Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe Hardcover – November 29, 2016

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.

I've read all of Allison Weir's nonfiction books and I thought they were rough going but they look like Dick And Jane primers compared to this tome. I was so excited to read this, the idea of somebody finally shining a light on the lives of the women connected to the royalty who previously appeared to do it all by themselves. I'm so disappointed in myself but I have to abandon this, at least for now. I'm not having fun, I keep going over and over it, even made notes of everybody's names so I could go into wikepedia and try to piece it altogether from additional clues there. It's hopeless. I'm not sure what a writer would have do to pull this off in a way that would make it less of a chore, or maybe I'm getting senile! Apparently lots of other people seemed to have made it through okay, and maybe I would too by 2022, but I'm 75 and may not have enough time left! I give up, for now at least. She's a good writer, though.

I wish I could give it 4.5 stars, because it has information I have not found anywhere else! And the book is and so interesting!However, it needs a better editor. Some of the writing is impossible to tease out the meaning. My daughter and I parsed one "sentence" for an hour trying to figure out the real meaning... the use of comma's in some places is completely random and make it humor, which is not the intent.And of course, as much historical writing does, it sometimes puts you to sleep...Definitely worth the effort to read, all the way to the end.

Fascinating read! I'm well read in history,but didn't know all the details of these 16th century queens who either solely reigned or were the powers behind the thrones of their absent brothers or young sons, While all this was going on in Spain, France, England, Scotland and the Holy Roman Empire, the Reformation was having an enormous impact on the very core of European life. The author does a great job interweaving the stories of these women and their influence on each other. Some were able to negotiate peace for their countries when their husbands/brothers could not. While others were locked in power struggles which were only resolved with lethal force.Thank goodness the author's notes contain 1) a time line, 2) family trees and 3) thumbnail descriptions of the central characters (eight of whom are either named Mary or Margaret). I kept referring to those. Hard to keep track sometimes, but still an engrossing read.

I wouldn't have thought so many different people's stories could be woven together so seamlessly. But Sarah Gristwood has done it and done it well. She includes all the obvious major names from the time; Anne boleyn, Catherine di Medici... but also lesser known (to me at least); Margaret of Parma, Marguerite of Navarre...Very interesting read!

This is a fascinating history of both the sung and unsung women of the 16th century. What makes it compellingly interesting for students of history are the details about women of power of that era that are generally unkown to us. These include, among others, Margaret of Austria, Mary of Hungary, Marie de Guise (mother of Mary of Scotland) and Louise of Savoy. Other more famous characters are also included and nicely fleshed out but the real interest is in these not so marginal but much less written about ladies. The style of writing is clear, fluid and easy to read, yet nicely scholarly. Very highly recommended to those interested in this time period, women' s history or just history in general. It does give lie at times to the fact that women were powerless. The Emperor Charles appeared to have great faith in his lady relatives!

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.

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.

Great read

Very good.

Very interesting and well written.