The King's Henchman - Anthony Adolph

I don't pretend to know much about history -certainly not Stuart history. I'm vaguely aware that James I (or VI of Scotland) succeeded Elizabeth I. I'm also aware that Charles I was before the 'Commonwealth', and Charles II was after. I sort of know that the 'Restoration' was Charles II, but that is the limit of my knowledge - or it was, anyway.

Henry Jermyn served both Charles I, and Charles II. But, far more importantly, he served Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, and the mother of Charles II. He seemed to be her real soul-mate, from the beginning when he was dispatched to Paris to negotiate her marriage to Charles, to the very end. He survived her by several years, but his life seemed defined by service to her.

It was rumoured then that they were lovers - who knows? Charles II was considerably taller than both his parents, far more like the imposing height of Henry Jermyn.

I've learned a lot from this book. A lot about the politics of the time, and how the kings of the time were supported and influenced by a limited number of powerful noblemen.

Jermyn had many spheres of influence: not just the queen and the kings, he was possibly an important freemason, and also built 'St James' in London - St James Square, Jermyn Street, etc, following the influence of European classical architecture.

An interesting book giving me a much deeper understanding of 17th C history.

7/10

King of Shadows

Back in the 70's, as a young adult, I read quite a lot of childrens fantasy/magic novels - Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Ursula Le Guin, etc.  So I was quite intrigued when I read about "King of Shadows" on a friend's blog, since it was written by Susan Cooper. Even more so, as it is about 1599.

This is a childrens' book, about a boy who unexpectedly finds himself in 1599, back in the world of Shakespeare and the Chamberlain's Men and the newly build Globe Theatre.  I'll not go into how he gets there, what happens, and how he returns to 1999 - or the ending - which even now has me thinking about what actually was supposed to have happened - you can read the book for that.

I was engaged, the characterisations were good, the ambience and scene setting were well done. I could picture London in 1599. I enjoyed reading it, I certainly would have enjoyed it as a child - even though there really are few female characters to identify with. There is a twist at the end, which by it's nature is left unexplained, but which invites thought and reflection. I suppose my mind wants it explained, but I know that if it were I would be unsatisfied by it. It is best left for you to ponder.

It gives a grounding in history (the political intrigues of that year) and Elizabethan life, and a stirring insight into Shakespeare's plays - in particular, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Recommended, particularly for children.

8/10

Mrs Robinson's Disgrace: the Private Diary of a Victorian Lady

A further retrospective review.

This is not something that I would have picked out, although I do read a lot of history, but it was offered as a Kindle 'deal'.  I read the first few pages, and quite liked it, so bought it, then forgot about it for several months.

I did find it interesting, a view into what marriage in Victorian times was like. Isabella was the still young widow of a much older man who had suddenly 'gone mad', and subsequently died. She had a young son, so accepted the suit of Mr Robinson, who she didn't appear to like very much, because - quite frankly - she didn't have much alternative.

She did have an income, but for a widowed woman with a young son there was very little opportunity to meet people, or travel, so she married again. Her husband, Henry, was a boor, who forced her to hand over all her money, and, as father to her two younger sons, had a major hold over her - if she left, she lost her children. They were wealthy, but Isabella needed more from a marriage than financial security.

She was a romantic who loved to discuss poetry, and was interested in phrenology and other topics discussed in the fashionable salons of Edinburgh. She also kept a diary of her passions for handsome and charming younger men. Mostly, it seemed to be the kind of thing that 14 year old girls used to write before Facebook came along, full of half disclosed passions and imaginings. However, there were passages that suggested a more real relationship with one man had developed, albeit briefly.

Eventually her husband found the diary, and attempted to divorce her on the grounds of adultery - the only evidence being the diary. Not withstanding his own adultery and illegitimate children, almost as soon as the law was changed to allow divorce without an act of parliament he took action, obtained a separation and attempted to gain a divorce.

Of course, there were other people involved, and the book turns around the actions of a group of people who tried to get the adultery disproved - because of the damage it would do to the co-respondent in the case.

What did I like about the book? Gaining an understanding of what life was like for a wealthy woman, and how little power women had. The beliefs of the time: phrenology, the idea that women were in thrall to their uteri, and unable to think clearly about anything - even madness caused by 'uterine disease'. I also got a better idea of how men could do whatever they wanted, with little regard for women or women's wishes. 

Because I read this on my Kindle I suddenly found the book coming to an end only about a third of the way through. This was because of the way it is organised: Book, then footnotes/explanations, then extensive references. This wasn't a problem, but I found it a bit weird that I could see the book was close to finished, and my Kindle kept telling me I had a lot still to read.

I liked it 8/10.

1599

Another book that I am writing a retrospective review of, so not very detailed.

I enjoyed 'Contested Will' so much I decided to follow it up with 1599.

It looks at what Shakespeare was probably (best guess) doing throughout the year. What plays he was writing, what influences there were on him, and there were many.  Politics (and conscription for the Invasion of Ireland), the possible second 'Armada' in the summer, building 'the Globe', the sermon he most likely saw preached at Richmond at Easter (Elizabeth made sure that the sermons said what she wanted people to be thinking), the books published, etc. Even the tensions between Shakepeare the playwright, who wanted to project certain ideas in his plays, and Will Kempe, the comic entertainment, or 'clown' of the Chamberlain's Men, who had his own agenda.

It looks at the development of the plays and how Shakespeare moved from a good playwright, to someone who was able to show real depth and character. It looks also at the techniques that Shakespeare developed to give a window into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. 

I loved this, it gave a wonderful window into late medieval life in the last years of Elizabeth, giving an idea of the tensions and plots that surrounded her likely succession. Really recommend it for anyone interested in History or Literature. 9.5/10.

Contested Will - James Shapiro

I read this a couple of months ago, on the advice of a friend, following a discussion about Shakespeare. I'd read Ben Crystal's book about Shakespeare, which had a different slant, more about the interpretation of the plays, and how Shakespeare as an author directed his actors through his writing.

I found this very accessible, and a fairly devastating rebuff to those who think that the works of Shakespeare were written by anyone other than William Shakespeare the actor.

I'm not giving a full review, as this is not a recent read, but I'd certainly give it 8 or 9 out of 10. Having read it I went straight out and read 1599.