My research for book three led me down a rabbit hole of fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth century politics, murder and conspiracy. And to understand it all, I needed a fuller understanding of what was happening in Europe while rulers like Margaret of Parma, Charles V and Philip of Spain governed. So I reached for this book, which I had bought last year but not yet had a chance to read. Game of Queens; The Women Who Made Sixteenth Century Europe by Sarah Gristwood.
The book is almost 400 pages of well-researched history, presented in an easy-to-read format. One of the reasons I love Sarah Gristwood's books is that it feels like you're reading an explanation by a friend rather than a stuffy academic paper. She manages to present facts, figures and events in a way that is easy to understand and take in, even if you're reading on a bus or in a café with minor distractions as I did.
I love the concept: a re-telling of history during a time when many women rose to power in Europe. During this time female leaders were contracting alliances, conducting political debate and forming policy in the Netherlands, England, Scotland, France, Spain and parts of Italy. There are examples of friendships, relationships that were more like sisters than rulers of separate states and others where there was public or private tension. Starting in the late fifteenth century and Isabella of Castile, Gristwood draws comparisons and contrasts throughout the era with women like Anne Boleyn, Katherine of Aragon, Margaret Tudor, Catherine de Medici and Mary of Burgundy. Louise of Savoy is given a prominent role, as are Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, along with many others. The women are presented via their relationships with one another, so you really get a sense of the personalities and politics that were at play at any one time during the era.
There is scandal, power struggles, arguments and tension but also kindness, motherly protection and dignified strength. This book is essential reading to anyone interested in the sixteenth century. Even if you're only interested in one nation, it will give you a wider understanding of what was on these women's 'to-do' lists each day relating to European powers and the threats each one posed to the other's domains.
Grab a copy for yourself. Definitely a yes from me.
Like this? You might also like Tudor Spinach Fritters, Dressing up as a Tudor Lady with After Elizabeth and 5 Tudor-Inspired Days Out By Train.
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