REVIEW: The Witches by Stacy Schiff

The Witches
by Stacy Schiff

Publisher: Little Brown and Co
Page Count: 498
Release Date: October 27, 2015
Format: Trade Paperback

How got: free copy from GR giveaway

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

The panic began early in 1692, over an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when a minister's niece began to writhe and roar. It spread quickly, confounding the most educated men and prominent politicians in the colony. Neighbors accused neighbors, husbands accused wives, parents and children one another. It ended less than a year later, but not before nineteen men and women had been hanged and an elderly man crushed to death.

Speaking loudly and emphatically, adolescent girls stood at the center of the crisis. Along with suffrage and Prohibition, the Salem witch trials represent one of the few moments when women played the central role in American history. Drawing masterfully on the archives, Stacy Schiff introduces us to the strains on a Puritan adolescent's life and to the authorities whose delicate agendas were at risk. She illuminates the demands of a rigorous faith, the vulnerability of settlements adrift from the mother country, perched--at a politically tumultuous time--on the edge of what a visitor termed a "remote, rocky, barren, bushy, wild-woody wilderness." With devastating clarity, the textures and tension of colonial life emerge; hidden patterns subtly, startlingly detach themselves from the darkness. Schiff brings early American anxieties to the fore to align them brilliantly with our own. In an era of religious provocations, crowdsourcing, and invisible enemies, this enthralling story makes more sense than ever.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3

I had to laugh at the timing in which I received this book. I had just finished a fictional work on witchcraft in the modern world and the history of the main family. So I was on a witch high when I got this book. Imagine my excitement to get such a large volume on the history of the Salem witch trials, the United States, biggest historical example of a witchcraft hunt. Unfortunately, this volume did not meet most expectations.

The author definitely did her research. She goes in depth on many aspects of Puritan society and the history of the colonies, witch trials, and the superstitions of the Puritan brand of religion. At times, the author's research seems to veer away from the witch trials themselves, but everything ultimately gives background and depth to the trials themselves and the ladies involved.

Ultimately, I got what I wanted out of this volume. I learned the intimate details of the lives of the accused, their accusers, and their judges. I learned little known aspects of this well known historical event such as the different type of accusers and how closely families stuck together or how quickly they fell apart under the burden of suspicion and death. However, beyond the wealth of information and the joy of learning such, this book suffers from many flaws.

The author tends to get wordy, she'll use five words were one will do. I am not sure if she was aiming for readability, to make the work more relatable to the common reader rather than just scholars. If so, her plan backfired. The reader can get bogged down in so many words that the general point of the paragraph, page, or chapter gets lost.The author's tendency to wander also doesn't help with this.

The author tends to wander from subject to subject, on one societal aspect to another randomly. She'll go in depth about a particular person's witch trial; then three paragraphs later, she'll talk about the superstitions of Puritan society or the history of its ministers. There are some stretches to this work where you could have five or six subjects crammed onto one page, varying from paragraph to paragraph. Some consistences from chapter to chapter would've helped this book.

There are also narrative issues. Many of the trial scenes, and I stress the word SCENE, read as fictional rather than nonfiction. Now in and of itself, this aspect wouldn't be as glaring if the author used the same narrative style for the rest of the book. However, she does not. So the trial scenes are glaring in there scene setting rather than flowing with the rest of the work.

At the end of the day, I got what I wanted out of this work. I learned more about a seminal event in American history and intimate details of those involved. I only wish, however, that the author had paid as much attention to the nitty-gritty details of writing as she did to the historical facts presented. Formatting is screwy, words pile up on top of each other, and a wandering narrative drag this nonfictional work down. Would I seek this work out again? Maybe if I had a specific question on a party involved with the witch trials. I would not, however, seek to read this work again for pleasure.

Note: Book was received for free from the publisher via a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Our Man in Charleston by Christopher Dickey

Our Man in Charleston
by Christopher Dickey

Publisher: Crown
Page Count: 400
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Format: Trade Paperback ARC

How got: ARC from LibraryThing giveaway

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Between the Confederacy and recognition by Great Britain stood one unlikely Englishman who hated the slave trade. His actions helped determine the fate of a nation.

As the United States threatened to break into civil war, the Southern states found themselves in an impossible position: Their economic survival would require reopening the slave trade, banned in America since 1807, but the future of the Confederacy could not be secured without official recognition from Great Britain, which would never countenance such a move. How, then, could the first be achieved without dooming the possibility of the second? Believing their cotton monopoly would provide sufficient leverage, the Southerners publically declared the slave trade dead, even as rapacious traders quickly landed more and more ships on the American coast.

The unlikely man at the roiling center of this intrigue was Robert Bunch, the ambitious young British consul in Charleston, S.C. As he soured on the self-righteousness of his slave-loving neighbors, Bunch used his unique perch to thwart their plans, sending reams of damning dispatches to the Foreign Office in London and eventually becoming the Crown's best secret source on the Confederacy—even as he convinced those neighbors that he was one of them.

In this masterfully told story, Christopher Dickey introduces Consul Bunch as a key figure in the pitched battle between those who wished to reopen the floodgates of bondage and misery, and those who wished to dam the tide forever. Featuring a remarkable cast of diplomats, journalists, senators, and spies,Our Man in Charleston captures the intricate, intense relationship between great powers as one stood on the brink of war


My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

Winning this book giveaway came at a fantastic time. My interest in how the American Civil War was viewed by or impacted the international community started to really grow just a few months before winning this puppy on LibraryThing. And what a find! Despite a hiccup in the beginning portion, this book proved to be both informative and engaging.

An English diplomat caught between two sides of a brewing civil war is a new story, for sure. Seeing the deteriorating stability of a nation through his unique eyes gives the Civil War a new angle. The author explores in devastating detail a society in freefall as the drums of war rumble louder and louder. Bunch had to do a balancing act unlike many others to serve his country and cause, all the while protecting his very life and family.

The sheer amount of information in here was fascinating. I had no idea that the Union and Britain came SO close to blows and war. Such a knife edge… Thanks to calm heads, that potential conflict was averted, despite the efforts of hotheads and war hawks.

I gotta give props for how the author chose to present his material. It’s not just a conglomeration of facts and figures thrown into paragraphs and then released. Primary source quotes are interwoven with the author’s writing instead of being inserted in block quotes. Also, the time and care given to description and scene-setting also gives this book a fictional feel to it, in that it’s easier to read for your casual history fan. For this person who fits that descriptor, everything worked perfectly in this regard.

At times, the balance of the narrative seemed a bit off. A ton of time was spent on the years leading up to the war; once the war hit, the book was actually starting to wind down already. I can see why this balance was struck as a lot of what happened in Bunch’s tale was during that time frame. Yet, there were times in the first half that I got a bit bored.

Despite this, this is a rock solid work on the subject, especially as there isn’t much on the international take on the Civil War out there. Bunch’s tale alone makes the book read worthy. I loved getting to know him and his situation. Yet, there’s so much more here. If you’re curious about this subject at all, definitely give this book a look!

Note: Book received for free from publisher via giveaway on LibraryThing in exchange for an hones review.

REVIEW: The Other Tudors by Philippa Jones

The Other Tudors
by Philippa Jones

Publisher: Metro Books
Page Count: 327
Release Date: December 31, 2010
Format: Hardcover

How got: personal buy; from B&N

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

'If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore you, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours, Henry R forever.'- Henry VIII writing to Anne Boleyn in 1529

This devotion of the King did not endure, however, and in 1536 the once favoured Anne Boleyn was executed for treason. While Henry VIII has frequently been portrayed as a womaniser, The Other Tudors reveals a new side to his character. Henry spent his life in search of a perfect woman. He was a romantic who loved being in love, but none of his lovers ever fully satisfied him; all were ultimately replaced.

In The Other Tudors, Philippa Jones uncovers the intrigues behind Henry's many love affairs and illuminates the tumultuous lives of his many illegitimate offspring, whose paths often entwined with those of their royal siblings, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth Tudor.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3

Henry VIII is one of those historical figures that most everyone has heard of, even those today not interested in history. He’s usually remembered for being the dude with six wives and being a really nasty tyrant. It’s intriguing to see him in a different light, through the different lenses of his different wives, mistresses, and illegitimate children. He’s still a tyrant but one who’s a bit more understandable and relatable.

It was interesting to examine the personage of Henry from the point of view of someone eternally looking for his definition of love. He sounds like a perfectionist that was always looking for an ideal that didn’t exist, not letting anything or anyone stand in the way of that pursuit. That balanced with the demands of his kingdom and ruling gives us one of the biggest names in history.

I love exploring obscure historical figures, and you can’t get more obscure than a royal mistress with no name (as one example of Henry’s many loves). This book goes into detail the lives of the women who shared his heard and bed, however little a time that may be. The children that resulted from those liaisons round out a picture of a man who felt deep, intensely, but briefly.

Despite the subject matter and the exploration of obscure historical figures, this book had a major flaw. The author tended to wordiness, to the point where I got bored to tears at times. She would spend pages after pages after pages on the minutiae of Henry’s children’s lives, up to old age, that I felt like we lost sight of the book’s intentions or goals.

The introduction led me to believe that we were exploring Henry’s loves and children as a reflection of him as a person and that goal was reached for the most of the book. Yet, at times, way too much information was included in the narrative, and I got lost in the shuffle.

A stimulating subject and the depth of knowledge and research behind this book grab the attention of readers. However, this book suffers by an overly-verbose delivery that drags it down. I got lost in a slew of facts and figures that seemed to deviate and meander away from the central topic. While interesting in their own right, I felt like some of the meanders were out of place and boring in this book. Now a bad work on this subject but not the best either.

REVIEW: Sounds and Sweet Airs by Anna Beer

Sounds and Sweet Airs
by Anna Beer

Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Page Count: 304
Release Date: May 10, 2016
Format: ARC Paperback

How got: ARC copy won through LibraryThing giveaway

First attention getter: nonfiction about obscure historical female figures

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS reveals the hidden stories of eight remarkable composers, taking the reader on a journey from seventeenth-century Medici Florence to London in the Blitz.

Exploring not just the lives and works of eight exceptional artists, historian Anna Beer also asks tough questions about the silencing of their legacy, which continues to this day. Why do we still not hear masterpieces such as Hensel’s piano work "The Year," Caccini’s arias and Boulanger’s setting of Psalm 130?

A long-overdue celebration of neglected virtuosos, SOUNDS AND SWEET AIRS presents a complex and inspirational picture of artistic endeavour and achievement that deserves to be part of our cultural heritage.

The featured composers are Francesca Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Marianna Martines, Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn), Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger and Elizabeth Maconchy.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

The subject matter of this book is what first drew me; obscure female figures from history are always a win. The author goes into lots of detail of their lives, giving us figures that felt real and that we got to know. However, sometimes the author could go into TOO much detail. I felt I was drowning at times in scene descriptors or tangents that supplemented the women’s stories.

From the introduction, it sounds like the author faced much the same challenges that her subjects did as she researched their lives. Facing down the idea that a woman’s place was under a man and not in the musical world showed through quite clearly, even in the 20th century.

Yet, Beer gives us eight women who didn’t let those attitudes and society stop them from doing what they loves. Faced with family tragedy, pressure to conform, and the vagaries of patron support, each woman shows us the guts it took to face the world down and create.

The amount of detail incorporated into this book was both a blessing and a curse. The author spends a huge amount of time giving us small details into the lives of her subjects: the intimate relations, the dramatic works that launched some of them, honeymoons, romantic letters, and illnesses. All made for vivid reading and creating a connection between these women and the readers.

However, I found that at times the author could get too wordy and detailed with her extras. While they added depth to the women portrayed, sometimes the extras would overpower their story in their vivid glory. The early works that shaped Caccini are a prime example. The various plays and musical events she took part in are relevant, yes, but the amount of them talked about and the abundant details used seemed excessive to me.

Talking about obscure female figures will always be a plus for me, and Beer does a good job in bringing them and their works to life. She provides lots of details in a readable format for those who don’t read non-fiction often. Yet, those details could also sometimes bog down her narrative; I felt like there was padding going on in this book. Still, she always came back to her eight women and their lives. This was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to more.

Note: Book received for free from Library Thing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Princesses Behaving Badly
by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Publisher: Quirk Books
Page Count: 303
Release Date: November 19, 2013
Format: Hardcover

How got: personal library; received as gift from family member

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn’t be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders—but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elizabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev murdered thousands of men, and Princess Rani Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers minibiographies of all these princesses and dozens more. It’s a fascinating read for history buffs, feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

I’m always down for learning more on obscure female historical figures, and this book hit the spot. It kept a great balance of readability and factual information. I don’t think I’d go straight to this book for a college paper or anything. As a casual, easy read for a history buff, though, it’s great.

I loved the wide range of people this book covered. From the truly obscure Asian princesses’ to their more commonly known European counterparts, the author gives a window into a wide range of personages who could claim the title of “princess”.

The author keeps the format very readable for the non-history major, teacher, or professor. For lovers of history who just want to learn stuff, this is a great choice. She writes in a way that feels like she’s right in the room with the reader, just relaying the tale over a campfire or cup of coffee. I loved that format.

So while not a good source for that dissertation or college final, this is a great read for the casual lover of history. The reader learns a ton and enjoys the journey as well. Definitely recommended!

REVIEW: Heroes of the Holocaust by Lyn Smith

Heroes of the Holocaust
by Lyn Smith

Publisher: Ebury Press
Page Count: 272
Release Date: January 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover

How got: personal library; bought via Amazon

First attention getter: subject matter

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

The moving stories of 27 ordinary people who were awarded the Heroes of the Holocaust medal for their actions protecting Jews from Nazi persecution

In March 2010, 27 Britons who took matters into their own hands to protect Jews from the Nazis during one of the darkest times in human history were formally recognized as Heroes of the Holocaust by the British Government. The silver medal, inscribed with the words "In the Service of Humanity," was created to acknowledge those "whose selfless actions preserved life in the face of persecution." Some of the recipients, like Frank Foley, a British spy whose cover was working at the British embassy in Berlin, took huge risks issuing forged visas to enable around 10,000 Jews to escape Germany before the outbreak of war. Others, like the 10 POWs who hid and cared for Hannah Sarah Rigler as she escaped from a death march, showed great humanity in the face of horrendous cruelty and suffering. All the recipients of the award were ordinary people, acting on no one's authority but their own, who found they could not stand idly by in the face of this great evil. Collected here for the first time are the remarkable stories of the medal's recipients, a moving testament to the bravery of those whose inspiring actions stand out in stark relief at a time of such horror.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

This is a great collection of examples of humanity in times of trial. Those who risked livelihoods and lives to save their fellow human beings from terror, these Brits are examples of the best in humanity. It was interesting to see how people from a nation that was never invaded by ground troops but was hammered from the sky put themselves at risk for others not of their own nation.

Most of the people detailed in this book I was familiar with from reading on Righteous Gentiles before that were recognized by Yad Vashem. I liked this volume, however, as it collected people from one nation into one work and some of which were not recognized by Yad Vashem for whatever reason. These are people that were recognized by Britain with their own Heroes of the Holocaust medal.

From diplomatic halls to occupied British soil to the very bowels of Auschwitz itself, this work covers a wide range of rescue and its arenas. It shines a light on people who would have most likely stayed ordinary under regular circumstances; but with tyranny and evil taking power, they became saviors and people of incredible bravery. I think that’s why I like reading about those who rescued others during the Holocaust. It brings light to how ordinary people can make a difference and be such a bright light of humanity amongst such inhumanity.

I liked how the author presented the information as well. Nonfiction works that present their information in personal story format with each chapter being a different person’s story is something I love. It makes the information very easy to digest, each chapter being one person’s story. Not a format that works for all non-fiction, it works great for works like this, telling us about multiple people over one broad theme. It also makes it very readable, giving it readability to a wider audience and even the casual reader who might not look at a non-fiction otherwise.

I personally loved this work. It presents a lot of information in a format that makes it readable by a wide audience, reaching more people with stories that relate in the modern age and give us examples of how even the ordinary can make a difference. Definitely recommended!!

REVIEW: Queens Consorts

Queens Consorts: England's Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York
by Lisa Hilton

Publisher: Pegasus Classics
Page Count: 496
Format: Kindle

How got: Kindle Unlimited library

Why read: to learn more about lesser known medieval queens

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

Meet the subjects of history’s greatest dramas: the first queens of England

Though their royal husbands occupy the lion’s share of history books, the queens of early England are fascinating subjects in their own right. Lisa Hilton’s Queens Consort vividly evokes the lives and times of England’s first queens, from Matilda of Flanders and the Norman conquest of England to Elizabeth of York and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

By profiling twenty different queens, Hilton provides an intricate and dramatic composite of the English monarch: from the ruthless Isabella of France, who violently gained control of England by dispatching Edward II, to the beloved Matilda of Scotland, known for her intelligence and devotion despite her philandering husband, Henry I; and from a girl who was crowned at the age of nine to a commoner who climbed the social ladder at the most opportune moment. Queens Consort dispels many of the myths that have surrounded these women for centuries, while simultaneously illuminating lesser-known facts about their lives.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3 Stars

I was thrilled to see this book; the personalities of the medieval queens of England are incredibly large and vibrant for the time period. The author gives us a window into their lives and personalities, even to the lesser known like Adelizia of Louvain, making them breathe with relevance and making them real people to a modern audience. I really enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level and seeing the role they played on a grander scale. I also was enthralled to see how the role of queens changed throughout the Middles Ages that the author explored.

The amount of research and information that went into this works is astounding. The sheer wealth of information presented makes my jaw drop; the author must have been at it for years. I also liked that she wrote in such a way that the reader is kept engaged and isn’t tired out from an excess of dry facts and figures. Chunks of primary material are kept to a minimum, and the author keeps her readers engaged with her research being interwoven with her own words.

However, this book did suffer in a few areas that kept it from being a truly stellar work. First off is the lack of editing and proofreading. I’m not sure if the author didn’t have other people editing her work or not; I would think for a professionally published work that she would, though. Yet, there are typos and grammar mistakes literally everywhere. Spaces where there shouldn’t be, randomly inserted letters/misspellings, and the occasional run-on sentence made me grit my teeth in frustration. I can just imagine the frustration of a true grammar Nazi…

Then there is the overuse of symbolism the author utilizes throughout, especially in her comparisons to the Virgin Mary and queen-ship. Sometimes the conclusions the author reaches when utilizing these comparisons seemed far-fetched, but maybe that’s just me. Yet, I did find the amount of times these comparisons and symbols being used in the narrative excessive and overused.

So not a bad work overall, especially in an area that isn’t explored much in non-fiction. The author breathes personalities into people that might otherwise be footnotes in history or stereotypes for all queens or she-wolves of history. The amount of research is clearly evident and shines through, to the author’s credit. However, an abundance of typos and grammar mistakes along with an excessive use of questionable symbols keep this from being a true forerunner in the nonfiction body of work on medieval queens of England.

REVIEW: Civil War Love Stories

Civil War Love Stories
by Gill Paul

Publisher: Sterling
Page Count: 192
Format: Hardcover



How got: Personal library

Why read: the personal stories from an epic historical event

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

In December 1860, South Carolina became the first Southern state to secede from the United States. There followed over four years of continuous fighting between the Union North and Confederate South, in what remains one of the cruelest conflicts in history.

The Civil War tore families apart, pitted friends against one another, and left an estimated 200,000 women widowed. Some three percent of the total population of America perished.

Civil War Love Stories tells the stories of 14 of the couples behind these statistics. Lovers’ heart-wrenching correspondence is recounted here, offering unforgettably poignant glimpses into the relationships that held fast despite the huge strains imposed by the war.

The love stories include: Confederate general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a brilliant military tactician, who longed to win the war so he could return home to his loving wife, Mary Anna, and their new baby daughter, Julia Laura. David Demus, who swiftly joined the Union cause after the formation of the first African American regiment, but relived the perils of fighting for their freedom in somber letters to his wife, Mary. Malinda Blalock, who couldn’t bear to be parted from her husband, Keith, and so joined the Confederate army disguised as his brother, “Sam.” Down-and-out Charles Tenney, who enlisted with the Union cause to earn the good favor of his family, but instead earned the love of his close friend’s sister, Adelaide Case.


My Thoughts


Star Rating - 4 Stars

Giving us an intimate window into the lives and relationships of the personalities that lived and fought the Civil War, I found this book engaging and very readable. I got to know these men and women on a personal level and so felt myself closer to the historical events talked about all the more. I especially liked the personal touches with the pictures of actual individuals and letter quotes in the narrative.

This is more a light historical read than any hefty tome on the subject of the Civil War. You won’t find in-depth explorations of battle strategies or memorialization of grand ideas in this book. If that’s what you’re looking for, definitely look for another volume. Yet, even though the focus is more on personal stories rather than background details of battles, I still got a real feel for the history behind the stories.

So while probably not going to be a primary source for a high school or college essay, this book still is a pleasant reading experience for those who like the personal side to history. I felt closer to the people and events involved and enjoyed every sentence.