Category Archives: Book Review

By Louise Gay A member of the French Academy, a veteran, and a resistance fighter against Nazi Germany, Maurice Druon (1918-2009) was one of the co-authors of the mythical Chant des partisans – the anthem of French Resistance. But among his many nationally acclaimed works, the Accursed Kings series of historical novels (Les Rois Maudits)Continue reading “Book Review: Les rois maudits by Maurice Druon”

By Louise Gay Translated from French to English by Angela Krieger, this book by Murielle Gaude-Ferragu (original publication in 2014) sheds a welcome light on the last medieval queens of France from the early fourteenth to the end of the fifteenth centuries. It focuses mainly on Valois queenship, exploring through nine thematic chapters (grouped inContinue reading “Book Review: Queenship in Medieval France, 1300-1500 by Murielle Gaude-Ferragu”

By Catherine Capel This volume, edited by Anne J. Duggan, celebrates the diverse aspects which make up the foundations of queenship in the Middle Ages. It analyses them through thematic lenses identifying core aspects affecting the execution of power by queens and the construction of queenship. The essays in this collection come from the conferenceContinue reading “Book Review: Queens and Queenship in Medieval Europe: Proceedings of a Conference Held at King’s College London, April 1995 by Anne J. Duggan”

By Catherine Capel Helen Castor’s She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth (2010) is perhaps one of the most well recognised popular biographies on English queens for both academic and public history lovers. Adapted into a popular BBCFOUR miniseries in 2018, Castor’s exploration of some of the women who ruled as queen consort orContinue reading “Book Review: She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor”

By Gabrielle Storey The women who feature in Game of Queens, its moniker to most contemporary readers appearing to play on the epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, undoubtedly draws parallels with the ruling women of G.R.R. Martin’s series. However, Gristwood’s intention is akin to the game of chess rather than the fantasy epic, demonstratingContinue reading “Book Review: Game of Queens. The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe by Sarah Gristwood”

By Johanna Strong With the growth of revisionist Marian work, scholars have begun to challenge the traditional view of Mary I, England’s first crowned queen regnant (1553-1558), as a religious zealot and tyrant. Instead, she has been revealed as a highly competent, politically savvy queen. In this revisionist scholarship, though, Mary’s personal relationship with herContinue reading “Book Review: The King’s Pearl: Henry VIII and his Daughter Mary by Melita Thomas”

By Johanna Strong *This review contains spoilers, the inclusion of which were necessary for a proper analysis of the work’s plot and character development.* As historians, we must stick to the facts. Occasionally, however, there comes a moment when every historian wonders “but what if…?”.

By Holly Marsden Queenship and Francophilia in Tolstoy’s War and Peace Tolstoy’s War and Peace was first published as a selection of short stories before its novel format in 1869. Beginning in July 1805 and ending in 1820, the epic story depicts the Napoleonic invasion of Russia and its effects on five aristocratic families. AlthoughContinue reading “Book Review: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy”

By Katia Wright Feature Image Caption: Book covers taken from Bloomsbury Publishing – bloomsbury.com. *WARNING* This review contains a lot of spoilers for all the published books in the series as of April 2021. This review discusses: 1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) 2. A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) 3. AContinue reading “Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Series by Sarah J. Maas: A Study of Queenship”