Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen and the Men Who Loved Her by Robert Stephen Parry A unique mixture of fact and fiction, this volume contains 14 short chapters on Queen Elizabeth I’s relationships with the various men in her life—from her cold and distant father to her trusted councilors and, of course, the well-documented round of suitors. While some chapters give… Read more »
I’ve decided to break this into parts, since it’s a hefty book and I’d like to give an extensive review. Chapters 1 through 4 are included in this first part. Inglorious Royal Marriages by Leslie Carroll Chapter 1 Henry VI & Margaret of Anjou Henry & Margaret’s marriage starts off badly when her impoverished father fails to provide a dowry… Read more »
The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Claire Ridgway A timeline of the final days of this controversial Queen of England, The Fall of Anne Boleyn recreates those harrowing months in 1536, with firsthand accounts, official documents and records, and court gossip. Though offering opinion here and there, many points of view are expressed from various biographers, and so there is… Read more »
The Anne Boleyn Collection by Claire Ridgway This book reads like a collection of essays and may be blog posts from The Anne Boleyn Files—I’m not familiar enough with the website to know if this is the case. It is arranged in an easy to follow style with the purpose of bringing some of the most valid arguments forward regarding… Read more »
The Prince Who Did Not Become King: Edward of Lancaster, 1453-1471 by Susan Higginbotham This critique of the short life of the son of England’s King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou covers the few known facts, mostly relayed through the political movements of his parents. The few documented fragments of his personality are historically biased, and discussed at length,… Read more »
Behind Jane Austen’s Door by Jennifer Forest You can read scores of Regency novels and never quite know the proper etiquette for visiting, or the hierarchy of social classes and what is expected of each. You see the romantic and gentlemanly side of the characters, but never the societal rules governing who can speak to whom, and who you should… Read more »
The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs by Leslie Carroll Book Description: Since the Middle Ages, the lavish world of the English monarchy has fascinated the public. The Royals: The Lives and Loves of the British Monarchs uncovers the most colorful characters ever to wear the crown, from William the Conqueror, the Norman duke who invaded and… Read more »
Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe by Leslie Carroll Leslie Carroll’s fourth “Royal” book covers twelve monarchs and their great loves. Chronicling many that aren’t found in the other books, and some simply from a different angle, Royal Romances is all about love matches. Beginning with the 15th Century French King, Charles VII… Read more »
Royal Pains: A Rogue’s Gallery of Brats, Brutes, and Bad Seeds by Leslie Carroll Spanning from the 12th century to the 20th century, a dozen royals–bad in their own special way–are chronicled in this collection of misdeeds, brutality, and (more often than not) insanity. A run-down of the contenders includes such personages as (the given) England’s King John, (the infamous)… Read more »
Royal Affairs by Leslie Carroll I read and loved Notorious Royal Marriages earlier this year and immediately went out and purchased its predecessor: Royal Affairs. This compendium of facts and figures on the other women (or men) in the lives of the British royals is just as fast-paced and witty, though with an eye-opening look at the other side of… Read more »
Notorious Royal Marriages by Leslie Carroll In my mind there is a subgenre in the history and biography sections of the bookstore which contains collections of non-fiction tidbits and anecdotes. Notorious Royal Marriages is one such book, and it resides on my bookshelf beside Eleanor Herman’s books and the Uppity Women series. While the latter are more humorous takes on… Read more »