Game of Queens

October 3, 2016
Gristwood (Blood Sisters), a commentator on British royal affairs, reframes the Renaissance as an “Age of Queens” in a fast-paced chronological narrative bursting with intrigue. Opening with Spain’s Isabella of Castile (1451–1504) and concluding with England’s Elizabeth I (1533–1603), Gristwood successfully demonstrates how mentors, such as Margaret of Austria (whose court included a young Anne Boleyn), and power wielders, such as the resolute Isabella, helped influence generations of ambitious, high-ranking women through networking and clever manipulation. Some of these women (such as Louise of Savoy and Catherine de Medici) enjoyed great success, while others endured—and sometimes caused—great misery (notably Mary, Queen of Scots, and Mary I). Gristwood places each woman’s story in the context of her own realm as well as in that of contemporary Europe, using multiple sources and providing clear, impartial explanations. She sympathetically describes limited options for women, especially regarding marriages, and also bluntly details self-destructive decisions. Surprisingly, Gristwood barely mentions some of the powerful and well-known medieval queens (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France) who preceded the women here, perhaps because too much emphasis on them would have shifted the book’s steady focus. Gristwood’s fresh take on a well-documented period and the achievements, failures, and relationships of some of Europe’s most powerful players is intriguing, cohesive, and accessible. Illus.

October 1, 2016

Gristwood (Blood Sisters) chronicles the unusual happenstance of the 16th century whereby most of Europe was under a female ruler's control either in her own right or as a regent. The women portrayed here are well known to history (e.g., Anne Boleyn, Isabella I of Castile, Catherine de' Medici, and Marguerite de Navarre) and are shown interacting with one another as rulers, friends, or family; playing primary roles in domestic and foreign affairs; and even creating the atmosphere for incidents such as the Ladies' Peace (1529) and the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572). It is this complex relational web of sisterhood, interwoven by the women as either mothers, daughters, or mentors, that marks the era and its historical events. This web, started in the late 1400s, was eventually broken in the latter half of the 1500s by an ideological battle that tore at the foundations of society: the Reformation. By focusing exclusively on these female figures, Gristwood argues that they are the primary movers of historical developments in this century. VERDICT While the analysis isn't groundbreaking, it casts a well-researched time period in an intriguing light. Readers of popular history, especially of Tudor England, and of women's history will find much to enjoy.--Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
In sixteenth-century Europe, a particular set of circumstances propelled more than a handful of powerful women to the forefront of history, creating an age where female rulers and regents flourished. In her latest intriguing collective biography about overlooked women of historical significance, Gristwood (Blood Sisters: The Women behind the War of the Roses, 2013) portrays the sisterhood of Renaissance movers and shakers that includes such feminine, royal power brokers as Isabella of Castile, Margaret of Austria, Mary of Hungary, Catherine de Medici, Anne Boleyn, Mary Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I of England. While many of their individual achievements are well documented, Gristwood interweaves their respective accomplishments and failures, placing the group dynamic firmly into historical and social context. The complete portrait that emerges reveals a complexity of interactions and relationships among these exceptional, now legendary women, their families, and their nations that greatly contributed to the political, intellectual, and cultural achievements as well as the climate of the Renaissance era. A fascinating work of world and women's history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)