What are you reading now?

Any great suggestions? I've just finished The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.

Great Tales from English History by Robert Lacey.

Anything by Alison Weir is great, especially The Six Wives of Henry VIII, or if you want historical fiction, Innocent Traitor is also good. Also Eric Ives' The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, or even Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl. How was Lady Elizabeth? I've been a little hesitant to read it.

The Lady Elizabeth was pretty goo but I thought Innocent Traitor was better.

I've never read anything by Alison Weir..allthough I always pick up her books when I pass them by at the bookstore. Is she reliable? How was her history of the Queen of Scots- was her biography balanced? I've always wanted to know more about her.

Also, does she have any interesting theories re. the motives of Henry VIII?

>5 Windypoplar:

Her history books or her fiction books?
She is a Tudor historian so her fiction books are well-researched and she knows how to write. Her history books... depends. She has her views - if you agree with her, it sounds fine; if not - well... she is biased at some things (and ready to accept almost anything elsewhere)

A balanced biography of Mary is almost an oxymoron:) I like Weir's take on it even if it is a bit biased.

Motives for what? She does have her theories - how new they will be to someone depends on how much books influenced from hers had been read.

I usually enjoy her books.

I agree that, with her biographies, she is biased. She definitely expresses her opinion.

Her history of Mary Queen of Scots is part biography and part her role in Lord Darnely's (Mary's second husband) death. As I said, Weir expresses her opinion in her books so its up to you to decide. But, as far as I can tell, she is well researched and reliable.

Her history is better than fiction, especially around the Wars of the Roses. Didn't think much of the novel (believe it was Lady Elizabeth) where Elizabeth miscarried Somerset's baby, just taking too many historical liberties.