I can not recommend this book. A better book dealing with Queen Caroline of Ansbach is King George II & Queen Caroline by John van der Kiste. The authorI can not recommend this book. A better book dealing with Queen Caroline of Ansbach is King George II & Queen Caroline by John van der Kiste. The author forms a hypothesis that Queen Caroline of Ansbach was similar to Maggie Thatcher, only the facts don't really support this thesis and so the author bends the facts to fit his hypothesis. The author is incredibly sexist and obsessed with this deceased Queens breasts in a distracting and obnoxious manner. I don't know why those comments weren't edited out. What a farce.
Merged review:
I can not recommend this book. A better book dealing with Queen Caroline of Ansbach is King George II & Queen Caroline by John van der Kiste. The author forms a hypothesis that Queen Caroline of Ansbach was similar to Maggie Thatcher, only the facts don't really support this thesis and so the author bends the facts to fit his hypothesis. The author is incredibly sexist and obsessed with this deceased Queens breasts in a distracting and obnoxious manner. I don't know why those comments weren't edited out. What a farce....more
4.5 Stars Rounded up This was well researched, well written, interesting, and easily accessible to casual readers of history. This does presume the read4.5 Stars Rounded up This was well researched, well written, interesting, and easily accessible to casual readers of history. This does presume the reader is familiar with the players of this time period....more
This is detailed, well researched, and almost too much info, to be honest. There's not much known about this daughter of James I, 3.75 stars rounded up
This is detailed, well researched, and almost too much info, to be honest. There's not much known about this daughter of James I, and this filled that gap nicely....more
This was extremely well done. This offers history of the continent,briefly, in leading up to the reign of Charlemagne. This also continues after his deThis was extremely well done. This offers history of the continent,briefly, in leading up to the reign of Charlemagne. This also continues after his death with what happens and gives archeological info, as well as historical sources. I was quite impressed with how this was handed....more
I'm struggling with rating and reviewing this. I don't think it shouldn't be read or anything like that but it isn't a decent history book either.
Some I'm struggling with rating and reviewing this. I don't think it shouldn't be read or anything like that but it isn't a decent history book either.
Some of this info was well researched but a lot of this simply regurgitates other historians research without significantly stating why the author agrees and included their research vs other historians.
In histories that cover large amounts of players I don't expect the author to have themselves checked 1st source documents. I do however expect them to read multiple sources and chose what best fits their narrative. This feels like the author Googled the major players and didn't do much research beyond that.
I think this can have value if you already understand the players and the game. This isn't a good introduction to the Habsburg Empire in my opinion....more
This is light but detailed on the rulers of The Hapsburg Dynasty. The info on the other players is considerably lighter and I spent some time looking uThis is light but detailed on the rulers of The Hapsburg Dynasty. The info on the other players is considerably lighter and I spent some time looking up connected children and siblings. I'm not overly familiar with this dynasty though I have read biographies on Carlos V & Philip II as well as a recent biography on Maria Theresa and multiple biographies of Marie Antoinette. I found some of the suppositions and offered facts questionable and some outright wrong. For example: 'Maria Theresia was staggeringly successful at dynastic reproduction: over 19 years she gave birth to 16 children, 10 of whom lived into adulthood. One of the most remarkable things about her as a ruler was that she helped raise all these children yet wisely governed a huge monarchy at the same time.' This is not true. Maria Theresa's children didn't all live with or near her. She over saw their tutors and guardians. The oldest few had the most regular contact with her. This is standard for the times in which she lived and may have been true even if she wasn't working as monarch. Certainty her work expectations outweighed the availability to provide much personal care to her offspring. The family did have family time at holidays and vacations and MT was a caring parent. I mean for the most part anyway via the standards for the age in which she lived. Also Carlos V & Philip II are presented in a very biased and white supremacist, colonialist perspective. The author suggests that Carlos V was considered a generous ruler by his South American subjects and I know for a fact Aztec history doesn't match that description at all. It's standard in European histories to ignore the historical records of POC who were oppressed and colonized and thats racist....more
This moved along and was interesting, more or less. Bit of standard sexism. I'm not as familiar with this time period so I am unsure of the accuracy, seThis moved along and was interesting, more or less. Bit of standard sexism. I'm not as familiar with this time period so I am unsure of the accuracy, seems to match other history books I've read on this period ...more
3.5 stars rounded down Some of the tone of this did not appeal to me. This is very light and skims the involved players which us understandable for a vo3.5 stars rounded down Some of the tone of this did not appeal to me. This is very light and skims the involved players which us understandable for a volume like this. The notes and resources included are extensive so this appears and feels well researched. Would read another history text by this author...more
This is definitely history light. Its fun, easy to read or in my case listen to and is interesting as well. Unfortunately its also inaccurate. The detailThis is definitely history light. Its fun, easy to read or in my case listen to and is interesting as well. Unfortunately its also inaccurate. The details on Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette aren't based on the most current info. I'm only passingly familiar with the Hapsburg empire but I've studied the events leading up to The French Revolution in some depth and serious study as well. John Hardman's biographies on Louis XVI as well as Marie Antoinette are seriously handled, in depth and fully sourced. Munro Price's 'The Road from Versailles: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the Fall of the French Monarchy' offers richness and depth to the politics of the French Revolution and the fall of the Ancien Regime. This book, however, is both light on actual facts and heavy on presenting conjecture as fact.
I believe personally that Marie Antoinette had a long term affair with Axel von Fersen and I think its likely Louis XVI knew about this relationship. The thing is I'm aware that there's no direct evidence to this effect. It's possible that Louis Charles, Louis XVII, was the child of Fersen, though I find it extremely unlikely.
Treating these fun conjectures as if they are facts is wrong, to do so without direct sources to support such statements renders this 'biography' largely fiction. That's really the issue for me. If I can catch the authors repeated inaccuracies given my limited expertise in this area that renders the rest of the work suspect as well. This isn't well sourced when these claims would need to be heavily cited. Honestly, I'm not sure the author really even read the books cited in the text as I find it hard to believe given how the author characterized Louis XVI that she actually read John Hardman's bio on him.
I purposely read this slowly so I could check sources, none were really offered in the audiobook but even in the Kindle copy sources were light until the end of the book and even then simply a 'Selected Bibliography' which is not sufficient to cover the claims put forth in this biography. Still, I double checked as I could with the books I'd read on Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette as well as the French Revolution as a whole. This lacks adequate sourcing for the sheer amount of historical conjecturing.
This is entertaining but heavily biased and really of no use as a history source. I have enjoyed this author's previous biographies and wish her no ill will. I was asked for a review in exchange for a free copy but I turned that down when I read the early reviews and purchased my own copies, so I could fairly review this and this is simply my honest review.
I returned both my kindle & audible book copy because I feel strongly that it is not okay for nonfiction history books to go off-script like this....more
I would recommend: Munro Price, John Hardman, Roger Price & Jeremy Popkin for information on France from the Versailles period through the revolution.I would recommend: Munro Price, John Hardman, Roger Price & Jeremy Popkin for information on France from the Versailles period through the revolution. This is primarily a history of the French governing state, 95% monarchy. It's a poor history as well as biased. This is just terrible considering when it's written and relies much too heavily on Christopher Hibbert who is not a good source. This was a waste of a library digital rental ...more
Updating this as I'm using it as a source in my current research. This is incredibly well sourced. The author shares her sources so completely that I'vUpdating this as I'm using it as a source in my current research. This is incredibly well sourced. The author shares her sources so completely that I've been able to track them easily and found the sources do indeed say exactly what us reported and more. This also tracks early ideas of race & racism to before the crusades. Noting that much is debated in Greek & Roman times about the differences in sexuality in women born in hot climates vs women in colder climates being more frigid. This is scarily relevant to how Black marginalized genders are viewed today in comparison with how white marginalized genders are viewed.
This also finds that what are known today as white Christians would be the first group to tie the 'race' to social characteristics. White European Crusaders viewed themselves as 'racially' Christian. Also existed an idea that Christianity removed skin color or washed the person clean inside & out. So Muslims are described using racist stereotyping but not Morisco converts. So the act of converting to Christianity 'whitens' the physical body and soul. There are multiple Medieval plays using this tired theme. At the sametime a fascination or obsession with the Black body begins to be reflected in artwork of the period.
This book basically tracks Black folks in Europe from Roman times to present. It's fascinating, well sourced and fully able to support its conclusions. Incredibly well done. Probably going to reread this.
Truth is I finished this the day after I started it...more
**spoiler alert** This book is a long winded boring mess. The author's stated opinions are both sexist & racist; in addition he uses this bias to prese**spoiler alert** This book is a long winded boring mess. The author's stated opinions are both sexist & racist; in addition he uses this bias to present an inaccurate history of Charles V. There is tons of information but it is hopelessly unorganized. This is an extremely complex and complicated period in history. You need to know all of the players on your own before reading this. The book includes a section on the children of Chales V but facts about them are sprinkled throughout the book and not in an orderly or logical manner. The author primarily focuses on war and battles. Now this is important to this period but the author never even clearly delineates all of Charles holdings, the government bodies and policies. Again you are expected to know this already. There's not enough info on the actual players in Charles life. This really matters because of the size and type of his Empire. This is a disservice and kinda makes this a useless collection of battle dates. The author has a very limited view, cites lots of research but tailors his findings along biased lines. Example in the the first couple chapters about Charles V's parents. He totally removes all of the well documented abuse that Philip I inflicted on Juana I. Even for her sexist times he was considered wildly abusive. He locked her in room, he took away her clothes so she couldn't socialize with the court, he played horrible mind games with her. Instead the author portrays Philip as the model father and Juana as mean and unbalanced. Considering when this was written it's beyond irresponsible history.
The author purposely culled the sources in order to create the image he wanted to portray, which is how biographies work. In this case very unhelpfully. Charles V is an asshole with no redeeming qualities. He stole from and betrayed all of his siblings as well as his own mother. He fucked over his wife and his kids-legitimate and otherwise. He was unspeakably cruel to his mother whom he kept in a dark room for decades lying to her, isolating her and allowing her jailers to abuse and torture her. He rarely visited but when he did it was steal her treasures. Cortez and Conquistadors happen on Charles V's watch and the author thinks he cared unusually for Indigenous peoples of the Americas....more
This is long, detailed, interesting and worth reading. I gave 3 stars because this focuses more on Juana as documented by the players around her. Also tThis is long, detailed, interesting and worth reading. I gave 3 stars because this focuses more on Juana as documented by the players around her. Also this places a lot of focus on her son, Carlos V. I understand theres more available about those that held her captive than what she thought or felt. That's also true in biographies about thoss held in chattel slavery. That's handled by documenting sources but the enslaved person remains at the center despite the fact that we have nothing written in their own hand. Something similar should've been done here. I think this is possibly a nice companion to the biography written by Bethany Aram. Unfortunately I'm unable to access that other than purchasing it and it's at text book prices so hard pass...more
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