Tag: nonfiction

Book Review: “House of Lilies: The Dynasty That Made Medieval France” by Justine Firnhaber-Baker

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The medieval world was a time of great change, epic battles, and warrior kings who kept expanding their kingdoms to levels that we know today. In England, the dynasty that we most associate with the medieval period was the Plantagenets. For medieval France, it was the Capetians, who reigned for centuries after the Carolingians. So how did the Capetians come into power? Who were the major figures and scandals that defined the dynasty? And how did the dynasty come to its end? Justine Firnhaber-Baker explores this topic in her book, “House of Lilies: The Dynasty That Made Medieval France.”

I have seen this book on social media for a while now, and the topic was intriguing to me. I have not read much about medieval France, except in supporting roles when studying medieval English history. I wanted to expand my knowledge about medieval Europe as a whole, so when I saw this book for sale in a bookstore, I knew I wanted to add it to my library.

There has been some debate as to when the Capetian dynasty ended, as the Houses of Valois and Bourbon could be considered smaller branches of the Capetian family. Firnhaber-Baker has marked the time of the Capetians between 987 and 1328, which is a few centuries of drama. The kings of the Capetian dynasty were: Hugh Capet, Robert II the Pious, Henry I, Philip I, Louis VI, Louis VII, Philip II Augustus, Louis VIII the Lion, Saint Louis IX, Philip III the Bold, Philip IV the Fair, Louis X the Stubborn, John I the Posthumous, Philip V the Tall, and Charles IV the Fair. Fifteen Kings of France grew the kingdom into a medieval powerhouse.

Firnhaber-Baker shows how the Capetians turned a fragmented realm that was left behind by the Carolingians into a nation. We get to see Hugh Capet become the first king of a new dynasty and set the groundwork for his predecessors. France slowly became a beacon of Catholicism and the crusading dream, as well as the birthplace of Gothic architecture. We see how one king became a saint and another the mortal enemy of the papacy. And of course, we get to see the Capetians face off against their English neighbors, the Plantagenets.

For a book that covers over 300 years of royal history, I found it extremely well researched and easy to follow. While I did not know a ton about the Capetians before reading this book, I want to learn even more about this dynasty and other medieval dynasties of Europe. If you want to learn more about the Capetian dynasty, I highly recommend you read “House of Lilies: The Dynasty That Made Medieval France” by Justine Firnhaber-Baker.

Book Review: “Henry VIII’s Quest for an Heir: The King’s Great Matter” by Helene Harrison

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The Tudor period in English history was marked by significant change for England and Europe as a whole. Yet, there was one moment that defined the dynasty. For centuries, the Great Matter has been viewed as Henry VIII’s desire to divorce his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, to marry Anne Boleyn. Of course, to get what he wanted, Henry had to fight against the Pope and change England’s religious landscape to do it. But if he just wanted a divorce, why go through so much trouble? The answer has to do with his desire for a son. What if the Great Matter lasted much longer than what is normally told? Helene Harrison explores this topic in great depth in her latest book, “Henry VIII’s Quest for an Heir: The King’s Great Matter.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Helene Harrison’s previous books, so when I heard she was writing about Henry VIII’s quest for an heir, I wanted to see what new information she would bring to this topic.

When we think of the Great Matter, the period we tend to think about is when Henry VIII asks for a divorce from Katherine of Aragon in 1526, until he finally marries Anne Boleyn in 1533. However, Harrison argues that the Great Matter lasted much longer. She believes that the Great Matter extended from the birth of Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, in 1519, to the birth of his legitimate son Edward VI in 1536. In other words, the Great Matter was the quest for a legitimate male heir for King Henry VIII to continue the Tudor dynasty.

So, where does that leave the men and, more importantly, the women who had their lives upended by Henry’s quest for an heir? While the Great Matter was detrimental for men like Thomas Wolsey, it helped elevate men like Thomas Cromwell. Then there are the women who were caught in the middle: Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary, Anne Boleyn, Princess Elizabeth, and Jane Seymour. The psychological toll that this must have taken on these women was immense, especially when you consider that Henry did not count either marriage to Katherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn as legitimate. Which in turn, meant that Mary and Elizabeth were declared illegitimate. It’s not how things normally work, but Henry was on a mission, and he didn’t care who got hurt. 

This was another brilliant book by Helene Harrison. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the women who were caught in the middle of Henry’s hunt for an heir. I have always thought that the Great Matter ended after Henry married Anne, but the matter was much deeper than that. If you want a book that explores the Great Matter, I highly recommend you read “Henry VIII’s Quest for an Heir: The King’s Great Matter” by Helene Harrison.

Book Review: “Queen Elizabeth I’s Childhood Governess: The Real Kat Ashley” by Rosemary Griggs

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When we think about monarchs, we tend to think about a central person who ruled alone or with someone they married. We tend to forget that behind the monarchy is an entire village of people supporting them in this endeavor. For the most part, they were loyal to the crown, not necessarily to whoever wore it. Yet, there are some whose loyalty to a particular monarch extended far before their coronation. Take, for example, the story of Kate Ashley, formerly Kate Champernowne, a trustworthy governess of Elizabeth I. While she made some questionable decisions, her loyalty to Elizabeth never wavered. So who was Kate Ashley? Rosemary Griggs hopes to answer this question in her book, “Queen Elizabeth I’s Childhood Governess: The Real Kat Ashley.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I know a little bit of Kat Ashley’s story, primarily when it comes to the Thomas Seymour scandal. So I was hoping to learn more about this woman who was so close to Elizabeth.

Griggs begins with an explanation of the difference between a Lady Mistress and a governess, before diving into Kate’s family origins. The Champernowne family’s origins stretch as far back as the Norman Conquest. Kate was the daughter of Sir Philip Champernowne and Katherine Carew, and the sister of another Katherine and two sisters named Jane, just to add to the confusion. As a Champernowne, Kate was connected to the Courtenays and the Carews, which would be useful when Kate transitioned to the Tudor court, especially the connection to Anthony Denny. Griggs explains how Kate was able to join Elizabeth’s court shortly after the death of Anne Boleyn.

We get to see Kate move up the ranks to Elizabeth’s Mistress while falling in love and marrying John Astley. Kate was by Elizabeth’s side through most of Henry VIII’s reign, alongside Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I’s early reign. She went through so much for Elizabeth, including numerous arrests and plots, but Kate stayed loyal until her dying breath. I enjoyed this book so much. I learned so much about Kate Ashley and her family, alongside Kate’s sacrifices for Elizabeth. If you want a fantastic biography about someone very close to Elizabeth I, I highly recommend you read “Queen Elizabeth I’s Childhood Governess: The Real Kat Ashley” by Rosemary Griggs.

Book Review: “Tudor Children” by Nicholas Orme

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When we study history, we tend to focus on the lives of the famous figures, primarily starting at adolescence until their deaths. We tend to forget that before a person became an adolescent, they had to go from birth to the height of puberty. This area of life tends to be left behind because the farther back you go, the less documentation there is about this stage of life. We have a bit more documentation during the 16th century, which was the time of the Tudors in England, so what can we learn about childhood during this period of the past? Nicholas Orme explores childhood in 16th-century England in his latest book, “Tudor Children.”

I am always looking for a new aspect of the past, so the idea of a book dedicated to the topic of childhood was intriguing to me. Obviously, with the time travel/guides to the past, this topic is touched upon, but to have an entire nonfiction book is rare, so I knew I wanted to read it and see what new insights Orme could bring to the past.

To examine a topic like childhood, Orme breaks his book into seven chapters, plus the reflections. The chapters focus on birth and infancy, childhood at home, play, religion, school, speech, songs and stories, and growing up. Orme provides a great amount of detail about a child’s life from the moment they are born to the time when they could get a job. While we think that we can only understand the past from documents about the nobility and royalty, Orme proves his readers wrong by including information about children from all walks of life and how the constantly changing religious environment affected raising children. He also includes a plethora of images depicting stages of childhood to give his readers a bit more depth to this book, which was quite lovely.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning a lot about Tudor childhood. It gave me a better appreciation for the past, 16th-century England, and raising children. It was well researched and easy to follow, which is impressive for an academic book. While the ways of the past may seem foreign to us, there is also a familiarity in teaching children the ways of the world. If you are interested in learning about what it was like to be a child or raise a child in
16th-century England, I highly recommend you read “Tudor Children” by Nicholas Orme.

Book Review: “Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride” by Elizabeth Norton

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When we think about the wives of Henry VIII, we often think about the ones who made an impact. Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard, and Kathryn Parr all left their own distinguished marks on the Tudor court. But there was one more bride of Henry VIII who didn’t make the greatest first impression, yet she is the one who outlived Henry VIII and the other brides. She was a foreign princess whose marriage did not work out, but was able to create a life for herself in England. Her name was Anne of Cleves, and her story is told in the biography, “Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride” by Elizabeth Norton.

I have enjoyed learning about Anne of Cleves ever since I read Heather R. Darsie’s debut book about her, “Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The King’s Beloved Sister,”  a few years ago. When I heard that Elizabeth Norton had written a biography about Anne of Cleves, I was excited to see what new information she would provide.

Anne of Cleves was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and Maria of Juliers. Before she was destined to be the wife of King Henry VIII, she was briefly engaged to Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, to align Lorraine with Cleves for the Schmalkaldic League, but the marriage alliance did not pan out. Meanwhile in England, Henry VIII was mourning the death of Jane Seymour, who gave him his long-sought-after male heir in the future Edward VI. His councillors believed that he needed to marry again, so the search began for a new bride. Unfortunately, every other eligible bride pick chose to reject him completely, so they had no other choice but to select a bride from Cleves, which was Anne. Norton goes into great detail about Anne’s trip to England, her first meeting with Henry VIII, their brief marriage, and the annulment, which happened in quick succession. Finally, we get to see what happened to Anne of Cleves during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, until she died in 1557.

I enjoyed this bite-sized biography of  Anne of Cleves. It was very informative, and Norton’s writing style is easy to follow. If you want to read a very good biography about Henry VIII’s fourth wife, I recommend you read “Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride” by Elizabeth Norton. 

Book Review: “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519” by Christopher Hibbert

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For centuries, Italy has been a powerhouse of a nation, but it has been shaped by powerful families. There were the de Medicis, the Estes, the Sforzas, and the Orsinis. However, there is one family that lives in a bit of infamy. The father became a pope, and his illegitimate children would create their own legacies. They were the Borgias, mainly Lucrezia, Pope Alexander VI ( Rodrigo Borgia), and Cesare, and they have fascinated novices and history nerds alike for centuries. Christopher Hibbert tells their story in his nonfiction book, “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519.”

I found this book at a used book store. I have been interested in the Borgia family ever since I read “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Most Vilified Family” by Samantha Morris. I have wanted to read more about this family and see how other historians approach their lives.

Hibbert begins this joint biography of the Borgias with a quick overview of how the papacy moved from Avignon back to Rome and the countless popes who came before Rodrigo Borgia. Rodrigo was the nephew of Calixtus III and was a man known as a scholar, which came in handy as he climbed the ranks of the church, mostly thanks to his connections to the pope. Nepotism would be a common theme when it came to the Borgias. Rodrigo would eventually become a cardinal, but he enjoyed the finer things in life, including mistresses such as Vannozza dei Cattenei, the mother of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. 

Rodrigo Borgia would eventually become Pope Alexander VI, and his children would benefit greatly. Yet again, a case of nepotism. Cesare would become a strong military leader who depended on his Spanish allies and his father, but gained numerous enemies. Lucrezia would marry three times. Her first marriage was to Giovanni Sforza, but it was annulled. Her second husband, Alfonso of Aragon, was assassinated. And finally, she married Alfonso d’Este and was able to provide him with several children. The Borgias had to deal with assassinations and war while their legacies were dragged through the mud. Their rise was as quick as their fall after the death of Pope Alexander VI.

I thought this was an okay book. The pacing seemed rushed in places and slower in other while the information presented wasn’t really new to me. If you want a decent introduction to this infamous family, I recommend you give “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519” by Christopher Hibbert a try.

Book Review: “Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History” by Martha Tatarnic

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The Tudors and their tales have been told for centuries, and one of the most famous figures of this period was Anne Boleyn. A woman who caught the eye of the king became queen after he divorced his first wife in the hopes that Anne would give him a son, but she had a daughter, and had one of the most dramatic falls from grace in English history. We all know Anne’s story, but what is it about her story that has appealed to so many people for centuries? How would her story look if it were told through a feminist lens? And how did Anne’s story affect a woman Anglican priest in our modern world? Martha Tatarnic tells her tale and how Anne affected her life in her latest book, “Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History.”

I would like to thank Morehouse Publishing and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I had heard about this book on social media and a few podcasts that I follow, so I was intrigued to give it a shot. I am always looking for a new approach to the Tudors, so when I read the description, I was hoping to learn something new about Anne Boleyn.

I will say this is one of the more unique books about Anne Boleyn that I have read so far. As Tatarnic explains in her introduction, she has been fascinated by Anne Boleyn for most of her life because she didn’t fit the mold of a typical English queen and because of her religious convictions, which helped shape the Anglican Church. Anne is seen as an icon to Gen Z alongside Joan of Arc, but the question is, why these two women? Tatarnic includes her own stories in this analysis of Anne’s life, as well as some nods to modern pop culture.

I really wanted to like this book, but the more I read, the more frustrated I became.  Tatarnic tended to jump from topic to topic with no real order, so you will be reading about Anne’s fall from grace, then it jumps to the queens and children who ruled after Anne’s death, and finally, jumping back to the letters to start the whole affair. While I do appreciate Tatarnic trying something different by incorporating her story and modern pop culture references, I feel like there was a bit too much of this aspect, which took away from Anne’s story. Finally, I thought there was a place where the book should have ended because it made the most sense, but then Tatarnic continued in almost a rant. In this case, I think less is more, and expanding on her ideas would have made it a better book, even though her writing style was easy to follow.

Overall, I felt that the concept of telling Anne’s story through a feminist lens was unique, but the execution of this book fell a bit flat for me. If you are someone who wants to read about Anne Boleyn’s story through an original feminist lens, you might enjoy “Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion, and the Queen Who Changed History” by Martha Tatarnic.

Book Review: “Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power” by Clare Hunter

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The field of history is ever-expanding as we find new artifacts and documents that change our understanding of the past. Some of the more precious artifacts are textiles, from clothing to embroidery and even wall hangings and bedding. They can tell us a lot about their owner if you understand the symbolism. While some symbolism can be rather simple, other textile symbolism could help display the voice of a woman who was silenced, like the women of the 16th century. One woman who used textiles to display her power and her own voice was Mary Queen of Scots. Clare Hunter explores Mary’s life through the textiles connected with her life in her book, “Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power.”

I have seen this book mentioned on a few pages and podcasts, and it sounded alluring to me. I have tried my hand at embroidery, so I appreciate the craft itself. I have wondered about textiles and how they could be interpreted, which is why this appealed to me so much. I couldn’t wait to own it and read it.

So how do you tell the story of Mary Queen of Scots through the textiles connected to her life? Well, for Hunter, she decided to weave her own interactions with these textiles into Mary’s life in chronological order while analyzing the textile artifacts. Each chapter focuses on a different stage of Mary’s life, as well as the textiles that fit that period. Some of the examples of the artifacts that are mentioned in this book include the gowns she wore when she was about to marry the Dauphin, the fashion dolls to help bring French fashion to Scotland, Catholic banners, and memorabilia to spread the faith. We also get to see the embroideries that she planned meticulously while in custody with Bess of Hardwick, to spread their own truths and their political power while being silenced. Finally, Hunter explores the dress that Mary wore during her execution and what happened to her clothing after her death.

I will say that this is one of the most original nonfiction books that I have read in a long time. It presented Mary’s life through a different lens and showed that she did have power even as a prisoner. It gave me a better appreciation for Mary’s life and the amount of effort it took to craft such intricate pieces of textiles. I hope Hunter writes more about the history of textiles beyond the 16th century because I think her writing style and knowledge of the subject can help grow interest in this area of historical studies. If you want a book that explores the life of Mary Queen of Scots from a different angle, I highly recommend you read “Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power” by Clare Hunter. 

Book Review: “Anne Boleyn’s First Love: The Life of Henry Percy” by Jan-Marie Knights

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Every Tudor nerd knows the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. A relationship that started with lust/love turned tragic with the execution of Anne. However, Henry VIII was not the only man who was vying for Anne’s affection. The first man who ever asked for Anne’s hand in marriage was Henry Percy, the man who would become the 6th Earl of Northumberland. The relationship obviously did not happen, and for many, Henry Percy became an obscure figure in Tudor history. Who was Henry Percy, and what happened to him after Wolsey broke up the relationship between Henry and Anne? Jan-Marie Knights explores his life in the first full-length biography of Henry Percy in her latest book, “Anne Boleyn’s First Love: The Life of Henry Percy.”

I would like to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I am always interested in reading about lesser-known figures during the time of the Tudors, so when I saw this title, I was intrigued. I knew a little bit about Henry Percy, so I was hoping to learn more about his life.

To understand Henry Percy’s place in Tudor society, we have to go back to the origins of the family, which traces back all the way to William the Conqueror. Knights follow the branches of the Percy tree, with the many Henrys, to the Henry Percy who this biography is about, including the infamous Henry “Hotspur” Percy. Our Henry was the son of Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, and his wife, Catherine Spencer. We get to see Henry become a page for Cardinal Wolsey and become a knight in his own right.

Henry wanted to marry and start a family with Anne Boleyn, and it seems like, at the time, she was interested in him as well. However, it was not meant to be, as King Henry VIII also had his eyes on Anne. Obviously, the King would marry Anne, and Henry would marry Mary Talbot. Both relationships did not have a happy ending. Besides his troubled marriage with Mary, we get to see how Henry dealt with conflicts near the border with Scotland and the Pilgrimage of Grace, which hit a bit closer to home. Henry died without any heirs, so Knights shows what happened to the earldom of Northumberland.

I was a bit underwhelmed with this biography. I wanted more information about Henry Percy, but I felt like his story was buried with information about his family, his father, and the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s romance. I think Knights did a decent job with the research aspect of this book. If you want a good introductory biography to the Percy family and Henry Percy’s role in the Tudor court, you might want to try “Anne Boleyn’s First Love: The Life of Henry Percy” by Jan-Marie Knights.

Book Review: “Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living” by Peter Jones

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When we go into a bookstore, we will notice there are tons of self-help books from all walks of life. Self-help books tend to have more of a modern take when it comes to solutions, but what if we looked to the past for advice? It is an interesting approach to this genre of books, but what if we took it a step further and looked at how medieval people viewed their own minds through the Seven Deadly Sins? Peter Jones dives into his own life experiences and the archives to explore how the sins can help us find wisdom and understanding, which is explained in detail in his book, “Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living.”

I would like to thank Doubleday Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed medieval self-help books that I have read in the past, so I wanted to see how Jones would add to this genre. I think by centering this book on the seven deadly sins, it adds depth and interest to this topic, so I was excited to see how they could be applied to one’s life. 

Peter Jones was a professor of medieval history at a university in Siberia when he fell into a dark place. He turns to the Middle Ages for help, which was an era known for self-help guides written by scholars, priests, and mystics. It is through their writings that he realized how the seven deadly sins could be used as a tool to learn about self-knowledge and forgiving oneself. 

It almost seems counterintuitive to rely on sins for advice on how to better our lives, but in a way, it makes sense. There have been many different iterations of the seven deadly sins, but the ones that we are paying attention to are: pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust. Each chapter focuses on a different sin, from the most hazardous sin to the least deadly sin. Jones explores his own experiences with the sins before diving into the archives to look at how historical figures from the Middle Ages dealt with the sins. That could range from their own life experiences to art and literature. Some of these stories were familiar to me, but the majority of this book included new information for me, which was rather exciting.

This was one of those books that took me a while to get used to what Jones was doing, but once I did, I learned a lot about the Middle Ages and the sins. It was a different approach, but I appreciate that he wrote about how the sins helped those in the Middle Ages and Jones himself. I think if you want a unique look at the Middle Ages and self-help, you will enjoy “Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living” by Peter Jones.