KATHERINE THE QUEEN: the Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII by Linda Porter, 2010.
Well researched and literately written, enjoyable bio of Henry's sixth and last wife. Porter has taken available sources and put Katherine's life into context of the times in a very readable narrative. Beginning with what is known of her childhood and moving through her first two marriages, the bulk of the book concerns her life with Henry VIII, and the last part concerns her brief time as Henry's widow and then wife to Thomas Seymour before her death in 1548. Porter really did a great job with explaining Katherine's Reformist leanings, her relationships with Gardiner and Wriothesley, with the Duchesses of Somerset and Suffolk, with Elizabeth and Mary, with Prince Edward, and most of all her "walking the tightrope" of a marriage with Henry VIII, who in old age was so irascible and changeable in his attitudes, a monstrous tyrant one minute, a caring husband and father the next. It is quite remarkable that Katherine survived Henry, as he was prone to boredom in his wives and was so dangerous concerning anyone who questioned his policies, particularly as concerned religion. Yet he trusted Katherine enough to make her his Regent while he went to war in France. The author also takes great pains to show how tirelessly she worked to bring Henry's children closer to their father and create a semblance of family life for the fractious Tudors, for which Henry seems to have been genuinely grateful. Porter's description of the power intrigues after the King's death is interestingly done: I never had any idea before that Katherine was such a politically astute woman who wanted to serve as Regent for Prince Edward during his minority but was in fact shut out--even by her friends at Court. The fact that she found some brief happiness before her death with Tom Seymour seems very little reward for this kind and generous woman.This long overdue bio as a whole suited my tastes very well: readable, educational, and informative. For all Tudor history fans.

Compelling drama

We finished watching the 2010 miniseries "Pillars of the Earth" on DVD this past week, and quite enjoyed it. Based on Ken Follett's huge novel, the eight hour miniseries of course had to compress or leave out certain parts of the book for television, but according to my daughter who had recently read the book (which I have not), the scriptwriters changed things quite a bit, including several characters and adding new events and changing others. The overarching story, of course, is the building of a cathedral in a small English town after a purposely set fire destroys the old church, set against the backdrop of the England of Maud and Stephen during the 1100's with its endless conflict between them for the throne after the death of Henry I. Historically, King Henry I's son Prince William's drowning in the "White Ship" was an accident (not a planned murder), and Maud and Stephen ended their horrendous battles over the throne after Lincoln, when an uneasy peace was made between the two. Maud's son Henry II did not later have to invade England and fight to claim the throne (and kill his cousin Eustace in battle), as depicted in this series. However, setting those things aside, the storytelling was still interesting, the characters compelling to watch, and the whole depiction of the era was done quite well. It had the hand of Ridley Scott all over it (he's one of the producers)--had the same feel to it as Scott's most recently directed film "Robin Hood" -- that gritty, dirty, blood and guts, smelly, brutal sense of what it must have been to live during that chaotic period. It was such a despairing, confusing, and troublous time that it was said that "Christ and all his saints slept" during this era of English history. Rufus Sewell as Tom the Builder was very watchable, and Ian McShane as the wicked and utterly nasty Waleran was a stupendous villain. Matthew Macfadyen as Prior Philip, with his excellent voice, provided a believable character with great intentions in his service to the church and his almost heroic determination to get the cathedral built. The other actors were all well cast and gave fine performancesin their roles. The different plotlines of the story were interwoven pretty well, although at times it was hard to follow who was doublecrossing who and why, and it was satisfying to see all the characters, good and bad, get their just rewards at the end. An excellent drama, despite the historical inaccuracies and lack of depth with some of the characters; I'd recommend it to those who enjoy this type of miniseries.

CAESARS' WIVES: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Roman Empire by Annelise Freisenbruch, 2010.

Finished this last night, a competent, compelling, and totally absorbing history of the women who helped make (or break) the Roman Empire. Starting with the well known Livia and Octavia, the author relates the stories of such diverse characters as the various Julias, Fausta, the Agrippinas, Antonia, Galla Placidia, Pulcheria, Helena, Serena, and others, covering some 500 years of Roman history. Using available scholarship and excellent storytelling, the author presents their lives as more than just schemers, poisoners and murderesses, but as flesh and blood women who assisted in government and politics and who set examples for other women to follow. Excellent descriptions of Roman life and customs, religious issues, architecture, class distinctions, internal warfare, family feuds, and political rivalries help to set these women firmly in context of their times, and make for interesting reading, although sometimes all the family inter-connectedness could be overwhelming and confusing (thank goodness family charts are included!). The author clearly enjoys her subjects and her narrative shows it. One little thing--she seems to have a bit of pick against Robert Graves and his novel I, Claudius, for helping to create the prevailing perception of several of these women, most notably Livia and Agrippina the Younger. Graves used many of the same historical sources as this author, but as a novelist he chose to focus on his characters in his own way. As an historian, Freisenbruch used those sources and others to create more honest and well rounded portraits of these women. As a reader of historical fiction, I love I, Claudius, but I enjoyed this book because the author dug deeper and managed to make these powerful and flawed women real and provided the reader with documented proof of their places in history. Should appeal to any Roman history fan.

Yes, another Tudor book

LADY JANE GREY: A TUDOR MYSTERY by Eric Ives, 2009.
Tudor history expert Ives takes on the story of the tragedy of Jane Grey and the 1553 crisis surrounding the English throne in this biography. Well written and researched, the author has thoroughly sifted through the available sources and evidence and presents a factual, interesting narrative of her life. He covers all the main events: birth, her place in the line of succession, Jane's brilliant education, her life with Thomas Seymour as his ward, including her brief time with her mentor Katherine Parr, her nearly fanatical Protestantism, her marriage to Guildford Dudley, the political intrigues which brought her to the throne, and the aftermath of Mary Tudor's coming to power. He avoids sentimentalizing Jane's life, and portrays her not traditionally as a victim of those around her (like Northumberland and her parents), but as a determined young woman who has a terrible situation thrust upon her and tries to make the best of it until she is removed from the throne, imprisoned, and within months executed. His portrayals of all the multiple well known characters involved in Jane's short life are well done and accurate: her parents, the power hungry Northumberland, the Catholic Mary Tudor, Edward VI, who struggled on his deathbed to rewrite history, the powerful but flawed Duke of Somerset, etc. At times, I admit I found the narrative dragged a bit, maybe a little too much detail, but overall, Ives has done an outstanding job of scholarship in presenting a compelling look at the tragedy that was Lady Jane's life. Definitely recommended for any who are interested in the Tudor period, and especially in Lady Jane Grey.

THE SERVANTS' QUARTERS by Lynn Freed, 2009.
A slight story, set in South Africa after World War II. Interesting and strange little story that concerns a young Jewish girl living with her mother, sister and comatose father down the hill from the Harding mansion. Cressida and her family are invited to live in the mansion's servants' quarters when they have to leave their home, and George Harding, a former RAF pilot who was injured and disfigured during the war, takes an interest in the intelligent and precocious girl. Eventually, she is hired by Harding to serve as a companion to his elderly mother and for his nephew and he appoints himself her mentor; however, his interest in her changes over the ensuing years. And as Cressida matures, her interest in Mr. Harding develops as well. Issues of class, status, and race add a sense of time and place to the story, and the author uses elements of Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast to good effect throughout. Well written and a pleasant read.

MURDER ON THE CLIFFS by Joanna Challis, 2009.
A pleasant little mystery set on the coast of Cornwall in 1921, a young woman is found dead on the beach by none other than the visiting Daphne du Maurier. She also discovers a lovely young girl near the body as well, young Lianne Hartley, whose handsome brother, David, was to marry the victim. The Hartleys are local gentry, and occupy an Elizabethan mansion high on the cliffs known as Padthaway (can anyone say Manderley?). Daphne, before she knows it, is deeply involved with the mystery of Victoria Bastion's death (murder, it turns out) and with the Hartley family with all their bizarre personalities and odd servants. Secrets and clues abound, and everyone is not what they seem in this tidy little mystery. While it is an interesting device to have Daphne du Maurier as a sort of detective, Challis' descriptions of the Cornwall area are nicely done, and Daphne's musings about ideas for writing novels are clever, I cannot say this was any more than adequately satisfying. It was a fine cozy mystery, no more, no less, and I'd recommend it as that. Will I read more in the series? Not sure about that.

I watched "The Ghost Writer" the other night on DVD and found it quite entertaining. Based on a book by Robert Harris (which I haven't read) and directed by Roman Polanski, it boasts a top knotch cast: Pierce Brosnan, Evan McGregor, Olivia Williams, and Kim Cattrall. The story, a bit convoluted and sometimes murky, concerns a former British prime minister, Adam Lang (Brosnan), who is writing his memoirs using a ghost writer. The writer is found dead under mysterious circumstances, and McGregor's character, a ghost writer, is chosen to work with Lang to finish the memoir. Unfortunately, McGregor is thrust into an environment of dark secrets and those who wish to keep those secrets under wraps, and as he becomes more involved in the lives of Lang and his wife, Ruth, and uncovers information concerning Lang's past and about the previous ghost writer who died, his own life is endangered. A human rights scandal involving Lang suddenly becomes public: that Lang was connected with the kidnapping and torturing of four terrorists while Prime Minister; the pressure becomes more urgent to finish the memoir and keep up appearances. And that's just the beginning...Polanski does a good job with keeping the viewer guessing and building suspense in layers, as there are twists and turns and the characters' actions at times are totally bizarre. McGregor's character is interesting enough to keep watching as he puzzles things out, Olivia Williams is superb as the acidic and intelligent wife with her own dark secret, and Kim Cattrall doing a sort of British accent is decently watchable. As for the ending of the film, it hits you right between the eyes with no warning at all. A very Hitchcockian sort of film overall, and it indeed kept me glued to my seat. If you like Hitchcock, political thrillers, or suspense films, this is definitely worth the time.