Tudor History Lovers discussion
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John Guy
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Susan C
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Jul 29, 2009 05:26AM
I have his Tudor England book and would like know your opinions on his other Tudor period books.
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His book on Thomas More's daughter looks quite good, but I haven't had a chance to get to it yet.
I have his Tudor England too but I haven't read any of his other works. He does have a good reputation and his My Heart Is My Own The Life of Mary Queen of Scots won the 2004 Whitbread Biography Prize. There's a short article on Wikipedia about him, if you're interested.
Susan wrote: "His book on Thomas More's daughter looks quite good, but I haven't had a chance to get to it yet."I haven't read this yet but a friend of mine is reading it right now. She says it's enthralling but from the other things she's said, this is not an easy read. There is an incredible amount of detail and different names and places that are hard to follow at times. She's constantly running to look up what one reference or another means.
One thing that sounds neat is that Thomas More also has an adopted daughter and Holbien painted their family portait but More told him his birth daughter had to be more center stage and that the adopted daughter needed a smaller head-dress, etc. and must appear less important that Meg (birth daughter). Not sure if I totally got that right or made any sense of it.
I just bought this one as well and it looks good. Queen of Scots The True Life of Mary Stuart
I was listening to a history podcast during half of which was Derek Wilson talking on Historians vs Novelists and he specifically recommended John Guy (mentioning "My Heart is My Own" specifically) and also H.F.M. Prescott's "Man on a Donkey". They're on my to read list.
Thanks to all of you. I'm definitely interested in the one on Mary Queen of Scots.
I have heard only good things about Guy's histories; from professional historians, even.
Wow! Thanks Susanna! It makes my decision about buying easier knowing that other historians like him. David Starkey doesn't seem to have that same admiration from his peers.
Starkey is, to put it frankly, rather a pompous blowhard.
Is My Heart Is My Own The Life of Mary Queen of Scots and Queen of Scots The True Life of Mary Stuart the same book?
John Guy's book "My Heart Is My Own, The True Life of Mary Queen Of Scots" and it is really a great read! I am in the middle of it now. I also have " A Daughter's Love" and will now have to include " Tudor England"!
Susanna wrote: "Starkey is, to put it frankly, rather a pompous blowhard."Absolutely, and a waspish old queen to boot. I remember him on TV's Trial of Richard III where he made a complete arse of himself by his camp dogmatism and his childish and futile attempts to best the defence counsel. Unfortunately, in this country, our TV people have this addiction to employing academics who are grotesques and caricatures. It is so silly. After all, we do have some very fine academics who are brilliant at presentation like Simon Schama, Michael Wood and even John Guy. One just wishes the TV people would trust to that model of the academic rather than falling back on these narcissistic self-promoters.
Here endeth the rant, with apologies. Just can't stand the man.
I have yet to read anything by John Guy but since reading these posts have been looking for his books to try out.I figured I would toss this out here though. I recently got the book Jane Boleyn by Julia Fox. It says on the jacket that she is John Guys wife. I know that does not at all mean it will be a good book but thought I would mention it. This is her first book too.
I've got that book too and I'm looking forward to reading it although someone on here (I forget who?) said that it's not so much a book on Jane Boleyn but on everyone else surrounding her as there is not enough actual information know on Jane to write an entire book. Looks good anyways to me though :)
Thanks Guys, my TBR pile just grew immensely!!
Susan C wrote: "Is My Heart Is My Own The Life of Mary Queen of Scots and Queen of Scots The True Life of Mary Stuart the same book?"They are listed separately on here, so I think they are two different books?
Lyn wrote: "Susan C wrote: "Is My Heart Is My Own The Life of Mary Queen of Scots and Queen of Scots The True Life of Mary Stuart the same book?"They are listed separately on here, so I think they are tw..."
The first title is the UK title and the second is the US release. It is the same book.
Thank you so much Thalia, it was starting to drive me crazy!
Yes thanks - that US/UK thing always confuses me. Does anyone know why they change the name of the book for one or the other?
Sometimes a book already has the same name in a market. Sometimes a title isn't as clear in another market or a connotation is an issue. Sometimes I think they just want to screw with us.....
I'll go with the screw with us explanation. They certainly confuse me most of the time!
LOL It drives me nuts, too. I do have a theory on at least one book that I've come across (although I fully support the screw with us explanation, too).Alison Weir wrote The Children of Henry VIII (US title), which might appeal more to the American market as people are apt to know his name but the truth is, this title isn't accurate. Not entirely. Yes, the book is about Mary, Elizabeth & Edward but it's also about Jane Grey. That being said the UK title Children of England: The Heirs of Henry VIII is much more accurate, which people in the UK are bound to know but not draw the American attention quite so much.
Jennifer - That's the one I was thinking about when I was remarking about how confused I get. I remember you talking about it in another post and me trying to find it but only being able to find The Children of Henry VIII (the US version). LOL
Lyn wrote: "Jennifer - That's the one I was thinking about when I was remarking about how confused I get. I remember you talking about it in another post and me trying to find it but only being able to find T..."LOL Ooops... I would have noted the difference in that post if I'd know but I was quite confused about it myself!
I have not read anything by John Guy yet but I am looking forward to his book on Thomas Moore's daughter.
Not sure where to post this, but I am putting it in two places. Hopefully one of them is correct. Anyway - I just saw that a new book is coming out in September or October about Lady Jane Grey. It is called Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery by E. W. Ives, and according to Amazon Jon Guy thinks it is a well researched and written book. Just FYINot exactly about Jon Guy, but somewhat.
Lyn, it's still related to John Guy and some people will read a book based on the positive review of a well liked author.
Colleen wrote: "Lyn, it's still related to John Guy and some people will read a book based on the positive review of a well liked author."I'm always on the outlook for reviews by John Guy, as well as Antonia Fraser and Alison Weir. If they say it's good, I have a tendency to believe it's true.
Thanks for the recommendation Lyn!
Just found out that my copy is due to arrive on November 4 (yes I preordered it, LOL) just in time for my birthday. Unfortunately, it will be too late for our October group read after all, but, Oh well.
Lyn wrote: "Just found out that my copy is due to arrive on November 4 (yes I preordered it, LOL) just in time for my birthday. Unfortunately, it will be too late for our October group read after all, but, Oh..."I pre-ordered both TOBG movies, if it's good or expected to be good always worth the pre-order. Bless amazon.com!
Colleen wrote: "Lyn wrote: "Just found out that my copy is due to arrive on November 4 (yes I preordered it, LOL) just in time for my birthday. Unfortunately, it will be too late for our October group read after ..."Mty sentiments exactly (although not my husband's, LOL)
LOL my husband is practiucally illiterate so he can't even begin to comprehend my answer to his question "more books???"
Didn't know where else to put this but I thought I'd share. Just saw here on GR that Julia Fox (wife of John Guy - thanks Wen!) has a new book coming out but unfortunately not until 2011. The title's caught my attention already though...Katherine of Aragon: Katherine of Aragon and Juana Archduchess of Burgundy
I've always wanted to read about Juana!
OOh Jennifer. That one sounds great. I will have to keep it on some sort of a list so I don't forget it. Hopefully it will not be priced like the Susan Doran books!
Juana as in her sister "Juana the mad"? I have read about her, it's interesting but she brought shame to her family.
I know Lyn! I can't imagine that it would be though *crosses fingers*Yes it's about her sister. I know she was crazy but crazy makes for good reading, doesn't it? ;)
I think I recall reading once a rather out-there theory (from a historian, can't recall who) that the Spanish court labeled Juana as crazy because they didn't want to admit she was a proto-Protestant. I have some difficulty with this one, but it is certainly an interesting theory!
Oh no she was labeled crazy for good reason! Known as Juana the mad, she married the handsome Phillip of Austria and was completely head over heels in love with him in life and in death. Juana was 16, Phillip 18, at the time of the marriage and while the wife was loving and lusting for her husband, she expected too much from the politically arranged marriage. Phillip hated confrontation, so when Juana flew into jealous fits over his continued phillandering, he would avoid her bedroom for days causing the Spanish princess to cry and fling herself against the walls of her chambers.
Juana was known for being both beautiful and prone to moodiness. Within three years Juana's elder siblings, Juan and Isabel, and Isabel's baby son, all died, leaving Juana as heiress of Spain, Mexico, Peru and the Caribbean islands. Juana and Philip were summoned to Spain, Phillip disliked Spain and roughly a year later left Juana behind after a vicious quarrel. Juana could not follow her husband due to her mother keeping her locked up and hostilities between France and Spain. On a cold November night Juana fled, half-clad, from the castle. When the city gate closed before her, she threw herself against the iron bars, while screaming and hurling abuses until exhaustion overtook her. She fought off all efforts to protect her against the bitter wind. She even threatened the bishop with death and torture. When her mother arrived, Juana insulted her with foul language.
Eventually, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand had to let their daughter go and she was reunited with her beloved. Juana returned to find out that Philip had taken a mistress and in a quarrel Juana cut off the woman's long hair. Philip hit Juana in the face and she retired to her room for several days. Lovesick she began to use love potions and other sorceries, devised by her Moorish serving maids. In disgust Philip ordered the girls dismissed and had Juana confined to her room. In protest she went on a hunger strike. A few days later the pair reconciled, but soon more violent quarrels followed.
Skipping ahead; Phillip fell sick with chills and fever Juana was naturally glued to his bedside nursing him. Six days later at the age of 28, Phillip sucumbed to his illness. Phillip's sudden death broke the last of Juana's fragile mind, she wore only black thereafter and refused to leave her husbands body, still talking to and caressing it. Phillip was buried near a monostary temporarily where Juana had the coffin opened five weeks after death in response to rumors that the body had been stolen. She kissed his feet when the wrappers were taken off and had to be removed with force after becoming hysterical. A second time the coffin was opened to again assure Juana that Phillip's remains were still there before the procession to his final resting place. Juana ordered all women to be kept at a distance from her decaying husband; including nuns. The coffin was opened a third time so she could gaze upon the decaying body; this was over five months after Phillip's death. The coffin was opened yet a fourth time, who knows what for.
Juana had birthed five children in the ten years she and Phillip were married and would not part from the youngest for she claimed Phillip communicated to her through their baby daughter's gibberish.
Juana outlived Phillip by fifty years, their eldest child was Charles V.
Yep, like I said, very far-out theory that I don't buy. But it did amuse me.
If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend CW Gortner's The Last Queen (fiction) about Juana. I think the Fox book looks interesting.
Wow Colleen. What a great post! I had no idea about any of that but am now looking even more forward to reading the book when it comes of by Fox. Tanzanite, adding The Last Queen to my mountain of TBR books :) Thanks!
In addistion to the ones listed above, John Guy has an amazing amount of Tudor related books out that I've never heard of such as:Thomas More
Henry VIII & His Six Wives
The Tudor Monarchy
The Reign of Elizabeth I Court and Culture in the Last Decade
Tudor & Stuart Life
The Oxford History of Britain Volume 3 The Tudors and Stuarts
The Tudors
British Kings and Queens
Tudor England
Now some of these might overlap (like one book might be an extraction out of another larger volume, etc).
Thanks Jennifer. Thalia, thanks for those book links very helpful indeed.Susanna, so you think all that with Juana was just the work of the men around her wanting to tear her down?
Never researched her individually enough to say - sorry!
So you just think all the stories about Juana is just too far out there to be true then?
Do I think she was a Protestant? No.Have many royals been out of their minds? Yes.
Do I think Juana was nuts? From what I've heard, yes.
I don't see how she could have been a Protestant with such a powerful Catholic upbringing.
I think it exceptionally unlikely.
Tudor History Lovers
Books mentioned in this topic
British Kings & Queens (other topics)Henry VIII & His Six Wives (other topics)
The Reign of Elizabeth I: Court and Culture in the Last Decade (other topics)
Thomas More (other topics)
The Tudor Monarchy (other topics)
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