Recent reads – August 2018

And we’re back with another edition of Recent Reads. I’m still catching up on recaps of what I’ve read in the past three years. I’m also slowly chipping away at the never-ending, always-growing piles of books on my bookshelves.

Betsy Ross and the Making of America – Marla Miller

Considering Betsy Ross is such a figure in American legend, I was surprised to only find one biography on her written for adults. I would definitely recommend this biography because it is well-written and enjoyable. I think most Americans associate Betsy Ross with the first flag, but I learned so much about her. She was widowed three times (her first two husbands died in the Revolution). The author also gives an interesting overview of the upholstery business Betsy Ross’ family ran and how that resulted in her commission of the first American flag.

Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder – W.W. Norton

Any fellow Tudor history fans out there may be familiar with Bess of Hardwick. She rose from reasonably humble origins to become a major political player in the late Elizabethan era. Bess was a woman who got what she wanted. She made four increasingly impressive marriages, her last to the Earl of Shrewsbury. She befriended (and then fell out with) two queens, Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. Bess also shrewdly improved her family situation through real estate, the marriages of her children, and her many connections. She became grandmother to Arbella Stuart, a woman many considered to be the next Queen of England after Elizabeth. I would also recommend this biography, even though it’s a bit long (especially if you love Tudor England history).

Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution – Nathaniel Philbrick

I happened across one of Nathaniel Philbrick’s books at the library when we lived in North Carolina. I’m glad I did because I really enjoy his writing style. Philbrick lives in Massachusetts and has written a handful of books about events in Massachusetts. This one dives into the political situation in Boston that led to the Battle of Bunker Hill. It also gives a solid history of the battle (with lots of information that was new to me). If you like narrative histories (which I do), you will probably enjoy this. Another book I recommend.

The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria’s Youngest Daughter – Matthew Dennison

As the title details, this biography examines the life of Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. By the time Beatrice arrived, Victoria and Albert had already decided that they wanted one of their younger daughters to not marry and stay at home with them in their old age. Yeah. Beatrice happened to be that child because she was only four when Albert died. Victoria relied heavily on her from a young age as many of her older siblings married and moved away in the first years of Victoria’s bereavement. While it was well-written, I wasn’t overly enthralled with this book. Beatrice at times disappears from the narrative, and I found myself increasingly frustrated with Victoria’s treatment of Beatrice and her siblings. If you’re a Victoria fan, you may enjoy it.

Tudor Versus Stewarts: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary, Queen of Scots – Linda Porter

This book delves into the dual and dueling reigns of the Tudor and Stuart (Stewart) monarchs, starting with Henry VII of England and James IV of Scotland. Considering how related these families were, they did not get along. Each section compares and contrasts the reigns of the contemporary monarchs and examines how those reigns affected the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. I personally enjoyed this book, even if I didn’t learn anything new.

What have you read lately? Any good recommendations?