Tag: France

Book Review: “Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England” by Alison Weir

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Throughout medieval English history, there have been some famous queens who left their marks. Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Castile, Philippa of Hainault, and Margaret of Anjou each left an impression on English history, either good or bad. However, there was one queen whose negative reputation came with the nickname “She-Wolf of France,” and her name was Queen Isabella of France. The wife of Edward II and mother of Edward III, she left her husband for Roger Mortimer and overthrew her husband in favor of her son. For centuries, she has been viewed as a horrible villainess, but is that a fair assessment of her life? Alison Weir dives into the archives to find the truth about Isabella of France, and she presents her findings in her biography, “Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England.”

As a fan of Alison Weir, I am trying to read every book she has written so far, so when I saw this book in a used book store, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have read books that have featured Isabella of France, but I have never read a biography about her until now. I wanted to see if this book would change how I feel about her.

Isabella of France was the daughter of Philip IV, King of France, and Jeanne I, Queen of Navarre, born in 1295. As the only surviving daughter of Philip and Jeanne, she was expected to make a match that would create an alliance, which she did when she married Edward II of England. On paper, it should have been an ideal match, but Edward II had his favorites. The first was Piers Gaveston, whom Edward II knew before he married Isabella. Edward paid more attention to advancing Gaveston than governing, which led to the great men of England (known as the Ordainers) enacting the Ordinances of 1311 and Gaveston’s execution in 1312. Edward II swore revenge against those who killed Gaveston.

For a while, Edward and Isabella had a loving relationship. They had four surviving children: Edward III of England, John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, Eleanor Countess of Guelders, and Joan Queen of Scots. Unfortunately, Isabella’s happiness would not last long as Hugh Despenser the Younger would take the place as Edward’s new favorite. Things got so bad for Isabella that she decided to leave for France, stay there with her son Edward III, and start a relationship with Roger Mortimer. It would end with an invasion of England, the death of the Despensers, Edward II captured, and Edward III becoming King of England.

Isabella of France’s reputation may have been marred for centuries for her role in overthrowing her husband in favor of her son, and for what happened to Edward II afterward, but I think Weir does a decent job in rehabilitating her reputation. I don’t necessarily agree with her assessment of Edward II, but I felt like, when it came to Isabella herself, I appreciate her story and feel a bit sympathetic for what she had to deal with. If you want a biography about Isabella of France, I would recommend you read “Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War” by Michael Livingston

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Medieval Europe was a time of conflicts and change. While smaller disputes between countries or civil wars would define borders, the most prominent conflict during this period was the Hundred Years’ War. A conflict that has been traditionally taught to have lasted 116 years between England and France. It is often told from the English perspective, with battles such as Agincourt, Crecy, and Poitiers celebrated. But what if we look at the bigger picture and expand our lens to the whole of Europe while keeping a neutral approach to the France vs England conflict? What if the conflict did not last a mere hundred years, but in fact two hundred years? What type of story would this kind of approach tell when it comes to medieval European history? Michael Livingston takes on the mammoth challenge of telling the tale of how this war changed European history forever in his latest book, “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War.”

I would like to thank Basic Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed the previous book that I read by Michael Livingston on the Battle of Crecy, so when I heard that he was writing a new book about the Hundred Years’ War, I was intrigued. I wanted to see what new information he could provide for a conflict that has been discussed heavily for centuries.

Livingston delivers with a plethora of information. He begins by explaining that the term Hundred Years’ War came from a French textbook in 1823. We often think that it began when King Philippe VI of France declared English lands forfeit on May 24, 1337, so King Edward III declared that he was the rightful king of France; and the end of the war was when the French seized the city of Bordeaux on October 19, 1453. However, Livingston argues that the war began in 1292 and ended in 1492, which means it was a two-hundred-year war. Livingston then goes into explaining the origins of France and England to explain how on earth they even got to a state of strife.

While the study of the conflict between France and England tends to focus on these countries, Livingston expands his view to include a pirate war between English and Norman merchants, wars in Portugal, the Burgundian Wars, fights between England, Scotland, and Wales, peasant revolts of all varieties, and wars with the Flemish. We also see a few civil wars in both France and England, including the Wars of the Roses. There are also colorful characters, including a couple of mad kings, the Black Prince, Henry V, Joan of Arc, William Wallace, earls and dukes of every variety, knights who were loyal to a fault, queens who fought for their families, heiresses fighting for their land rights, and a ton of family squabbles. And of course, Livingston focuses on the battles that defined the period, including Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt, and Orleans, as well as lesser-known battles that helped shift the momentum for either side. Livingston can provide such vivid details that it feels like you are on the battlefield, even when it comes to the more obscure battles.

In my opinion, Livingston is one of the finest medieval military historians right now, and this is his magnum opus. I learned so much by reading this book that it kind of redefined what I think of the Hundred Years’ War. This is one of the best books I have read this year. If you want a book about medieval Europe that will challenge your way of thinking about one of the biggest conflicts of the age, I highly recommend you read “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War” by Michael Livingston.

Book Review: “The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court” by Susan Abernethy

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Throughout European history, we tend to think about the countries as a whole when it comes to the political sphere of influence. We think of the big countries like France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and England as having the most impact, but we have to consider that during the Middle Ages, duchies held immense power. Take, for example, the Duchy of Burgundy, also known as the Burgundian Empire. It was a part of France, but that does not mean that the dukes stayed on the side of the French. The Burgundians used their influence to expand and marry into the medieval European families, affecting European history as a whole. While we tend to focus on the Dukes of Burgundy, we should be paying attention to the women of this duchy. That is why Susan Abernethy chose to focus on these women in her latest book, “The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed Susan Abernethy’s first book about Catherine of Braganza. When I heard that she was writing a book about medieval Burgundian women, I was intrigued. I know a little bit about historical figures connected to Burgundy, but I didn’t know much about the history of the duchy itself, so I was excited to learn more.

Abernethy begins by giving her readers a brief history of how Burgundy became a kingdom and a duchy of France. While the history of Burgundy is extensive, we are mainly focusing on the Valois Dukes of Burgundy and the women in their lives. The Valois Dukes of Burgundy were Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good, and Charles the Bold. While this is primarily about the women of Burgundy, it is important to understand the political and military landscape that these women had to deal with in Burgundy and other countries during this time.

The bulk of this book focuses on the women of the Burgundian empire, starting with Margaret of England, Duchess of Brabant, in the 13th century, and ending with Queen Juana of Castile, in the 16th century. We get to hear stories about duchesses and queens, countesses and diplomats, and even a saint. They had to deal with wars, international diplomacy, family drama, and husbands who were not faithful. There were some familiar figures like Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scots, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy, and Margaret of Austria, but the majority of these women were new to me, which was very exciting.

It’s a lot of ground to cover, but Abernethy has a way of telling the stories of women comprehensively. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Burgundy and these extraordinary women who made the duchy an empire. If you are someone who wants to learn about the Duchy of Burgundy, I would recommend you read “The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court” by Susan Abernethy.

Book Review: “Nemesis: Medieval England’s Greatest Enemy” by Catherine Hanley

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The Plantagenets, one of England’s most dynamic dynasties, were always in the middle of some sort of conflict. Whether they were fighting foreign adversaries, their own people, or their own family, it felt like the Plantagenets were always getting into some sort of trouble. And there was one king who knew how to use the weaknesses of the kings of England to his advantage. He was King Philip II of France, also known as Philip Augustus. He had to deal with four different Plantagenet kings and had a strategy for each one of them. Just what were Philip II’s strategies, and how did his reign affect English/French relationships as a whole? These questions are answered in Catherine Hanley’s book, “Nemesis: Medieval England’s Greatest Enemy.”

I would like to thank Osprey Publishing and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoy reading about the Plantagenets and their impact on England and Europe as a whole. When I saw that this book took a French approach to the Plantagenets and focused on Philip Augustus, it was an intriguing premise to me.

As Hanley states in the introduction, this book is not your typical biography, as she focuses on the relationship between Philip Augustus and his Plantagenet opponents. That does not mean that we do not get biographical information for Philip, who was the son of Louis VII and Adela of Blois. Per tradition, as the heir to the French throne, Philip was crowned as Junior King of France on November 1, 1179, which meant that his father was still alive when he was crowned, and he trained to become the proper King of France.

While Philip knew that he had factions to deal with inside of France, his main concerns were overseas with the Plantagenets, primarily King Henry II and his sons. Over the course of his forty-year reign, Philip dealt with Henry II, Richard I the Lionheart, John, and Henry III. Each English king presented his own challenges for Philip, but Philip took them in stride and worked hard to make France stronger. At the same time, Philip had to deal with his own family dramas. He was married three times to Isabelle of Hainault, Ingeborg of Denmark, and Agnes of Merania. It was his marriage to Agnes of Merania that gave Philip his heir, the warrior King Louis VIII of France. However, it was Ingeborg of Denmark who gave Philip the biggest headache as she never gave up fighting for her marriage.

From military to political strategies, Hanley shows how Philip maneuvered against the English, and yet she shows that he was not a perfect person or a king. Philip was a flawed human who had to deal with the cards he was dealt like anyone else. Hanley presents a comprehensive book that explores the complex nature of medieval politics and how one man battled against an entire dynasty during his reign. If you are someone who wants to explore the early Plantagenets from the eyes of their enemy, King Philip II of France, I recommend you read “Nemesis: Medieval England’s Greatest Enemy” by Catherine Hanley.

Book Review: “Bitter Greens” by Kate Forsyth

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For centuries, fairy tales have entertained and taught lessons to those young and young at heart. One of the most memorable stories was the tale of Rapunzel, the maiden a witch kidnapped because her parents stole a Rapunzel plant from her while Rapunzel’s mother was pregnant. For years, Rapunzel languished in a Tower, her hair growing exponentially until a rogue/ prince climbs her hair and rescues the damsel in distress. The witch dies and Rapunzel and her hero live happily ever after. At least, that is how the story has been passed down to us throughout the centuries, but where did the story come from and how are the stories of three women from different generations and countries connected? Kate Forsyth weaves together the stories of three women and their fates into one delightful novel called, “Bitter Greens.”

I want to thank Allison & Busby and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. When I am not reading historical fiction or nonfiction, I do enjoy reading fairy tales retold, so when I heard about this novel and how it would explore the origins of the story of Rapunzel, it was intriguing to me.

Forsyth breaks down her novel into three separate narratives based on the lives of three women. We begin with Charlotte-Rose de la Force, a woman who weaves stories on a whim at the court of the Sun King Louis XIV. Charlotte is the person who gave the Rapunzel story some of the main characteristics that we are familiar with from the Italian origin story by Giambattista Basile. Her life choices have caused the king to send Charlotte to exile in a convent. It is in the convent that Charlotte meets Soeur Seraphina and she learns the story of Margherita and Selena Leonelli.

Margherita is the daughter of a mask maker and his wife. When she turns 7, a sorceress named La Strega Bella tells her parents that it is time to pay for their crime of stealing bitter greens. La Strega Bella wants to raise Margherita as her child, so she kidnaps Margherita, changes her name to Petrosinella, and places her in a convent. When Margherita turns 12, she is taken from the convent, placed in a tower, and given her characteristically long hair.

The question is why did La Strega Bella take Margherita from her parents just to put her in a tower with such long hair? It is through Selena Leonelli’s story that we can discover the truth about La Strega Bella. A woman who had to survive in the dark days of the plague in the early 16th century when her family died, she learned how to use spells and the power of plants from a woman named Sibillia. Life was not always fair for Selena, but then she met a man named Tiziano, who we know as Titian, and she inspired his art. Selena is afraid of growing old and wants to stay young forever, so she comes up with a dark and twisted plan.

This novel is dark and full of tragedies, love, and adventures. While I did enjoy reading it, there were a few historical inaccuracies, such as the plague doctor uniform was not introduced until the 17th century, not the 16th century. If you want a dark version of a fairy tale retold with a historical twist, I think you will enjoy “Bitter Greens” by Kate Forsyth.

Book Review: “Labyrinth” by Kate Mosse

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For centuries, the brave knights of Camelot and the Crusaders have searched for the Holy Grail. The cup that Jesus of Nazareth used during his Last Supper is rumored to be a vessel that can grant eternal life or miraculous healing powers. It can be a cup, plate, or stone, but in all stories, the Grail guardians and those searching for it are predominately male. But what if the guardians were male and female and the ones searching for it were predominately female? Alais from 11th-century France and Alice Tanner visiting France in 2007 share a connection that is centuries deep and it all started with a ring, a book, and an image of a labyrinth. How are these two connected to the labyrinth and the Grail and can they protect it from those who want to use it for their dark purposes? Kate Mosse weaves the tale of the Grail and the two women connected by fate in her novel, “Labyrinth.”

This is another one of my bookshop finds. The cover initially caught my eye, followed by the author and the description. Dual-timeline stories have become one of my favorite sub-genres recently, so when I saw this was a feminine take on the Grail quest with a dual-timeline twist, I jumped at the chance to read it.

We begin with Alice and an archeological dig that she decided to volunteer at as a guest of her colleague Shelagh. As an amateur, she knows that she should not go into a cave alone, but she decides to throw caution to the wind and finds the bodies of two people, a leather bag, a stone ring, peculiar writing on the wall, and the image of a labyrinth. This is quite a discovery, except it puts the entire dig in danger as the police want to investigate the scene. Not only that but Shelagh goes missing and someone wants to either harm or kidnap Alice. The discovery of the cave will change Alice’s life, and reconnect her with a man from her past, a man who knows the truth, and a woman from the past who connects all the dots.

In the year 1209, Alais and her family are sitting on pins and needles as the pope has declared a crusade against the people of her faith, the Cathars, who have been deemed as heretics. As the armies of the Catholic church are on the doorsteps of Carcassonne, Alais’s father Bertrand gives her a gift of a book and a stone ring. What Alais will learn is that there are three books in total and a special ring inscribed with the labyrinth to mark the guardians of the Grail. Alais must make the difficult choice to leave her home and travel to the head of the guardians to protect the knowledge of the Grail. Alais is willing to risk everything as both a Cathar and a guardian of the Grail.

This was an absolutely thrilling read, it is also the first time I have read a novel with the Cathars and the Crusade against them featured prominently. There were so many twists, turns, and secrets abound that just when you think you have the novel figured out, something new drops. The balance between the present day and the past was perfect and the characters were so realistic that it felt like I could have a conversation with them. I need to see how this trilogy ends, which does include new characters and timelines. If you want a thrilling historical fiction novel full of twists, turns, history, and myths, “Labyrinth” by Kate Mosse must be on your list.

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: “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: “The City of Tears” by Kate Mosse

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Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions to unite two families through the bonds of love, at least in our more modern sense of the ceremony. However, in the past, weddings were ceremonies that would unite families through contracts to create powerful alliances—hardly a romantic endeavor. One of the grandest weddings of the 16th century was meant to unite France, which led to bloodshed between Catholics and Huguenots. Minou Joubert and her family are invited to the wedding of Marguerite de Valois and Henri of Navarre in Paris, but the decision to attend the lavish event leads her family on a path full of tears and heartbreak. The story of the Joubert family’s struggle to fight for the faith they strongly believe in and to unite their broken family is masterfully told in Kate Mosse’s novel, “The City of Tears.”

This is a book that I found when I was going used book shopping one day. I had heard about Kate Mosse and her novels, so I wanted to give them a try. I didn’t realize that it was the second book in a series until after I brought it home, but the premise of this novel was so intriguing that I couldn’t wait to read it. So I decided to read the books out of order to see if this would be a series that I would enjoy reading.

We begin our tale with one of the Joubert descendants from the 1800s going to the house that her ancestors lived in in Amsterdam. I am not sure where this particular storyline will lead, but I am excited to find out. We then join the family Joubert in the year 1572 as they are debating whether or not to go to Paris for the royal wedding; even though it is a great honor to receive an invitation, the problem is that the Jouberts are a Huguenot family. Their mortal enemy, Vidal or Cardinal Valentin, is always looking for a way to harm Minou and her husband Piet no matter what, even if it means sending assassins to hurt those closest to them. Even with the danger and the tragedies that befall them before the journey, they still choose to take a risk and go to Paris.

Paris was one of the biggest cities of its time and with big cities comes excitement and risks of danger. On the day of the wedding, everything ran smoothly, but three days later, on St. Bartholomew’s Day, a massacre of the Huguenots happened on the streets of Paris and the Joubert family lost their precocious daughter Marta and Minou’s brother Aimeric in the midst of the chaos. Now, Minou and Piet must take their remaining family members and flee with Cornelia van Raay to her native Amsterdam. What they did not realize was that religious change was also brewing in Amsterdam, which they also had to navigate. To top it all off, the life they left behind in France decided to rear its head as reunions and plots against the Jouberts were afoot. The Jouberts must face every challenge head-on if they have any hope of seeing a brighter future.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It may have taken me a moment to get into the story as this is book two in a series so getting used to the characters and their background, but once I did, I became super attached to them. I found it extremely fascinating to read about France and the Netherlands during the 16th century in historical fiction because even though France features pretty commonly in this era’s historical novels, the Netherlands is a new area to explore. I was so enthralled by this novel that I bought the first and third novels in this series and I am looking forward to reading more books by Kate Mosse. I would suggest if you want to start this season, start with the first book, “The Burning Chambers.” If you have started this series and want to see what happens next, I highly suggest you read, “The City of Tears” by Kate Mosse.

Book Review: “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” by John Guy

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Women rulers in the past have either been praised or pushed down. They are either seen as ideal women or power-hungry villains. One such figure who suffered the worst from having her image raked through the mud for centuries was Mary Stuart, known throughout history as Mary, Queen of Scots. The Queen of Scotland who was married three times, was once the Queen of France, the mother of the future King of both England and Scotland, accused of having a hand in her second husband’s murder, plotted to overthrow Elizabeth I, and was executed for treason. Her story is well known, but what does the archival information tell us about Mary Stuart? John Guy scoured the archives to find the truth about this queen and presented his research in his biography, “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart.”

I have heard about this particular title for a few years, as it inspired the Mary Queen of Scots movie. I have read similar books about Mary Queen of Scots, but this biography is so revered that I wanted to give it a shot. 

Guy begins at the end of Mary’s life, with the day of her execution and the details that made her death legendary. Mary Stuart was the daughter of King James V and Mary of Guise of France. Five days after she was born, her father James V died after the battle of Solway Moss, and the young girl was proclaimed Queen of Scotland; it was solidified nine months later at her coronation. She didn’t have much time to enjoy her youth as she had to deal with the Rough Wooing from England, which was Henry VIII’s attempt to have Mary marry his son Edward VI, which did not end well. Guy shows how Mary’s education began in Scotland before she moved to France, where she would continue to learn how to become a queen before she married Francis II. While in France, Mary started to fight for her claim to the English throne as her father James V was the son of Margaret Tudor. Francis II and Mary would become King and Queen of France for a short time as Francis would tragically die from an ear infection, which meant that Mary had to go back to her native Scotland.

It is in Scotland where we get to see Guy’s research truly shine as he shows how Mary had to navigate her tumultuous court. Mary had to navigate being a queen while searching for her next husband, who ended up being Henry Stuart Lord Darnley. To say their relationship was rocky would be an understatement. Even though Henry was the father of the future James VI/I, he was not the most liked person in court and it ended up costing him his life. Shortly after the death of Darnley, Mary married for a third and final time, to James Hepburn Earl of Bothwell, who was one of the men who allegedly was behind Darnley’s murder. It is the last portion of this book where Guy focuses on the trial, the Casket Letters, and the schemes that led to Mary’s imprisonment and ultimate execution. 

I found this a very rich and well-researched biography. I found myself taking my time reading this book as I wanted to fully understand the points Guy was making about Mary and her reign. If you want an excellent biography about a queen whose reputation has been tarnished for centuries, I highly recommend you read, “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” by John Guy.