Royal Bastards by Peter Beauclerk-Dewar & Roger Powell

For lovers of English history and the British monarchy, in particular, this will be a very interesting read. The author, Peter Dewar Beauclerk is a descendant of King Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwyn so has a personal interest in the topic. 

The book is divided into four sections, Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and Royal Loose Ends. You will learn about the acknowledged bastards as well as those who were not acknowledged. While some of the names may be familiar, the depth of the stories and what became of these royal children makes for a fascinating story. 

Not all of these bastards are the results of the king straying, sometimes it is other members of the royal family. 

The Loose Ends is of particular interest as it begins with the Tudors but comes forward into the twentieth century. 

I personally enjoyed reading this book, it is well written and while packed with history, names and dates, is not dry or hard to read. Beauclerk-Dewar makes the connection as well between the royal bastards and the families that have resulted up to the current day. It is interesting to note how many aristocrats owe the start of their family to a royal affair with a less than royal woman. 

The book also includes lots of photos in case you need to try to put a face to the many characters who appear within these pages. 

The Queen’s Secret by Jean Plaidy

Jean Plaidy was the pen name of English author Eleanor Hibbert. She also wrote under the name Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr. When she was at the height of her career in the 1950- and 60s she was one of the most popular writers in the world. Recently her historical novels have been re-released and have found favor with a new generation of readers.

The Queen's Secret is part of the Queens of England series. It is the second book in the series and is the story of Queen Katherine of Valois who was the wife of King Henry V of England. 

He is the great warrior of the Shakespearean play of the same name. While he may have been great in battle, his love of war made him a poor king and he spent much of his reign away from his country.

This book is written in the first person, like a diary by Katherine. She takes us from her childhood in France and leaves us understanding a little more about where she came from. Her Father King Charles of France was called Charles the Mad and his madness made her life as a child very unsettled and allowed for the war that was brewing with England.

This dynastic marriage produced a son and with the early death of King Henry V his widow was banished from the court but not allowed to return to France. Thus begins the real story of the novel, the queen’s secret if you will.

Owen Tudor was Welsh and certainly not of the class of Katherine of Valois. He became after the death of King Henry the Clerk of the Wardrobe in the dowager queen's household. At some point, he also became her lover and eventually her husband though it was a secret marriage and relationship. Their union resulted in several children including their eldest some Jasper Tudor who was the father of Henry Tudor who would eventually become the King of England.

Jean Plaidy takes great care in creating her characters. The main characters in this drama are real but of course, as with any good historical fiction, she supplies the conversations and adds minor characters to fill in information that would otherwise not be provided.

The history in this book is spot on. The author does not take liberty with the known facts. The book is very easy to read and you will learn a great deal of history without even realizing it. This is historical fiction at its very best.

The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden

If you have ever read any of Alison Plowden’s other books you know that she writes history in a style that is easy to read and appreciate. This book basically continues the story that was presented in Caroline and Charlotte. The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden is an easy and entertaining historical read.

When Princess Charlotte died in childbirth in 1817, the hopes of the house of Hanover died with her. Even though King George III and his wife Charlotte had a large family, 9 sons and 6 daughters, they had not one legitimate heir. A crisis was brewing. Those sons who were not married (there were three) must marry and try to produce an heir.

William, the Duke of Clarence, was the eldest at 52. He had already fathered a large family of ten with actress Dorothea Jordan. He seemed a good candidate and he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. Edward, the Duke of Kent, was 50, and he married Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was a widow with children; Adolphus, The Duke of Cambridge was the youngest at 43 and he married Augusta of Hesse-Cassel.

The baby stakes were on and it would take quite a few years to determine who would be the winner. As everyone knows now, The Duke of Kent and his wife had a baby girl, named Victoria after her mother, who was the only baby to survive. This book is her story.

The Duke of Kent was a hardened soldier and as healthy as a horse and yet it only took a week of the horrifying medical practices of the early 19th century to kill him, leaving a heartbroken wife and a baby daughter who would never know him.

The book deals with all the intrigue and controversy that swirled around the little girl who would be queen. Her mother tried to keep her from having contact with both of her uncles who were the kings of England. Her life was controlled in just about every aspect and it was the loyalty and devotion of her companion Baroness Lehzen that helped to make life tolerable for her.

Her mother, much in need of the strength of a man, had turned to John Conroy for advice and he sought to control not only the mother but the daughter. In the days before she became queen, he tried to pressure Princess Victoria into granting her mother regency over her, and through her mother, of course, himself. He underestimated the backbone of the young woman he was dealing with. She resisted all attempts to pressure her and from the moment she became Queen he was banished from her court. It took many years for her to forgive her mother but eventually she did.

In the book, we watch the adorable little girl grow into a stubborn woman who would have her own way. We also see her learn to be Queen from Lord Melbourne her first Prime Minister. By the end of the book, she has fallen in love with Prince Albert and has started to become the woman that she was always meant to be.

The Young Victoria by Alison Plowden is a very good read, filled with interesting stories and a close look at the upbringing of one of England’s greatest monarchs.

Founding Mothers by P.M. Zall

When we think out the founding of the United States, the first names that come to mind are George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. There are no women whose names come immediately to mind. This is totally wrong, however, because it was true then, as it is now, that behind every great man there is a great woman. In the book Founding Mothers by P.M. Zall, we get to meet some of these women.

The late Paul Maxwell Zall was a renowned professor at Cal State L.A. among other prestigious universities. He was also a research scholar at the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif., where he did research for this book and others that he has written. He had a way of extracting the humor and the personality of the people he writes about, and in “Founding Mothers” he brings us biographical sketches of ten women who played an important part in the founding of the United States. Some of them, like Abigail Adams and Dolly Madison, will not come as much of a surprise. Others are mere shadows who have been obscured by the shadows of time.

He begins his book with a dedication to his sisters. He then goes on to explain what should be obvious to everyone: while the founding fathers were off in Philadelphia or at the forefront of the diplomatic effort or the battlefield, someone had to be back home holding down the fort. It was the wives of the founding fathers who made sure that when the war was over; their husbands still had a home to return to.

The first woman we are introduced to is the common-law wife of Benjamin Franklin, Deborah Reed Franklin. We know very little about Deborah except that over the period of her 44-year marriage to Ben Franklin, they were apart for 25 years and she was making sure that their business ventures could support his foreign travels. They were young lovers and it would seem that while Ben became an international figure, Deborah was happier just staying home. This may well have been a case where he outgrew her but his affection was genuine and he never had another serious relationship.

Abby Smith Adams is much better known since she was very aware of her husband’s place in history and as an educated woman used her mighty intellect to promote him in every way that she could. I think the closest analogy of their relationship might be Bill and Hilary Clinton where you are never quite sure who is the stronger and smarter of the couple. She kept all their correspondence, and it gives a wonderful picture of their affectionate and intellectual relationship.

Beyond these two, there are eight other fascinating women introduced. The biographies include quotes from letters and any other extant comments that refer to them. This is all very well documented and a very interesting read for anyone who enjoys American history and biographies in particular. If you are a history lover,  Founding Mothers by P.M. Zall will be a very good read.

The Rules of Gentility by Janet Mullany

According to Janet Mullany, author of “The Rules of Gentility", “she set out to write a Regency version of "Bridget Jones’s Diary." She may not have succeeded in that but she has created an entertaining novel that has a very saucy side. Her characters are well developed, likable and more importantly she has managed to be quite historically accurate in her assessment of the foibles of Regency society.

The book is written in two voices, both the female and the male main characters. It makes for a very easy book to read and it may just be that you will not be able to put it down. The plot of “The Rules of Gentility” has a certain predictability and the ending is hardly a surprise however, the conversations along the way make it a good read.

The name of the main character is Philomena Wellesley-Clegg. She is an heiress. While that makes her a good catch, she does have her issues as far as the “Ton” is concerned. She is from trade. Her father owns a coal mine. She has a dear friend from her school days who has married into a very proper family. This friend is sponsoring Philomena and through her friend Julia, Lady Tarrent, she comes into contact with the dubious hero, Inigo Linsley.

Their first meeting is hilarious. Philomena thinks that Inigo is a servant and tries to hand him her packages to carry into Julia’s house so that she can get her opinion of some new hats that she has purchased. Philomena is quite the expert when it comes to haberdashery. Julia comes out and welcomes Inigo, causing Philomena to become quite embarrassed when she realizes her error. Not a great beginning, but she does notice that he is very good looking.

Inigo is a very typical Regency gentleman. A younger son, he is according to Philomena, “the wicked brother who often spends time in the country cooling his heels”. He, for his part, thinks she is quite silly but also finds her attractive.

What ensues is a comedy with a few steamy moments as the two main characters fight their attraction to each other.

Philomena has a list she has created of the possible men to fill the position of husband. Her list is quite unimpressive and it turns out that some of her suitors are more interested in each other, than in her. A false engagement between the hero and the heroine is announced and they both agree to keep it a secret. Enter the villain who is too ridiculous to even be taken seriously.

Some parts of the book are pretty silly. Julia, Philomena and some friends want to rescue fallen women. They have no idea what they are doing and their Association for the Rescue and Succor of those in Extremis has been nicknamed "ARSE" by male members of the Ton. Inigo improbably takes them to a house of ill repute and mayhem ensues.

Several subplots are inane and unnecessary but, at the end of the day, this is a very enjoyable book to read and, as with the works of Jane Austen, you want to know what happened to this couple when the book closes.  "The Rules of Gentility" will appeal to lovers of romance, the Regency Period and Jane Austen.

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull

Almost French is an easy and enjoyable read and we happily go along with Sarah on her journey of discovery of all things French. We watch enthralled as Sarah the Aussie TV reporter becomes Sarah the expat who writes stories of fashion and food. But this book is about so much more, it is about the journey, the trials and the errors as Sarah strives not only to understand the French but to become one with them if never one of them.

It all begins when Sarah meets Frederic in Romania and he invites her to visit him in Paris. What begins as a week stretches into a month, the holiday romance has in Sarah's words 'shifted to something more serious". In spite of this or because of this she sets off to complete the plans she had set in motion a year before when she planned this year sabbatical in Europe. Four months later she is drawn back to her new life in Paris and life with Frederic, the adventure is about to begin.

To say that cultures clashed is a gross understatement. It is hard to imagine how educated people from two western nations can have developed in such divergent ways but Sarah finds that navigating the social life of Paris is fraught with danger and quicksand. It takes years of misunderstandings and many books to bring her to an understanding that she will always be an outsider, for no other reason than because that is the way it is and to accept that French woman will not become her friends.

We feel her pain and her frustration and when finally she is pushed by the rudeness of a man in the local patisserie to respond in kind, we cheer for her and laugh and enjoy this short moment of triumph. We meet a cast of characters that would rival any great French novel. The street people, the shop keepers, the country friends and the city friends.

For anyone who has ever visited France and tried to communicate with the French, this is a book of eye opening clarity. It makes so many things make sense. Sarah has to deal with the French bureaucracy, the inherent rudeness and frustration at every level and yet throughout her love of Paris, the people and most of all Frederic shine through.

In the end we come away with a greater understanding of the differences in our cultures and expectations. We appreciate what makes the French, so French. Surrounded by amazing history, culture and beauty we applaud Sarah as she becomes Almost French.

Book review: The Stranger in My Genes by Bill Griffeth

"The Stranger in My Genes" is a book that every genealogist should read. In the past, many people have uncovered secrets in the process of looking for their roots. Let's face it, every family has secrets. But the advent of DNA has opened a whole new Pandora's Box of possibilities. 

Bill Griffeth is a respected journalist who has written four books. The first two were on finance, His third book "By Faith Alone: One Family's Epic Journey Through American Protestantism" was published in 2007. It documents his family as he traced their journey from New England and New York into the mid-west and beyond. 

Nothing could have prepared him for what happened when his cousin Doug requested that he get his DNA tested to help them to identify some specific DNA segments that they should share. The results of that test changed his life forever in ways that he could never have predicted. 

I couldn't put the book down and read it in two days. It is a fascinating read and certainly something that as a fellow genealogist I can identify with. 

I highly recommend that you get this book immediately, especially if you are interested in your family history and are considering getting your DNA tested. You may get a lot more than you ever expected. 

I give this book a 5/5 a must read. 

England’s Mistress by Kate Williams

The subtitle of this book is The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton, just in case you didn’t know who England’s Mistress was. Kate Williams has done an amazing job of bringing Emma to life. It is the story of a beautiful and ambitious girl from the country who ended up reaching heights few can aspire to and in the end, crashed and burned. All the while, you find yourself liking Emma with all her strengths and weaknesses and trying not to judge her for the errors in judgment she made.

This is a book you will have a hard time putting down. Her life is so much more to it than just a passionate and tumultuous relationship with Admiral Horatio Nelson. In case you don't know what Emma looked like, there are a great number of pictures in this book. Emma was a favorite model of her time she was the Angelina Joli of the 18th century.

Emma was a bit of a wild child who found a man she wanted and went about getting him. In a time before there was celebrity status, she was a star. A gorgeous one, too when you look at the beautiful paintings, even discounting the fact that most artists try to make the model look good. She has a softness and an almost innocent beauty about her that transcends time.

If you know anything about Emma Hamilton, forget it; this is going to make you look at her in a totally new and different way. Like so many women before her, Emma began her career on the stage and on her back. Somehow, she managed to keep from becoming just another hardened prostitute and instead caught the eye of several protectors.

Emma Hamilton was born in Cheshire a little after the middle of the eighteenth century. Her name was Amy Lyon and her father was a blacksmith who died before she was even a year old. His death was mysterious and the reason is lost in the fog of time.

Emma and her mother remained close throughout her life, and, to Emma’s credit, she never claimed to be anything but what she was: a beautiful girl from a dirt-poor family who had something so special about her it would attract the attention of some of the wealthiest and most important men in the world.

England's Mistress is well annotated and filled with quotes from letters and writings from the time period. This is a very enjoyable read for anyone who loves a good love story, even one without a happy ending. Lots of history and art as well.

Crowned in a Far Country by Princess Michael of Kent

What little girl hasn't dreamed of being a princess? In her book Crowned in a Far Country, Princess Michael has brought to us the reality of that dream. This book is the story of eight princesses who were married to foreign grooms and had to leave their families and everything they knew.

Some of the stories are well known, and others not so much so. What these women all share is a sense of duty. Most of them married for this duty, not for love and some found happiness and others did not. This is a fascinating book that is written in a very easy style and, once started, is hard to put down. The saving grace is the book is divided into chapters by each woman because otherwise, I would have predicted a sleepless night.

Catherine the Great

Who would have guessed that this best known of the Russian Tsarinas was not born in Russia? She was actually a German Princess of Anhalt Zerbst in Prussia. When she was born in the small but proud country, no one guessed the heights to which she would rise. She was only sixteen when she married Peter the future tsar.

He was not a very appealing groom but her ambition was stronger than her aversion. He was weak-minded, and she probably saw her future even at that young age. In the end, she was crowned tsarina and he was disposed of. She made a great ruler, brought culture and arts to Russia, and is remembered today as one of the Great Russians even though in reality she was a German.

Marie Antoinette

The pretty lively little Austrian princess came to France at the age of fourteen. She married the dauphin who was a year her senior within days of touching French soil. They were a poor match, he a loner who enjoyed science, and she a frivolous girl.

Maybe if the marriage hadn't taken seven years to consummate things might have gone better. Neither one of them was in any way capable of seeing the reality of life in France. This story doesn't have a happy ending but is interesting nonetheless.

Maria Carolina

Maria Carolina was Marie Antoinette's sister. She was actually substituted for her sister Maria Johanna when Johanna died of smallpox. She married the barely educated boorish King of Naples. For twenty years in all but name, she ruled Naples wisely and fairly. The death of her beloved sister Antonia resulted in her losing her sanity. The end of her life was tragic and she died unmourned and unnoticed.

Leopoldina

Marie Leopoldina was the sister of Napoleon's Austrian wife Marie Louise. Leopoldina married Dom Pedro the heir to the Portuguese throne. Her marriage took her to Brazil. She fell in love with her husband who was incapable of fidelity and, after wearing herself out in constant childbirth, she died at only twenty-nine.

These are just some of the stories that Princess Michael brings to us in Crowned in a Far Land. Each one is interesting in its own way. The book isn't long, only 191 pages, but it includes some great photos and is very well-sourced.

Caroline and Charlotte Regency Scandals by Alison Plowden

Alison Plowden has a whole list of enjoyable books that she has written about major figures in English history. With this telling of the story of Caroline and Charlotte, she has brought us into the world of Regency England and all the drama that surrounded George IV before and during his reign.

George was the eldest son of King George III of England and his wife Queen Charlotte. George has by all accounts married a commoner Mrs. Fitzherbert, who was a Catholic in a clandestine ceremony. He at this point in his life had Lady Jersey as his official mistress. He was, however, in desperate need of funds which was a constant theme with him. In 1794 he was feeling particularly pinched and with the lack of heirs to the throne, was being pressured to find a wife in exchange for settling his debt.

Where he had balked before, he now declared himself prepared to marry. He chose his first cousin, Caroline Princess from Brunswick. Caroline’s mother was the sister of King George III. There were red flags all over the place that this was going to be a marriage from Hell. Queen Charlotte disapproved of the match and even the King who was quite mad had his doubts.

Nonetheless, plans went ahead for the marriage and in April 1795 Caroline was fetched from Brunswick to marry her Prince. That the Prince had absolutely no idea what he was headed for is quite evident; he didn’t appear to give a great deal of thought to who he was marrying. 

By all accounts, Caroline was not displeased with her part of the bargain. She is described as having no tact and as blurting out pretty much anything that came into her head. She was also good-natured and happy by nature. Her mother was a silly woman who had given her no direction but was also prejudiced against her sister-in-law, the Queen of England so her daughter was not inclined to try to gain Queen Charlotte's favor which might have made her situation better.

The meeting of the two parties to this marriage did not go well. George took a dislike to her at first sight and she was heard to remark that he was very fat and not nearly as good looking as his portrait. Not an auspicious start and frankly it only got worse from there. The marriage had to take place, the contracts were all signed, and take place it did.

The Prince was drunk as a skunk and sulking as only he could but the ceremony was performed and by all accounts, over the next few weeks did his duty as well because within two months Caroline was pregnant. She was stunned by the fact since she wasn't aware he had actually performed up to that standard. Since she was vocal about his lack of prowess, it may have been this that precipitated their final break.

In January 1796, Caroline was brought to bed with an immense girl and thus Princess Charlotte Augusta came into the world. Within days of this birth a huge break happened between her parents and from here on in, the gloves were off so to speak.

Charlotte was to be for the rest of her short life a pawn in the war between her parents. Where the blame lies matters little at this point in history. Plowden weaves an interesting story that if you aren’t aware of, will keep you pretty much hoping for a happy ending for at least one of these women.

This is a great piece of historical literature that is interesting from beginning to end.

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Days Queen by Alison Plowden

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Days Queen by Alison Plowden tells a familiar story. The author has done a very good job of making a well-known piece of history seem fresh and new.

The book begins with a chronology of the family of Lady Jane. Jane is the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII. Her grandmother was Princess Mary, the sister of King Henry VIII.

Her grandmother was married to the elderly King of France as a young girl and married her brother’s great friend Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, as her second husband. Her daughter Frances Brandon married Henry Grey, the Marquis of Dorset, and Lady Jane was their eldest daughter.

Before you think Jane’s life was something to envy, you need to understand that she was, from the moment of her birth, a pawn to be used to further the designs of her power-hungry family. Her grandmother, the beautiful Queen Mary, had died before her birth, and her mother Frances was anything but a doting affectionate mother.

In the same month and year that Lady Jane Grey was born, a long-awaited male heir was born to King Henry VIII and his third wife Lady Jane Seymour. It is likely that Lady Jane was named to honor the new queen.

When Jane was still a young girl, she went to live in the household of the dowager queen, Katherine Parr. Princess Elizabeth, at age thirteen, was also a part of the household. This was perhaps the happiest time that Jane ever had. Katherine was an affectionate guardian, and this is probably the only time in her life that Jane felt safe and cherished. She would also have been exposed to the new religion which Katherine Parr has embraced. This can be seen as the beginning of the end for Jane.

It was her religious fervor for the reformation that would endear her to her cousin Edward, the boy king who would never grow old and lead to her being named by him as his successor. Katherine was indeed a motherly figure to all of her late husband’s children: she and Princess Mary had been friends for many years and Elizabeth and Edward were both motherless.

After the death of former Queen Katherine, Jane again became a pawn to be used by her parents in a tug of war with Thomas Seymour, Katherine Parr’s husband. His downfall gave the Greys the opening they needed to take control of Jane and to begin making plans on how best to use her. She was eventually forced to marry a man she despised, again forced to take the throne when Edward died, and then abandoned to her fate by her faithless family.

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Days Queen by Alison Plowden is a great read and even if you think you know all the details, you will find this worth taking the time to enjoy. You will put the book down feeling that this was much more of a tragedy than you ever realized because a fascinating young woman of great promise never got to fulfill her true potential.

The Last Knight by Norman F. Cantor

A Biography of John of Gaunt

Much has been written about the Plantagenets. In bringing us the biography of John of Gaunt in “The Last Knight," Professor Cantor has brought to life one of the most important men of the Middle Ages. This is a time period filled with larger-than-life men and John was, in his own way, one of them.

John of Gaunt was the son of Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault. He was the third son born to this young power couple and since he was born in the city of Ghent, he was known as John of Gaunt. He is the younger brother of the Black Prince and the father of King Henry IV. He was raised to be a warrior prince and was the epitome of the chivalrous knight.

What this book does, is place him in the context of the late Middle Ages as it transitions into the modern era. John was a man of his times and yet often flirted with what was the way of the future. He married three times. Two of the marriages were for dynastic reasons and one was for love, an unusual thing in this time period. 

John married Blanche of Lancaster and through her gained the Duchy of Lancaster and most of his wealth. He lost her to the Black Death and it was the nurse to his two daughters who would become the love of his life. Katherine Swynford is a story in and of herself and through her, the Tudors and the Stuarts descended. His second wife was Constance of Spain, another dynastic marriage. In his old age, he married Katherine, and his nephew, King Richard II, legitimized the children of their union, the Beauforts. From his daughter Philippa by his wife Blanche, he is the grandfather of Henry the Navigator of Portugal. He has left quite an amazing legacy.

John of Gaunt was the richest man of his time. As the third son, he had no real hope of inheriting the throne and had no interest in the Church which left the army for him. He was the companion of his brother Edward for as long as Edward was able to fight but was not up to the grind without the companionship. After Edward’s death, he fought for the rights of his sister-in-law Joan and nephew Richard. If he ever thought that he would have made a better king than Richard, he never verbalized it, and there is no hint that he ever did anything but support the heir to the throne. It was left to his son Henry to depose the King and steal the throne.

In his time, he had contact with some of the great men of the Middle Ages, among them John Wyclif and Geoffrey Chaucer. This is a fascinating book about an amazing man who was indeed the last knight and who lived in a time when change, was very much in the wind.

While The Last Night is not given very good ratings on Amazon, I personally enjoyed it. It is an easy read and while perhaps not for historians, it will entertain the less critical and give a good overview of the man and his times. It certainly is as much history as the average reader wants to have.