She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor

Mar 21, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can't remember the last time I spent three-plus weeks reading a book straight through. In retrospect, maybe I should have alternated queenly chapters with lighter reading, but I found this fascinating on the whole and was highly motivated by wanting to see what happened next. I found this very dense, rather than dry, and actually a lot of fun. But it was slow going keeping all the Edwards and Isabellas straight, making sure I was following which faction was on which side at any given time -- a...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Beth Zovko rated it 5 of 5 stars

NERD ALERT: This is the yardstick by which I measure all nonfiction. Historians often sacrifice the human aspect their subject to detail dates, times, economics, etc. They often overload you with information for no clear reason, maybe to validate their amount of research. Or they can go the opposite tack and leave you desperate for a year, a town, a battle, (dear god anything!) you can use as a frame of reference.

Helen Castor is not that type of historian. She is a consummate storyteller who...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-history, women-history

I borrowed this book from the library about a lifetime ago. So I really should be taking it back. But once you reach the max fine...really, what's the incentive?

The hold up was that I couldn't get into it. It's not that the subject isn't interesting, because I dare you to find something boring about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Double Dog Dare! The problem was the writing.

The first parts of the book were pretty much recitations of facts and happenings, with very little analysis. She covers Matilda, E...more

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May 30, 2011 Marie Z. Johansen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had eagerly awaited the release of this book and waited until I could take my time and read it slowly- taking notes if I wished. I wasn't disappointed! The book begins with a genealogy of the Tudor Succession and as Edward VI is dying. The book is an utterly fascinating, eminently readable, treatise about the tradition of female rulers prior to the time of Elizabeth I.

Included are:

Matilda: Lady of England 1102-1167
Eleanor: An Incomparable Woman 1124-1204 (long lived indeed!)
Isabella: Iron Lady...more I had eagerly awaited the release of this book and waited until I could take my time and read it slowly- taking notes if I wished. I wasn't disappointed! The book begins with a genealogy of the Tudor Succession and as Edward VI is dying. The book is an utterly fascinating, eminently readable, treatise about the tradition of female rulers prior to the time of Elizabeth I.

Included are:

Matilda: Lady of England 1102-1167
Eleanor: An Incomparable Woman 1124-1204 (long lived indeed!)
Isabella: Iron Lady 1295-1358
Margaret: A Great and Strong Laboured Woman 1430-1482

and, as the books returns to the time of the Tudors and the death of Edward VI, in "New Beginnings"
Mary and her disastrous marriage with Philip of Spain. The book ends as Elizabeth I is handed the reins of of government and becomes both the King and Queen of her kingdom.

Each section is preceded by a both a genealogy as well as a map of the Kingdom as it existed at that point in history. Very helpful while you are reading about the constantly changing boundaries of the various countries. The genealogies really made me realize how small the pool of available spouses for royal marriages really was at the time. Papal dispensations for consanguinity matters must have been a steady source of revenue for the Church! Ms. Castor has an uncanny ability to write non-fiction that reads as enjoyably as fiction. I was sorry when the book ended - wanting more of this truly riveting history. The struggle of female rulers really was the the beginning of the fight for women's rights and the fact that these amazing, talented, strong women managed to rule as they did is a wonder. I wonder how many modern women would have the tenacity and determination to breach the boundaries of proper 'etiquette' as these female rulers did. It boggles my mind at how strong and focused they must have been. No doubt they would be the sort of successful women who would, to this day, be called She Wolves, baracuddas, or another word that begins with the letter b----.

I wished that the book had more illustrations - but then I always wish that. I always want more images to pair with the words in a book. The included 8 pages of color images are well done - but more would have been better (of course!) This book will, I think, hold wide appeal to history buffs - especially those who are Anglophiles as I am, as well as for people who study women's rights and societal issues.

I will be on the pre-order list as soon as I hear about Helen Castor's next book !

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May 10, 2011 Bruno Bouchet rated it 4 of 5 stars

After giving up on Catherine the Great, retreated in time to the surer ground of power bitches of medieval England and was richly rewarded. I'd already read Alison Weir's excellent book on Eleanor of Aquitaine so was familiar with her story but it was great to read about how England came to accept the concept of a Queen ruling 'as a king', dating back to the Anglo Saxon origins of the word Queen. The insights into the struggles for power by Matilda, Eleanor, Isabella Margaret and Mary were fasci...more

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May 08, 2011 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fun-with-the-middle-ages

This is an enormous banquet of fascinating information about about women who made big history. These were the girls who INSPIRED the saying that well behaved women DON'T make history. I truly thought I knew a lot about these particular royal rebels, but LO! Helen Castor has a lot to teach us all! This book is probably not for the casual reader, but for anyone with a real interest in English History, it is a treasure.

Almost everyone has some familiarity with Elizabeth I, you know, the Virgin Que...more This is an enormous banquet of fascinating information about about women who made big history. These were the girls who INSPIRED the saying that well behaved women DON'T make history. I truly thought I knew a lot about these particular royal rebels, but LO! Helen Castor has a lot to teach us all! This book is probably not for the casual reader, but for anyone with a real interest in English History, it is a treasure.

Almost everyone has some familiarity with Elizabeth I, you know, the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, yada yada, yada. However, she had some seriously aggressive ladies opening the show for her. The first female contender for the throne was Matilda, the last surviving child of Henry I. Her paternal grandfather was William the Conqueror. Her maternal grandmother was St. Margaret of Scotland. Wow! The butcher and the beatified---really big shoes to fill. Matilda definitely showed some style at an early age. She was eight years old when she was sent to Germany to marry the Holy Roman Emperor. She literally grew up in the most glittering formal court in Western Europe, learning to play power politics before she cut her adult molars. In her mid-twenties, she was widowed, and at the same time her father recalled her to England because he had lost his male heir in a shipwreck. Henry I did not take no for an answer, and he made his nobles swear to accept Matilda, still known as "the Empress" as his heir to the throne. He made Matilda accept a new husband in Geoffrey Plantagenet, the Comte d'Anjou. Geoffrey was still a teenager, but he was a serious contender as a war-leader. Matilda and Geoffrey could hardly stand each other, but he could lead her troops and she gave him a legitimate claim to tons of loot; clearly a marriage made in heaven. Unfortunately for woman's rights, Matilda's cousin Stephen of Blois, (pronounced Blwah, great name, huh?) had streaked in, grabbed the treasury and crown at Winchester and had himself crowned, tout de suite. Matilda was tied down in the last heavy months of pregnancy, and Geoffrey was busy conquering Normandy, so Stephen's coup was a temporary success. For the next decade, Matilda and Stephen rode the wheel of fortune, now up, now down, now captured, now escaped, now censured by the Pope, now the darling of fate. A really bad time was had by all. Finally both exhausted parties agreed to allow Stephen to retain the crown for his lifetime and for Matilda's son Henry to rule after him. This son was to put together an Empire that dominated Western Europe. Popes and princes shook in their silk slippers at his frown. He was called many names, but to the end of his life he called himself Henry Fitz-Empress.

One would perhaps think that Henry Fitz-Empress had a sufficient acquaintance with alpha females after his redoubtable Mom, but think again! He married a beauty out of legend, Duchess in her own right of the richest territory in Europe, patroness of poets and troubadours, crusader to the Holy Land and ex-Queen of France. Yes, folks he married Eleanor of Aquitaine, a woman so vital, so fabulous that they had to get Katherine Hepburn to play her in the movie. (Yeah, The Lion in Winter!) Eleanor gave Henry eight children, all beautiful, intelligent and rebellious. She lead a rebellion against her husband that came so close to succeeding that he kept her locked up the rest of his life. She was a wise counselor to her son Richard Cer de Leon, and ruled England for him while he was on Crusade. She lived long enough to see her grandchildren on every major throne in Europe. She was the top, the real deal, the cat's pajamas and the bee's knees. She was also the ancestress of all the rest of the she-wolves. (It's in the DNA.)

Isabella of France was also a legendary beauty, married at age twelve to the first Prince of Wales to seal a peace treaty between England and France. She ran into trouble, because, as a later Princess of Wales was to say, there was a third party in the bed. Her handsome husband was obsessed with a pretty, vain, arrogant, witty young man named Piers de Gaveston. Her father-in-law, Edward I, banished Gaveston, but as soon as Edward passed away and his son was enthroned as Edward II, Gaveston was back, shinier than ever. Gaveston had a nasty tongue and a unique ability to make enemies. Very soon, the English nobility became convinced that Isabella's husband would never get down to the business of being king as long as Gaveston took all his time and interest. Various factions among the nobility came to armed rebellion to convince the king to moderate his obsession. Besides giving birth to four children and carrying out all her domestic duties, Isabella spent a lot of time on her knees, pleading for mercy for this or that faction, or going back and forth between parties pleading for peace. It was a futile employment, as Edward would promise anything to get what he wanted and then break his word as soon as he could. Finally, the nobles led by the Duke of Lancaster, captured Gaveston and executed him. This had the effect of fixing Edward's attention on business, but unfortunately, the business was revenge. Edward had the cunning to lie low and gather new allies before attempting his vengeance, but sadly, his new favorites, a father and son team both named Hugh DeSpenser, were even more rapacious and self-serving than Gaveston had been. The nobles were rumbling and grumbling, the commons were starving, the perennial wars with Scotland were going badly and suddenly the peace with France was threatened. Edward couldn't leave England without his schemes unraveling, so he sent his number one diplomat, his most accomplished kneeler, his wife. Edward was sure that his obedient, complaisant wife would make all well with her brother, the king of France. Just to add to his "really dumb" quotient, we learn that Edward had achieved the execution of the Duke of Lancaster who was the queen's uncle. Not only did he present most of Lancaster's cash and lands to the DeSpensers, but to round up the total, he stripped the queen of a chunk of her revenues to sweeten the Despensers' pot. Needless to say this annoyed Isabella a lot. Once in France, at her brother's court, she didn't display much complaiscence. Edward compounded his blunders by sending their oldest son to France to do homage for their French holdings. Once her son was in her hands, she was able to invade England and depose her husband in favor of her son. (Oh yeah, she also had a hot affair with her most powerful supporter, Roger de Mortimer.) Sadly, boy kings do grow up and Young Edward dispensed with Mortimer and sent Mom off to live in the countryside.

The saddest of the almost kingly queens was Margaret of Anjou. She was another princess sent off to be a living peace bond. She was able, energetic, intelligent and pretty. Henry VI, her husband was amiable, pious and fond of cultural pursuits. What he was not was decisive, strong minded or kingly. He was a pleasant, absent weathervane, blowing with the prevailing wind. When serious trouble arose, he fell into a sort of pathological fugue state, unable to speak or move. Clearly someone else must mind the store and Margaret was accustomed to the example of her strong-minded mother and grandmother.
She was all set to run the family business. This set her up for a head on collision with the greatest magnate in England, the Duke of York. As the nearest adult MALE relative of the king, York expected to be declared regent. By some reckonings of succession, York might have had a better claim to the throne than Henry did. The resulting family spat is called the Wars of the Roses. What a pretty name for a dirty, savage, vicious bloodbath. Margaret was strong, resilient, inventive, untiring and relentless in pursuit of the rights of her husband and her son. Her reward was to lose her throne, her husband and then her precious son. Following her last loss, she retired to France, broken and drained and beggared. She died young, forgotten and penniless.

The shortest reign in England's history was that of a skinny, freckled bookworm named Lady Jane Grey. She derived her somewhat tenuous claim to reign from her descent from Henry VIII's youngest sister Mary. Her claims were pushed to advance the causes of Protestant faith,(she was devout and totally committed) and political expediency. (She was the daughter-in-law of a politician whose only hope to remain in power was her.)The actual heir, according to primogenitur and the will of Henry VIII,was Mary Tudor, the eldest daughter of Henry VIII. She was Roman Catholic,as devout and committed as Jane.
Someone had to draw the short straw and Queen Jane ruled only nine days. Mary was inclined to show Jane mercy until a new rebellion broke out. Jane was a focus for future strife and so she met her end on the scaffold.

Mary might have been the most pathetic poor soul to ever rule England. Her first twelve years were spent as the petted and beloved daughter of her golden father and her doting mother. Her world imploded when her father cast off her mother and abandoned her beloved church in search of a male heir and some hot nooky.(Did I SAY THAT? Nooooo, I meant a clever and charismatic lady in waiting named Anne Boleyn.) Mary clung to her religious rites and her love and respect for her mother, sustained by her ties to the Holy Roman Emperor and his ambassadors. (The HRE was her cousin Charles.) Mary's goal was to return England to the Papal fold and save all the souls of her subjects. Sadly, not all of her subjects wanted to be saved, at least not as Catholics. Mary acquired her "Bloody Mary" moniker with the best of intentions. She married her cousin Philip of Spain in the hope of conceiving a Catholic heir. Philip was blond, devoutly Catholic and connected to all the things that meant love and safety to Mary. But he had married her out of duty, and when it became apparent that there would be no heir, he abandoned ship. Poor Mary died childless and among her pathetic last words, she told her ladies that she heard choirs of children singing.

Obviously, the deck was stacked against women wielding regal power. It certainly doesn't seem to have brought them much happiness. Helen Castor tells their stories with vigor and panache, just as these ladies lived, but she gives the reader a lot to think about. Power has a high price tag for us girls, even now. But if you don't play, it don't pay, so you go, Sisters!(less)

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Feb 24, 2011 Jennifer Rayment rated it 3 of 5 stars

he Good Stuff

* Wonderfully well researched
* Fascinating historical information
* Learned a lot about Matilda, that I had never known before. Ok most of the stuff I "know" about her came from the novel Pillars of the Earth
* Powerful women taking charge and flouting male authority
* Insightful commentary on both modern and historical female figures
* Extremely thorough in historical detail

The Not so Good Stuff

* Way too scholarly for day to day reading, but a great text for historical informati...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

The premise of the book is that these "she-wolves' paved the way for the Golden Age of Elizabethan rule that followed. The histories of the women who 'ruled' before Elizabeth were really well filled in. They were easy to read and follow. However, when the author turns to apply the lessons/political changes that allowed Elizabeth (and her sister before her) to rule, the book falls apart. The last section where she tries to pull it all together seems rushed and hard to understand.

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Jul 24, 2012 Alastair Rosie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, biography

I've always had a jaded view of history, on the one hand I do love it, I wouldn't have moved to Britain if I didn't at least appreciate it. On the other hand I'm often put off by the scant references to women in the history books, almost as if they were hidden away and only mentioned when they did something that upset the male commentators of the time, who were enslaved to Rome's viewpoint.
Take the so called suicide of Boudica. Ignoring the fact that the only two commentators, Tacitus and Cassi...more I've always had a jaded view of history, on the one hand I do love it, I wouldn't have moved to Britain if I didn't at least appreciate it. On the other hand I'm often put off by the scant references to women in the history books, almost as if they were hidden away and only mentioned when they did something that upset the male commentators of the time, who were enslaved to Rome's viewpoint.
Take the so called suicide of Boudica. Ignoring the fact that the only two commentators, Tacitus and Cassius wrote about it over a century later, we have to read into their accounts the Roman view of women. A woman who defied a man even vocally could usually anticipate one fate, death, more often than not at her own hand if she wished to regain her honour. If she was a virgin, she of course had to be raped before execution, to avoid upsetting the gods. The rape of her daughters thus paints Rome in a particularly nasty light as they were quite possibly children and we can't paint 'noble' Roman soldiers as being rapists and child killers. Sadly many historians hold fast to Tacitus' and Cassius' views as though they were actual eyewitnesses rather than blatant propagandists in the style of Julius Caesar.
With that in mind I recently bought Helen Castor's She-Wolves, The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth. I was looking for a book that would not only mention women from history but actually focus on women.
The result is a book that stands out from other similar books for its refusal to accept on face value the contemporary accounts of the time but attempts to interpret and put them into perspective. One account that springs to mind is that of Isabella, wife of Edward II who after deposing him in a relatively bloodless coup, set about enriching herself, much as her predecessors had done. In this Castor has pointed out that rather than being peculiar to Isabella as a woman and queen, it was actually the norm for kings as well. She hasn't excused the excesses, rather she's put them into context.
Starting with the death of Edward VI, only son of Henry VIII, a death that saw his sister Jane Grey take the throne, only to be deposed by Mary Stuart; she back tracks to Matilda, granddaughter of William the Conqueror and moves forward to Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of Richard I. She then moves forward to Isabella, who was portrayed so appallingly in Braveheart, and then onto Margaret of Anjou, who was married to Henry VI and fought to keep him alive and out of the hands of his enemies. She comes full circle with Mary Tudor and ends at Elizabeth, and here she has ended our journey. Elizabeth's story of course being a book on its own.
I found the book very well written although at times I was struggling to keep up with who sired who, and who was related to whom. The book is well researched and as already mentioned she does interpret ancient texts with a view to representing these women fairly. This is no feminist diatribe but an honest reexamination of the facts at hand and she has provided a wealth of books at the end for those who want to read further.
In summary, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the women who ruled England, even if it was through their sons and husbands. It's a refreshing change from the male oriented histories that clog library shelves and a welcome addition to my Kindle.

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Apr 10, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, history

I really enjoyed this. This is a very well-told story of the background behind the accession to the English throne of Mary and Elizabeth I. It takes a very close look at the previous attempts of the different women who sought to rule in England on their own merits, and not merely as the decorative occasional-regents to their husbands. I notice some reviewers had a hard time keeping everyone straight; I personally think the author did a very good job of explaining who was who and what happened. B...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Ben rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, history-and-non-fiction, i-own

As with her earlier book, Blood & Roses, 'She-Wolves' is one of the most well-written and fascinating pieces of scholarship. Castor delves extensively into contemporary documents, while still pulling well from previous scholarship to highlight a point, or provide an alternative interpretation. Castor's writing is clear and exciting, one almost feels like they're reading a novel.

My only criticism is that she should have extended the section on Mary Tudor--seeing as she was the only one of th...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

A compelling look at the early queens of England and France. These women demonstrated through intelligence, strength and sheer will power how to be a queen and rule even without male support. From Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to Margaret and finally Elizabeth I, this fascinating study of the role of a queen is testimony to the power of the feminine in a world dominated by the male idea of a King and only a king to rule. Women were merely pawns in the royal battle for the thrones. But these wom...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies-autobiographies-and-mem, non-fiction

I found myself choosing this book over my current fiction reads when I sat down at home and had a choice of things to pick up. Now THAT'S saying something about the style of writing and the stories told.

I love that this book spans so many years of the English monarchy, and that as I was reading I could think of the historical fiction and movies that were set in the same time. We start with Matilda (this is the era of the Brother Cadfael Mysteries if you've read or seen those), who was daughter t...more I found myself choosing this book over my current fiction reads when I sat down at home and had a choice of things to pick up. Now THAT'S saying something about the style of writing and the stories told.

I love that this book spans so many years of the English monarchy, and that as I was reading I could think of the historical fiction and movies that were set in the same time. We start with Matilda (this is the era of the Brother Cadfael Mysteries if you've read or seen those), who was daughter to King Henry but lost her throne to her cousin Stephen. I kept thinking that if only Matilda had known how to negotiate the nobles the way Elizabeth I seemed to, she may yet have changed the course of history by being the first queen to reign in her own right. Instead, the crown passes to her son and she must be content with that.

Next up was Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was married to both the king of France and the king of England in her lifetime. If you've read Sharan Newman's Catherine LeVendeur series you'll know this period of time, and I recognized the names of many of the French courtiers. Eleanor was also mother of two kings--Richard (the Lionhearted) and John, and she ruled while Richard was away at the crusades. Yes, folks, this is the time of Robin Hood. Although, the real version of events doesn't quite match the Disney version (though, what does match a Disney version of events?). Let's just say it wasn't John who raised the taxes in the Shire of Nottingham, and Richard basically bankrupted the country by getting himself kidnapped and ransomed by the Holy Roman Emperor. That being said, he was still a much better king than his brother John, who managed to lose most of the territory his father had won on the continent.

On to the era of Braveheart and Queen Isabella who had to put up with her (apparently) bisexual husband King Edward II whose fondness for men of his court became such a distraction that he either neglected his ruling duties or used them only to get revenge on those who opposed him. Unlike in Braveheart, however, Edward II was not effeminate and most likely would have been a fine king if he didn't have unchecked royal ADD. (I'm the king and you better not tell me what to do and oh, look! Someone in a shiny coat to distract me!) Instead, Isabella went and swiped their son as basically a hostage while she plotted Edward II's overthrow with her new lover. Too bad that her son didn't like the way his mother ruled in his place and eventually overthrew HER to become Edward III. Mother got sent off to live in some remote castle while her lover was beheaded.

Now we come to Margaret, queen to King Henry VI the Bemused. This is the era of Shakespeare's histories, and as the Wars of the Roses unfolded on paper, all I could think of was the famous Richard III speech, "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by the son of York." (Hope I got that quote right because that's what I've been thinking of this whole time!) Poor poor Margaret, who was dealt the worst hand of all the women in this book because she was paralyzed by the youth of her son and the incapacity of her husband. There was a history of mental illness on his mother's side, and this was ultimately what inhibited his ability to rule. He failed to understand the fundamental principals of authority and let everyone walk all over him.

Finally, we come to the death of Edward VI and the ascension of Mary Tudor and, eventually, Elizabeth I to the throne. In this format you can really see how the other queens influenced the way that Mary and Elizabeth were ultimately able to gain power in their own right. I am a bit of an Elizabeth fanatic, but I have always read her biographies and so only knew the background of her father's reign and how that influenced her. This was very telling.

Also, the book's format makes it so much easier to see the intertwined nature of European politics and how the countries became more distinct and more distrustful of each other as time went on. Actually reading about the territories lost and one and the rise of one power at the expense of another really gives you an idea of the politics that led to so many historical events. So often in school we are treated to a version of history that follows a straight line through time, but books like this show you that history is really an interconnected web with many strands crossing each other over time. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in English history or in the history of Western Europe in general.(less)

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Mar 02, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-history

I always knew England had a rich, fascinating royal history, but I don’t think I quite realized just how positively riveting it could be until I read Helen Castor’s She Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth. Many people are acquainted with Elizabeth, The Virgin Queen; there have been several major films and television series about her in recent years, and is the icon most people have in mind when thinking of famous royal figureheads in history. What most people don’t realize is th...more I always knew England had a rich, fascinating royal history, but I don’t think I quite realized just how positively riveting it could be until I read Helen Castor’s She Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth. Many people are acquainted with Elizabeth, The Virgin Queen; there have been several major films and television series about her in recent years, and is the icon most people have in mind when thinking of famous royal figureheads in history. What most people don’t realize is that in the four centuries prior to Elizabeth’s reign, there were four other women–Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, and Margaret of Anjou–who held power in England, as well as the two women–Mary of Scots and Jane Grey–who briefly held the title of Queen in the five years before Elizabeth’s forty-five year rule began. Whether they craved control of their lands, had to step in for their incapacitated or politically clueless husbands, took the reigns to secure their child’s birthright as ruler of England, or fight for their own birthright as queen, all of the women displayed admirable levels of determination and intelligence, and at times even rivaled the ruthlessness of their male counterparts.

I enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. Castor breaks up into six parts, using the controversy surrounding Mary of Scots, Jane Grey, and Elizabeth I to “bookend” the stories of the other four women. Each part has four chapters, with the first devoted to explaining the political climate that ultimately leads to each women taking power. Although I appreciated the context that these chapters provide, it can also be a bit confusing at times. Rather than fluidly moving on to the next woman’s story, there are stretches of time that are unaccounted for that can be jarring and confusing as the reader tries to catch up. That said, once Castor begins developing each woman’s narrative, it is easy to get sucked into the book...

Read full review here.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Anne-Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, middle-ages, princesses-and-princes, society, religion-and-faith, kindle, women-s-history, europe

At its best when showing how the decisions and actions of the women rulers before Elizabeth set the stage for her reign. They lead fascinating, complex lives, all the more difficult for modern readers because all the people seemed to have one of only 10 or so different names! Henry, Edward, Charles, Mary, Margaret... I would have appreciated more genealogies and maps, instead of only one at the beginning of each section of the book. I think, too, that sometimes the author was caught up in the sh...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Emilie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: histories

I knew almost nothing of Matilda ,before I read Castor's work, but I came away feeling like I'd read many books on her ,and not just a section in a book of many women .She is portrayed as a woman perfectly capable of ruling ,but she ,like other women ,was expected to take the role of having children and so had to struggle for power .

Eleanor of Aquitaine's story is a well known one, for she was the mother of King Richard "the lionheart." Her rebellion against her husband , Henry II is a story to...more I knew almost nothing of Matilda ,before I read Castor's work, but I came away feeling like I'd read many books on her ,and not just a section in a book of many women .She is portrayed as a woman perfectly capable of ruling ,but she ,like other women ,was expected to take the role of having children and so had to struggle for power .

Eleanor of Aquitaine's story is a well known one, for she was the mother of King Richard "the lionheart." Her rebellion against her husband , Henry II is a story told time and time again in movies . Castor tells her story in a slightly different light , not as a woman hungry for power , but as a mother protecting her children, primarily her favourite child, Richard. The story of Eleanor and Henry is told by Castor as the story of a family in turmoil , only this family is the one that rules England .

The story of Isabella of France has always been one that I have found compelling ,the Queen that married King Edward II, the man who didn't want to be king .She is the example of a woman in the position of having to fend for herself .She lived through years of neglect from her husband while he amused himself with his favourite ,and they only had children and a few successful years of marriage after the favourite had been eliminated .Isabella has gained a reputation of a wicked woman ,who would do anything for power ,but Castor explains her desperate situation before the eventual dethroning of her husband and the placing of her son on the throne .Isabella's great contribution ,Castor explains ,was her son ,Edward III ,who has become one of the most popular kings in English History .

Margaret of Anjou was another Queen of England that I knew very little about and after reading the section on her ,I felt ,like after reading about Matilda ,that I had learned a great deal .She ,like Isabella ,was married to a "weak" king ,Henry VI ,who after his death was honored with a saint-like memory .Margaret is portrayed as a woman in another desperate situation ,who did her best to keep her head and honour while her husband went through periods of catatonic madness ,having to introduce his own son to him when he came back to himself .She also had to stand next to him while he was dethroned ,and the beginning of the Wars of the Roses .

All of the women's lives in this book are described in just enough detail ,and it is an excellent book for those who wish to understand the role of women in British politics .It puts forth the idea that it was not only men who ruled the world ,even in the oldest of times ,there was always a woman behind them ,and even if they did not rule by themselves ,they did make other contributions and will always be remembered .(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Feminists, English historians, Royalty buffs

Shelves: herstories-history-of-women, history, adult-books, english-history, biography

I think in many ways Matilda impressed me the most, then perhaps Margaret. I already knew a lot about Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was absolutely remarkable, and Isabella was a tragic figure who allowed love to corrumpt her after a horrible mock marriage to the homosexual king of England. Margaret was another queen married to a completely unsuitable king. However, she was loyal to her likely brain damaged or emotionally damaged husband and only changed the focus to her son when it became clear that...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Tanya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, history

She-Wolves looks at the women who exercised authority in England before the reign of Elizabeth, analyzing the way their experiences became precedent for the idea of a female monarch. Thus, this book is more than a collection of abbreviated biographies, as I at first assumed. It shows how each female built on her predecessor's aggregation of power and contravened the sexist (in the modern context) attitudes of the day.

Matilda was Henry I's declared successor, and even had received oaths of loyalt...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was half way through the first chapter before I noticed the dedication at the front - 2 such original names of teachers could only mean than Helen Castor was an alumni of the same school as myself - so I read on with increased interest every now and again catching a whiff of the dry humour of Miss Yates and the sympathy of Miss Lenygon - and vice versa - although not mentioned in this book no-one I know has ever shown more sympathy for Mary Queen of Scots - imprisoned and denied her chance of...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Rio (Lynne) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, non-fiction

I enjoyed this. I picked it up at the library basically as a refresher course for myself. After reading Chadwick's Lady of the English and Higginbotham's The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou, The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II and Her Highness, the Traitor and other books about Jane Grey and Mary Tudor, I felt well versed on these women. The author did a good job without being overly dry telling the stories of Matilda, Eleanor, Isabella, Margaret and Jane.

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Feb 05, 2011 Dorothea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-non-fiction

This book deals, as the subtitle tells us, with “The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth”, ie. Matilda, the Empress, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Margaret of Anjou and less thoroughly Mary. It is an easy to read account of these ladies’ lives and “reigns”. For me the parts dealing with Matilda and Isabella were of particular interest, because my knowledge about these two had been rather limited. It certainly will make me investigate them further. If this was Helen Castor’s aim,...more This book deals, as the subtitle tells us, with “The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth”, ie. Matilda, the Empress, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Margaret of Anjou and less thoroughly Mary. It is an easy to read account of these ladies’ lives and “reigns”. For me the parts dealing with Matilda and Isabella were of particular interest, because my knowledge about these two had been rather limited. It certainly will make me investigate them further. If this was Helen Castor’s aim, she was successful. In this respect the book serves the same purpose as a well-written historical novel, which is actually what this book feels like.

However, as it is supposed to be a work of non-fiction and here it shows some short-comings. Though it does include a fairly extensive “Note on Sources and Further Reading” at the end, there are no foot or end notes. This I found especially disconcerting, given Castor’s assertive style. Two examples from the period Ricardians know most about and are most interested in, she states that Edward IV died of a stroke. He very well might have, but we have no evidence as to the actual cause of his death. She also uncritically repeats the old rumour as fact that Edward V was murdered by Richard of Gloucester. Again, there are lots of theories, but no proof when, where and by whom Edward and his brother were killed, or even whether they were killed at all. A more critical analysis of the sources would have been beneficial, and the lack of notes is especially frustrating.

There are also some geographical errors. She writes that Matilda is travelling from Utrecht along the Rhine via Cologne, Speyer and Worms to Mainz and her coronation (p.53). This would be a rather circuitous route: Coming from the north (Cologne) along the Rhine you first reach Mainz, then on to Worms and Speyer is the southern most of these cities. So either Matilda did not travel as directly as Castor implies, or she visited Worms and Speyer after her coronation at Mainz. Another example, as Susan Higginbotham pointed out, is Margaret sitting at her “chateau of Dampierre, overlooking the broad meanderings of the Seine” (p.401), while Margaret would actually have looked at the Loire. Surely the author or at least her proof readers could have consulted some maps to avoid slip-ups like these? They might be minor mistakes, but they cause the reader to mistrust her other statements.

On the whole I would say that it is not a bad book as a first introduction to these fascinating ladies, but it could have been much more.
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May 16, 2013 Sarah Dauterive rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would have LOVED this book if I hadn't gotten stuck in the 4th part. She made convincing arguments toward her thesis in all parts except this one. She really was pushing it to say Isabella was so monumental in English history because she spent most of that section talking about her husband! I feel like only the last of the 4 Isabella chapters really talked about Isabella. In the first 3 I kept waiting for Isabella to appear. When she did it was something like, "While all this stuff with the ki...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Nan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

Excellently written popular history that recounts the lives and travails of four Queens of England who influenced the country's fate before the first Queen Regnant, Mary Tudor. Matilda, Eleanor of Acquitaine, Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou all went through turbulent times -- and all of them struggled to acquire and preserve power for their sons, whatever the state of their marriages. Castor does a great job tracing the shifting balances of power and vast numbers of key players -- the f...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Ellen Ekstrom rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable history - Ms. Castor just set forth the history as it was and made it easy to digest. Histories can sometimes be dry as dust, but her use of a prologue, i.e., the aftermath of the death of Edward VI, was great for putting the idea of a female monarch in context. We all know about Elizabeth I, her sister Mary, and Queen Jane of the 13 Days, but how many know about Matilda, also known as Maude, the woman who was Henry I's only legitimate heir after 1120, and her struggle with...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Elle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, nonfiction, ye-olde-ingerlandshire

As someone who has already read books about several different time periods covered in this book, there wasn't too much that made this one stand out. In fact, I'd think this book would be confusing for someone not already at least vaguely familiar with British history. Castor jumps around in a very wide range of history and summarizes huge events in one or two lines in order to lead up to the politically fraught environment surrounding Elizabeth I's ascendency after a string of female rulers. Tho...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Jodi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, thought I’d be doing a lot more reading this long weekend, but when my husband said on Wednesday that we should have a Jane Austen marathon weekend, who was I to argue (have seen Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion and ½ of the BBC, Pride & Prejudice). Did manage to complete She-Wolves. Excellent, and not because in the last couple of pages she compared my heroines, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Elizabeth I.
Obviously, many of these women have little documented histories to use and so much o...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed this book. I first saw the author do a 60 minute show on PBS and was immediately certain I wanted to read the book. The lives of these queens were certainly not what we all want when we say we'll grow up to be princesses. While they did hold some power, mostly they were under the control of the men in their lives - fathers, brothers, sons. There was no security. Money, properties, possessions were given and taken at the will of the king. Including those of the queen. These wo...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Pearl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although the title sounds as if the author might be disparging of women rulers, instead she is sympathetic to the impossibility of their becoming rulers. The title comes from a line that Shakepeare uses to decry Margaret of Anjou, wife of the simple-minded Henry VI of England, in his play "Richard III." Women had their place in medieval and early modern England - to be wives, mothers, and helpmates to their husbands and, if circumstances dictated, to act as regents for their husbands in their ab...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Michelle added it

She-Wolves is for all of those who ever wondered why Edward's death threw the country into such turmoil. It showcases the world in which Mary I and Elizabeth I were raised and which prejudices they had to overcome to keep the country stable. In so doing, Ms. Castor is able to showcase four strong, amazing women who also overcame prejudices and gained power in their own ways.

Split into sections devoted to each of the women, Ms. Castor takes the reader through the rise and fall of each woman. It a...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Larissa Pontez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, favorites

Right. Although I know it's wrong to write a review without having read the whole book, I'm considering this an exception since it's History and not a story in the traditional sense, and mostly because I'm so in love with it.

Castor's apparently obvious organization of the chapters (chronological, and divided by each of the queens) becomes a cunning analysis of women's roles and powers in Medieval England (and Europe). She makes constant parallels between the characters' contexts, without becomin...more

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