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Sarah Gristwood

Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe Paperback – 1 November 2017

by Sarah Gristwood (Author)

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A BBC History magazine Book of the Year and an amazon.com Best Book of the Month

Two childhood companions, now matriarchs of two opposing powers, calmly set their menfolk aside and declare that they, as women, are better equipped to organise a peace between their warring nations.

An ambitious young woman, debarred by her sex from ascending the throne, nonetheless rules her country and turns her court into an academy where girls are taught how to rule.

A mother tells her daughter to face death rather than give up the sceptre that is her right to wield.

As religion divided sixteenth-century Europe, an extraordinary group of women - queens, consorts and thinkers - rose to power. Despite finding themselves on opposing sides of power struggles both armed and otherwise, through their family ties and patronage they educated and supported each other in a brutal world where the price of failure was disgrace, exile or even death. Theirs was a unique culture of feminine power that saw them run the continent for decades. And yet, as the sixteenth century waned and the Reformation left faultlines across the continent, the Virgin Queen of England was virtually alone as ruler - a queen surrounded by kings once more.

From mother to daughter and mentor to protégée, Sarah Gristwood follows the passage of power from Isabella of Castile and Anne de Beaujeu through Anne Boleyn - the woman who tipped England into religious reform - and on to Elizabeth I and Jeanne d'Albret, heroine of the Protestant Reformation. Unravelling a gripping historical narrative, she reveals the unorthodox practices adopted by these women in the face of challenges that retain an all-too familiar aspect today, and assesses their impact on the era that began the shaping of the modern world. Epic in scale, this game of queens is a remarkable spectacle of skill and ingenuity.

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Product details

Publisher : Oneworld; 1st edition (1 November 2017)
Language : English
Paperback : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 1786071002
ISBN-13 : 978-1786071002
Dimensions : 12.95 x 2.92 x 19.81 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 344,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 481 in Renaissance History (Books)
- 540 in 16th Century History
- 2,434 in Women in History

Customer Reviews:
124 ratings

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Review

‘Gristwood handles multiple narrative strands with tremendous finesse... Densely packed with fascinating material, this immensely ambitious undertaking succeeds triumphantly.’

― Literary Review

‘A masterpiece that effortlessly and enthrallingly interweaves the amazing stories of women who ruled in Europe during the Renaissance period...and a pacy and illuminating good read.’

― Alison Weir

‘Engaging and highly readable.’

― BBC History Magazine, Books of the Year

‘Gristwood brings them all to life with her usual mix of character study and pacy narrative’.

― History Revealed

‘Gristwood interweaves the drama of monarchy with its more domestic moments.’

― Telegraph

‘A fast-paced chronological narrative bursting with intrigue.’

― Publishers Weekly

‘Sarah Gristwood’s study of the brilliant, beleaguered and often bloody difficult women who kept Europe going in the sixteenth century is compelling, clear-eyed, beautifully rendered and never-more-timely.’

-- Jessie Childs

‘A magnificent exploration of a most remarkable group…Gristwood gives us impeccable research, incisive attention to detail and exquisite writing as she investigates these truly fascinating women and their lives of courage, tribulation and determination. Absolutely unputdownable.’

-- Kate Williams, author of The Storms of War

Book Description

Not even the twentieth century can compare with the sixteenth century's explosion of female rule

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Carole P. Roman

Detailed and wonderfully written book celebrating powerful queens of Western Europe

Reviewed in Australia on 30 March 2017

Detailed and wonderfully written book celebrating powerful queens of Western Europe. Starting with Isabella of Spain and ending with Elizabeth I. Gristwood writes of the various women from England, The Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, and France and how they impacted history. Isabella of Spain broke the mold as a warrior queen, setting the precedent of a woman taking control of her country as well as standing beside her troops in battle. With each new personality, Gristwood shows how they influenced the next generation of queens in training. Isabella's fierce ability to govern and defend her country set the example for her own daughter Katherine of Aragon to act as regent in Henry's absence and defeat the Scots at Flodden. Similarly, the author compares Margaret Tudor's role in Scotland as well as Anne of France's impact on the girls she mentored. The author moves through time, describing the dynamics of Marguerite of Savoy's relationship with both her brother, Francis I and her mother, Louise of Savoy. Each new era brings a widening influence affecting women across Europe, the older queens tutoring the younger girls in their future roles. Interestingly, she writes that Anne Boleyn's failure and ultimate downfall may have been the result of her not being an actual princess, her common roots leaving her unprepared the navigate the dangerous shoals of palace politics. She asserts that Boleyn was so caught up in the idea of courtly love, she had no understanding of when to stop and perhaps protect herself. She shows the differences of a political savvy Marguerite of Navarre played with her brother, the king when he forced an undesirable marriage on her daughter. Marguerite understood the dangerous dance of when to push and when to retreat, unlike Anne who did not. Mary of Hungary, Catherine de Medici, Elizabeth 1, Mary of Guise, Mary of Scotland, are a few of the ruling queens mentioned. The times created women who learned how to steer the world, shaping bloodlines as well as borders with quiet strength. They changed what they believed in with passionate dedication proving leadership did not belong solely in a king's hands.
Interesting, at times, riveting, this is a fascinating glimpse into a world that is too often overshadowed by the achievements of kings rather than the women who surrounded and influenced them.

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James

A stunning masterpiece of history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 November 2016

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It's not everyday you read a book that opens up new interest in a subject you are already interested in. This new book did just that. Not only does it discuss the lives of well known female rulers Elizabeth I and Mary I of England, Mary, Queen of Scots, Isabella of Castile, Margaret of Austria, as well as female consorts Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Parr, it also brings women such as Jeanne d'Albret, Mary of Hungary, Margaret Tudor and Anne of Brittany, among others to the forefront. These women being so often undeservingly neglected to mere footnotes in most biographies.
It is a fascinating discussion of the women who held power - either on the throne or behind it - their often conflicted loyalties to their homelands, or being forced to marry to secure alliances. It challenges the myth that women had no role in politics in the sixteenth century, at times being the ones to secure peace (Margaret of Austria and Louise of Savoy).
Sarah Gristwood has a marvellous way of effortlessly making the book seem less like a biography/timeline, and more like a discussion you are having with her. She effortlessly breezes between the entwined stories and lives of these remarkable women, with such ease and delicacy that the reader is not left behind scratching their heads (which could easily be the case). What is also special about this book is that you do not need a vast knowledge of the sixteenth century, this is as perfect an introduction to the period as many other books. In fact, probably more so here due style of the narrative, which does not fall into the trap of many other books that go off on tangents. Simply sticking to key facts surrounding the women during their time in power.
Many books have been written set in the sixteenth century, mainly Tudor England, that you often wonder if some have anything new to offer. This book however, offers a whole new focus to the period. Mainly due to the focus on the women outside of England, those in power in France, Spain, Netherlands, Navarre, Hungary etc. That you begin to understand a new side to the politics of sixteenth century women.
It must be said that the book does not glamorise the role of women in the sixteenth century world, making them out be early feminists - quite the contrary, instead it merely challenges some of the views people may have had about the role of some women in these times, that they were actually more than child bearers.
As bestselling historian Alison Weir says, this book is quite simply "A Masterpiece". I eagerly await Sarah Gristwood future work.

* At the back of the book, look out for further reading on these women, as well as the link to the 'Game of Queens' website.

9 people found this helpful

Adalaide

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2018

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Loved this book, I learnt so much about some of the lesser known women of the period. The book excels in using the women's own words and actions rather than inferring from what their 'men' were doing at the same time. It gives a fantastic insight into the traits a lot of these women shared and how they managed to wield power in a very male dominated society.

3 people found this helpful

bamk

Really enjoyable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 October 2020

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although I've been reading history for years I found so many facts and story's that I'd never heard before.... a woman's lot in power was never going to be easy

jac

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2018

Verified Purchase

Great read

Amazon Customer

I would highly recommend this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2018

Verified Purchase

I would highly recommend this book . A fascinating account of 16th Century women who were queens, regents and ambassadors.

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Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe Paperback – 1 November 2017

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