Showing posts with label Biography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biography. Show all posts

Friday, April 28, 2023

Josephine: A Life of the Empress by Carolly Erickson



Publication Date: April 1, 1999

Length: 400 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

This is the third biography by Carolly Erickson that I've read. She is one of my favorite authors for narrative non-fiction, meaning books that are true but feel much like a novel. Her research is always solid and includes a multitude of primary sources, diary entries, and little tidbits of information that really make one feel like she is in the mind and personal life of her subject. 

The book is divided into Josephine's early life, her marriage to her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, son of the French Governor of Martinique and a member of the French nobility, her marriage to Napoleon, and later, her life as the divorcee former Empress of France. She was born in the year 1763 on the island of Martinique to impoverished sugar planter parents, Joseph and Rose Tascher who struggled to make ends meet. Living in near poverty and existing alongside the African slaves on the plantation, Trois-Ilets, Josephine and her siblings grow up with the slow, languid style of island life which stays with them throughout their lives. As children, they are free spirited and often unsupervised, learning the customs and ways of those around them.  With their father unable to send them off to more polished, sophisticated schools where they could hone their common edges, the Tascher siblings find themselves caught between two worlds: that of the island and that of the future expectations awaiting them in France. 

Her first marriage to her aunt's godson and the son of Alexandre de Beauharnais is lonely and troubling for Rose (her name until her marriage to Napoleon). Unused to sophisticated Parisian ways, she is often insecure in the forced social settings and must cope with her husband's lack of interest in her and his overwhelming loyalty and obsession with his mistress. They manage to produce two children during their tumultuous marriage, although Rose finds she is helpless when Alexandre decides to assert his rights as guardian and at one point even removes her son from her care. 

As the French Revolution heats up and the Reign of Terror begins, Rose is forced to confront the fact that she is powerless as a member of the nobility and throughout imprisonment and some of the most trying circumstances of her life, her fragile yet kind nature is revealed. Although she is often unscrupulous in her willingness to seek refuge from her despair, Rose manages to maintain her sanity and emerges with a determination to start a new life. 

Meeting Napoleon Bonaparte charts a course for her that will take her from poor impoverished daughter of the West Indies, to Empress of the French and throughout she uses her charm and survival instincts to thrive in a world that is constantly changing and challenging her ability to live the carefree life she craves.

Without giving away the entire story, it is fair to say that Erickson does her best work during the chapters on the French Revolution. She evokes the misery and degradation suffered by the imprisoned, helpless citizens caught up in the frenzy of madness and I found myself seeing, hearing, even smelling the sights and sounds of what it must have been like. Each day crowded into cells with strangers, not knowing if you will be taken out to lose your head clearly left indelible scars on Josephine. 

Napoleon enters the book about halfway through and I found his family dynamics absolutely fascinating, including their total disdain for his wife and Napoleon's inability to defend her against his unforgiving Corsican relatives. He comes across as an incredibly odd and socially awkward man who alternates between total obsession for his wife romantically with disregard for her feelings. Although Erickson explains the history behind the wars and battles he led, her focus is more on her subject and the nature of her relationship to Napoleon himself. 

Throughout the book, Josephine is often presented as sexually promiscuous to a fault, although one almost forgives her as it is framed within the loose social mores of the times, especially her life in Paris during the marriage to her first husband and during the Revolution, when all decency ceased in the chaos of the time. She still manages to come across as a sympathetic figure, and in light of her two disappointing marriages and inability to be with her true romantic lovers, one understands that she was using whatever she had in her arsenal to make ends meet and provide for herself and her family. She makes no pretense about wanting to live the comfortable life and uses her charm and grace to her advantage.

I enjoyed this book and although I'd have preferred a bit more history behind Napoleon and the political dynamics of the day, Erickson does a good job of including just enough to keep one informed. But it is clearly focused on relationships and romantic intrigue so if you are looking for a biography with more historical depth, this probably isn't the place to start. There is a lot of emphasis on fashions of the day and the lifestyles of the rich and famous French aristocracy which might turn off serious history buffs. I found that part interesting but sometimes tedious and could have done without so much of it. But overall, a solid four star work on the life of a fascinating, flawed lady.
















 

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Granddaughters of Edward III by Kathryn Warner


 It's time for another Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at WishfulEndings. I love this weekly post because it is simple yet productive in that it promotes up and coming books and authors who are publishing something in the next few months. I love going onto NetGalley and seeing great books and being able to share the ones I'm excited about. This week I have chosen a non-fiction book that looks fascinating to me. It's The Granddaughters of Edward III by Kathryn Warner. 

I think the Edward eras are often overlooked due to the overabundance of literature and history on the Tudors and Victoria. So anytime I see a story about them I'm usually interested. The fact that this book zeros in on the women descendants makes this book very appealing. I will definitely be looking forward to it! 

February 28, 2023
*I'm only finding it for sale in the UK so that might be a bit of an issue. Hopefully it will be available in the US on Amazon Kindle soon.

Biographies/Memoirs/History

232 pages





















Book description courtesy of NetGalley

Edward III may be known for his restoration of English kingly authority after the disastrous and mysterious fall of his father, Edward II, and eventual demise of his mother, Queen Isabella. It was Edward III who arguably put England on the map as a military might. This show of power and strength was not simply through developments in government, success in warfare or the establishment of the Order of the Garter, which fused ideals of chivalry and national identity to form camaraderie between king and peerage. The expansion of England as a formidable European powerhouse was also achieved through the traditional lines of political marriages, particularly those of the king of England’s own granddaughters.

This is a joint biography of nine of those women who lived between 1355 and 1440, and their dramatic, turbulent lives. One was queen of Portugal and was the mother of the Illustrious Generation; one married into the family of her parents' deadly enemies and became queen of Castile; one became pregnant by the king of England's half-brother while married to someone else, and her third husband was imprisoned for marrying her without permission; one was widowed at about 24 when her husband was summarily beheaded by a mob, and some years later bore an illegitimate daughter to an earl; one saw her marriage annulled so that her husband could marry a Bohemian lady-in-waiting; one was born illegitimate, had sixteen children, and was the grandmother of two kings of England.




Friday, November 25, 2022

The Royal Stuarts by Allan Massie



Publication Date: December 20, 2011

Length:  384 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK:

I find very few books about Scottish Kings and Queens and even fewer that focus exclusively on the Stuarts. I've had this book in my Kindle for awhile and it is one I want to share because of the subject matter. Outlander made me obsessed with all things Stuart so this one was a must read.

SUMMARY:

Drawing on superb research, Massie covers the origins of the Stuart family running all the way from the 13oo's to the Jacobites of the 1700's. He starts with the background leading up to the first real Stuart King, Robert II from 1370-1390. Massie has a lot of ground to cover and divides the book into 17 chapters each title one of the Stuart monarchs. Each one is given a nickname describing his assessment of their reign and the reader can quickly navigate between them to get a general overview of the major points of their rule. He starts in Brittany in the 1100's as not much is known about them before this time period. Moving on to Robert II we get more information covering the 300 plus years of rule in Scotland by the Stuart family. 

If one is looking for detailed policy decisions or history of the common Scottish man or woman you won't find it here, nevertheless it does present an intriguing look into the lives of the kings, queens, and nobility, how they interacted with England and it continues the story of the Stuarts after the rule of Queen Anne, allowing for the always colorful story of the displaced Jacobite Kings and their waning influence. 

WHAT I LIKED:

I really enjoy books like this that give a quick overview of subject matter divided into easy to read chapters with a "just the facts" approach. The chronological timeline allows for understanding by someone who doesn't have an in depth grasp of Scottish history while giving adequate coverage of each monarch. Massie includes personal stories enough to keep you wanting to know more. Examples include that Robert III was a chronic invalid and became lame after he was kicked by a horse, a little dog  hidden in the folds of Mary Queen of Scots' dress as she was executed, and detailing James II's nervousness and anxiety as he was forced to flee into exile. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

There isn't much to speak of negatively with this book. I'd have loved for the biographies to have been a bit longer and I'm sure he skimmed over many major historical happenings in order to cover such a huge time period, but overall I think this book did as it probably intended: giving a snapshot of each royal Stuart. If you are needing more you'll want to find an individual biography of that particular person.

RECOMMEND? OR NOT?:  Yes, absolutely! It is one you can pick up and read anytime, or skim through to find the subject you are most interested in. I recommend reading it all the way from page 1 to the end though, as it is written in order to grasp the full account of each ruler as he or she relates to the one before and the one after. 









 

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Queens of England by Norah Lofts

 


Publication Date: September 1, 1977

Length: 192 pages

My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  5 out of 5 stars

WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK:

The world lost an amazing lady this week. At the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and an era ended. I wanted to take a time out from cozy mysteries and historical fiction and review a book near and dear to my heart honoring all the Queens of England since, well, before there really were true queens reigning. It is sad to know that this book, published in 1977, will now have to be updated for the first time. Queen Elizabeth sat on the throne for 70 years, longer than any other British monarch and longer than any other female head of state in history. When I think of all she witnessed and influenced over her life it is truly amazing. 

I chose to review this book in honor of her because it was my literal obsession as a small child and what got me hooked completely on a lifelong fascination with the British monarchy and history in general. No I haven't read it cover to cover this month but I don't need to. I almost have it memorized. That's how many times I've read and studied it over the last 40 plus years. 

SUMMARY:

It details in short, 3-5 page summaries, the lives of all the female monarchs plus more obscure, earlier rulers such as Boadicea and mythical queens like Guinivere and Bertha of Kent. Giving just the basic facts, dates, and life events of each queen it nonetheless has a depth to each story that kept me coming back again and again to read about the lives of each one. There are literal stains from food and drink that are still imprinted in my original hardcover copy, evidence of my re-reading over the years but I can't bear to buy a new copy. This one is worn and special! You can still buy a new one from Amazon, but only hardcover and used ones aren't hard to find. It is worth every penny.

Each queen's story follows a similar pattern. Lofts starts with some interesting personal facts and then moves on to their early years, eventual marriage to the King or, if it is a queen in her own right such as Mary Tudor or Victoria, the how and why she came to the throne. Any romances or major tragedies are mentioned and wrapped up with a unique quote or mention of where she is buried. I always enjoyed how the short biographies convey a personal feel without spending too much time on politics or battles, that is not the theme of this book. Rather it is written in such a way that I remember even as a child, not understanding all the life events yet, I felt like I knew each one after I finished reading. Often I'd pick up this book as a research tool when delving deeper into time periods or individual biographies. Her timelines kept me focused so I could zoom out and see the larger picture, helping me to go back and study one of the subjects in more detail in another book. Being an American, these ladies were not much mentioned in school. Until I went to college and studied British history I was pretty much alone in this area of academia. We started at the Revolutionary War and even then it wasn't as if we spent time learning about Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III. 

WHAT I LIKED:

Some funny things come to mind when I remember reading this book. The pictures are amazing and truly unique. I recall as a child of about 10 or so not wanting to look at the picture of "Bloody Mary Tudor," as her eyes frightened me. They are dark and serious and her face is described as "grief-stricken and ill." It really freaked me out. Other pictures that stuck with me are the effigy of Berengaria of Navarre, a colorized portrait of Katherine of Aragon, and a Holbein painting of Henry VIII. There are too many to list but they are a collection I haven't found in any other book all together. I remember spending time in my room just staring at and studying each picture, looking at the clothes, hairstyles, and facial expressions of each one, feeling as if I had stepped back in time. It was my window into a world before photographs and videos. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: 

Nothing!

RECOMMEND:  Absolutely!

I pondered this week which queen will go next in a book like this one. Camilla isn't likely, as she is not being labeled "Queen of England" and Kate Middleton is probably the next in line. The what ifs come to mind concerning Diana, if she had lived and she and Charles had not fallen out. But what I really think about is how I've been alive for 48 years and not once has the current Queen of England changed until last Friday, September 8th. We who love this part of history have taken it for granted that Queen Elizabeth would just live forever. It will take a long time to get used to any other woman with that title. King Charles III just sounds odd to my ears and seems surreal. My grandmother, who is 93 this year says she has always felt a kinship with Queen Elizabeth due to their close ages and life experiences. She was a classy lady possessing traits we sorely need more of today like stoicism and attention to duty. The world will miss her. I hope the history books treat her well, she deserves respect despite any family flaws or political imperfections, as she gave her best to God and country. May she rest in peace.