In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy GoldstoneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
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 GoldstoneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Review: Arbella: England's Lost Queen
Arbella: England's Lost Queen by Sarah GristwoodMy 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 PorterMy 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. MarshallMy 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: Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe
Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe by Sarah GristwoodMy 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: The Private Lives of the Tudors
The Private Lives of the Tudors by Tracy BormanMy 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. MassieMy 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: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival
The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival by Kate WilliamsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Williams has a strong grasp of the topics at hand. Both women were very strong and difficult personalities. The title of the book is very provocative but accurate. This book may not be for those who are overly critical of the Queen of Scots. I believe this is a fair assessment of the life and death of Mary. It is not a lengthy book and I would still recommend the biographies by Antonia Fraser and John Guy as the go to on Mary's life.
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Review: The Prince
The Prince by Niccolò MachiavelliMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
'Machiavellian' is one of those words you hear about in conversation occasionally and may never have really understood beyond the negative connotation. However, if you finally read this book you will wonder why it took you such a long time to read such a monumental piece of literature. This is essential reading for those interested in not just history, politics or leading a country - but for everyone. This book makes you question what you believe is right and wrong - and you might just start finding yourself realising how truly terrifying that is. I couldn't put this book down when I got it - I ended up missing my train station because it was that good I didn't even notice where I was. Machiavelli tells you how a Prince gets the result that is desired without letting the conundrum of hurting others affect achieving that end.
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Review: Joan of Kent: The First Princess of Wales
Joan of Kent: The First Princess of Wales by Penny LawneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book caught me by surprise. Rarely do medieval woman ever have a personality that we can see through the centuries. Using the information available Lawne develops the image of Joan as a strong woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to assert it. Joan was of strong royal blood and despite her first marriage and questionable marriage status she married the Black Prince and they were invested in Acquitaine as Prince and Princess. It proved difficult for the couple to rule in mainland Europe due to poor support from the French and the English. Their son eventually came to the throne of England as Richard II. Highly recommended.
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Review: Queens of the Conquest: England’s Medieval Queens
Queens of the Conquest: England’s Medieval Queens by Alison WeirMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Weir is described as a popular historian by some of her snobby critics. What she excels at as bringing to the attention of general readers topics which are generally not really accessible to them. Queens of the Conquest is a quality addition to Weir's vast collection of books and one wonders how she has the time to do what she does. Lesser known Queens like Adeliza of Louvain are discussed. My favourite being the topic of Empress Maud who realistically was the first Queen Regnant of England but wasn't crowned. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
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Review: Peter the Great: His Life and World
Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. MassieMy 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. I highly recommend this book.
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Review: The Borgias: The Hidden History
The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. MeyerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Meyer has really differentiated himself in this book as we enter into the world of the Borgias where we have to question most of what we think we know. He tries to convince the reader the paternity of the various children long said to be his were not actually his. Now it sounds almost as delusional as a day out with the Richard III Fan club. However the evidence he presents does provide doubt especially since the contemporary documents of the period can be very untrustworthy for a multitude of reasons. I really liked this book about a flawed man that accomplished much more than could be ever expected of a Spanyard in Rome.
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Review: Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots
Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots by Nancy GoldstoneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Elizabeth Stuart is the beautiful daughter of James VI and his queen Anne of Denmark who recently came to the throne of England. Elizabeth turns down many catholic suitors to marry a nobody from the Palatinate who James promises to make a king. After successful election to the throne the short lived monarchs are forced into exile in the Netherlands forever to be known as the Winter King and Queen. The family struggles with Catholic conversions, poverty and Charles I and the civil war in England. This book is a topic I haven't seen before. Nancy Goldstone is the Queen of popular history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
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Review: Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia BairdMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love watching the ABC and seeing this book by a familiar name was a nice surprise. It is quite a large book which is a bit intimidating, I usually favour earlier periods of history but I wanted to give it a go. I found this book very easy to get through. Baird has a strong knowledge of the events going on and manages to bring Victoria to life. This book surprised me in that I actually found Victoria to be more of a normal person than perhaps she ever wanted to be. Her reliance on Albert was what was expected of women at the time but it caused resentment amongst her ministers. Victoria was stubborn though and a good judge of character. The death of Albert paralysed her but she managed to find her way back to reality and even love again. I highly recommend this book, It took me only a few days to get through.
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