2 comments about Mary, Queen of Scots: Pride, Passion and a Kingdom Lost.

1. This, at last, is a book that focuses on what MQS actually DID as a queen, and what she didn't do. It measures her against the same stick used to measure other rulers of the same age instead of the usual sturm un drang offered up. She was no marytred saint, yet she was no she demon in velvet skirts. She was charming and lovely, however she was also inadequate. Kind of Queen-Lite, if you will.
   
   I found it very interesting that her much toted tolerance concerning religion is revealed to be otherwise. She demands the right to practice her own religion, but denies that same right to other Catholics. It is hard to hold up the banner of Catholic martyr when she did nothing good for that cause in Scotland, empowering the Protestant at the expense of the Catholic.
   
   And yes, I'm glad that Wormald came down on the side of Mary being involved in the plot against Darnley. Leave MQS some shreds of intelligence. If she didn't know, that makes her and Darnley the only ones in Scotland and Europe who were unaware of the plot. Her actions definitely speak loudly when she lured Darnely out of his family stronghold and brought him back to Edinburgh and death. It was politically astute and necessary. Only her blunders afterward destroyed her reputation. Handled differently, she could very likely have weathered it.
   
   Good read, well written and neither rabid nor fawning.



2. This is a valuable book that focuses on Mary Stuart as a ruler rather than Mary Stuart as a heroine in a historical romance. It is not a mystery about who killed Lord Darnley. It is a critical analysis of what occurred when someone who was historically ordained to rule, but who possessed none of the qualities to make that rule successful in the dynamic of the sixteenth century, attempted to lead Scotland through the religious and political minefiled of its pre-modern politics. Some writers tend to think that Wormald is too tough on the historical Mary Queen of Scots, but there is good basis for her analysis. The essential question about the Scots Queen in not really whether or not she wrote all or some of the Casket Letters, and whether or not she was a player in the murder of her husband Lord Darnley, but whether she faired any better than most of the other Stuart kings who followed her in dealing with the great issues of her day. She clearly did not. While my own review of the letters insofar as they presently exist, the evidence from a variety of sources, and my own experience as a successful prosecutor leads me to believe that I probably could convict her of conspiracy to commit murder , but not as an aider and abettor of murder itself, if she had been less a French queen and more a Scot, had she seen her role more as an obligation to her own historical niche and less a license to behave as if she were answerable to no mortal, her monarchy might have ended quite differently. No one would have cared about Darnley. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, and even Thomas More did not put an end to Henry VIII, Essex did not end Elizabeth I, and the disposal of an unpopular sometimes Papist consort, would not have ended Mary's rule. Her prolonged absence from Scotland during her childhood, her identity with powers that were not in step with the religious and political changes in Scotland, her reliance upon her half-brother and other men to lead her country and usurp her power to make decisions are among teh flaws that are exposed and highlighted in this short but important book.

2 comments about Ermengard of Narbonne and the World of the Troubadours (Conjunctions of Religion and Power in the Medieval Past).

1. The parenthesized title gives a better explanation of the topic of this book, rather than the somewhat romanticized main title. What the author has done is provide an acutely focused eye on a small geographical place and period, namely that of the eleventh and twelfth centuries and the region known, at the time, as Occitania. A multi-parted text, multi-chaptered discourse where Cheyette uses Ermengard of Narbonne as a focal point to discuss the secular and spiritual power of a region that played an important part in Mediterannean history. The implication is that it was a microcosm of the funtioning social, political and commercial whole that was modern day France and Spain. Nevertheless, a history of (based on very little extant documentation) Ermerngard's influence as the ruler of Narbonne in both local and spiritual dealings; and a greater part (akin to Eleanor of Aquitane or Stephania) in the history of the region from the situation at the time of her inheritance, her wedding to Alphonse of Toulouse and subsequent rise to power through alliance, right through to Raymond V and crusade - all serve to demonstrate the power held by heiresses during the Middle Ages and the reality of their rule as they struggled with the Church for ascendancy. This gives rise to a fuller history of the regions of Narbonne, Montpellier
   What Cheyette does so well is to display the lot of the common man, the realities of daily life within the feudal system, the monastic regime and the commerical and political shifting partnerships that all occurred - fundamentally, it would seem to be argued - to ensure that general accession of new generations would be smoother.
   This piece of scholarship is not so heavy that it becomes unreadable, but it does go into far more depth about the sheer detail of life than the romantic title might suggest Ultimately, it succeeds for it and any student interested in a more precise look at the region and the period would be well advised to read this.



2. This book is a very well written and researched account of medieval Narbonne, a city in southern France. The book hinges upon Ermengard, a noblewoman who ruled the city and includes extensive information about the role of women in the medieval society of southern France, and the social, political, religious, and land ownership structures of the time. After detailing all these subjects, the book finishes with the ravaging of the area by the Albigensian Crusaders.
   Ermengard emerges as a real woman of grace, strength and intelligence. Sadly, no image of her survives.
   A fine book to read for the student of the times, but entertaining enough for those seeking a good read.

5 comments about William's Princess: The Love Story that will Change the Royal Family Forever.

1. At the time of writing this book, the author was taking a punt on an impending marriage between the subjects, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Seasoned royal watchers would know that a book of this kind is unusual in that there has been no engagement announcement. Regardless, the title is a misnomer since only around 10% of the books 250 odd pages relate to the relationship! The rest is a rehash of old ground. The author tops and tails each chapter with a Kate and William sum-up and then proceeds to write about Charles and Camilla or Charles and Diana. There are a few snippets in the book about the W & K relationship, but not enough to sustain a whole book. Only for the real British royal fanatics. Wait until there is a marriage before writing another book, Mr Jobson and then you may have some material to work with.



2. As an American living in London, I am treated to Robert Jobson's Royal coverage in the Evening Standard. Now, after reading his book, I am really looking forward to his articles covering the surely soon to be royal marriage of William and Kate. I hope before long he will share with us his speculations on her engagement ring. Will it be an heirloom or a new design? The intrigue of a Royal Wedding!



3. WILLIAM'S PRINCESS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE ROMANCE THAT WILL CHANGE THE MONARCHY is a pick for any who love the British Royal Family and want to know the latest. Such an audience may already be aware of Prince William's love life; but WILLIAM'S PRINCESS delves deeper into the romance and what it will mean for the monarchy overall, and is a satisfying exclusive account of how it happened. Public libraries will find it a popular leisure lend.



4. I didn't think it was necessary to write this book until - and if - William and Kate are married. I enjoy reading about Diana, William and Harry, but it just wasn't as interesting as I expected.



5. Prince William and Kate Middleton had dated for many years and actually lived together for a while also, but considering the track record of the royal men up till now I think that the author should have waited to see if this relationship would lead to marriage (which it oviously did not) before writing a book with this title.

3 comments about Dissing Elizabeth: Negative Representations of Gloriana (Post-Contemporary Interventions).

1. This series of essays shines no new light on the character and history of Queen Elizabeth I. Rather it simply repackages the Virgin Queen and the cult of Queen Elizabeth in the contemporary garb of feminist rhetoric.

   The voluminous evidence that Elizabeth had an active love affair with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is off handedly dismissed. The substantial amount of circumstantial evidence that Queen Elizabeth was a co-conspirator in the murder of Amy Robsart, Robert Dudley's wife is brushed aside by labeling it "the mysterious death of Dudley's wife" and then giving the hearsay comment, "though modern historians consider it most unlikely that Robert Dudley with or without the connivance of Elizabeth. Nor can we ever know the exact nature of Elizabeth's relationship with him."

   This last statement is such a blatant distortion of the historical record that it can only be considered a deliberate falsehood. Contemporary Elizabethan accounts of Elizabeth and Robert Dudley indicate that Elizabeth was deeply in love with Robert Dudley, that she lived with openly at court sharing adjoining apartments, she entrusted him as Lord Protector of England when she was stricken by small pox and she mourned him at this death in 1588. Admitting that Elizabeth was deeply in love and involved with Robert Dudley would support gossip of the time that she bore children by him. This distortion of the historical record is necessary to keep intact the myth of the Virgin Queen.

   There is simply no exhaustive inquiry into one of the most enigmatic questions of Elizabethan history: "Did Elizabeth have children?" This book does not further the inquiry an iota.

   The Thomas Seymour affair of 1548 as presented in this book is another distortion of the historical record. Elizabethan historians have approached this matter by muting the facts, presenting various bits of the story in various books and then concluding that while Elizabeth may have been indiscreet, nothing of substance happened. In fact the historical record indicates that Elizabeth was "sick" in the summer of 1548 and there are substantive circumstances to indicate that Princess Elizabeth, age fourteen, gave birth to a child who was raised as Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford a.k.a. William Shakespeare.

   "Dissing Elizabeth, Negative Representations of Gloriana" is inadequately titled. In order to fully describe its contents the title should continue "And A Stouthearted Defense of the Cult of Elizabeth and the Virgin Queen."

   While there are many interesting facts and observations contained in these essays, they have to be sifted out from the bowdlerizing of one of the most fascinating, controversial and influential woman of the western world. Hopefully, there will someday be an adequate biography of this complex woman, but these essays certainly don't head in that direction.




2. Walker's collection of essays is innovative but mainstream Renaissance scholarship, aimed not at settling biographical arguments about Elizabeth's life (in fact the books many distinguished essayists accept what virtually all historians believe about Elizabeth I--even the open-minded doubt that she was stupid enough to risk real intercourse with a lover) but at showing that not everybody in Tudor England worshipped her uncritically. Some, implicitly or--when it was safe--explicitly had criticisms to make and could wish for a different monarch. What I admire about this book, aside from the fascinating evidence that its writers adduce, much of which will come as news even to Renaissance scholars, is the cleverness of Walker's basic idea (a refreshing change from the usual "cult of Elizabeth"). It matters that not everybody thought Elizabeth a fairy queen, a Gloriana, a new Diana. Tudor politics and culture were complex, and Walker's team of writers can show this. I especially recommend the Tudor picture of Elizabeth as a giant ruffed bird. Ugh! So buy this book: it is clever, informative, often amusing, is based on meticulus scholarship, and has that wonderful bird. As the editor of a Renaissance journal (Spenser Studies), a member of the board of the Renaissance Society of America, and the author of two books, one edition, and two anthologies all dealing with the Renaissance I do know what I'm talking about. This is a fine collection. I give it four stars--reserving five for the Bible and Shakespeare.



3. This book puts a useful perspective on the cult of Elizabeth I. During her own reign (1568-1603) she was praised to her face for her brilliance and lauded in the courtly terms of the day, but certainly resented and "dissed" by the ambitious men she frustrated. Although numerous poets praised her, blazing her beauty, brilliance, and blessedness as God's Protestant champion, other men resented her and tried to find a way to destroy the culture of devotion she inspired and encouraged.

   The book itself respects Elizabeth a great deal, but expands usefully the context in which she was seen in her own time and immediately thereafter. A very fine and useful collection, certainly for scholars, but also for anyone interested in the Elizabethan period.

   Susanne Woods, PhD

1 comments about Debrett's Illustrated Fashion Guide: The Princess of Wales.

1. I have this book, and at the time of its publication was very timely in its documentary of the Princesses' dress. Of course, since its publication, Princess Diana's fashion look changed even more. However, for great color photos and wonderful reminders of the Princess, it makes for great memoriabilia.

No comments about Henry VIII (Profiles in Power Series).

2 comments about Yale English Monarchs - William Rufus (The English Monarchs Series).

1. William Rufus (William the Red), second son of William the Conquer,took over England while his older brother's back was turned and ruled it for little over a decade before being killed in a strange hunting "accident" in the New Forest. That's about all the space he gets in history today, except the claims that he was a homosexual, an atheist, an all-round bad person and the less said the better. While this book takes pains to look at and question these charges,it is not the only subject that the author deals with in William's regin. Despite being a "wild and crazy guy" and running a court that looks like a frat house, William seems also to have been an able adminstor, a good diplomat and a strong enough miltary leader to keep his elder brother out of England and the Saxons quiet. I enjoied this book, one of the few on the subject and a serious study of it's subject. A good source on a rare subject.



2. I was impressed with the amount of detail on William Rufus by Frank Barlow. He pieced together a time in English history that seems to be looked over by most historians. Barlow makes a strong analytical approach to dispelling public perception of William Rufus. He makes sure you understand that the remaining documentaton on William Rufus is so fragmented. And that that does remain is from one point of view, the Church which obvouisly does not favor William Rufus. Barlow points out William II was a more capable ruler than most give him credit for and this angle is enough to make this book a must read for those interested in Norman History and the English crown.

5 comments about Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II.

1. Obviously, Robert Lacey is a dedicated biographer. His book is characterized by research, depth, and scope. What's more, he doesn't resort to cheap sensationalism to add a few more chapters. Yet somehow, "Monarch" is still one of those books that doesn't just capture you and leave you gushing about how wonderful it was.
   
   Lacey begins his book by attempting to chronicle the development of the "modern" royal family, beginning with reign of Queen Victoria and providing glimpses into several other monarchs' rule. It would be true to say that these "foundations" help one understand the current queen. Occasionally, this extended history lesson was just plain fascinating, too, imparting nuggets of history that any royal buff delights in.
   
   Unfortunately, the history lessons definitely became too textbook-ish at times, too. Lacey has an extremely unfortunate habit of seeming to bring up every single name, place, and government activity when talking about an event. This leaves the reader with an overly long and dull account of event that could have been summed up much more interestingly.
   
   The same analysis, to a lesser extent, holds true for the queen's own story in this book. At times, Lacey fabulously describes people and events, knows just where to place a well-chosen quote, and makes one want to read about the queen's life forever (as in the opening chapters about the queen's dealings with Diana's funeral). Yet the "bogged-down-in-boring-detail" problem still surfaced in this part (the parts dealing with the Margaret-Townsend affair were dry and too long).
   
   Lacey is certainly to be commended for his obvious knowledge about the queen, and it is also fortunate for readers that he is able to convey his respect for the queen while still offering up intelligent, constructive criticism. If you really must read everything about the British royal family or the queen, this is a solid offering, yet other readers would probably enjoy Carolly Erickson's masterfully written "Lillibet" much more.



2. I was kind of hoping that Robert Lacey did a follow-up to his earlier biography, Majesty but instead, he seem to rehashed many of the old material from that book while writing a whole new biography. So while this book proves to be an interesting read to those who have not read Majesty, you cannot help but to be disappointed by how the last 20 years of Elizabeth's reign have been written. Its almost appears to be a mini-biography of Princess Diana. I believed this spell out the major weakness in this biography of Elizabeth II. Some of the readers might questioned although others may praised the fact that Lacey did not treat Diana with any sort of adoration that seem to be so typical of many of the current writers.
   
   I thought the book could have better written, in more details and with more insights to Elizabeth's character as she grew older. There's probably not enough information on her husband in this book as well. He's probably more important to Elizabeth's life then Diana could ever be. The author's unwillingness to dig deeper for a more complete biography make this book somewhat of a compromise quality. There's really nothing written about Elizabeth in this book toward her last 20 years of reign that we couldn't pick up already from the mass media. Do we have to wait until after Elizabeth's death to get a decent indepth biography on her life??



3. Enjoyable and educational - very well done. Lacey is a very good "royal watcher" - always seems to be honest enough without blowing his own horn.



4. I was preparing for a speech about Queen Elizabeth the Second, purchased this book and never looked back. Full of information but not over one's head, a very enjoyable read.



5. I have read numerous books about the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II/the British Royal Family and this is one of the best so far. It feels more like history than tabloid and is easy to follow. I also feel that it sets the record straight on many subjects, especially the difficulties with Diana. I truly could not put this book down! Read and enjoy!

5 comments about Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens: The Complete Biographical Encyclopedia of the Kings and Queens of Britain (The Mammoth Book Series).

1. When I discovered my geneology search led me to the British Royal Line, I began seeking a good historical resource for further details. I was delighted to find detailed facts about members of the Royal line, along with clearly diagramed and written geneology which aided and enriched my search. This book turned out to be a terrific resource.



2. I have not read this book, but those genealogists I trust have, and they report it to be full of errors. Apparently the author simply used older reference works rather than doing his own full research ... or even being familiar with recent published work. Thus, use the data in it only if you don't care if it is correct.



3. First let me state that I love this book. I read it all the time, though I haven't come close to finishing it due to its size.

   I love this book because it is interesting. It has every British ruler you can think of piled in there, from the most recent to the semi-mythological ones of bygone days. And this includes the ruling families of those who came to power in Britain. The most obscure rulers are covered.

   The book is incredibly well indexed. I can find any ruler easier than it would be to look his name up alphabetically. Even better than that, I don't have to know the name of a ruler to find him. There are charts, graphs, geneological tables, maps, everything.

   However, there is one major flaw with this book. As the "Royal Book of Records" in the beginning might suggest, the book might more be considered gossip than fact. The RBoR is fantastic, listining the Top 10 rulers for all sorts of things...strangest deaths, earliest marriages, most kids, you name it.
   But the whole book kind of takes on this theme.

   I would not have known that the book isn't the most reliable of sources if I hadn't gone and tried to use it on my papers for university (Dalriada, Pictland, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons mostly).
   Which I did, and subsequently got marked off on. Every point that I cited with this book got marked off.
   But I still can't help loving it.




4. This book contains more Royal genealogy information in one place that you could search for in a lifetime anywhere else. This book is comprehensive and covers a Royal history of thousands of years that includes the ruling dynasties of almost every European country. I have been tracing my Royal ancestors and until I got this book, I was limited. But reading this book revealed not only thousands more names of my great-grandparents, it includes little tid-bits of information that also covers personal tragedies/triumphs, royal reigns and family life. I HIGHLY recommend this book not only as an interseting read, but ESPECIALLY if you are researching Royal ancestors.



5. Ashley gives us a mini-history of Europe as well as a chronological listing of its monarchs. An invaluable resource for history students as well as genealogists!

5 comments about Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess.

1. While you may not agree with the point of view that Smith takes in this book... it is a well written book. Easy to read and interesting.



2. This is perhaps the only serious piece of writing on the late Princess of Wales that I have read. While not presented as a scholarly biography (we'll need to wait years for that), the book does take several steps back from the hysteria and romanticized adulation attending Diana's years on earth and attempts to provide objective analysis rather than breathless, tabloid-style speculation. Diana fans for whom she could do no wrong may be outraged by Bedell Smith's detailed portrait and her conclusions; this is a book only for thoughtful readers who are willing to set aside their preconceptions of the subject.
   
   Although Bedell Smith is by no means the first person to suggest that Diana was suffering from a clinically-defined mental illness, Borderline Personality Disorder (called by some "Emotion Dysregulation Disorder"), her discussion of the subject helps shed some light both on her subject's behavior and the fate of her disastrous marriage. This is interesting material, and the author was brave to include it, given the manner in which Diana continues to be idolized by her admirers.
   
   Reasonably well-written and readable, meticulously-researched and documented. Especially recommended to those who take a jaundiced view of the modern cult of celebrity.



3. This is one of the most boring, tediously written books I have ever read. I am only reading it for lack of another book at the moment. If Diana based her life solely on what ever tattle magazine writes, I would be depressed and bulimic too. I am sure she had other things to worry about besides cheap gossip rags and what they wrote. At least I hope she did. Who cares about all the silly magazines? The book makes it sound like this was her mission, it is tedious and soooo bring.



4. On the positive side I couldn't put this book down. Before I read this book I had never really been interested in Diana, although I was shocked by her death. This book doesn't delve deeply into her death. Instead the detail is about everything that happened to her from 1981 until 1997.
   
   The problem with the book is that it is obvious that despite claims of objectivity, Prince Charles is more sympathetic than Diana. I can't buy Ms Smith's psychiatric diagnosis of Diana that she was a borderline personality. Clearly Diana was troubled. However she may have been in fact been victimized by the royal family during the time she was married, separated from Charles and divorced. Certainly Ms Smith makes an excellent case that Diana showed poor judgment and lived in a fantasy world as well as showing signs of extreme mental disturbance(many details Princess Diana herself was the first to expose).
   
   In any event I would recommend reading this book but judging it with a skeptical eye.



5. The author had done a substantial amount of research and logically connected the dots together. This book helps me to solve many of the puzzlement I had over Princess Di's behaviors as well as the motivation behind her shocking TV interview and the book by Morton. She obvious had many serious emotional, psychological-mental issues. Mental dysfunction has many levels. Although Princess Di was not a wacky psychiatric case., she was indeed a case in certain degree. She was more unbalanced person than the average people. Prince Charles was just one of the wrong man she had related. Just look at all her love affairs and the lovers she had... as well as the way she "love" them. They all went wrong for her and she had made mistakes with each of them. That's something call a track record.