A quiz and The Last Kingdom
We often post fun quizzes on Facebook, along the lines of “Which medieval monarch would you have liked to be?” or “Which one of Henry VIII’s wives are you?” This one is somewhat different; if you take the quiz, they will tell you what your educational level is based on your answers. I scored 40 of 50, and they said that was a Master’s Degree level; I do have a law degree, so I guess that is close enough. In honesty, though, I would not have done as well if the questions had not been multiple choice! But here is the link for any interested in giving it a try. http://definition.org/can-guess-highe...
Also, I’d love to hear reviews from British readers who have seen the start of Season Two of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom. Do you like it so far? Is it being shown Down Under at the same time as in the UK? And does anyone know when it will be shown in the US? I miss Uhtred!
Also, I’d love to hear reviews from British readers who have seen the start of Season Two of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom. Do you like it so far? Is it being shown Down Under at the same time as in the UK? And does anyone know when it will be shown in the US? I miss Uhtred!
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Quiz says I have a Master's degree, which indeed I do!I have not seen the start of Season 2 of The Last Kingdom... but given Season 1, I am not sure that I want to. I found Uhtred in Season 1 to be far too fickle and easily changeable to win my support and sympathy. He's hot-headed and too impatient, and not so clever. Yseult was the only character I liked - honest, earnest, smart - but she enters the tale so late that we barely saw any of her. This is not to denigrate the books, mind you - I have not got round to reading the books yet - but just my opinion of Season 1 of the show adaptation.
As for Starz's The White Queen... oh dear. I saw that when it came out a few years ago. Magic galore. Modern cables and pipes in the background of shots. Lots of telling rather than showing in clunky exposition dumps. The villains are very overdone - cape-swishing, glowering, moustache-twirling. Margaret Beaufort is inaccurately portrayed as a grasping maniac long before Henry Tudor ever had the slightest hope or inkling of being the Lancastrians' new candidate for the throne. The Battle of Bosworth Field took place in a forest and was strangely underpopulated. All in all a show which really misunderstood and glossed over its subject matter. All fluff and no substance.
"Catherine of York" - I think you mean Elizabeth of York, for she was Henry VII's only queen.
Hi Sharon, I live in Belgium and I've seen the first 2 episodes of season 2 of The Last Kingdom :-)I really love it, so far it's at least as good as the first season. Hope you get it real soon in the US too.
I hope so, too, Carine, though the actor does not fill my mental image of Uhtred, the one I got from reading the books. I have not seen The White Queen, Faith, but British friends of mine gave it rather negative reviews, along the same lines as Iset's review. Of course we know how subjective reading and viewing can be; there are even a few people who do not like my books. :-)
Who couldn't love your books!?? I recommend them all the time to people that are looking for good books!
Forgive my apparent grumpiness on the subject. I find real history so fascinating I see no need to go altering it, and far too often as a historian I have been approached by the general public with truly dismaying erroneous views from consumption of such materials - for example, thinking that Anne Boleyn was a cynical schemer pimped out by her father, when in actual fact she was a bright young woman who had no interest in ruining her future prospects, and her family prided themselves on their rise through merit and respectability.
Hi S-I've heard that Last Kingdom will be shown in the U.S. via Netflix - probably in the fall. It seems odd to me that BBC America opted not to air it this year ... maybe the powers that be figured they could get more $$ by showing through Netflix. I'm very disappointed as the first season was awesome.
I got a bachelor's degree according to the quiz but actually I don't have that. 34 out of 50.
Thanks, RJ I am surprised that BBC America is not showing it, too. Iset, I am with you when it comes to deliberate distortion of what we know of people who actually lived. That is a different kettle of fish from having to "fill in the blanks," something all historical novelists have to do to some degree. But I am uncomfortable when a writer transforms a real person beyond all recognition.
Rebecca wrote: "Who couldn't love your books!?? I recommend them all the time to people that are looking for good books!"Absolutely agree Rebecca. I love all of Sharon's books. That's why I follow her...waiting patiently for her next release. But they are always so good, I savor the anticipation!
You know, I think there's only one historical aspect in your books, Sharon, that you and I disagree on. I happen to believe that Richard III was responsible for the murder of his nephews.When I consider the evidence, and the fact that Richard had the strongest motive and opportunity... well, we shall never know. And indeed sometimes the most obvious candidate is not the perpetrator. But I do think Richard was the guilty party in this case.
And I would like to say that I don't think that the scenario where he is the guilty party is necessarily incompatible with him having been an otherwise decent man. The fact of the situation was that even if his nephews did not grow up to resent him, they could have been dangerous so long as they were alive and could be put on horses at the head of armies. Such would mean war - again. A horrific and terrible continuation of the bloody civil war. In a dilemma where Richard's choices were between eliminating his nephews, and plunging the country back into a disastrous civil war, I can believe that Richard would've reluctantly made the call. For certain, he would not have been the first to eliminate family members in order to secure stability. It was almost a requirement of Medieval kingship for the monarch to be able to defend their throne by force, and to be visibly strong against opposition - many monarchs came to grief through perceived softness in mercy, generosity, or allowing opposition to go unanswered; Stephen, Edward II, Henry VI.
No one can know for sure, Iset, one reason why we find the mystery still so fascinating. The only drawback in your theory is that if Richard had the boys put to death, he would then have publicized it, announcing that they'd died of sickness, just as Edward did after he ordered the death of Henry VI. Otherwise, there would be no benefit to him, and indeed, he ended up in the worst of worlds. He could not produce the boys to quell the rumors that they were dead, which damaged his reputation and opened the door for imposters; Henry VII was later bedeviled by them. Strictly from Richard's point of view, their disappearance was the worst that could have happened. Even if people were dubious that they died of natural causes--as most were with Henry VI--that would still have been better for him than to have their fate be such a mystery. It would have been very stupid for him to have handled things like that, and no one, not even the Tudors, ever accused him of being stupid. Now Brother George.....he was another story. I could see George doing something like that! But for writers, it is probably just as well that we'll never know for sure; this way no one can say we got it wrong!
I have to say I don't believe Richard murdered the two boys but than living in Yorkshire I am a Yorkist and though he wasn't perfect I think Sharon your explanation is spot on
Thanks, Anne! When my British publisher brought out a special thirtieth anniversary edition of Sunne, I had the opportunity to write a new Author's Note, This enabled me to discuss new discoveries that happened in the years since Sunne's initial publication. But one thing has not changed in all that time; I still do not believe Richard ordered the deaths of the boys.
I still think it's ambiguous, and that he is our guilty party in this case. As an intelligent person myself, I can't tell you how many stupid decisions I've made in my own life, and in my view it is possible that Richard may have wished to hold off announcing the deaths, just for a time, for fear of the outrage it would stoke amongst those who had been loyal to Edward IV but were dubious about his own rule.When it comes right down to it, we do not know. Do you think we shall ever get the definitive evidence to resolve this murder mystery, Sharon?
It seems to me that if Richard is ruled out (for the reasons Sharon cited) and Margaret Beaufort is ruled out (because if she did it her son would have known the 'pretenders' were no threat) then that leaves Buckingham. Anyone want to weigh in on him as the culprit?
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The quiz asked me if I was a professor. I only have a BA (but got HONORS!) in English Literature. But (surprise) I am VERY well read. ;-)