Mary, Queen of Scots lived during one of the most fascinating periods in history. Graham’s epic work paints a unique picture of this controversial woman, showing her to be neither a Catholic martyr nor murdering adulteress but a passive young woman caught up in the ruthless sea of sixteenth-century politics who lacked the shrewdness and empowerment of her contemporaries—Catherine de Medici, Diane de Poitiers and Elizabeth Tudor. Instead, she relied on her beauty and charm and allowed herself to be a victim of circumstance. When she did finally attempt to control her future, she set in motion the events that would lead her to the executioner’s block.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
French-raised Mary Stuart's life began with tragedy and ended with tragedy for both the monarch and Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots has not always been shown in a positive light, but Graham's pro-Elizabeth bias appears in his showcasing of the instincts of wily, intellectual Queen Elizabeth against naïve, spoiled Mary. Raised in a gilded cage in France to be an ornamental object at court, she ignored governing and deadly court politics as long as she could, and she routinely irritated her English counterpart, Elizabeth. Unsuccessful as ruler in a fragile Scotland, the queen grew even unhappier as the wife of John Darnley, a syphilitic narcissist. All in all, Graham, producer of BBC-TV's Elizabeth, narrates Mary's short life as a hellish fairy tale for naughty children, ending with the queen's grisly death. This dense biography in strongest in carefully detailing the Western European political atmosphere of Mary's youth and nimbly describes the Scottish nobles' machinations to improve their lot before forcing her to abdicate. 16 pages of illus. (July 22)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Roderick Graham was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and Edinburgh University. He has worked in radio and television as a writer, director, and producer. He produced the award winning BBC program Elizabeth R with Glenda Jackson. He is the author of John Knox: Democrat, The Great Infidel: A Life of David Hume, and The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots: An Accidental Tragedy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Biography,
This review is from: The Life of Mary: Queen of Scots: An Accidental Tragedy (Hardcover)
This is a very readable history of Mary, Queen of Scots and the time period in which she lived. Though the size of the book may be daunting, it was easy to get through, especially for history buffs like myself. It does a great job in detailing the political atmosphere of the time and the struggle around her abdication of the throne. I highly recommend.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine addition to any European history collection,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Life of Mary: Queen of Scots: An Accidental Tragedy (Hardcover)
Even when one is when born into nobility, there is no guarantee of a good end. "The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots: An Accidental Tragedy" follows the life story of one of the most intriguing figures in European monarchy. Crowned queen shortly after her birth and married to two short lived husbands, her life started going downhill when she found herself imprisoned and eventually executed by Queen Elizabeth I of England. "The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots" is a fine addition to any European history collection.
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