The History Book Club discussion
BRITISH MONARCHY/ROYAL HOUSES
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BRITISH MONARCHY/ROYAL HOUSES - INTRODUCTION
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That book is a great reference since the monarchy lineage gets a little confusing sometimes. Hope it helps.
Greetings everyone, I'm going to recommend a book about one of my favourite british historical figures.Richard the Lionheart: King and Knight
byJean Flori(no photo).Synopsis:
Richard I, the Lionheart, remains forever (and perhaps wrongly) the mythical king of England who preferred to wage war than to rule over his empire. The familiar epithet conveys all the principal features of his indomitable character: courage, valor, prowess, the pursuit of glory, the thirst for fame, generosity in war and peace, a sense of honor combined with a sort of haughty dignity made up of both arrogance and pride. In this book, Jean Flori examines both Richard's role as prince and king in history, and also analyses the different and sometimes controversial elements which, for the chroniclers of his day, helped to make Richard a true model of chivalry.
Among the questions addressed are: What influences formed his character and determined his behavior, real or assumed? Why did the image of Richard as a king who was also a knight so quickly and so soon supplant all others, creating a quasi-definitive point of reference? Why did Richard deliberately, it would appear, choose to present himself in this chivalric guise and disseminate this image of himself by what we would today call a media campaign, using all the methods then at his disposal, limited perhaps but by no means ineffective? Last but not least, what is the historical and ideological significance of the choice and, even more, success of this image, which has been adopted by history and disseminated by legend, an image based on historical accounts and documents in which history and legend are sometimes inextricably interwoven? The first part of the book takes a straightforward chronological approach to Richard's life, from his birth in 1157, through conflict with his father, Henry II, and his brothers, to his coronation and his years of crusading and fighting the French; culminating in his death in battle in 1199. The second part analyses Richard's image in relation to medieval chivalr
Thanks, Felipe.....that sounds like a fascinating book and I'm glad you added it to our list of book recommendations.BTW, don't forget to add (no photo) after the author link since M. Flori has no picture available.....but you did a great job.
One of the author's books in her series on English queens.The Reluctant Queen
by
Jean PlaidySynopsis:
In 1470, a reluctant Lady Anne Neville is betrothed by her father, the politically ambitious Earl of Warwick, to Edward, Prince of Wales. A gentle yet fiercely intelligent woman, Anne has already given her heart to the prince's younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Unable to oppose her father's will, she finds herself in line for the throne of England,an obligation that she does not want. Yet fate intervenes when Edward is killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Anne suddenly finds herself free to marry the man she love and who loves her in return. The ceremony is held at Westminster Abbey, and the duke and duchess make a happy home at
Middleham Castle, where both spent much of their childhood. Their life is idyllic, until the reigning king dies and a whirlwind of dynastic maneuvering leads to his children being declared illegitimate. Richard inherits the throne as King Richard III, and Anne is crowned queen consort, a destiny she thought she had successfully avoided. Her husband's reign lasts two years, two months, and two days and in that short time Anne witnesses the true toll that wearing the crown takes on Richard, the last king from the House of York.
I was first introduced to English kings and queens as a kid when I watched the PBS Six Wives of Henry VIII. I subsequently read a number of Jean Plaidy books to learn more about the English royals. Jean Plaidy is a great author.
I've put this book on my TBR list. It will be a good follow up to Phillipa Gregory's The Kingmaker's Daughter that I read last year.
by
Philippa Gregory
Denise wrote: "I was first introduced to English kings and queens as a kid when I watched the PBS Six Wives of Henry VIII. I subsequently read a number of Jean Plaidy books to learn more about the English royals...."Yes she is and this series is quite good. BTW, when you mention an author in a post, be sure and cite them as follows.:
Jean Plaidy
Please note that the cover used below is for first edition of this book. It was updated in 2000 to include the story of Charles and Diana.Windsor: A Dynasty Revealed
by Piers Brendon(no photo)Synopsis:
From its foundation in 1917 to the present day, here is the story of The House of Windsor, based on private papers and personal reminiscences from George V to Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The authors explain and analyze how the monarchy has re-created itself down through the ages, surviving crises like WW1 (when the dynasty changed its German name), the abdication of King Edward VIII, royal divorces and the death of Diana. The authors also explore the crucial role of the press – from the organized silence which surrounded Wallis Simpson to the creation of Diana as a media icon.
A gossipy bit of trivia in the long life of Elizabeth I......interesting story.Death and the Virgin: Elizabeth, Dudley and hte Mysterious Fate of Amy Robsart
by Chris Skidmore (no photo)Synopsis
On the morning of September 8, 1560, at the isolated manor of Cunmor place, the body of a young woman was found at the bottom of a staircase, her neck broken. But this was no ordinary death. Amy Robsart was the wife of Elizabeth I’s great favorite, Robert Dudley, the man who many believed she would marry, were he free. Immediately people suspected foul play and Elizabeth’s own reputation was in danger of serious damage. Many felt she might even lose her throne. An inquest was begun, witnesses called, and ultimately a verdict of death by accident was reached. But the mystery refused to die and cast a long shadow over Elizabeth’s reign.
Using recently discovered forensic evidence from the original investigation, Skidmore is able to put an end to centuries of speculation as to the true causes of Robsart’s death. This is the story of a treacherous period in Elizabeth’s life: a tale of love, death, and tragedy, exploring the dramatic early life of England’s Virgin Queen.
William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England
by David C Douglas (no photo)Synopsis:
In William the Conqueror, Professor Douglas analyzes the causes and the true character of the Norman impact upon England in the eleventh century. The work is both a study of Anglo-Norman history and a biography of a man whose personal career was spectacular, and as reviewers have remarked, it is distinguished by a wealth of scholarship linked to a lucid and agreeable style.
To me this book appears to be an almost revisionist history of Edward VIII and might be open to disagreement from some readers.......but that's what makes it interesting.The Reign and Abdication of Edward VIII
by Michael Bloch (no photo)Synopsis:
Michael Bloch gives a new twist to the oft-told story of King Edward’s short reign. Drawing on a decade-long study of the King’s personality, and on privileged access to his papers, he sees the King’s abdication partly as the result of a plot to get rid of him by men who mistrusted his modernity and popular touch, but also explainable by the fact that he did not really want to be king or fight for his throne.
King George III and the Politicians
by Richard Pares (no photo)Synopsis:
This general description of British politics in the reign of George III deals with the reasons why people went into politics, the functions of party and patronage, and the balance of power between King, Lords and Commons. George III is its central figure, and the author discusses the King's conception of his mission, and his struggles with 'that hydra faction'. The appointment and dismissal of Ministers and the King's relations with the Cabinet are discussed in detail. The book ends with some suggestions about the termination of the conflict and the development of a new order of things.
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Daniel Defoe, the celebrated author, takes on the alternative history of the British throne.And What if the Pretender Should Come?
by
Daniel DefoeSynopsis:
Unfortunately there is no write-up about this book but the subject matter is fascinating and Defoe posits what might happen if the former king came back to the throne.
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I've recently developed and interest in "the princes in the Tower", and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend anything. So far, I've read:
by Alison Weir
Melissa, Have you read any of Philippa Gregory's books? They are historical fiction books but follow the same time periods/characters. You have reminded me to put Weir's books in my TBR pile. I have not read anything by Alison Weir yet, but understand her writing is fantastic.Also, thank you for the citations. It helps the Goodreads software connect books with groups that talk about them. You are very close to having it 100% correct. Might I ask you to edit your post and put the elements in the following format?
When citing a book and/or author, please put the book cover, author's photo and author's link at the very bottom of the post after your text. Because it is on the bottom, it calls the reader's attention to the book/author and increases the readability of your posts.
This is how books that you mention should look:
by
Alison WeirMore information:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
all by
Philippa GregoryThank you and happy reading.
Teri wrote: "Melissa, Have you read any of Philippa Gregory's books? They are historical fiction books but follow the same time periods/characters. You have reminded me to put Weir's books in my TBR pile. I h..."Thanks for the info and tips. I've read a bit of Gregory, and really enjoyed her work. I'll have to check out some of her other books.
Gregory's books read more like history than fiction.....she knows how to weave her fictional story without changing the actual historical events.
Philippa Gregory
by Michael Everett (no photo)How much does the Thomas Cromwell of popular novels and television series resemble the real Cromwell? This meticulous study of Cromwell’s early political career expands and revises what has been understood concerning the life and talents of Henry VIII’s chief minister. Michael Everett provides a new and enlightening account of Cromwell’s rise to power, his influence on the king, his role in the Reformation, and his impact on the future of the nation.
Controversially, Everett depicts Cromwell not as the fervent evangelical, Machiavellian politician, or the revolutionary administrator that earlier historians have perceived. Instead he reveals Cromwell as a highly capable and efficient servant of the Crown, rising to power not by masterminding Henry VIII’s split with Rome but rather by dint of exceptional skills as an administrator.
by David Baldwin (no photo)In 1533 Katherine Willoughby married Charles Brandon, Henry VIII’s closest friend. She would go on to serve at the court of every Tudor monarch bar Henry VII and Mary Tudor. Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen, she became a powerful woman ruling over her houses at Grimsthorpe and Tattershall in Lincolnshire and wielding subtle influence through her proximity to the king.
She grew to know Henry well and in 1538, only three months after Jane Seymour’s death, it was reported that they had been ‘masking and visiting’ together. In 1543 she became a lady-in-waiting to his sixth wife Catherine Parr. Henry had a reputation for tiring of his wives once the excitement of the pursuit was over, and in February 1546, only six months after Charles Brandon’s death, it was rumoured that Henry intended to wed Katherine himself if he could end his present marriage. But Henry changed his mind at the last moment, and Katherine Willoughby never became his seventh queen.
Hers was a life of privilege mixed with tragedy and danger, losing both her sons to illness and being forced into exile in Poland beyond 'Bloody' Mary's clutches. But Katherine kept her head on her shoulders when many of her contemporaries lost theirs for lesser reasons.
An excellent biography of the sometimes controversial husband of HRH Queen Elizabeth who has spent his life walking three steps behind his wife!!The Duke: Portrait of Prince Phillip
by
Tim HealdSynopsis:
THE DUKE is the biography of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, a celebrity in his own right and yet an enigma still, even after 60 years in the public eye. What is he really like? Bombastic, autocratic, say his critics. Colourful, stimulating, say his admirers. Tim Heald was given a unique opportunity to find out for himself. Not for twenty years had a biographer been allowed such access to talk to Prince Philip and watch him at work - still very much a man in a hurry, still speaking and questioning on an astonishing variety of subjects and treading the most impossible tightrope between the breezy informality which he first introduced to the royal family and the parade-ground traditions which he has had to accept. And members of the royal family - among them the Queen Mother, Princes Margaret, Princess Anne and his only surviving sister, Princess Sophie - also share with Heald their thoughts on the man who started life as Philip of Greece, one of a royal family who were deposed and exiled while he was still an infant. Many other witnesses reveal for the first time the Prince Philip they know. His early days in exile, at schools in France, in England and in Germany - where he had first-hand experience of the 'unpleasant habits' of the Nazis, and then in Scotland at the newly founded Gordonstoun. His service with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War Two. His engagement in 1947 to Princess Elizabeth, twenty-one-year-old daughter of King George VI. As TIm Heald observes, Prince Philip swiftly emerged as very much his own man, winning over one or two doubters within the Court who might have preferred a home-grown aristocrat as husband to the future Queen. Written with the co-operation of Buckingham Palace, THE DUKE is a brilliantly informed portrait of a life that has been independent of, but fully supportive to the Queen.
This book concentrates more on Katherine, the tragic first wife of Henry VIII, who furthered the Tudor dynasty through her daughter, "Bloody" Mary.The Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile
by
Julia FoxSynopsis:
The history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tossed aside in favor of her husband’s seductive mistress, Anne Boleyn. Katherine’s sister, Juana of Castile, wife of Philip of Burgundy and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is portrayed as “Juana the Mad,” whose erratic behavior included keeping her beloved late husband’s coffin beside her for years. But historian Julia Fox, whose previous work painted an unprecedented portrait of Jane Boleyn, Anne’s sister, offers deeper insight in this first dual biography of Katherine and Juana, the daughters of Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, whose family ties remained strong despite their separation. Looking through the lens of their Spanish origins, Fox reveals these queens as flesh-and-blood women—equipped with character, intelligence, and conviction—who are worthy historical figures in their own right.
When they were young, Juana’s and Katherine’s futures appeared promising. They had secured politically advantageous marriages, but their dreams of love and power quickly dissolved, and the unions for which they’d spent their whole lives preparing were fraught with duplicity and betrayal. Juana, the elder sister, unexpectedly became Spain’s sovereign, but her authority was continually usurped, first by her husband and later by her son. Katherine, a young widow after the death of Prince Arthur of Wales, soon remarried his doting brother Henry and later became a key figure in a drama that altered England’s religious landscape.
Ousted from the positions of power and influence they had been groomed for and separated from their children, Katherine and Juana each turned to their rich and abiding faith and deep personal belief in their family’s dynastic legacy to cope with their enduring hardships. Sister Queens is a gripping tale of love, duty, and sacrifice—a remarkable reflection on the conflict between ambition and loyalty during an age when the greatest sin, it seems, was to have been born a woman.
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Release date: November 3, 2015
Royalty Inc: Britain's Best-Known Brand
by ]
Stephen BatesSynopsis:
Her voice is redolent of another era, her interests are esoteric to many of her people, her opinions on anything from the weather to politics are almost entirely unknown, and her whole life has been lived without ever mingling on equal terms with anybody, except for one heady evening in 1945 when she slipped out of Buckingham Palace incognito to join the crowds celebrating the end of the war in Europe. The world has utterly, irreversibly, and radically evolved since she ascended the throne in 1952 and yet, in an era of instant celebrity, she remains, more popular than ever and seemingly largely unchanged: a bastion of certainty and comfort to the British and many other people during uncertain times.
On 9th September 2015, she will beat Queen Victoria's record and become the longest-reigning monarch in British history. The question is: How secure is the British Royal Family? How much depends on the person of the Queen herself, and how much on the institution?
To answer these questions, Royalty Inc. will combine a history of the British Crown's evolution thorugh the modern age with a journalistic peek behind the curtain at the machinery that sustains the Windsors today. Written by the Guardian's former Royal correspondent, its line will be neither royalist nor republican. Instead it will take a clear-eyed look at a host of issues, including the future of the Commonwealth, the Monarchy's role in the British constitution and class system, Prince Charles' notorious 'black spider memos', the true scale of the Royal finances, the legacy of Diana, and the problems and pressures faced by any heir to the throne in the future.
Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade
by
James Reston Jr.Synopsis:
Warriors of God is the rich and engaging account of the Third Crusade (1187-1192), a conflict that would shape world history for centuries and which can still be felt in the Middle East and throughout the world today. Acclaimed writer James Reston, Jr., offers a gripping narrative of the epic battle that left Jerusalem in Muslim hands until the twentieth century, bringing an objective perspective to the gallantry, greed, and religious fervor that fueled the bloody clash between Christians and Muslims.
As he recounts this rousing story, Reston brings to life the two legendary figures who led their armies against each other. He offers compelling portraits of Saladin, the wise and highly cultured leader who created a united empire, and Richard the Lionheart, the romantic personification of chivalry who emerges here in his full complexity and contradictions. From its riveting scenes of blood-soaked battles to its pageant of fascinating, larger-than-life characters, Warriors of God is essential history, history that helps us understand today's world.
Queen Elizabeth Becomes Longest British Reigning Monarch
She wanted no fuss so it is business as usual for Elizabeth II, who becomes the longest reigning monarch in 1,000 years of British history at 5.30pm on Wednesday.
As she adds yet another historic milestone to those amassed during 63 years and 216 days on the throne, overtaking Queen Victoria, Her Majesty will board a steam train in Edinburgh to officially open the £294m Scottish Borders Railway.
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, she will mark the occasion by travelling the 36-mile route from Waverley station to Tweedbank, before retiring to Balmoral, where she is enjoying her annual summer sojourn in the Highlands.
At exactly what time Her Majesty out-reigns her great-great grandmother is not precise, due to the uncertainty of the timing of the death of her father, George VI, who died in his sleep. But Buckingham Palace has estimated, to be absolutely safe, she will pass Victoria’s 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes at around 5.30pm. That calculation assumes George VI’s death was around 1am, and factors in extra leap days in the reigns of “Elizabeth the Steadfast”, as she has been described, and the Queen Empress.
Victoria recorded the day she broke George III’s record, on 23 September 1896, in her diary, writing: “Today is the day on which I have reigned longer, by a day, than any English sovereign”. Church bells rang and bonfires blazed from hilltops in celebration.
Queen Victoria's record reign
There will be no bonfires on Wednesday, however. Palace aides have reminded the press of the sensitivity of the occasion given it owes much to the premature death, at the age of 56, of the Queen’s father. “While she acknowledges it as an historic moment, it’s also for her not a moment she would personally celebrate, which is why she has been keen to convey business as usual and no fuss,” said one.
While the Queen spends the day in Scotland, south of the border there are plans to mark the occasion. The Gloriana, the multimillion pound barge that led her Thames diamond jubilee pageant, will join a flotilla procession down the river at midday. Historic vessels including the Havengore, which carried Sir Winston Churchill’s body at his funeral, will set off from Tower Bridge, sounding their horns in tribute.
A four-gun salute will be sounded as they pass HMS Belfast, with the Massey Shaw fireboat shooting jets of water into the air. Arriving at the Houses of Parliament 45 minutes later, they will end with a fanfare and three cheers for the Queen.
The only living monarch to out-reign the Queen is Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is two years younger but has reigned for six years longer. However she beats him, and all other contenders, on one matter. According to Guinness World Records, she holds the world record for most currencies featuring the same individual.
(Source: The Guardian)
With the monarchy at an all time high in popularity, this dated book which was written during the period of the Charles/Diana scandal, is still is an interesting read.The Decline and Fall of the House of Windsor
by
Donald SpotoSynopsis:
The New York Times bestselling biographer of Marilyn Monroe and Alfred Hitchcock tells all about the world's most fascinating royal family. From the days of Queen Victoria to the current troubled reign, the entire Windsor tapestry, threaded with crisis and haunting scandal, unfolds here. Presented with candor, wit and compassion, this is a surprising portrait of a family that, although royal, is just as troubled as any other.
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The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Kings & Queens of Britain
by Charles Phillips (no photo)Synopsis:
This encyclopedia tells the story of the British monarchy and shows how the royals have been viewed by every generation. Key moments of constitutional crisis include the trial and execution of Charles I in 1649, and more recently the Abdication Crisis in 1936 when Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry an American divorcee.
Make up your own mind about the life of the Duke of Windsor. This book shows him in a very favorable light.The Windsor Years: The Life of Edward, as Prince of Wales, King, and Duke of Windsor
by
John Patrick Douglas BalfourSynopsis:
The Windsor Years tells a story without its equal in modern history. Here is the dramatic abdication crisis as well as the whole colorful cavalcade of Edward VIII's life. We follow him from his childhood visits with Queen Victoria through his education at Oxford, his brilliant service as Prince of Wales, his accession to the throne in 1936, his wartime work as governor of the Bahamas, and his final years in France. Around him were some of the most notable figures of his times: Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, Kaiser Wilhelm, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and above all, Wallis Simpson - the woman who, because he loved her, was destined to shake the British empire to its very foundations. Interwoven with the text is a unique collection of photographs documenting not only "the romance of the century" but also all the history, pageantry, and changing fashions of seven decades.
I read this book a couple of years ago. Fascinating with lots of interesting information on their private lives.We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals
by
Gillian GillSynopsis:
t was the most influential marriage of the nineteenth century–and one of history’s most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naïve teenager, when the British Empire was at the height of its power, and seemed doomed to find failure as a monarch and misery as a woman until she married her German cousin Albert and accepted him as her lord and master. Now renowned chronicler Gillian Gill turns this familiar story on its head, revealing a strong, feisty queen and a brilliant, fragile prince working together to build a family based on support, trust, and fidelity, qualities neither had seen much of as children. The love affair that emerges is far more captivating, complex, and relevant than that depicted in any previous account.
The epic relationship began poorly. The cousins first met as teenagers for a few brief, awkward, chaperoned weeks in 1836. At seventeen, charming rather than beautiful, Victoria already “showed signs of wanting her own way.” Albert, the boy who had been groomed for her since birth, was chubby, self-absorbed, and showed no interest in girls, let alone this princess. So when they met again in 1839 as queen and presumed prince-consort-to-be, neither had particularly high hopes. But the queen was delighted to discover a grown man, refined, accomplished, and whiskered. “Albert is beautiful!” Victoria wrote, and she proposed just three days later.
As Gill reveals, Victoria and Albert entered their marriage longing for intimate companionship, yet each was determined to be the ruler. This dynamic would continue through the years–each spouse, headstrong and impassioned, eager to lead the marriage on his or her own terms. For two decades, Victoria and Albert engaged in a very public contest for dominance. Against all odds, the marriage succeeded, but it was always a work in progress. And in the end, it was Albert’s early death that set the Queen free to create the myth of her marriage as a peaceful idyll and her husband as Galahad, pure and perfect.
As Gill shows, the marriage of Victoria and Albert was great not because it was perfect but because it was passionate and complicated. Wonderfully nuanced, surprising, often acerbic–and informed by revealing excerpts from the pair’s journals and letters–We Two is a revolutionary portrait of a queen and her prince, a fascinating modern perspective on a couple who have become a legend.
A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III
by
Janice HadlowSynopsis:
In the U.S., Britain's George III, the protagonist of A Royal Experiment, is known as the king from whom Americans won their independence and as "the mad king," but in Janice Hadlow’s groundbreaking and entertaining new biography, he is another character altogether—compelling and relatable.
He was the first of Britain’s three Hanoverian kings to be born in England, the first to identify as native of the nation he ruled. But this was far from the only difference between him and his predecessors. Neither of the previous Georges was faithful to his wife, nor to his mistresses. Both hated their own sons. And, overall, their children were angry, jealous, and disaffected schemers, whose palace shenanigans kick off Hadlow's juicy narrative and also made their lives unhappy ones.
Pained by his childhood amid this cruel and feuding family, George came to the throne aspiring to be a new kind of king—a force for moral good. And to be that new kind of king, he had to be a new kind of man. Against his irresistibly awful family background—of brutal royal intrigue, infidelity, and betrayal—George fervently pursued a radical domestic dream: he would have a faithful marriage and raise loving, educated, and resilient children.
The struggle of King George—along with his wife, Queen Charlotte, and their 15 children—to pursue a passion for family will surprise history buffs and delight a broad swath of biography readers and royal watchers.
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by Katie Nicholl (no photo)Synopsis:
On the eve of his wedding comes the most intimate and informative portrait yet of Prince Harry, from royal expert Katie Nicholl, author of the bestselling William and Harry and Kate.
From his earliest public appearances as a mischievous redheaded toddler, Prince Harry has captured the hearts of royal enthusiasts around the world. In Harry, Britain's leading expert on the young royals offers an in-depth look at the wayward prince turned national treasure. Nicholl sheds new light on growing up royal, Harry's relationship with his mother, his troubled youth and early adulthood, and how his military service in Afghanistan inspired him to create his legacy, the Invictus Games.
Harry: Life, Loss, and Love features interviews with friends, those who have worked with the prince, and former Palace aides. Nicholl explores Harry's relationship with his family, in particular, the Queen, his father, stepmother, and brother, and reveals his secret "second family" in Botswana. She uncovers new information about his former girlfriends and chronicles his romance and engagement to American actress Meghan Markle.
Harry is a compelling portrait of one of the most popular members of the royal family, and reveals the inside story of the most intriguing royal romance in a decade.
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by
Helen CastorSynopsis:
Part of the Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers in a collectible format
In the popular imagination, as in her portraits, Elizabeth I is the image of monarchical power. The Virgin Queen ruled over a Golden Age: the Spanish Armada was defeated; English explorers reached the ends of the earth; a new Church of England rose from the ashes of past conflict; the English Renaissance bloomed in the genius of Shakespeare, Spenser and Sidney. But the image is also armour.
In this illuminating new account of Elizabeth's reign, Helen Castor shows how England's iconic queen was shaped by profound and enduring insecurity-an insecurity which was both a matter of practical political reality and personal psychology. From her precarious upbringing at the whim of a brutal, capricious father and her perilous accession after his death, to the religious division that marred her state and the failure to marry that threatened her line, Elizabeth lived under constant threat. But, facing down her enemies with a compellingly inscrutable public persona, the last and greatest of the Tudor monarchs would become a timeless, fearless queen.
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by Diarmaid MacCulloch (no photo)Synopsis:
The long-awaited biography of the genius who masterminded Henry VIII's bloody revolution in the English government, which reveals at last Cromwell's role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn
"This a book that - and it's not often you can say this - we have been awaiting for four hundred years." --Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall
Since the sixteenth century we have been fascinated by Henry VIII and the man who stood beside him, guiding him, enriching him, and enduring the king's insatiable appetites and violent outbursts until Henry ordered his beheading in July 1540.
After a decade of sleuthing in the royal archives, Diarmaid MacCulloch has emerged with a tantalizing new understanding of Henry's mercurial chief minister, the inscrutable and utterly compelling Thomas Cromwell.
History has not been kind to the son of a Putney brewer who became the architect of England's split with Rome.
Where past biographies portrayed him as a scheming operator with blood on his hands, Hilary Mantel reimagined him as a far more sympathetic figure buffered by the whims of his master.
So which was he--the villain of history or the victim of her creation? MacCulloch sifted through letters and court records for answers and found Cromwell's fingerprints on some of the most transformative decisions of Henry's turbulent reign.
But he also found Cromwell the man, an administrative genius, rescuing him from myth and slander.
The real Cromwell was a deeply loving father who took his biggest risks to secure the future of his son, Gregory. He was also a man of faith and a quiet revolutionary.
In the end, he could not appease or control the man whose humors were so violent and unpredictable. But he made his mark on England, setting her on the path to religious awakening and indelibly transforming the system of government of the English-speaking world.
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by Diarmaid MacCulloch (no photo)Synopsis:
Edward VI died a teenager in 1553, yet his brief reign would shape the future of the nation, unleashing a Protestant revolution that propelled England into the heart of the Reformation. This dramatic account takes a fresh look at one of the most significant and turbulent periods in English history.
'A challenging, elegant and persuasive biography of an unjustly neglected king' Jerry Brotton, author of This Orient Isle
'MacCulloch puts the young Edward at the centre of the action ... as this excellent and lively study shows, his ghost continues to haunt the history of Anglicanism' Sunday Times
'This is Reformation history as it should be written, not least because it resembles its subject matter: learned, argumentative, and, even when mistaken, never dull' Eamon Duffy, author of The Stripping of the Altars
'One of the best historians writing in English today' Sunday Telegraph
Edward II
by Seymour Phillips https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (No Photo)Isabella of France: The RebelQueen
by Kathryn Warner https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... First, I offer my apologies for the clumsy presentation. This is my initial posting on the History Book Club. I figured out how to get the cover but I am unable to get the name of the author as a link and my attempts to Copy Ms. Warner's photo failed (Any hints would be appreciated). I am currently working chronologically through the English Monarchs. I just finished reading Edward II's and Isabella of France's biographies. They are husband and wife which gave me an overlapping assessment of their lives.
Phillips' biography of Edward is a part of the Yale English Monarch Series which I have found to be a very reliable scholarly source for these biographies. Philips does a thorough analysis of Edward's life. He addresses the many controversies surrounding Edward (more on this in a minute). While it is dense with information, it did not have that dry feel you get from some scholarly historical works. Warner's take on Isabella seemed lighter than Phillips'. Part of this would be that there is less information available on Isabella but it also had more of a made for popular consumption quality. This is not to diminish Warner's historical authenticity. It felt like she had a solid hold on Edward's time (note, that she has written multiple books about Edward II and his associates).
For those not familiar with Edward the II, Phillips nicely sums up history's viewpoint of him. "Lacking even the incarnate evil that has been traditionally attributed to John and Richard III, Edward II is depicted as worthless, incapable of any sustained policy, and influencing events only by sporadic displays of ill-directed energy or by a stubborn adherence to greedy and ambitious favourites." (Phillips, Pg.1) While Philips does not set out to completely redeem Edward. He does show that he has been judged a bit harshly by history. Granted that you can only do so much for a king whose wife, Isabella, invades his kingdom with her lover (?), Roger Mortimer, and overthrows him.
Reading these biographies together showed how subjective history can be. Two well done analyses diverged on several key points. The above question of whether Kathryn was Mortimer's lover had both historians questioning whether this was true. Phillips gave the rumor more weight than Warner but both approached the topic cautiously. Another popular belief about Edward was that he was either homosexual or bisexual. This comes from his strong relations to certain favorites like Hugh the Younger and Piers Gaveston. Per Phillips, there would have been a larger out cry at the time as Edward's other faults were clearly not minimized (Phillips, Pg 97). Warner states unequivocally that he prefer men to women (Warner, pg. 39). Phillips gives more credit to the red hot poker where the sun don't shine murder than does Warner.
On a side note, you can see both Edward II and Isabella in the movie Braveheart. Warning though this involves major historical inaccuracies. In the Movie, William Wallace (Mel Gibson) has an affair with Isabella. According to Warner (pg. 37), Wallace was executed in 1305. Isabella had not yet left France and was only 9 years old. I know it hard to believe but once in a while movies do not get their facts straight.
As this is my first entry any advice or adjustments needed would be welcomed.
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by Seymour Phillips (no photo)
by
Kathryn WarnerAdditionally, I have posted a welcome for you in the Introduction Thread that will contain additional instructions and pointers. Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Thank you,
Lorna, Assisting Moderator (T) - Civil Rights and Supreme Court
Thank you for your help. I missed the author tab at the top of the search.
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The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Edward II (other topics)Isabella of France: The Rebel Queen (other topics)
Edward II (other topics)
Isabella of France: The Rebel Queen (other topics)
Tudor Church Militant: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kathryn Warner (other topics)Seymour Phillips (other topics)
Diarmaid MacCulloch (other topics)
Diarmaid MacCulloch (other topics)
Helen Castor (other topics)
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Timeline of the Kings and Queens who have ruled England, Wales and (from the time of James I) Scotland.
Ruling Houses of Engl..."
So glad to come across this quick reference. I just started reading Gregory's The White Queen since the mini-series is playing on Starz Network. I'm basically keeping everything straight, but get confused with Warwick who is mentioned as Edward IV "friend" and his cousin.