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Every week Tanzanite features upcoming historical fiction and history related non-fiction books that have come to her attention and may be of interest to others. Since she has an out of control TBR pile, so should everyone else!
Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible by David Teems. Non-ficition. US and UK release October 19, 2010. Written with a touch of the irreverent, Majestie is a shared biography: that of the first Stuart King of England (James I) and the Bible that goes by his name. It is part tabloid, part history lesson, part speculation; but it's all James. A biography of James Stuart is a study in paradox, one that entertains as much as it informs. James I waddles through history, sidewise and crablike. Intellectually astute, he can dazzle and charm with the polish of his rhetoric one minute, and speak with the vulgarity of a tavern bawd the next. James is an amusing mix of bombast and majesty, of sparkle and grime, of smut and brilliance, of visionary headship and foolishness. And only he, this all-too-human king, our flawed James, could have given us the great book he did. Early in his reign, James fashioned himself as the "new Solomon," the pacifist prince entering the "the land of promise," that is, the England inherited from his cousin Elizabeth. But the milk and honey he expected was a mirage. Still, in many respects he flirts with greatness. He is the first king of a united, or "Great Britain." For all his foibles, all his bungling, James possesses an evolved sense of majesty, a type of faith in majesty itself, and wants nothing more than for his new Bible to reflect this majesty, to gild and elevate the reign, to be the great medicine that might heal the realm. Colorful, witty, imperfect, sensuous, bawdy, intelligent, England has had no king like him, nor any book like the one he bequeathed us, before or since. .jpg)
Lives of the Queens of England (in eight volumes) by Agnes Strickland. Non-fiction. US and UK reissue October 28, 2010. Available individually or in a single compliation. The English writer Agnes Strickland (1796-1874) began her career writing poetry and romances before turning to biographical studies. This eight-volume series, written in collaboration with her sister Elizabeth, and first published between 1840 and 1849, was her most ambitious project. It provides accounts of the queens of England from Matilda of Flanders to Queen Anne. Hugely popular in the Victorian period, Lives of the Queens of England and its sequel Lives of the Queens of Scotland remain important landmarks in the development of biography as a genre, and provide interesting perspectives on women's contribution to modern historiography. Volume 1 contains eight biographies of medieval queens, from Matilda of Flanders (c.1031-1083) to Anne of Bohemia in the fourteenth century. Volume 2 contains accounts of the queens from Isabella of Valois (1313-1383) to Anne Boleyn (1501-1536), the second wife of Henry VIII. Volume 3 covers the last four wives of Henry VIII, and his elder daughter, Mary I (1516-1558), first queen regnant of England and Ireland. Volume 4 focuses on Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), detailing the 'vicissitudes' of her childhood before giving a full account of her reign. Volume 5 is devoted to Anne of Denmark (1574-1619), Henrietta Maria of France (1609-1669), and the Portuguese Infanta Catharine of Braganza (1638-1705). Volume 6 focuses on Mary of Modena (1658-1718), her marriage with James II, and her period of exile at the court of Louis XIV. Volume 7 focuses on Mary II (1662-1694), and discusses her complicated relationship with her father, James II, and her sister, the future Queen Anne. Volume 8 focuses on Queen Anne (1665-1714), portraying her 'gentle and indulgent' temperament, and describing the political turmoil of her reign.The Marrying of Anne of Cleves: Royal Protocol in Early Modern England by Retha Warnicke. Non-fiction. US and UK reissue November 4, 2010.
This book is a study of the marrying of Anne of Cleves to King Henry VIII. It contains fascinating material--including "demonic" interference and sexual politics at court--that differs greatly from the usual stereotyped accounts of Anne. It also provides a rich new context of royal courtship rituals, and a startling account of the king's failure to consummate his marriage. Henry's decision to ally himself with this German noblewoman in 1540 was in part a reaction to the Franco-Imperial Treaty mediated by Pope Paul III, who renewed a suspended bull of excommunication against Henry in the hope of isolating England diplomatically. The subsequent marriage procedures, from the advent of negotiations and the portrait of Anne by Hans Holbein the Younger to Henry's Rochester greeting of Anne--in disguise--and the Greenwich nuptials, all followed usual royal protocol. However, the king's sexual incapacity, which prevented the consummation of the marriage, culminated in the fall and subsequent execution of Thomas Cromwell and his client Lord Hungerford, who were both tarred with the brush of sexual heresy. Retha M. Warnicke is Professor of History at Arizona State University. She is the author of several books, including The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn (Cambridge 1989).
Delilah by Eleanor de Jong. UK release April 7, 2011.
Maligned as the courtesan who revealed the mighty Samson's secret for money, Delilah has become synonymous with treachery. But behind the myth is a tale far more tragic! From the moment they met, there was a fire in their relationship, with Samson pitted against Delilah's family. But Samson soon develops an overwhelming passion for Delilah; entranced by her beauty and passionate nature. Meanwhile the Israelites and the Philistines are in a state of constant conflict, with Samson a seemingly unbeatable warrior. The Philistines are desperate to learn the secret behind Samson's power and enrol Delilah as a pawn to bring him down. Driven by misplaced anger, Delilah agrees to use her wiles to discover the secret of his strength. But Delilah finds that Samson is far from the ogre that she had assumed. But a sequence of events have been set in motion which both of them are powerless to stop. The consequences of her mistake have gone down in history and this wonderful novel is as alluring and beguiling as Delilah herself. The perfect treat for fans of Sarah Dunant and Philippa Gregory.
Prince by Rory Clements. UK release April 7, 2011. Third in series.
The spring of 1593 brought fear and rumour to the city of London. Tarnished is the Golden age, torment is rife. As a small cart clatters through the streets of London carrying a cask of gunpowder, Marlowe’s murder sparks a mysterious hunt for justice as John Shakespeare must find answers to protect his family and the creaking realm. The scheming murderer, the seductive mistress, the calculating assistant and the cold assassin concoct a haze of conspiracies as Shakespeare encounters a world fraught with hidden agendas, danger and deception.
Fortress of Spears by Anthony Riches. US and UK release April 14, 2011.
The battle for Hadrian's Wall has been won but the enemy is not destroyed. Calgus, the rebel war leader, has retreated deep into his people's northern territory. The new Roman leader makes an audacious plan to take the legions - and more important, the cavalry - north to their strongholds. Marcus Aquila, disguised as Centurion Corvus, is caught up in the campaign even though it will mean constant danger of being discovered by his family's enemies. His protectors, though, are powerful . . .(looks like third in a series – previous books: Wounds of Honor and Arrows of Fury)
Interesting that they are re-releasing the Agnes Strickland series. I remember reading a volume way back in high school.
August 4, 2010 1:50 PM