I'm struggling with rating and reviewing this. I don't think it shouldn't be read or anything like that but it isn't a decent history book either.
Some I'm struggling with rating and reviewing this. I don't think it shouldn't be read or anything like that but it isn't a decent history book either.
Some of this info was well researched but a lot of this simply regurgitates other historians research without significantly stating why the author agrees and included their research vs other historians.
In histories that cover large amounts of players I don't expect the author to have themselves checked 1st source documents. I do however expect them to read multiple sources and chose what best fits their narrative. This feels like the author Googled the major players and didn't do much research beyond that.
I think this can have value if you already understand the players and the game. This isn't a good introduction to the Habsburg Empire in my opinion....more
2.75 Stars rounded up This is a very brief but interesting look at a lot of Monarchs. There's really nothing new here at the same time the author manage2.75 Stars rounded up This is a very brief but interesting look at a lot of Monarchs. There's really nothing new here at the same time the author manages to keep the info fresh-ish and moving. I removed a star because the author engages in the traditional sexism, etc that characterizes most of these type of biographies....more
2.5 Stars rounded up I liked this and it's very detailed. That said a few if the details were incorrect or framed in odd ways. This was well paced for th2.5 Stars rounded up I liked this and it's very detailed. That said a few if the details were incorrect or framed in odd ways. This was well paced for this genre. This covers the rise of Martin Luther, John Calvin and Protestantism, the 80 yr war for Dutch Independence, the 30 yr war, the English Civil War, The Glorious Revolution, the rise and fall of Spain, the rise and fall of the Holy Roman Empire and the rise of the Netherlands & Sweden. This is packed with info and while I do not agree with many of the professors conclusions, I do appreciate his thorough research....more
2.5 Stars rounded up I quite enjoyed this and found this interesting enough to hold my interest through this long rather complicated lecture. That said 2.5 Stars rounded up I quite enjoyed this and found this interesting enough to hold my interest through this long rather complicated lecture. That said the author got lots of simple, Google-able information incorrect. It leads to doubt about the author/professor/historians actually basic knowledge abd understanding of this subject. Again most of the errors could've been corrected with a simple Wikipedia search as it's dates, ancestry, etc.
This is a dynamic and convoluted period in British history. Whew chile!...more
This is a biased if entertaining look at these eras and places. My problem is that during colonization and chattel slavery Europe can not be treated asThis is a biased if entertaining look at these eras and places. My problem is that during colonization and chattel slavery Europe can not be treated as it existed isolated from contact with other places and peoples. Europe during this period can't be removed from its colonizing actions abroad as that informed the behaviors in Europe and vice versa. This book ignores that and treats Europe as if it grew in isolation which is ahistorical.
The information on Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI and the French Revolution is incorrect or mis-stated in multiple places and multiple ways.
There's also goofy shit like the argument that Russia is an Asiatic country solely because the Mongol Empire acted as overlord to white europeans of Danish descent who sat the throne in Rus, now Russia. This ignores that what is now Spain was controlled for 600 yrs by Islamic North Africans, notice the Iberian Peninsula is not considered Asiatic nor African. These ideas are biased and largely based in eugenicist mythology.
Its interesting that every European country and system of government is compared to the USA. However the USA isn't a democracy before 1865 full stop and arguably not a democracy after. The country is founded as an oligarchy with only white land owning men voting and with the Electoral College protecting against true democracy.
The info on Napoleon is goofy, he did not revolutionize anything, he was a well organized tyrant. Nazi's kept excellent records but it doesn't change their crimes. Somehow for Napoleon his 'codes' negate the chaos and tyranny of his fucked up rule. He's way worse than 'the terror' of the French Revolution and is responsible for way more death. I knew the author and I would not agree on outcomes but I've found that even the facts are speculative. Leaving me to conclude that while this is entertaining it has little educational value....more
3.75 Stars rounded up This is readable and interesting but mostly deals with selected Queens place in society & court. Leaving most traditional biograph3.75 Stars rounded up This is readable and interesting but mostly deals with selected Queens place in society & court. Leaving most traditional biographical info out of this book which the author let's the reader know from the beginning is the set up. This is unbelievably detailed, interesting and focused on formal ceremonies and duties and power available to each Queen. This is very different review of Queens and Queenship and very scholarly though not boring at all....more
I've read this twice and enjoyed it both times. This has multiple contributors and is able to more than adequately defend its view4.25 Stars rounded up
I've read this twice and enjoyed it both times. This has multiple contributors and is able to more than adequately defend its views and claims. That said its not radical and is inaccurate in regards to capitalism ever being good or a benefit. Chattel slavery ties directly to capitalism and can't be removed from it. This is liberal but moderate despite the right wing emotionally rabid response to it....more
3.75 stars rounded up This is heavily researched and unbelievably detailed. In addition to the normal lists that usually make up Weir's non fiction his3.75 stars rounded up This is heavily researched and unbelievably detailed. In addition to the normal lists that usually make up Weir's non fiction history books, there's also descriptions of castles & palaces, kitchens, beds, clothing, jewels, food, drink, medicine, etc. Everything you wanted to know about this period as it relates to the King & court. This is slow going and a bit tedious. I would not recommend the audiobook for this....more
2 stars is generous for this. Mostly this is an account of Tudor court politics & history that occurred during the life of Jane Boleyn. There's very lit2 stars is generous for this. Mostly this is an account of Tudor court politics & history that occurred during the life of Jane Boleyn. There's very little info on Jane and most of the info is about Anne and other Boleyn members about whom more documented history exists. I wish the author had patterned this biography after biographies of enslaved peoples which is pulled from primary sources about their enslaver captors without centering those enslaver captors. This book is starring primarily Anne Boleyn. The author adds lots of things Jane might have felt based on the authirs imagination but not much of substance. Poorly handled...more
This is light in tone, easy to read and interesting. The low score is largely because of omission of the genocide that Queen Isabel is responsible for.This is light in tone, easy to read and interesting. The low score is largely because of omission of the genocide that Queen Isabel is responsible for. I know its tempting as she was a very strong ruler to make her into a modern feminist icon but her crimes have to measured as well. She was rabidly catholic and expelled Jewish, Romani & Moorish peoples from her kingdom AFTER stealing their goods. Those that stayed and converted she tortured during the Spanish Inquisition. Thats before her colonizing genocides. History that omits facts in order to force a narrative has little value.
I did LOVE the section on Poland. I know very little about that Monarchy full stop and found it VERY interesting.
This is an extremely light overview of these women and I find it too light to really be effective....more
This is light but detailed on the rulers of The Hapsburg Dynasty. The info on the other players is considerably lighter and I spent some time looking uThis is light but detailed on the rulers of The Hapsburg Dynasty. The info on the other players is considerably lighter and I spent some time looking up connected children and siblings. I'm not overly familiar with this dynasty though I have read biographies on Carlos V & Philip II as well as a recent biography on Maria Theresa and multiple biographies of Marie Antoinette. I found some of the suppositions and offered facts questionable and some outright wrong. For example: 'Maria Theresia was staggeringly successful at dynastic reproduction: over 19 years she gave birth to 16 children, 10 of whom lived into adulthood. One of the most remarkable things about her as a ruler was that she helped raise all these children yet wisely governed a huge monarchy at the same time.' This is not true. Maria Theresa's children didn't all live with or near her. She over saw their tutors and guardians. The oldest few had the most regular contact with her. This is standard for the times in which she lived and may have been true even if she wasn't working as monarch. Certainty her work expectations outweighed the availability to provide much personal care to her offspring. The family did have family time at holidays and vacations and MT was a caring parent. I mean for the most part anyway via the standards for the age in which she lived. Also Carlos V & Philip II are presented in a very biased and white supremacist, colonialist perspective. The author suggests that Carlos V was considered a generous ruler by his South American subjects and I know for a fact Aztec history doesn't match that description at all. It's standard in European histories to ignore the historical records of POC who were oppressed and colonized and thats racist....more
'Moreover Spain allowed Britain the exclusive right to handle The African Slave Trade with The Spanish Colonies for a period of 30 years.'
GB emerges a'Moreover Spain allowed Britain the exclusive right to handle The African Slave Trade with The Spanish Colonies for a period of 30 years.'
GB emerges as the primary winner of this conflict largely due to superior Naval power. This will continue as the British Empire continues to grow largely due to war settlements its rather large over seas Empire. This is why I speak English and the following wars, not The Spanish Armada and Elizabeth I.
This was easy to read and understand. I don't know enough about this period to know how accurate this is. Further reading will make clear the accuracy of text. Quite a bit about Louis XIV and his wars...more
This is interesting, fun and reasonably well researched. This field is a bit over saturated even though 500 marriages occurred. There's other books thatThis is interesting, fun and reasonably well researched. This field is a bit over saturated even though 500 marriages occurred. There's other books that cover this same topic in considerably more depth. I'd recommend Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy which is incredibly detailed. I liked that this book didn't just focus on women who married British Artistocrats but covered other European Royalty as well. That said I dislike this authors pretense that 'Robber Baron' is pejorative because its actually descriptive. The Robber Barons were horrible. The Commodore Vanderbilt was particularly awful, he stole from his own daughter the daughter's & wives of wealthy friends who came to him for financial advice. He forced his wife and kids to work for their upkeep when he was already quite wealthy. The reason we have so many laws and regulations is because these Robber Barons were shameless thieves. That said it isn't the Industrial Revolution alone that accounts for the wealth of the father's of these American Brides. Nope. Most of these Robber Barobs made their initial money/investment with funds 'earned' via contracts during The Civil War to supply soldiers with necessities like wool socks. These future Robber Barons sold shoddy products and in many cases sent no supplies at all while pocketing the money from the Union or Confederate Army. That's the foundation of their first obscene million and the business practices get more horrifying and ruthless as time goes on. They take these funds and invest them in factories via the Industrial Revolution and become wealthier. Finally they institute immoral business practices largely involving lies, deception and outright theft. These are horrible men and I'm not sorry nor surprised their daughters suffered ...more
Read this on vacation. I don't generally care for Greg King's views on history but I quite enjoyed this one. The sexism was toned down. I read a few bookRead this on vacation. I don't generally care for Greg King's views on history but I quite enjoyed this one. The sexism was toned down. I read a few books while out of town and this is one of them....more
This was kinda funny but far too general to really be historical. Mostly entertaining gossip. I read a few books while out of town and this is one of thThis was kinda funny but far too general to really be historical. Mostly entertaining gossip. I read a few books while out of town and this is one of them....more
3.5 stars rounded down This is directly before the Civil War and yet ignores race. So I rounded down. Otherwise mostly delightful a bit too long. I read 3.5 stars rounded down This is directly before the Civil War and yet ignores race. So I rounded down. Otherwise mostly delightful a bit too long. I read a few books while out of town and this is one of them....more
2.5 stars rounded up Too condensed for my tastes. However the version I listened to was updated for 2021 and was an audiobook available at my library vi2.5 stars rounded up Too condensed for my tastes. However the version I listened to was updated for 2021 and was an audiobook available at my library via Hoopla. I didn't see that version as an option to select on Goodreads. I would not really recommend this unless you know the basic players. This doesn't explain well why The Tudor dynasty even existed and in fairness that's not brief. If you understand the basic players there's not really anything of interest here. Its very short and I finished quickly...more