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♦Brilliant Books
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Six Wives of Henry VIII
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Alison Weir
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For those interested in the wives of King Henry VIII and their lives as Queen, I highly recommend this book! Weir brings a straightforward, unbiased view of the wives, leaving us to form our own opinion of them. The book is very well researched and is a great read. Weir spares no details in the descriptions of Henry's lavish court. What I enjoyed best was that none of the wives were painted with their stereotypical brushes. Anne Boleyn was portrayed as merely a motivating force behind the reformation, not a cause. Weir is careful to remind us of Anne's staunch refusal to be Henry's mistress, and the preservation of her virtue. She also reminds us how Kathryn Howard was a young, naive girl with very little motherly upbringing, which may have lead to her downfall. They are also seen as victims of a scheming, self-serving family. The book reads like fiction, and honestly, not even the best fiction writers could have thought up a story of a man, and six strikingly different women, and how they lived, and died.
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Anne of Cleves Novelist
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8/24/2002
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The Daughter of Time
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Josephine Tey
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This is a must-read for anyone firmly convinced that Richard III is responsible for the demise of the Princes in the Tower. In this novel, Tey's main character, a London police inspector, is bored silly recuperating in hospital & begins researching the history mystery because of a book brought in by a visitor. This mischance leads him to an in-depth exploration of the evidence, which he evaluates in a methodical police fashion until it leads him to it inevitable conclusion. You may be surprised at the persuasiveness of Tey's argument if you are into the revisionist version of these events.
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ForeverAmber
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6/16/2002
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The Dreadful Judgement
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Neil Hanson
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This book touts itself as "a historical detective story, meticulously researched, vividly told". It is all this an more - an exciting fictionalised account of the Great Fire of London in 1666, an all-encompassing event which touched (or should that be torched?) the lives of all the city's inhabitants. With a chapter on the modern physics of fire and firefighting and the inclusion of primary source quotes and material, this is an account that is well worth a read.
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Lady Grace
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6/29/2002
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The King's Touch
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Jude Morgan
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Tell's the story of Charles II, through the eyes of the Duke of Monmouth, his illegitimate son. Covers many spects of life in Stuart times, the overlap between the English and French courts, the strife about the succession of James II, and of course the life of the Duke of Monmouth. Seen as somewhat of a rebel from today's perspective, he is seen with great sympathy and honour.
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Amanda
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11/16/2003
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The Other Boleyn Girl
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Phillipa Gregory
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This novel about Mary Boleyn offered an insightful look about the other sister. Starting when she's 14, Mary loves how she's in the spotlight with the king, and begins to fall in love with him. But when the spotlight passes to her sister, she realilizes that there's more to life then family and ambition. Although this novel has little historical accuracy, it looks at things that might have been overlooked, like George Boleyn, and Catherine of Aragon's like or dislike of Mary. I give it:
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anne_boleyn1041
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11/16/2003
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The Plantagenet Chronicles
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Thomas B. Costain
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This is actually four books which are often lumped together as The Plantagenet Chronicles; The Conquering Family, The Magnificent Century, The Three Edwards, & The Last Plantagenets. They begin with Geoffrey d'Anjou & conclude with Richard III. Costain reads more like a novel than a history; of course, with such a fascinating cast of characters, how could it not? Anyone not hooked on the Plantagenets will be once done with these. My copies are read to tatters! Highly recommended.
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ForeverAmber
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10/11/2002
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The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn
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Retha M Warnicke
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The events which led to the execution of Anne Boleyn have traditionally been explained in terms ofa factional conspiracy masterminded by Thomas Cromwell. Retha Warnicke offers an interesting reinterpretation, focusing on the sexual intrigues and family politics pervading the court of Henry VIII. The picture which emerges--placing Anne's life in the context of social and religious values, and superstitions about witches and the birth of deformed children--changes our perception of Anne's role within the court. Warnicke suggests that Anne's execution was a tragic consequence of Henry's concern about the continuation of the Tudor dynasty. Whether or not one agrees with Warnicke's interpretation, she has written an excellent book. Definitely should be on the list of anyone interested in Anne Boleyn
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Skydancer08
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8/8/2002
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The Tudor Housewife
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Alison Sim
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This books is packed with intriguing information about the role of the housewife in Tudor England. There are chapters on marriage, childbirth, education, food and drink, housework, the housewife as doctor, women in business, and religion. It is one of the most interesting and informative books on the period that I have ever read. I learnt all sorts of interesting things that I never knew from this book, like the role of Tudor women in business for instance, and the fact that housewives were expected to act as doctors to the family among their many other roles. Being a housewife in those days was a very, very demanding job which required a multitude of skills, and this book is full of fascinating facts.
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LouiseOC
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1/14/2007
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The Virgin's Lover
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Philippa Gregory
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Another excellent book by Ms Gregory, in which she tells the tale of the great love affair between Elizabeth1 and the roguish Robert Dudley. Exciting and difficult to put down, this is vividly written, evocative and touching.
However, I have some issues with Ms Gregory's characterization of Elizabeth. The young Queen comes across as both weak and immoral, reliant on William Cecil and Robert Dudley. I think she was much stronger than is made out in this book. Also it is true that she loved a married man but it was an irresistable love and Robert made a mistake by marrying Amy. Ms Gregory seems much more sympathetic with Amy than Elizabeth.
This is well-worth reading if you like historical novels.
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LegendaryLisette7
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2/11/2005
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Year of Wonders
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Geraldine Brooks
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This book is currently flavour of the month with reviewers here in New Zealand - and with good reason. Geraldine Brooks has written a cracker ofa novel, the fictionalised account of what happened in the village of Eyam when plague was discovered in their misdt - their charismatic minister persuaded the village to cut itself off from the outside world. In following this selfless advice the villagers saved many lives - at heavy cost to their own.
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Lady Grace
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6/29/2002
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