Recent Reads – July 2013
1776 – David McCullough
It’s an easy, informative read that tracks the first year of the Revolution. 1776 actually opens during the siege of Boston in 1775 and ends shortly after the American victory at Princeton in January, 1777. McCullough breaks the events down into last chapters then into smaller sections within those. His writing style is very easy to read and flows well. Most Americans will recognize many of the battles and events (like the Declaration of Independence), but McCullough provides a lot more detail than you normally see in history texts. Overall, this is a great read.
The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen – Susan Bordo
Several Tudor history sites and blogs I follow shared The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo, so I picked it up at Barnes & Noble. It’s not quite a full biography but examines how Anne Boleyn became Anne Boleyn, wily seductress to some and Protestant martyr to others. This is a very interesting work, and I really enjoyed it.
The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire – Susan Ronald
I just finished The Pirate Queen by Susan Ronald. It was quite an interesting read and covers in detail her frequently-mentioned and maligned privateers. Overall, it’s an easy read and sheds new light on an aspect of Tudor history that really isn’t mentioned beyond the big names.
The Kingmaker’s Daughter – Philippa Gregory
The Kingmaker’s Daughter is Philippa Gregory’s newest edition of her The Cousins’ War series. This story focuses on Queen Anne Neville, daughter of the Kingmaker Earl of Warwick and wife to the much-maligned King Richard III. I do like that Philippa Gregory weaves the stories of The Cousins’ War together. The women led overlapping lives, so it’s appropriate that novels about them do the same.
The White Queen – Philippa Gregory
I reread the second in Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War series, The White Queen. Even though it came out first, the story is the natural sequel to The Lady of the Rivers because it features Jacquetta’s daughter, Elizabeth Woodville. It’s a good read about the woman who became Queen of England by marrying Edward IV.
The Lady of the Rivers – Philippa Gregory
I finally read the third installment in Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War series: The Lady of the Rivers. I bought it several years ago and just never read. Overall, I liked the book. Ms. Gregory spins a good story from a tantalizingly thin historical record. The Lady is Jacquetta, Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Lady Rivers. She was the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort of England.
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