Recent Reads – March 2021

The Boleyns: The Rise and Fall of a Tudor Family – David Loades

As the tagline suggests, The Boleyns looks at the the career of Anne Boleyn and her family. It’s a short and sweet overview of the lives of a family that rose to the highest heights. You do get a bit more information on Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn than in similar books. Depending on your knowledge of the Boleyns, you may not learn a whole lot of new stuff.

America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines – Gail Collins

Overall, Gall Collins gave us a fairly comprehensive look at women across United States history that’s well-written and easy to read. It’s organized chronologically and provides short chapters about different women. But one, big, glaring issue: basically all of the women featured are white or black. You won’t find many other women of color in this 400-page book. The author also glosses over several eras of American history.

Women of the Revolution: Bravery and Sacrifice on the Southern Battlefields – Robert M. Dunkerly

The author, a park ranger, explores the roles women played during the Southern theater of the American Revolution. The stories are organized by the battle or skirmish. Some of the stories seem based on family stories. It’s a quick read that gives some new insights into the time.

Shocking Secrets of American History: 115 Surprising and Amusing Tales – Bill Coate

I grabbed this book from the bargain section of Barnes and Noble. You’ll read through 100 or so one-page snippets of different “shocking secrets.” Honestly, I found very few of these to be secrets or shocking. They’re more quirky anecdotes of American history. An interesting coffee table book, especially if you can find it cheaply.

The Lost Kings: Lancaster, York, and Tudor – Amy Licence

Amy Licence dives into the world of death, burial, and mourning while exploring the lives of the lost Lancaster, York, and Tudor kings. Some were actual kings (Edward V and VI), some were heirs who died young, and the others had a claim to the throne. Overall, I found this book quite interesting. It does get a bit morbid with all of the death details, but it is interesting to consider “what might have been” if these young men hadn’t died young.

What have you been reading lately?