. In fact, these were giants of ancient China. They held the Qin and Han Dynasties to ransom for centuries. They were mighty, they conquered vast swathes of kingdoms around China and even into China itself. The Han dynasty would score victories but never were able to crush them entirely. This book goes through the long history of the Xiongnu and the potential links to the Huns of Attila. John Man is a good author, with a tendency to repeat half of his material in the form of a new release with a slightly different focus than his last book meaning that he only has to write 50% of a book. This time it is almost entirely different material to some of his books I've felt have repeated the same photos and paragraphs half a dozen times. This one deserves a read and a 5*.

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Review: Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey

Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey by Kenneth K.S. Ch'en
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is an incredible source of information that you won't find anywhere else. I highly recommend to anyone interested in Chinese history. This explains many facets of Buddhism and society in China that make it very useful. Warning, it uses the old system and not pinyin - but if you are familiar with it you will be OK.

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Review: The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York and Tudor

The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York and Tudor by Amy Licence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amy Licence goes over the various different potential Kings of England during the period of the Wars of the Roses who were either killed or died in some way. This is actually quite a good book. It goes over lesser Plantagenets and doesn't feel like just another book which has been redone 1000 times (the wives of Henry VIII for example). It feels fresh and it helps that Licence has a very authoritative way of writing.

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Review: The Sultan and the Queen: The Untold Story of Elizabeth and Islam

The Sultan and the Queen: The Untold Story of Elizabeth and Islam by Jerry Brotton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this book was fascinating. There is always a new and allegedly fresh perspective of something during the Tudor period and this feels very much that. I found this book full of information that was new to me. It was also quite accurate and well referenced. I think overall it doesn't overpromise but you get exactly what is offered to you.

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Review: Sui-Tang China and Its Turko-Mongol Neighbors: Culture, Power, and Connections, 580-800

Sui-Tang China and Its Turko-Mongol Neighbors: Culture, Power, and Connections, 580-800 by Jonathan Karam Skaff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book. The topic is one which really fascinates me. There is a lot of information in here regarding the relationships between the Tang dynasty (who themselves are partially Xianbei) and how the politics works in the various border areas. The information here is really something that is hard to come across. It is a good book to start bridging your knowledge to the next step up. I have a greater understanding of the border society and deep cultural differences amongst the various groups as well as the complexity of the entire geographical and political situation

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Review: The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe

The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe by Barry Cunliffe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Margaret of York: The Diabolical Duchess

Margaret of York: The Diabolical Duchess by Christine Weightman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Sisters Who Would Be Queen

The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

De Lisle guides us through the life of the tragic three Grey sisters. These women all died either in captivity or were executed by the formidable Mary I. Jane was legally the rightful queen of England but this was a time when it took more than legal assertion to occupy the throne and Mary just had the right stuff. Katherine Grey was the beautiful woman who married for love and Mary the hunchback who married the tallest man in the court. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the period.

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Review: In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters

In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy Goldstone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Fatal Rivalry: Flodden, 1513: Henry VIII and James IV and the Decisive Battle for Renaissance Britain

Fatal Rivalry: Flodden, 1513: Henry VIII and James IV and the Decisive Battle for Renaissance Britain by George Goodwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I

Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I by Kelcey Wilson-Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Arbella: England's Lost Queen

Arbella: England's Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of my favourite books. Gristwood has a way with words. The tragic parallels between Arbella and Her aunt the Scots Queen are haunting and I enjoyed every moment of it

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Review: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots

Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots by Linda Porter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I enjoyed the unique approach. There is a lot of information here which is rare and hard to find anywhere else.

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Review: Queen Mary's Women: Female Relatives, Servants, Friends and Enemies of Mary, Queen of Scots

Queen Mary's Women: Female Relatives, Servants, Friends and Enemies of Mary, Queen of Scots by Rosalind K. Marshall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I have read about Mary. Ms Marshall clearly knows the topic very well and it is clear that she was and probably still is one the best academic minds to write about MQS. The book discusses various relationships in a detail which you would not expect to be as interesting as it is. Ms Marshall's presents information I've never seen anywhere else in a way which is very fresh. The research put into this book must have taken a long time and no doubt is a result of her long career as a historian. I believe you come out understanding the relationships between Queen Mary and her women in a way that is well thought out and from the point of view of someone who isn't just an expert on Mary Queen of Scots, but also has a deeper and understanding of life and human relationships and actions. Ms Marshall doesn't fall victim to the trap of bias and obviously is able to see the historical figures she writes about as people with many dimensions, she is able to criticise and praise when appropriate. One of the greatest triumphs in this book is the focus on Mary and another person in a way which isn't just scattered dialogue or brief mentions as a part of a greater story. You are able to develop a greater understanding of the dynamics as Ms Marshall utilises her wealth of knowledge to summarise it all for us! 5* Please come back from retirement!

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Review: Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe

Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe by Sarah Gristwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I tend to get bored half way through books and struggle to finish them off because I want to read something different for a while. There is no such struggle with this one. I love the way that the stories are intertwined and feel that at times it is a bit random, making me a bit confused about the characters at times, but probably due to my own lack of attention span potentially. The book picks up for me just past the half way mark.

Criticisms... I feel that the writer is a bit of an Anne Boleyn fangirl, mentioning her constantly in comparisons or when not even a mention or comparison of person/s is necessary, but it didn't stop me from giving five stars.

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Review: Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Private Lives of the Tudors

The Private Lives of the Tudors by Tracy Borman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tracy Borman has over become one of the iconic authors writing about this period of history. I’ve read many by Ms Borman over the years (this one I read four years ago) and more recently I’ve heard some of her earlier works and there is a noticeable difference despite still being a high-quality. She’s always on television for a reason. She definitely read this book. She only gets better with time.

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Review: Peter the Great: His Life and World

Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book caught me by surprise. Massey gives you a detailed image of Moscow and the personality of a strong king. Despite it being something like 900 or so pages long it doesn't include unnecessary detail a lot of historical books tend to include. Despite it being written 40 years ago, Massey's writing really ages quite well. I really didn't know a lot of specifics about Russian history, especially regarding the period I read - I feel this book guided me quite well through the need to know without babying me too much. I highly recommend this book.

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Review: Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers

Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers by N. Harry Rothschild
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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