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Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England
Buy Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England: Alison Weir,
Buy Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England Now
Jonathan Cape Ltd
Author: Alison Weir, £20.00
Stimulating
Review date: 2010-08-25 Rating: 10 out of 10
When I read history books in my younger days, I believed almost everything that was written about, as if it were a fact. After reading this book I realise that it is extremely difficult to portray an accurate portrait of events that have occured many years ago. I think Alison Weir does a fabulous job in gathering together as much evidence as possible and analysing it throughly in order to give us a picture that is credible. This book is a stimulating read and makes you think about the evidence yourself in order to draw your own conclusions. Roger Mortimer however remains a vague figure and I needed to reread the parts when he was in the story again - by using the index. The part concerning Edward II's death makes the reader feel as if he/she is part of a murder mystery. I don't entirely agree with some of Alison Weir's conclusions, but this is what makes the book so stimulating; letting readers think for themselves and enjoying a very exciting romp in the 14th century, which has been brought to life once again.
Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England Reviews
hard work
Review date: 2010-05-11 Rating: 6 out of 10
Fascinating biography of 14th century queen of England, Isabella. The author says, in the book, "history has been unkind to Isabella. For centuries, she has been condemned, mostly by male historians, for her adultery,, her violation of marital conventions, her cruelty, her misgovernment, and her connivance in a murder that probably never took place. She is the femme fatale of the English monarchy."
I have read Alison Weir's books before and usually find them quick and enjoyable reads. I found this one a bit hard going though. Its well researched and enthusiastically written but it seems in her eagerness to tell the story of Isabella, Ms Weir bombards the reader with a barrage of names, dates, places and I found it hard to keep up...
But it's history ... and I suppose history is names, dates and places... and if you can soldier through , there are some parts which are fascinating, and have prompted me to find out more about this era.
All in all, I'd recommend it as a historical biography, but its not a light read .
Isabella-Heroine and Jezabel
Review date: 2010-03-28 Rating: 8 out of 10
Alison Weir's book on Queen Isabella was a fascinating read. For once, I was able to view the reign of Edward II through the eyes of a woman. And a very powerful woman indeed. Certainly, the story of Isabella and Edward has to be seen as one of the most tragic relationships in English history.
Think of the twelve year old girl making her way from France to England. What does she expect? A great and loving husband who would prove himself to be a great king. What did she get? A man who was very much in love with his male favorites, hostile to women, and an idoit of a king. Tough break from Isabella. And take the revenge of Edward's favorites against her. First Gaveston, and then Despenser. It is no wonder that she got rid of her husband.
Got rid of him she did. Indeed, she fell in love with a traitor, Roger Mortimer, an d returned to dethrone her husband with his support. She then placed her son on the throne, and ran his government. For three years she ruled with Mortimer. They both succeeded in making themselves unpopular. Eventually, Isabella's son, Edward III does something. He has Mortimer executed and Isabella put into comfortable retirement on her country estates.
Mrs. Weir has done it again. This is a book any author can be happy with. Very good story.
Interesting enough
Review date: 2010-02-28 Rating: 6 out of 10
Isabella, like most of Alison Weir's work, has a wealth of wonderful detail about the world which her subjects inhabited and succeeds in really bringing the period alive. However, this one didn't move me in the same way that some of her other books have and dragged a bit in places.
I suspect this was largely down to my own personal preferences rather than a change in the quality of Weir's writing. I simply found Isabella a less interesting personality than some of Weir's other queens such as Margaret of Anjou and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Despite her story and the 'she-wolf of France' tag I found her fairly passive and easily manipulated by those around her. I also found the idea that Edward II escaped murder a little implausible, despite Weir's persuasive arguments.
Isabella - the she wolf
Review date: 2009-12-27 Rating: 8 out of 10
This is a good insight into the historical era of Edward II and Isabella. Factual, not a pick up and drop book, but good if you are interested in this period of history
Product Details/Specifications
Authors:
Alison Weir
Recording label: Jonathan Cape Ltd
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape Ltd
EAN: 9780224063203
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 0224063200
Number of pages: 512
Publication date: 2005-09-01
