You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jesikasbookshelf 's review for:
Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain's First King
by Gareth Russell
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I really, really enjoyed this biography - it is an excellently researched, historically focused biography of the first King of both Scotland and England whilst also being a meaningful and valuable addition to the queer history archives.
The author takes pains to focus on James separately as a man and as a King - as James himself saw himself. The dichotomy and overpriced between the two is fascinating, as is the open secret of what can comfortably be labelled his bisexuality. The focus on his clear love for Anna, his wife, throughout their marriage is one I've not come across before and if anything it really underscored the deep love James had for all of his partners instead of making his same sex relationships seem like some sort of desperate acting out against his marriage.
The book is also quite a lot kinder to his male partners than many recent modern reflections on them - I'm looking at you, Mary and George.
Anna is, by far, the stand out of this book for me. Her petty, witty and hilarious reactions to almost every major moment in her marriage and Queenship absolutely cracked me up.
The author takes pains to focus on James separately as a man and as a King - as James himself saw himself. The dichotomy and overpriced between the two is fascinating, as is the open secret of what can comfortably be labelled his bisexuality. The focus on his clear love for Anna, his wife, throughout their marriage is one I've not come across before and if anything it really underscored the deep love James had for all of his partners instead of making his same sex relationships seem like some sort of desperate acting out against his marriage.
The book is also quite a lot kinder to his male partners than many recent modern reflections on them - I'm looking at you, Mary and George.
Anna is, by far, the stand out of this book for me. Her petty, witty and hilarious reactions to almost every major moment in her marriage and Queenship absolutely cracked me up.