Contents:
Unlucky in weather and religion, the Stuarts were excellent when young but quickly deteriorated as they aged. Even Queen Victoria referred to them as that 'unhappy race'.
Still, Massie makes an excellent point in that a family that ruled for more than three centuries should not be considered failures. Fun to read and hard to put down, I think each reader will discover their own favourite Stuart royal by story end. These royals would make excellent bobbleheads. Mar 12, Melisende d'Outremer rated it it was ok Shelves: I found the info on the James' lacking in substance as well - which is pretty much what I was looking for - not particularly interested in the Stuarts after Charles - and Mary, quite frankly, is a pain in the arse.
Glad to see I was not the only one who couldn't rate it over two stars. Jun 09, Lois rated it liked it Shelves: It's easy light reading and fairly interesting. I don't know much about this period in history yet so I can't say if this was accurate or off. However, the author references Sir Walter Scott often and so I'm guessing not that accurate.
None the less an entertaining and light look at the Stuart Monarchs.
Dec 30, Ruth rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a very enjoyable read. I particularly appreciated how it lead the reader down the Stuart family tree. It just made all so much more sense to me, than reading individual biograph This was a very enjoyable read. It just made all so much more sense to me, than reading individual biographies one after another, to have the feeling of continuity.
This book doesn't include a huge amount of detail about each monarch, but instead focuses on the main themes of their life and adds in interesting points, where necessary, so it does miss out a huge amount. Having said that, it really sparked my interest in those about whom I knew nothing, and I intend to raid the bibliography!
It also struck me that this would make a great "introduction to" for people who know absolutely nothing about the Stuart family members and don't know where to start. It's written in an accessible way, giving you a real flavor of how the Scottish and English kingdoms were ruled differently, what made a successful monarch and what made a failure, and how much of history was essentially chaotic for this family.
I really liked it. Oct 30, Jason Cecil rated it really liked it. Fun for a royal history buff. Feb 09, Sally rated it really liked it Shelves: A fascinating look at where the Stuarts came from, how they came to power, and how that power was eventually lost due to the politics of a state faith.
Jan 29, Joyce rated it it was amazing. I actually really only a couple of chapters of this book; the project I am working on required only background on James 1 and Charles 1. I found it to be excellent. Good information, engaging, sympathetic to the personalities involved, and in the Charles 1 chapter, a blessedly succinct account of the English Civil War. Jul 16, Alison rated it liked it. Great presentation of a dynasty. Jul 22, Craig rated it liked it. I learned some interesting facts about the Stuarts.
The writing was a little dry and slow, but there were just enough bits of interesting things to make it worth slogging through. Jan 31, Karen rated it really liked it Shelves: A great explanation of the Stuart history and explanation of the reason and the failings of the Jacobite uprisings. I'm not a Scottish or royal history buff, by any means; I read this book because I share the same last name as the line of monarchs. That lack of background probably affected my enjoyment of the book a bit, as I wasn't familiar with all of the details of Scottish and English history and geography that were assumed.
As a result, I read this book with Wikipedia at my elbow as a study guide. Unfortunately, I soon began to realize that the Wikipedia articles were usually about as engaging as and f I'm not a Scottish or royal history buff, by any means; I read this book because I share the same last name as the line of monarchs. Unfortunately, I soon began to realize that the Wikipedia articles were usually about as engaging as and far more informative than the book itself.
My complaint is partly Massie's writing style, which I wasn't impressed with. His tone is a little academic or formal, even though he's clearly trying to write an accessible, popular history. He's a well known, prolific and apparently very popular author, so maybe it's just me. His forte is historical fiction, and I have to imagine that those novels must be written more engagingly. In this book, he has split the difference between historical fiction and history: I didn't find this combination appealing, and would rather read a bona fide historical account, or an unabashed historical fiction.
I don't want to be entirely negative, though. I did learn a lot, and enjoyed the result, if not the process. Jan 31, C rated it really liked it Shelves: Through this well-written historical account, Masse makes the volatile and intriguing politics of Western Europe, particularly Scotland and England, almost understandable — no small task. Though the genealogy gets a bit confusing at times due to the repetitious use of given names among historical personages, the author provides family trees at the beginning of the book to which the reader can flip back for reference.
The book covers the Stuarts from their beginnings in Scotland to their inherita Through this well-written historical account, Masse makes the volatile and intriguing politics of Western Europe, particularly Scotland and England, almost understandable — no small task.
Massie shows an adept skill at bringing history to life for the reader through his careful selection of detail to create brief but informative narratives on each individual in the Stuarts regal lineage. Jul 01, Kate rated it liked it Shelves: I was excited to pick up this book, to read more about monarchs I had only read about tangentially. The format of one monarch per chapter appealed as I felt it would give the author a better chance to focus.
I was left without as much information as I wanted. Massie is also a Mary apologist w Eh. Novels, by definition, are not true. While they may contain an element of truth, they should not be taken as fact. I'm bummed this wasn't what I wanted it to be. Mar 16, Cheryl rated it liked it. I picked this up because having read enough historical fiction, generally set in England and Scotland especially Diana Gabaldon's wonderful series , I thought I would try to get more background on what led to the Jacobite rebellion.
Plus, I was curious about Mary, Queen of Scots. She gets such mixed press, I wanted to see what a more historical fiction author would say. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of additional historical material the author incorporated, and I def I picked this up because having read enough historical fiction, generally set in England and Scotland especially Diana Gabaldon's wonderful series , I thought I would try to get more background on what led to the Jacobite rebellion.
I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of additional historical material the author incorporated, and I definitely have a better sense of how the whole issues between England and Scotland came about. A very well written narrative, which I recommend. My only issue is that the main breaks are at the end of each king, which made it difficult to start and stop.
Jul 04, Stuart rated it really liked it Shelves: An excellent overview of three hundred tumultuous and pivotal years in the history of Scotland and England. Keeping the focus on this extraordinary family and their dramatic, at times tragic, lives, the narrative still gives a good understanding of the politics and nature of the times. The book is well written and thorough, even given its brevity and wide scope. From the rise of the Stuarts in Scotland, to Mary Queen of Scots, to the joining of the crowns, to the Civil War, to the Glorious Revolu An excellent overview of three hundred tumultuous and pivotal years in the history of Scotland and England.
From the rise of the Stuarts in Scotland, to Mary Queen of Scots, to the joining of the crowns, to the Civil War, to the Glorious Revolution, and finally the romantic, quixotic Jacobite struggles, it's a wonderful story. Nov 17, Georgina rated it really liked it Shelves: So far the only historical factual book I have listened to.
Most definitely interesting however I think that this type of book should be READ as opposed to being listened to as I was always wanting to stop it and consult a family tree and notes, supplied, I am sure, in the written edition. Would definitely read another of this author - but read and not listen to unless I knew more of the subject than I do about the JAM So far the only historical factual book I have listened to.
Jul 06, Maddy Barone rated it really liked it. A history of the Stuart family from the early Middle Ages through Bonnie Prince Charlie's little brother's death in the 18th century. Unlike some heavy, boring "scholarly" tomes, this one is easy to read and understand. For someone who wants an overview of the history, this is perfect. An in-depth study would require several volumes. Here, history is presented in ways even the non-scholar can understand and relate to.
Feb 10, Karen Floyd rated it liked it Shelves: A decent overview the the Stewart dynasty from its earliest beginnings in Scotland to the death of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his brother. I didn't always agree with his readings of character he has a romantic view of Mary Queen of Scots and I'm a bit dubious about his citing Macaulay, Scott and Stevenson as sources, but on the other hand he doesn't claim to be writing a scholarly work.
And he did pique my interest in reading more Scott. Nov 20, Sandra Strange rated it liked it Shelves: If you have Scottish ancestors, you really ought to read this well written account of the royal family of Scotland that ended up ruling England, then lost the throne because of their religious belief, mostly. From Mary Queen of Scots to Bonny Prince Charlie, the Stuarts were fascinatingly arrogant, intelligent, good looking and somewhat self destructive.
Their history reveals interesting details of this crucial time in English history. Aug 03, Kelly rated it liked it. The names and titles were difficult to remember. The genealogy chart included with the book was not sufficient enough to thwart confusion.
Portraits of the historical figures depicted would have been exceptionally helpful in separating one James from the dozen or so other Jameses. Otherwise, a thorough historical account, albeit rather dry at times; nevertheless, worth the read for anyone excessively interested in English and Scottish history. Nov 21, Glittermystic rated it it was amazing. I wasn't sure if this would be as dry as The Tudors, and was pleasantly surprised. The Stuarts were definitely an interesting dynasty!
The book is filled with anecdotes that really bring them to life. I listened to the unabridged audiobook which perhaps made some of the stories, such as Charles Stuart on the run, even more vivid and entertaining. Jul 21, Jennifer rated it liked it Shelves: Not a bad overview of the Stuart dynasty. Of course, the problem with overviews is that there's always a lot of information that I've seen before, and the interesting parts tend to be too truncated to fit within the scope of the work at hand. Still, it's a good jumping-off place. And now I have a list of individuals whose biographies I want to look for.
Mar 08, Craig rated it liked it Shelves: Pretty much what the title of the book promotes.
Unfortunately, it's one of those history books that seems to assume its readers come prepared with a decent background in the subject being profiled which in this case was not accurate for my British historical knowledge. And I was hoping for more interesting stories than what Massie offered. Had its moments, but too few and too far between. Jul 30, Diana rated it really liked it Shelves: I really enjoyed this book of royal biographies. It took you through a consise biography of each of the Stuart rulers, and told you both the good and the bad of each one without sugar coating it.
If you like biograhpies of the older royal families, or enjoy British history I highly recommend this one. Aug 16, Daniel Kukwa rated it liked it Shelves: A competent, easy to read, and well-organized history of the Stuart royal line of Scotland and England.
The Royal Stuarts: A History of the Family That Shaped Britain [Allan Massie] on bahana-line.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Compelling A masterly feat . Editorial Reviews. Review. Praise for The Royal Stuarts. "Not just for history lovers but anyone hooked on Showtime's The Tudors or, currently, The Borgias.
It's not the most electrifying work of history, but it does a fine job recounting the lives of the earliest Stuart kings There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Allan Massie born is a well-known Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist. He is also the author of nearly 30 books, including 20 novels.
He is notable for writing about the distant past. Books by Allan Massie. See All Goodreads Deals…. There is absolutely nothing dry about his narrative: For a start, you have the kings themselves: James I is murdered in his nightgown on page 38, James II is killed by part of a cannon exploding in his face on page 55, James III is murdered after a skirmish on page 65, James IV is found slain at Flodden on page 84 and James V dies mysteriously on page So many killings take place that you can open the book at almost any page and find someone being butchered — not just the kings themselves but their nobles, too.
Men with poetic names such as the Wolf of Badenoch, Bell-the-Cat and the Black Knight of Lorne make their dramatic entries and — all too often — their equally dramatic exits. And we have not even started on the big names of the family history: The Restoration and the Glorious Revolution are epilogues to a drama that makes Italian opera look humdrum. Allan Massie is a gifted writer and his story is full of sympathy for the characters.
What it lacks in scholarly precision it makes up for in spirit. All the familiar anecdotes and epithets are here: This is the very opposite of revisionism. Yet there are pointers for more profound reflection, too. Massie draws attention to a paradox: Why were there no usurpers, despite a string of minorities?
The answer is a matter of human understanding as much as historical scholarship. Evocative, visceral — haunting, even — this is a well-written introduction to the vulnerability of the royal family in medieval Scotland and early modern Britain.
Buy 'The Royal Stuarts: Get the best at Telegraph Puzzles. A collection of the best contributions and reports from the Telegraph focussing on the key events, decisions and moments in Churchill's life.
This book tells the story of the men and women of Fighter Command who worked tirelessly in air bases scattered throughout Britain to thwart the Nazis. The essential gift book for any pet lover - real-life tales of devoted dogs, rebellious cats and other unforgettable four-legged friends.
A complete edition of John James Audubon's world famous The Birds of America, bound in linen and beautifully presented in a special slipcase.