Recent Reads – March 2020

Golden Age Ladies: Women Who Shaped the Courts of Henry VIII and Francis I – Sylvia Barbara Soberton

Golden Age Ladies looks at the lives of women in the early years of the reigns of Henry VIII and Francis I. It focuses a bit more on the French women. This was a quick and interesting read. If you’re a fan of Tudor history, you know who these women are. This book gives you a bit more detail about who they were and what happened in their lives.

Divided Affections: The Extraordinary Life of Maria Cosway: Celebrity Artist and Thomas Jefferson’s Impossible Love – Carol Burnell

Maria Cosway was a talented artist who lived in Italy, France, and England during the American and French Revolutions. She moved with the best and brightest in society and had a dalliance with Thomas Jefferson. So this should be a really good book, right? Not quite. The author decided to invent and include fictional scenarios based on the history. Most of the details about Maria’s relationship with Thomas Jefferson come through these invented scenes, so you don’t really get to learn the history. You also lose the narrative really quickly because the author darts back and forth and throws dozen of names at you. This is one to skip.

The Real History of the American Revolution: A New Look at the Past – Alan Axelrod

If you’re looking for a book the covers the whole American Revolution, check this one out. It’s a comprehensive look at how the Revolution occurred and the major events throughout the war. You also don’t get bogged down in the military history details. This is a solid option if you want a book to reference the major events or as a starting point to learn more about the Revolution.

Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of Henry VIII – Gareth Russell

The reign of Katherine Howard tends to be glossed over because Henry VIII’s fourth and fifth marriages lasted about two years total. Young and Damned and Fair examines her short life (she was probably under 21 when she was executed). It traces her Howard family heritage and how she came to be queen. Gareth Russell is a great storyteller, and I really enjoyed the narrative he wrote. You’ll also get a bit more detail about what happened across England in the years 1540 and 1541. I would definitely recommend this book.

Do you have any good book recommendations?

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