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John Guy

My Heart Is My Own : The Life of Mary Queen of Scots Hardcover – December 31, 2003

by John Guy (Author)

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A dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Crowned Queen of Scotland at nine months of age, and Queen of France at 16, at 18 Mary ascended the throne that was her birthright and began ruling one of the most fractious courts in Europe, riven by religious conflict and personal lust for power. She rode out at the head of an army in both victory and defeat; saw her second husband assassinated, and married his murderer. She was a woman so magnetic, so brilliant in conversation that her cousin, Elizabeth I, refused to meet her in the course of their lifetimes for fear of being overshadowed or outwitted. At 25 she entered captivity at the hands of her rival queen, from which only death would release her. The life of Mary Stuart is one of unparalleled drama and conflict. From the labyrinthine plots laid by the Scottish lords to wrest power for themselves, to the efforts made by Elizabeth's ministers to invalidate Mary's legitimate claim to the English throne, John Guy returns to the archives to explode the myths and correct the inaccuracies that surround this most fascinating monarch. He also explains a central mystery: why Mary would have consented to marry - only three months after the death of her second husband, Lord Darnley - the man who was said to be his killer, the Earl of Bothwell. He also solves, through careful re-examination of the Casket Letters, the secret behind Darnley's spectacular assassination at Kirk o'Field. With great pathos, Guy illuminates how the imprisoned Mary's despair led to a reckless plot against Elizabeth - and thus to her own execution. The portrait that emerges is not of a political pawn or a manipulative siren, but of a shrewd and charismatic young ruler who relished power and, for a time, managed to hold together a fatally unstable country. The book is a work of historical scholarship that offers radical new interpretations of an ancient story.

Print length

432 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harpercollins Pub Ltd
Publication date

December 31, 2003
ISBN-10

184115752X
ISBN-13

978-1841157528
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harpercollins Pub Ltd; First Edition (December 31, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 184115752X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841157528
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.13 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #2,355,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #236,454 in Biographies

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19 ratings

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Laura Eastep

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2016

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So far I love the book great facts and illustrations

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015

GREAT BOOK

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2013

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well worth the price I paid for and more! the quality is great, the book is simply marvelous! brilliant. thanks!

3 people found this helpful

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S. W. Trinder

No Consideration of Complicity in the Darnley Murder

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2019

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This is an excellent historical work by one of our leading historians. However, he assumes Mary's innocence of complicity in Darnley's murder. An article or book could be written advancing the idea she was guilty of complicity.
1 She deposited Darnley at Kirk O' Field house instead of taking him to Holyrood Palace where he normally resided. This made it easier for Bothwell and the Douglasses to murder him by packing the (?) cellar with gunpowder. Blowing him up at Holyrood would have been impossible as Mary was there. Kirk O' Field was an entirely obscure dwelling and highly unusual for Darnley. It was more easy of access for murder. There was no reason for Darnley to go there other than to be murdered.
2 Darnley betrayed Mary by allying with Mary's political enemies.
3 He signed two bonds usurping her power by agreeing to the noble exiles return. Treason.
4 The bond specified Rizzio's murder in her presence, who was one of Mary's councillors. This was an equivalent of levying war against the monarch.
5 He tried to usurp her power by specifying in the bond that her enemies grant him the Crown Matrimonial derogating from her power as Queen. He tried to obtain the power to rule Scotland as sole monarch. In other words he tried to dethrone Mary.
6 He made a court lady pregnant.
7 He had an affair with another.
All this amounts to treason. And we know she wanted rid of him as she regretted the marriage.
Prof Guy doesn't consider all the factors implying Mary's complicity together Bonds in Scotland were a solemn legal undertaking often leading to blood feuds. Otherwise the author has solved mysteries surrounding the murder and given an in depth understanding of Mary's psyche which Fraser And Alison Weir don't give so clearly.

11 people found this helpful

markr

superb biography

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2012

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A big thanks to previous reviewers - I bought this on the strength of previous reviews and I was not disappointed. The author's research from original sources is superb and demolishes many of the myths and downright lies propagated at the time by Mary's enemies on both sides of the border who sought to deflect their own crimes onto her. The author is always fair though, and whilst he doesn't seek to whitewash or exonerate Mary from her sometimes appalling errors of judgement, he does make clear the extraordinary pressures she lived under, and what were for the most part her good intentions, particularly in the factional disaster area that was 16th century Scotland.

An often tragic life, betrayed so often by those she had a right to trust, but in the main lived with dignity, and generosity of spirit. Mary certainly lived a colourful life full of extreme highs and lows, but finally her place in history is secure - not least thanks to the excellent research and writing in this splendid biography

8 people found this helpful

Mrs. S. Gentil

Wonderful!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2017

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Absolutely brilliant book! Couldn't put it down and it was fascinating to learn about Mary who I knew very little about. I came to this book after watching the series Reign (entertaining enough but soooooo historically incorrect!) - the series left me wanting to know the real story and this book was exactly what I was looking for! I was sorry to finish it and will definitely read again it again and again!

2 people found this helpful

Mr. S. Howley

Brilliant Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2011

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A really well written and readable book a must read for those new to Mary Queen of Scots and those who know something about her.

One person found this helpful

maureendickson

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2017