Scan barcode
booksofjj's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
A very good book that is well-researched and well-written. There is so much that I didn't know that I was able to learn from this book as well as an improvement from my own prior knowledge
theliterarylair's review
informative
slow-paced
1.0
While I mostly read fiction, I do enjoy a good Non-fiction read every once in a while. I was eager about this one, because it covered a subject matter that I didn't know much about.
I gave this book to 40% before DNFing it, which I think is a fair shot! While I appreciated getting to know more about the black tudors, this felt like research I would scan for an essay. I understand it's an extension of a thesis, so I don't know why I expected less...I guess it's because a lot of the reviews and write ups about it present it as something that flows like fiction.
I'm here to tell you that it doesn't. There is non-fiction that is engaging, and this isn't it, folks. This is black history written by a white person, which also doesn't feel quite right...
I gave this book to 40% before DNFing it, which I think is a fair shot! While I appreciated getting to know more about the black tudors, this felt like research I would scan for an essay. I understand it's an extension of a thesis, so I don't know why I expected less...I guess it's because a lot of the reviews and write ups about it present it as something that flows like fiction.
I'm here to tell you that it doesn't. There is non-fiction that is engaging, and this isn't it, folks. This is black history written by a white person, which also doesn't feel quite right...
burntout_bookworm's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
anamagalhaes21's review
medium-paced
4.0
An important read re black people and other people of colour in Tudor England. Lots of information that helps shed a light on stories otherwise unheard of. Perhaps a bit too much detail on the lives of others around them, but I understand the need for it to help give context to their stories.
bookbutch's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fantastic history book and I am so thankful that it exists. The author details 10 chapters dedicated each one to a life of a Black Tudor. They are well presented and the thesis is strong throughout. I was expecting this to be formatted a bit differently I think- I expected it to be more a sociological account of race in England, rather than 10 “short” biographies. The sociological theory I was looking for was dispersed throughout.
This is probably why I thought this was quite dry. I listened to this as an audiobook in the car and I think that reading a physical copy would make it less boring. This isn’t an overly engaging history book but rather fact after fact- this is the kind of history book I would read a select chapter or three for a class rather than just listen to 10 hours in the car.
But, the audiobook narrator was fine, even if I did get lost sometimes with her English accent- it makes sense why they chose an English narrator but was a bit hard for me to always make out foreign words and names.
This is probably why I thought this was quite dry. I listened to this as an audiobook in the car and I think that reading a physical copy would make it less boring. This isn’t an overly engaging history book but rather fact after fact- this is the kind of history book I would read a select chapter or three for a class rather than just listen to 10 hours in the car.
But, the audiobook narrator was fine, even if I did get lost sometimes with her English accent- it makes sense why they chose an English narrator but was a bit hard for me to always make out foreign words and names.