Book Review

I forgot to review the last book I read, and I totally meant to do that!  So this will be two book reviews.

I finished this book a week or so ago.  This is not a novel, or a fictional work of any sort.  It is a historical book, starting with the conquest of Henry VII and ending with the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I.  I could NOT put this book down!  I found it easy to follow, the author wrote this book intending the audience to be normal readers, and not university-educated historians, so the language was much easier to make sense of.  What I really loved is how the author took time to explain things going on during the different time periods, and how that affected the Tudors.  The author took time to explain such things as how the church was organized, so that the reader could better understand the changes made. It also gave you a very realistic view of the Tudor monarchy, not just the propaganda that was put forth and which is much believed today (Elizabeth's era was not so "golden", she ignored the poor, and she painted her face white because it was scarred from a bout of small pox shortly after she was crowned, and she was very vain of her looks -interesting, no?!!).   Overall, this book is a keeper, and one I will be reading again! Highly recommended!

I just finished this book today:

I decided on this book because after reading the above Tudor book, I realized I don't have a basic understanding of the English monarchy BEFORE the Tudors.  And I decided I needed to no more.
And the price was right - $12! This book starts with the first official monarchy of England, up until the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.

This is what I really liked about the book:

The blue box on the left includes their date of birth, parents, spouse, children, date they succeeded the throne, and were crowned, their death, and which Royal house they came from (which corresponds to a several family trees available at the back of the book).  It also (not shown on these pages) includes a timeline of important dates of that monarch, from birth to death, that run down the outer sides of the pages.  And then 2-4 pages (average) is spent summarizing key events in their life and reign.

Royal Houses - family trees

All-in-all, a very informative book!  But a lot of information, for me personally, to absorb at once.  While I feel I've learned a lot and gained a better understanding, I know that I have forgotten or not yet mentally connected everything in my head, and so I think a second read through will help secure this knowledge.  I would recommend this book!

Next up on my reading list is a book I've been eying for some time, and when I saw it for $8, I grabbed it!

I love me some Russian history!  And it will be a nice switch from the revolutionary history I've been absorbing myself in of late!  ....well, ok, maybe not too much of a switch, since this overlaps the revolution.  But its from a different perspective! Oh Russia, how I love you. So complex, so cultural, so.......Russia!