Read Mary Queen of Scots TieIn The True Life of Mary Stuart John Guy Fletcher Company 9781328638991 Books

Product details Paperback 640 pages Publisher Mariner Books; Media Tie In edition (November 27, 2018) Language English ISBN-10 1328638995

Mary Queen of Scots TieIn The True Life of Mary Stuart John Guy Fletcher Company 9781328638991 Books Reviews

• A thoroughly researched and well-written book about Mary, Queen of Scots. Having just returned from a memorable trip to Scotland, and being an avid reader of biographies, I read this book with great interest. Mary was one of the most fascinating and courageous women in history. Her life and her rock solid determination to establish her claim to the throne of Scotland and later England form the basis of this book. The author does an excellent job of presenting various intrigues, conspiracies, religious conflicts, pursuit of power and deceit that surround Mary's life. Except for a few sections--for example, the Casket letters I and II-- the book is very interesting to read. I found the epilogue, in particular, to be an outstanding section that presents a superb portrait of this remarkable queen. Overall this is a good book.
• This is a highly readable, balanced and nuanced account of the life of a controversial figure. John Guy describes Mary Queen of Scots as he finds her not among the countless pro- and anti-Mary propaganda tracts that have piled up over the centuries, but in the archives and primary sources, some of them not reviewed for many years and some not discovered until Guy came along. If you are willing to suspend preconceived ideas about Mary--saint or sinner, smart or stupid, martyr or manipulator--and allow the hard evidence to outweigh the speculation, you will be swept along by Guy's prose and enjoy a thoroughly fascinating story.
• Though I have been a lifelong fan of Elizabeth I and have absorbed Tudor history like a sponge, my interest in history truly began when I read a novel about Mary Stuart as a teenager. My impression of her then is something that remained years later an interesting but very flawed woman for whom I felt sympathy but very little respect or appreciation. My reading of Fraser's biography did little to change this perspective, though I don't mean any disrespect towards Fraser - it's still a good biography.
  
  I recently decided to re-read Fraser's book along with several other texts about Mary. After having done so, I have to say that I recommend this book hands down. Guy clearly empathizes with and is a fan of Mary Stuart (though this doesn't mean he's unwilling to point out her flaws), and what's more is that he endeavors to show that much of the story about Mary isn't quite correct. Many who have written about her seem to wish to have it both ways they consider her to be a shrewd, plotting, calculating woman engaged in an affair while planning the downfall of her husband, yet simultaneously a less-than-astute woman wholly unfit to rule. The truth is somewhere in between, it seems. She made some shrewd decisions that demonstrated her adaptability and made many abysmal choices (particularly with regard to the men she trusted). She ruled with the heart at times---- but even my studies of Elizabeth I had long proven that she did so herself, as have many rulers male and female.
  
  Most importantly, this work draws in additional study of Cecil's actions and, moving beyond mere conjecture, Guy is able to connect some dots with the casket letters proving that Cecil very clearly had an agenda against Mary, one he had enacted well before she even returned to Scotland, and one that had a heavy hand in her downfall. A final note for readers is that, while Cecil clearly does not come out looking positive (though arguably, what he did was to protect his vision of England; it's the sort of plotting many engaged in), Elizabeth I herself is not viewed particularly harshly. I've noticed that many readers share an interest in both women and often react very strongly when Elizabeth is viewed dimly in any work. This is not really the case here.
  
  Guy's work is balanced, interesting, detail-rich and a pleasure to read start to finish. I highly recommend it even if you feel you've read almost all there is to read about Mary already.
• This was not the easiest read in the world, but it was a very objective account of the life of Mary Stuart. Mary Stuart's story is complicated, but important for both the history of France, (she was married to Francois II, the king of France during his brief reign of 555 days,) She was Queen of Scotland from her infancy, and many would argue, the rightful heir to the throne of England. She was also 5'11" tall - quite extraordinary for the time. Her son eventually became the king of England, and every heir to the English throne after him, can trace back to her. She is an important person in history, and I recommend starting your study of her, with this book.
• Reread this in preparation for a trip to Scotland where we'll visit many places connected with Mary. She's one of the most tragic monarchs whose bios I've read. Although she didn't become the Queen of England, her son succeeded Elizabeth I and all subsequent British monarchs descended from her.
  
  The book is very well researched and detailed. Having the ability to visualize the events that occurred in various castles and palaces will make my travels more meaningful. RIP Marie
• This is a very thorough and readable biography about Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. It explores the historical circumstances which guided many of her decisions, and the people who either supported, opposed or manipulated her. She was beautiful and spoiled but also had health issues which impacted her performance. There is also information about her conflicts with John Knox, the preacher. It does not have footnotes so is readable for the non-scholar. Guy is a little biased toward her, but that is forgiveable.
• Very difficult to read. Our book club took it on and a number of us didn’t finish it. I look forward to seeing the upcoming film because, while I respect the scholarship and expertise behind the making of the book, I think it will be more engaging on the screen.
• I became obsessed with Mary from watching Reign on Netflix.. had to have more and wanted the truth. This book is so well written and is just what I wanted.