Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: “Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From Saint Margaret to Margaret of Denmark” by Sharon Bennett Connolly

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Scotland is a land of beauty and a culture all its own, but when it comes to the history of the Scottish monarchy only one word will suffice, messy. The tales of the Scottish monarchy are full of tragedies, violence, and bloody ends. As so often with many other monarchies we tend to focus on the men who wore the crown and those around them, but what about the tales of the queens who stood beside their husbands? The stories of the medieval queens of Scotland have often been overlooked for their more famous husbands, until now. Sharon Bennett Connolly has compiled the stories of these queens in her latest book, “Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From Saint Margaret to Margaret of Denmark.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I am a big fan of Sharon Bennett Connolly and her books, so when I heard that she was writing a book about Scottish medieval queens, I knew I wanted to read it. I know very little about Scottish history, other than the Stewarts because of a different book, so I was excited to learn more.

As Connolly states in her introduction, her inspiration for this book was from the Shakespearean play Macbeth, specifically the character of Lady Macbeth. A historical figure who has been much maligned in history, Lady Macbeth’s actual name was Gruoch, and her story and Macbeth’s make a fabulous introduction to her book. We stay in the 11th century with the first queen featured heavily in this text, and that is the only saint, Saint Margaret, the wife of Malcolm III and the one who reformed the Scottish Church.

We get to explore the daughters-in-law of Saint Margaret, Ethelreda of Northumbria, Sybilla of Normandy, and Matilda of Senlis who played more quiet roles than the saintly woman whose shoes they were trying to fill. It should be noted that there were some women like Ada de Warenne who never sat on a throne or wore a crown but were the mother of a future King of Scotland, Malcolm IV the Maiden. Since Malcolm never married or had kids, the throne passed to his brother William the Lion, who was not a huge fan of the English and helped establish the Auld Alliance, with his wife Queen Ermengarde by his side. Although the Scottish did not have the best relationships with the English, it did not mean that they didn’t try to establish peace through marriage with English princesses like Joan of England and Margaret of England. Along the way, a princess of Scotland named Margaret of Scotland married Erik II of Norway, and their daughter Margaret Maid of Norway would become the first Queen Regent of Scotland, albeit for a short period.

After the death of Margaret Maid of Norway, there was to no one’s surprise, a fight for the throne that culminated with John Balliol becoming King of Scotland. The throne would pass to Robert the Bruce, with a feature from a certain rebel named William Wallace. Things were not easy for the Bruce women such as Elizabeth de Burgh and Marjorie Bruce. We also had women like Joan of the Tower and Margaret Drummond who tried to help David Bruce of Scotland rule with different results. Finally, we reach the origins of the House of Stewart with women like Euphemia Ross, Annabella Drummond, Joan Beaufort, Mary of Guelders, and finally Margaret of Denmark. Each woman added something different to the story of Scotland and had to deal with war, executions, childbirth, religious matters, and political intrigue in their unique ways to better Scotland.

I have to applaud Connolly for the amount of history she was able to cover in a single book as she covered four centuries worth of Scottish royal history and made it relatively easy to follow along. I learned so much about Scotland’s royal history and the remarkable women who were queens of Scotland. If you want a fantastic introduction to the turbulent world of medieval Scotland and the women who helped shape the monarchy, I strongly recommend you read, “Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From Saint Margaret to Margaret of Denmark” by Sharon Bennett Connolly.

Book Review: “Oathbreakers: The Wars of Brothers that Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe” by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry

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The life of an empire is very cyclical: the birth of a people group united under one ruler, the empire’s expansion through conquest, and ultimately its demise. When we think of empires, we often think about the Roman and British empires, but another significant one in medieval Europe is the Carolingian Empire. It was an empire that hit its zenith with the reign of Charlemagne in the 9th century, but within two generations, it fell due to forces inside its court. What happened to this once glorious empire that fell after the Carolingian Civil War? Matthew Gabrielle and David M. Perry tell how a once glorious empire fell quickly after its height in their latest book, “Oathbreakers: The Wars of Brothers that Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe.”

I want to thank David M. Perry and Harper for sending me a copy of this book. I don’t know much about the Carolingian Empire other than Charlemagne and his coronation on Christmas day in the year 800, so when I saw the premise of this book, it was intriguing to me.

Before we have the fall of an empire, we must understand the rise of the empire and how the empire worked. Gabriele and Perry begin their book by explaining the origins of the empire starting with the Franks and how they gained power. It starts with a legendary hero named Merovech, the Merovingians, and his grandson King Clovis I who converted to Christianity around the year 500. The Merovingians did not last long because Charles Martel would begin the reign of the Carolingians with a battle, which is almost a bit of foreshadowing of how the Carolingians fell. After Charles Martel came Pepin III and after the death of Pepin III, the kingdom was split between two co-emperors, Carolman and Charlemagne; ultimately Carolman died leaving Charlemagne to be the sole Roman emperor and was crowned on Christmas Day in the year 800.

Charlemagne’s reign was by no means perfect as his son Pepin I the Hunchback, staged a failed rebellion. Like Pepin III before him, Charlemagne decided to divide the empire between his three legitimate sons because sharing is caring. His son Louis the Pious would succeed his father and this is where the troubles ramped up to a civil war between Louis’s sons, Lothar I, Louis the German, and Charles the Bald. It was a time full of chaos, revolts, the Battle of Fontenoy, and oaths that could not save an empire.

As someone relatively new to this subject material, I thought it was a decent read. It took me a while to figure out which Pepin was which (because, shockingly, there are multiple Pepins as well as Louises and Charles all in one family, not confusing at all). I think it was interesting to read about a dynasty that I have heard mentioned in passing in other historical books about great kings, but I never personally dived into until now. In short, the Carolingians were a messy empire and I think they should get more attention. If you want a solid nonfiction book that tells the tale of one of the major empires of Europe, I suggest you read, “Oathbreakers: The Wars of Brothers that Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe” by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry.

Book Review: “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age” by Eleanor Barraclough

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When we think of the term “Viking”, we often get images of battle-harden warriors, covered in guts and dirt, with horned helmets. We also believe that Vikings are warriors primarily from the Scandinavian world and that the Viking age ended in 1066 with the Norman Invasion of England. Our assumptions, thanks to television and a certain operatic cycle, are wrong. The Viking Age is a complex period of the past that spans centuries over half the known world. Using archeological evidence and written records, Eleanor Barraclough tells the tale of the Viking Age in her book, “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age.”

I want to thank W.W. Norton & Company and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoy reading books about archeological discoveries, so when I heard about a book about the Viking Age and archeology, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have read a few historical fiction novels about the Viking Age and a few about the Anglo-Saxons, so I was curious what new information Barraclough would present in her book.

The short answer to that question is that Barraclough provided a plethora of information about the Viking Age. As she explains in her prologue, we try to compartmentalize history, but history flows like a river. Just because we label a period like the Viking Age does not mean that it ends at a certain date. We have artifacts from other parts of the world, including Russia and the Middle East, that would be dated to the 1500s. So what can the artifacts from the past tell us about this diverse age?

To tell the story of this age, Barraclough breaks her book into sections that focus on different elements such as beginnings, love, travel, slavery (known in this book as unfreedom), and endings. Each section focuses on not only the artifacts, like a comb, a chess piece, or a runestone with a love story, but also what these pieces can tell us about the average citizens who lived during this period. We can learn about their grooming habits, how they lived, how they traveled, their ever-changing beliefs from Norse mythology to Christianity, and how they approached issues like slavery and childbirth. Barraclough also takes the time to show what the chronicles and sources tell us about this period while showing how to understand what the runes on artifacts can tell us. I think my one concern about this book is that because it was not in chronological order, it was a bit hard to follow and there were points where it was a bit dry for my taste.

Overall, I found this book fascinating and a difficult read. It took me a long time to understand how complex the Viking Age was as I am not as familiar with the language and historical accounts. I think Barraclough does a decent job of presenting the information to not only those who are familiar with the era but to complete novices. If you want to understand the Viking Age through archeological research, I suggest you read, “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age” by Eleanor Barraclough.

Book Review: “Elizabeth I” by Margaret George

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The stories of queens have been told in numerous ways for centuries, but one of the most famous queens in human history is the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. The daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII who famously decided not to marry any man and instead devout her entire life to serve England’s people. That does not mean she was subservient to others she demanded respect and adoration from her subjects. Most stories of Elizabeth I begin in her golden years, but what could a novel about the queen’s silver years tell us about her personality, her reign, and the people who choose to follow or rebel against the famous queen? Margaret George gives her readers an innovative look at the titular queen in her novel, “Elizabeth I.”

This is only the second novel I have read written by Margaret George, the first being the brilliant “The Autobiography of Henry VIII.” I knew that she had written a novel about Elizabeth I, but I had not had the chance to read it until I saw it at a used bookstore. It was an instant buy for me even before I read the description, but the blurb made me even more intrigued.

George does not begin with Elizabeth’s coronation in 1558, like many novels about Elizabeth, but in the year 1588, which was arguably the queen’s most difficult challenge, fending off the Spanish Armada. To start at this most pivotal moment in Elizabeth’s reign is a bold choice that pays off because it sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Nothing is stable for the queen even after victory is won. Shortly after the Armada is defeated, the love of Elizabeth’s life, Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester dies. It is a huge loss for the queen, but she is not the only one who loves Leicester. He leaves behind his wife and cousin to the queen, Lettice Knollys, however, the two women cannot share their grief as the queen banished her cousin from court after she heard about the marriage.

The only one who can connect the two women at this point is Lettice’s son the Earl of Essex, who desires to be a great man, so he becomes a favorite of Queen Elizabeth. The arrogant young up-starter soon finds out that court is not all that he dreamed it would be and that to be a great man, he has to follow every rule of his monarch, which goes as well as you would imagine. What I appreciate about this novel is that George does not gloss over Elizabeth’s reign and instead chooses to show how muddy the political landscape was during the late Elizabethan age. We also get to see events that are not often featured in other novels about the Elizabethan age, such as Roanoke, Grace O’Malley, the return of the Armada, diplomats from farther countries, and the connection between Lettice Knollys and William Shakespeare. She fought every second of every day to keep her crown because she never knew who was the threat and when they would strike next until her dying breath.

I think this novel does an excellent job of showing George’s readers what Elizabeth I was like further into her reign. It balanced both the harsh reality of the Tudor court with plenty of intrigue with Elizabeth the person who had her heart broken on more than one occasion and had to be harsh to fight for what she loved, the English people. If you want an unforgettable portrayal of the Virgin Queen and her court towards the end of her reign, I highly recommend you read, “Elizabeth I” by Margaret George.

Book Review: “City of Silk” by Glennis Virgo

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When we think about the period known as the Renaissance, we often think about Italy and the artists like painters and sculptors. However, other craftsmen made Italy their home. Take, for example, tailors and seamstresses. These skilled craftsmen and women can create art you can walk in with their hands. However, there are gender barriers between tailors and seamstresses in that only men can be tailors and only women can be seamstresses. One orphan girl from Bologna not only challenges what it means to be a woman tailor but also challenges one of the wealthiest merchants in the entire city who has a dark connection to her past. This is the premise for Glennis Virgo’s debut novel, “City of Silk.”

I want to thank Allison & Busby and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I know we are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this cover is really why I wanted to read more about it. The description and knowing that it was a debut were also appealing factors as I wanted to see what a new author would do with 16th-century Italy and its complex nature.

We begin with the orphanage of Santa Maria del Baraccano where we find out that our protagonist is a young girl whose parents, a tailor and a seamstress, both died. The girl, Eleana Morandi, was raised in the orphanage, but something happened and she ran away. She would eventually work at the Palazzo of Signora Ruffo, a widowed seamstress who runs a successful business. Elena works as an assistant to Signora Ruffo alongside a girl named Sophia, a former slave. It is a happy life for Elena, until one day, Signora Ruffo arranges a marriage for Elena with Signor Martelli. Elena is not a fan of this idea so she does what stereotypical teenagers do, she runs away from home again.

Elena runs to the workshop of the tailor Maestro Francesco Rondinelli, but he is reluctant to take Elena on as women are not accepted as tailors in the guild, but he allows her to help out in other ways around the workshop. One day, a Signor Antonio della Fontana comes into the workshop and asks for a summer wardrobe. Fontana is not some stranger to Elena as she knows him from her life in the orphanage, but he is not the benevolent merchant that everyone believes him to be. Elena fights not only for the right to become a female tailor but for her friend Laura and the other girls who were traumatized by Fontana. Virgo has created a colorful cast of characters filled with the traumas that they have to deal with in such a short book. My only critique is that as someone who is not as familiar with Italian terms or the locations in 16th-century Bologna, I wish there was a map and a glossary to help the readers picture the world a bit better.

Overall, I found this a rather enjoyable debut full of heart and a cast who care for each other as well as their respective crafts. It shows a different side of Renaissance Italy and once I started reading, I did not want to stop. I am looking forward to seeing what type of story Virgo will tell next. If you want a novel that focuses on a different aspect of the Italian Renaissance, I would recommend you read, “City of Silk” by Glennis Virgo.

Book Review: “When Christ and His Saints Slept” by Sharon Kay Penman

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When we consider the issue of succession, we often imagine the crown being passed to the next legitimate heir, regardless of gender, but that was not always the case. We think about the struggles that women like Mary I and Elizabeth I endured to secure and stay on the throne, but one woman came before them so close to becoming England’s first ruling queen. She was the daughter of King Henry I and the next in line to the throne after her brother tragically died, but after her father passed away, it was her cousin Stephen who usurped the throne. The war for the crown which would last decades would be known as The Anarchy is the primary focus for Sharon Kay Penman’s novel, “When Christ and His Saints Slept.”

I found this particular novel when I was going used book shopping and after so many people said that it was their favorite novel by Penman after “The Sunne in Splendour,” I knew that I wanted to buy and read it. I have been a fan of books about the struggle between Empress Matilda and King Stephen and the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty, so I wanted to see what kind of spin Penman would give to this story.

Penman begins her novel with a flashback to the last time Stephen saw his father before he went on Crusade in 1101, which was an influential moment in his young life. We then jump forward to Barfleur, Normandy in November 1120, which is where the legitimate male heir of Henry I, William, boarded the White Ship on a voyage he would not survive. The only legitimate child of Henry I, because the man had quite a few illegitimate children, was Empress Matilda (Maude). Her 1st husband, the Holy Roman Emperor died and since they did not have any children, Henry decides that she needs to remarry and his choice for her next husband is Geoffrey of Anjou. To say their relationship was tempestuous would be an understatement, but they were able to have a large family including Henry Plantagenet, the future King Henry II.

It seemed like all Matilda (known as Maude in this novel) had to do in order to secure the crown was sail to England for her coronation. But that’s not what happened. Instead, her dear cousin Stephen and his wife Matilda, stole her crown. If you think Maude is going to let Stephen do what he wants with her inheritance left to her by her father, you thought wrong because instead Maude decides to fight for her rights in the conflict known as the Anarchy. It was a bloody couple of decades for England full of betrayals and sieges. It will soon turn to not only a fight between Maude and Stephen but between their sons Henry and Eustace. This was not just a battle between nobility but, as we see with one of my favorite characters Ranulf Fitz Roy (a fictional character), it was a battle between barons and the illegitimate children of the old king for the future of England.

This was another absolutely brilliant book by Penman. The way she was able to craft such believable characters based on the historical records is nothing but awe-inspiring. It was a mammoth tome but it needed every single page to develop this rich story that I did not want to end. If you are like me and you crave a thrillingly vivid historical fiction novel, you must check out “When Christ and His Saints Slept” by Sharon Kay Penman.

Book Review: “Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses” by Beverley Adams

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Throughout English history, some of the most famous queens have been associated with the Tudor dynasty. We have the six wives of Henry VIII (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr), Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I. However, one Tudor queen is often overlooked for her daughters-in-law and granddaughters, the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York. So who was Elizabeth of York and what role did she play in the transition between the Plantagenet dynasty and the Tudor dynasty? Beverley Adams hopes to enlighten readers about this remarkable queen in her latest book, “Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. While I know quite a bit about Elizabeth of York, the Wars of the Roses, and the origins of the Tudor dynasty, I wanted to see how Adams would portray these topics for beginners. 

To begin with, Adams lays out the origins of the conflict that we know today as the Wars of the Roses with Edward III and his sons, John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster, and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. This led to a clash between King Henry VI and Richard Duke of York. Elizabeth of York’s father, the future King Edward IV, was the son of Richard Duke of York and he had to fight for his throne. Adams explores Elizabeth’s childhood as the eldest child of Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville during this tumultuous period of English history, which would form the foundation of what kind of queen she would be in the future.

Everything changed when Edward IV died suddenly, which meant that Elizabeth’s younger brother became Edward V and left Richard Duke of Gloucester as Lord Protector. For some reason, Richard Duke of Gloucester decided to take matters into his own hands, took control of the country, declared the children of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville illegitimate (including Elizabeth of York), and was crowned King Richard III in a matter of months. Some resisted the new king including the son of Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor, Henry Tudor. Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville arranged a marriage between Henry and Elizabeth that would occur if Henry was able to defeat Richard III and become King of England, which he did at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The rest of this book is dedicated to showing how Elizabeth of York was as a wife, queen, and mother as she dealt with death, treachery from Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, and triumphs as she was able to see the start of the Tudor dynasty.

I think Adams does a decent job with a book that is an introduction to Elizabeth of York, the Wars of the Roses, and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. There are some myths that she repeats to debunk, but I feel like, in some places, Elizabeth of York was not the main focus, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, if you want a solid introductory book to the life and times of the first Tudor queen, I would recommend you read, “Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses” by Beverley Adams.

Book Review: “Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn” by Estelle Paranque

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A young woman catches the attention of a king already married to a princess from a faraway kingdom. The king desires the young lady and divorces his wife to marry her. However, there is a catch. The young lady spent some time in the French court of Francis I and Claude of France, whereas the king’s wife was the daughter of the Spanish King and Queen as well as the aunt of the Holy Roman Emperor. The Great Matter of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Catherine of Aragon is considered one of the messiest divorces in English history and rightfully so when you consider the diplomatic consequences that this divorce would have across Europe. Estelle Paranque highlights the connection between Anne Boleyn and the French court in her latest book, “Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn.”

I want to thank Hachette Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I heard that Estelle Paranque was writing a new book about the 16th century, but when I heard that it dealt with Anne Boleyn’s connections with the French court, I jumped at the chance to read it. While I do know quite a bit about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, it is her connection with the French court that I have never really explored in depth.

Paranque begins her book by examining the meeting between King Henry VIII and King Francis I with Anne Boleyn at Calais between October 25th and 27th, 1532. This was a significant meeting as it was right before Henry and Anne married in secret and they desired that Francis would support their side in the Great Matter. But how did they get to this meeting in Calais? This is where this book shines as Paranque takes the time to show her audience what life was like for Anne in the French court and the connections that she forged with women like Louise of Savoy, Claude of France, and Marguerite of Angouleme Queen of Navarre. It was fascinating to see how the Boleyns were able to use their connections to forge alliances with the French court that would prove useful in the future.

Possibly my favorite part of this book was seeing how the diplomatic channels across Europe interacted with one another during the Great Matter, the queenship of Anne Boleyn, and the fall of the Boleyns. I think we so often overlook that there were diplomats who were working on the sidelines to convey messages between kings and emperors to form or strengthen alliances. While many might consider the way Paranque wrote the correspondence and dialogue between diplomats and the monarchy as hard to get used to because she does insert emotions, I believe it adds depth to the story because they were human beings not in a vacuum. They had feelings about what was happening around them, passionate feelings in fact, and that should be displayed to readers.

While the actual events of this book were not new to me, the way that Paranque was able to present the information and show the men behind the scenes was fascinating. It presents the relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in a different more complex light. If you want a different angle to the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, I recommend you read, “Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn” by Estelle Paranque.

Book Review: “Stuart Spouses: A Compendium of Consorts from James I of Scotland to Queen Anne of Great Britain” by Heather R. Darsie

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English royal history is filled with fantastic stories of triumphs and tribulations, grand romances, and divorces that shook the foundations of the monarchy. It is also filled with struggles over religion, wars both inside England and with foreign nations, and heartbreaking child losses. We often think about the spouses of the Plantagenets and the Tudors when we think about royal romances, but we shouldn’t forget about the dynasties that came after, like the Stuarts. So how did the Stuart dynasty come to be and how did the unions between monarchs and their significant others affect the dynasty and England? Heather R. Darsie explores this often-overlooked dynasty and the stories of their marriages and romances in her latest book, “Stuart Spouses: A Compendium of Consorts from James I of Scotland to Queen Anne of Great Britain.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I didn’t know much about the Stuarts before reading this book, except for those associated with the Plantagenets and the Tudors. I wanted to learn more about the Stuarts because I tend to stop after the death of Elizabeth I, so when I heard that Darsie was writing a book about the consorts of the Stuart dynasty, it was intriguing to me.

Darsie begins by explaining that she will be exploring the entirety of the Stuart dynasty, starting with its patriarch Walter Fitzalan, Stewart of Scotland for David I of Scotland in the 1100s. It is a fascinating story of how the family went from serving the monarchy to being the rulers of Scotland, all the way up to 1406 when James I became King of Scotland. The first royal consort that Darsie discusses might be familiar to anyone who knows about the origins of the Tudors, Joan Beaufort. We then track the Scottish story of the Stuarts through the death of Mary Queen of Scots through their significant others such as Mary of Guelders, Margaret of Denmark, Margaret Tudor, Madeleine of Valois, Marie de Guise, Francis II of France, Henry Stewart Lord Darnley, and James Hepburn 4th Earl of Bothwell.

It was under James VI of Scotland that things changed drastically for both England and Scotland as James became King James I of England with the death of Elizabeth I, and so James’ wife Anna of Denmark became the first Stuart Queen of England. This is the segment that I thoroughly enjoyed because they were new stories for me. We have Henriette Marie of France, a Catholic queen who married Charles I who was a Protestant, which did not have a happy ending as we get to see the English Civil War play out and the execution of Charles I on January 30, 1649. Darsie also includes the stories of the women who married Oliver Cromwell and his son Richard Cromwell, both Lord Protectors of England when the monarchy was not popular. Eventually, the Stuarts returned to their place on the English throne with Charles II and his queen Catherine of Braganza; followed by the women who married James Stewart Duke of York, Anne Hyde and Mary of Modena. James would become James II before the Glorious Revolution led by William of Orange, which led to the co-rulers William III and Mary II. Finally, we reach the tragic tale of Queen Anne of Great Britain and her Prince Consort George of Denmark.

I was so impressed with the amount of stories over centuries that Darsie was able to cover in this book. It was a fantastic introduction to Scottish Stuart history, how the dynasty survived, and created international relationships that allowed England to thrive. There were tales of tragedies, but there were also alliances that created stronger bonds, religious rifts, and romances. This was another triumph for Darsie and it is a book that made me interested in reading more about the Stuarts. If you are like me and you want a book that is a fantastic introduction to the Stuart monarchs and their consorts, I highly recommend you read, “Stuart Spouses: A Compendium of Consorts from James I of Scotland to Queen Anne of Great Britain” by Heather R. Darsie.

Book Review: “Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King” by Dan Jones

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English history is filled with kings who had to fight for their crown, both at home and away in foreign lands. Men like William the Conqueror, Henry II, Henry IV, Edward IV, and Henry VII can be considered warrior kings, but one stands above them all. He only ruled for a little over nine years, but he proved his worth time and time again, especially against his French adversaries, and secured the crown of France for his young son. He was the son of Henry Bolingbroke, King Henry IV, and the grandson of John of Gaunt. He was Henry V and his story is one of the most remarkable tales in English medieval history, told masterfully in Dan Jones’ latest book, “Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King.”

I have been a fan of Dan Jones and his books for a few years now and always jump at the chance to read his latest book. When I heard that he was writing a biography about Henry V, it was an instant pre-order for me because it is Dan Jones’ first biography and I did not know much about Henry V minus the main points about his life and reign.

It was a miracle that Henry V became King of England. Henry was the son of Henry Bolingbroke and Mary de Bohun, the grandson of John of Gaunt, and cousin to King Richard II. He was the son of an Appellant lord who was banished from England for opposing Richard II, so the likelihood that he would even be the next Duke of Lancaster was significantly small. Jones shows his audience what Henry’s childhood was like before his father was banished and after he returned and took the throne from Richard II. It was a dramatic change for the young man as it meant that he had to adapt to life as the Prince of Wales, which meant that he had to fight for English control of Wales and against those who also claimed his title, primarily Owain Glyndwr and the Percy family (including Henry Hotspur Percy). The fight for Wales culminated in the Battle of Shrewsbury where Henry Percy died and the army of Henry IV was victorious. Henry V was shot in the face with an arrow and almost died, but Doctor John Bradmore saved his life.

After the arrow incident, we see a different side of the young Prince as he is more mindful of religious matters. When his father Henry IV falls ill, we also see Prince Henry take more of a leading role in politics as part of a council meant to help the king rule England. When Henry IV died on March 20, 1413, the young King Henry V was ready to rule. He believes that to be a strong ruler, he must show it by facing the English’s mortal enemies, primarily France, in battle. He led England to great victories against the French, including the Battle of Agincourt, which was marked as one of the greatest victories for the English during the Wars of the Roses. Henry V was a competent ruler who made England a powerhouse in European history. He was able to secure the French throne for his young son Henry VI, the only child of Henry V and his wife Catherine of Valois before the great warrior king died on August 30, 1422.

I was thoroughly impressed with this biography and I am surprised that it took Dan Jones this long to write a biography. You can tell his passion for the life of Henry V through every page. I hope Jones will write another biography soon. If you are a Dan Jones fan, a medievalist, or just a fan of fantastic biographies, I highly suggest you read, “Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King” by Dan Jones.