Synopses & Reviews
National Book Critics Circle Award finalist
A triumph . . . a masterpiece full of fire and tragedy.” Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana
In the first full-scale biography of Mary Stuart in more than thirty years, John Guy creates an intimate and absorbing portrait of one of historys greatest women, depicting her world and her place in the sweep of history with stunning immediacy. Bringing together all surviving documents and uncovering a trove of new sources for the first time, Guy dispels the popular image of Mary Queen of Scots as a romantic leading lady achieving her ends through feminine wiles and establishes her as the intellectual and political equal of Elizabeth I.
Through Guys pioneering research and superbly readable prose, we come to see Mary as a skillful diplomat, maneuvering ingeniously among a dizzying array of factions that sought to control or dethrone her. Queen of Scots is an enthralling, myth-shattering look at a complex woman and ruler and her time.
The definitive biography . . . gripping . . . a pure pleasure to read.” Washington Post Book World
Reads like Shakespearean drama, with all the delicious plotting and fresh writing to go with it.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John Guy is a fellow in history at Clare College, University of Cambridge, and the author of several books, including the best-selling textbook Tudor England.
Synopsis
National Book Critics Circle Award finalist
and#147;A triumph . . . a masterpiece full of fire and tragedy.and#8221; and#151; Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana
In the first full-scale biography of Mary Stuart in more than thirty years, John Guy creates an intimate and absorbing portrait of one of historyand#8217;s greatest women, depicting her world and her place in the sweep of history with stunning immediacy. Bringing together all surviving documents and uncovering a trove of new sources for the first time, Guy dispels the popular image of Mary Queen of Scots as a romantic leading lady and#151; achieving her ends through feminine wiles and#151; and establishes her as the intellectual and political equal of Elizabeth I.
Through Guyand#8217;s pioneering research and superbly readable prose, we come to see Mary as a skillful diplomat, maneuvering ingeniously among a dizzying array of factions that sought to control or dethrone her. Queen of Scots is an enthralling, myth-shattering look at a complex woman and ruler and her time.
and#147;The definitive biography . . . gripping . . . a pure pleasure to read.and#8221; and#151; Washington Post Book World
and#147;Reads like Shakespearean drama, with all the delicious plotting and fresh writing to go with it.and#8221; and#151; Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John Guy is a fellow in history at Clare College, University of Cambridge, and the author of several books, including the best-selling textbook Tudor England.
Synopsis
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie. A biography as enthralling as a detective story, of the woman who reigned over sixteenth-century Scotland (New York Times Book Review).
In Mary Queen of Scots, John Guy creates an intimate and absorbing portrait of one of history's most famous women, depicting her world and her place in the sweep of history with stunning immediacy. Bringing together all surviving documents and uncovering a trove of new sources for the first time, Guy dispels the popular image of Mary Stuart as a romantic leading lady -- achieving her ends through feminine wiles -- and establishes her as the intellectual and political equal of Elizabeth I.
Through Guy's pioneering research and superbly readable prose, we come to see Mary as a skillful diplomat, maneuvering ingeniously among a dizzying array of factions that sought to control or dethrone her. It is an enthralling, myth-shattering look at a complex woman and ruler and her time.
"The definitive biography . . . gripping . . . a pure pleasure to read." -- Washington Post Book World
About the Author
Formerly provost and history professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Renaissance historian JOHN GUY is now a fellow in history at Clare College, University of Cambridge. He has written several books and hosted several BBC documentaries. Queen of Scots was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.