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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Turning my attention to a historical figure about whom I have heard much but know little, I chose John Guy’s tome on Mary, Queen of Scots. A woman of great interest whose short life made an impact, both in her native Scotland as well as England, Mary will long be remembered in the annals of history as a strong-willed woman with something to prove. Born the daughter—and only legitimate child—of James V of Scotland, Mary ascended to the throne six days later. While Scotland was ruled by regents, Mary spent much of her time in her mother’s native France, where she was betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France. This marriage would, as some at the time proclaimed, make Mary the queen of not only Scotland and France, but also permit her a claim to the English Throne, as she was the grand-niece of Henry VIII and had indisputable Tudor blood in her veins. This piqued the interest of the English, as shall be seen later. When Francis died soon after taking the French Throne, Mary was lost and left when those at Court did not seek to protect her or allow her role as Dowager Queen to hold much merit. When she returned to Scotland, Mary engaged in promoting the Scottish rights and soon married her half-cousin, Henry Stuart. Rightful Queen of Scotland, Mary engaged in what could be said to be tense relations with her distant cousin, Elizabeth I of England. ‘Sisters’, as they referred to one another, Mary and Elizabeth eyed each other with trepidation, as Guy depicts so well in his tome. Mary bore a son, James, ensuring an heir to the throne, but things went downhill from there. When Henry died in an explosion, Mary was again a widow, but she need not wait too long, as the man accused (and acquitted) of the act, James Hepburn, soon took her as his wife. Guy explores the role that Mary might have had in her second husband’s death, as well as how this could have advanced her control in Scotland. However, the people of Scotland could see this wily couple for what they seemed and a revolt saw Mary forced to abdicate and pave the way for her one-year-old son, James VI, to take the throne. Fleeing Scotland, Mary sought refuge in England with Elizabeth I, but the English monarch as too cunning to simply provide refuge. After keeping Mary captive for over eighteen years, Elizabeth I had her ‘sister’ executed after found guilting of plotting an assassination plot. Perhaps Mary ought never to have made a claim to the English Throne all those years ago. John Guy takes the reader through this tumultuous life with a great deal more detail than I expected, which thickens the plot and will keep readers astounded until the final page turn in a tome that has recently been made into a full-length movie. Recommended to history buffs like myself who seek something meaty about the goings-on in 16th century Europe, as well as the reader who loves all things regal and full of intrigue.
As with many of the biographies that I have read over the years, John Guy does a formidable job of laying down the groundwork for a strong story and builds on it from there. His attention to detail and formulation of a strong narrative helps keep the biography moving along. Guy is able to convey the highly varied and exciting life lived by Mary throughout, paying particular attention to some of the more dramatic aspects that led to her downfall. Some may wonder why my summary paragraph was much shorter than usual. I chose not to reveal much, as I wanted other readers to learn many of the nuggets I found throughout. The book paced itself nicely, allowing the story to develop and the reader to discover some of the nuances in Mary’s life, particularly her life as a monarch. Guy’s use of many documents not used for centuries helps to answer some questions past historians have left out while also challenging many of the norms history has attributed to this most controversial queen. Guy presents these documents in the text, at times explaining their significance to the reader and discussing how some of this is ‘new ground’ that will flavour his tome differently from what others have noticed. I found myself better acquainted with the key actors in this dramatic Europeans monarchical soap opera and would love to see the film based on this book, if only to discover if the clashes between Elizabeth and Mary were as subtle as they appear herein. Guy transports the reader back centuries, but brings the entire story to life in the present. His longer chapters are through and his easy to comprehend narrative makes for a wonderful learning experience that does not get too academic. I hope to find more of his work in the coming years to educate myself on more topics!
Kudos, Mr. Guy for a fabulous review. I cannot wait to read more of your work!
This book fulfils Topic #2: Time Traveller, in the Equinox #9 reading challenge.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
As with many of the biographies that I have read over the years, John Guy does a formidable job of laying down the groundwork for a strong story and builds on it from there. His attention to detail and formulation of a strong narrative helps keep the biography moving along. Guy is able to convey the highly varied and exciting life lived by Mary throughout, paying particular attention to some of the more dramatic aspects that led to her downfall. Some may wonder why my summary paragraph was much shorter than usual. I chose not to reveal much, as I wanted other readers to learn many of the nuggets I found throughout. The book paced itself nicely, allowing the story to develop and the reader to discover some of the nuances in Mary’s life, particularly her life as a monarch. Guy’s use of many documents not used for centuries helps to answer some questions past historians have left out while also challenging many of the norms history has attributed to this most controversial queen. Guy presents these documents in the text, at times explaining their significance to the reader and discussing how some of this is ‘new ground’ that will flavour his tome differently from what others have noticed. I found myself better acquainted with the key actors in this dramatic Europeans monarchical soap opera and would love to see the film based on this book, if only to discover if the clashes between Elizabeth and Mary were as subtle as they appear herein. Guy transports the reader back centuries, but brings the entire story to life in the present. His longer chapters are through and his easy to comprehend narrative makes for a wonderful learning experience that does not get too academic. I hope to find more of his work in the coming years to educate myself on more topics!
Kudos, Mr. Guy for a fabulous review. I cannot wait to read more of your work!
This book fulfils Topic #2: Time Traveller, in the Equinox #9 reading challenge.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
This was a very informative biography. I didn't know much about Mary, Queen of Scots. It was on my reading challenge TBR because I needed to read a book with a subtitle.
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Mary Stuart's life is absolutely fascinating, and I want to read more about her. I was frustrated, however, with the author's tendency to state what various historical personages were thinking and feeling without adequately describing the evidence he used to make these inferences.
I couldn't stand the narrator's voice, which is unfortunate because I think the book was well written. I just added a new shelf for books I don't finish. In the last few years I decided that life's to short to read all the books on my to-read list so I'm not wasting time forcing myself to finish ones I don't enjoy.
Well written and incredibly well researched but it seemed as if the author approached his research and writing from a specific standpoint that he wanted to prove. This led to him either ignoring or attempting, not always successfully, to refute evidence that proved his conclusions wrong.
informative
slow-paced