Tag: royalty

Book Review: “Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II” by Tracy Borman

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

England’s history is centuries old, full of colorful characters and change galore. What truly defines the history of England is the monarchy, which has lasted over a thousand years. Over 40 kings and queens left their distinct marks on the history of this proud island nation. While some could maintain the crown with no issues, others had to fight to earn the crown, and a few even died for the crown. While there has been a plethora of books and novels written about individual monarchs and their impacts on the history of England, only a select few have chosen to take the arduous task of telling the story of the British Monarchy from its origins to the modern-day. One such historian who has chosen the latter is Tracy Borman in her book, “Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II.”

I have been a fan of Tracy Borman and her writing for many years now. She has a way of making history come alive, so when I heard about this book, it was something I knew I wanted to read. I usually don’t read books like this because in the past, I have not been interested in the Stuarts and Hanoverians, but as I have begun to dive more into the Stuarts, I think it was the perfect time to read this book.

Borman begins with a brief introduction to the early kings of England, the Anglo-Saxon kings, to show how different it was from the Norman kings. She has divided the book into sections to highlight the different dynasties; Norman, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian, and Windsor. Within each section is a mini-biography of each ruler during that dynasty. While there is not a whole lot of new information, it does give the reader a taste of what each reign was like.

As someone who usually reads about the Normans, Plantagenets, and Tudors, it was a nice review of the basic facts of the kings and queens during this span of history. Reading about the Stuarts, Hanoverians, and Windsors was something different for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me interested in studying the Stuarts and the Windsors, but I am on the fence about the Hanoverians. What is remarkable about the story is that the monarchy of England could have toppled at any point and did for a few years before it was restored, and continues to this day for over a thousand years.

Overall, I found this an interesting introductory read into the different dynasties that have shaped the English monarchy and the history of England. If you want new research about the individual monarchs, this might not be the book for you. However, if you want a great introductory book on the history of the British monarchy, I highly suggest you read, “Crown and Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II” by Tracy Borman.

Book Review: “Educating the Tudors” by Amy McElroy

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

63112680._SX318_ (1)When we think of the word “education,” images of sitting in school rooms for hours, listening to lectures, and doing endless homework pop into our minds. Our modern education system tends to focus on math, science, language arts, and history as the core subjects we study, with music and physical education as something that we in America call an “elective.” But have you ever wondered what education looked like in the past? How did the Tudors pass on their knowledge to future generations? What subjects did the Tudors consider essential, and how did the amount of education you received change depending on your class? Amy McElroy explores these questions in her book, “Educating the Tudors.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. When I heard about this book, it grabbed my attention because although many books about the Tudors have talked about elements of education, I have yet to see a book about Tudor education. I was curious to see how the rise of humanism would affect Tudor education throughout the 16th- century.

Before we dive into the differences in classes regarding education, McElroy gives her readers a breakdown of the different types of schools and what subjects each school teaches, including the trivium and quadrivium. She then dives into the Tudor monarchs and their education, starting with King Henry VIII, the first monarch in England to receive a humanist education. With royal children and their education, we are introduced to their royal tutors, like Giles Duwes, Bernard Andre, John Palsgrave, Roger Ascham, Desiderius Erasmus, and John Picton.

McElroy takes her readers on an educational journey through the different social classes, like nobility, gentry, and knights, to the common people. As she points out, the lower you get on the social ladder, the less critical education is to have a career. With the introduction of the printing press and the Reformation, the way students were taught and discussed religious issues changed throughout the 16th century. I loved learning about the popular books of the time, the different instruments and dances that were enjoyed, and what games were played during down times.

For McElroy’s first book, I found it very educational, informative, and easy to read. Her passion for humanism and the evolution of Tudor education exudes on each page. I took pages of notes about this book, and I learned so much from this debut. I cannot wait to see what Amy McElroy will write about next. To learn more about how the Tudors approached education and humanism, you should check out “Educating the Tudors” by Amy McElroy.