Product Description

Based on contemporary documents and histories, Roderick Graham paints a unique picture of Mary that sees her neither as a Catholic martyr, nor as a husband-murdering adulteress, but as a young girl adrift in the dangerous seas of sixteenth-century politics. Mary Stuart had none of the ruthlessness of her contemporary sisters, and the female empowerment of Catherine de Medici, Diane de Poitiers or Elizabeth Tudor passed her by. In an age of intellectually brilliant and powerful women, Mary relied on her beauty and charm in place of reason and determination. Passively and gracefully, she allowed events to overtake her as accidents and when she did attempt to control her future she unwittingly set in a train of events that would lead her to the executioner's block.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #405930 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-07
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 476 pages

About the Author
Roderick Graham was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and Edinburgh University before serving with the Royal Army Education Corps as Staff Officer (Education) East Africa Command. He subsequently enjoyed a long and varied career in television and radio as a writer, freelance director and producer, and worked for a period as Head of Drama for BBC TV Scotland. He has also taught writing and directing at Napier and Leeds Metropolitan Universities, Edinburgh College of Art and Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He is the author of the critically acclaimed John Knox: Democrat (Hale, 2001) and The Great Infidel: A Life of David Hume. He lives in Edinburgh.

Customer Reviews

the lessons of history
Having a lifelong fascination with Mary, Queen of Scots, I have read a great many biographical,fictional and poetic interpretations of her life. I came to this one feeling rather sceptical that anything really new could be added.
I was wrong - Mr Graham's direct writing style and straightforward but cogent analysis makes for great story-telling, but with one eye firmly on how history's lessons may be usefully learned. Living just down the road from where Queen Mary sailed from Scotland to entrust her future to her cousin, Elizabeth, I feel thoroughly reacquainted with both through this lovely book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be metaphorically transported back to the 16th century!