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My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots
 
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My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots (Hardcover)

by John Guy (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 574 pages
  • Publisher: Fourth Estate Ltd; First Edition Fourth Impression edition (19 Jan 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 184115752X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841157528
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.4 x 5.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 256,903 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

After 400 years Mary Queen of Scots continues to fascinate, and John Guy's superb new biography does full justice to the fascination. This is both a very scholarly work - Guy has unearthed material not seen by a historian since 1840 - but also intensely readable and well written. What was Mary? Innocent victim? Whore and murderess? Heroine or Martyr? Part of her fascination is that she could be all of these, but one of the real interests of Guy's book is the revelation that showed great political shrewdness in attempting to govern what was in effect the ungovernable realm of Scotland. What also emerges clearly is the Cecil, Elizabeth's Chief Secretary, was Mary's nemesis, pursuing her relentlessly as a threat to Queen Elizabeth until he finally achieved her execution at Fotheringay. (Kirkus UK)


John Adamson, Daily Telegraph

'Certain to be a bestseller, and deservedly so. Rarely have first-class scholarship and first-class storytelling been so effectively combined.'
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing else left to read on the subject., 1 April 2005
By Robert James (Wales, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots (Paperback)
There is an accepted way that Mary's life story usually goes; Sent to France, spoilt, married the heir and became queen, husband died, mother-in-law hated her, moved back to Scotland as Queen, did ok for a bit, fell in love with Darnley, killed him and ran off with one of her co-conspirators in his murder, Scotland rebelled, chased her into England where she was captured by Elizabeth and then executed many years later for plotting Elizabeth's death.
A fascinating story however it's told, but you're often left wondering how this woman could be so stupid.
John Guy's riveting book does more than just shed light on the rumours and misinformation that has always surrounded this most intriguing of Queens; he re-writes history. But this is no bad thing. He doesn't re-write it to fit some jumped up theory of his but through exhaustive research and analysis he blows all other biographies of Mary out of the water.
Whenever I'd read about Mary before I'd always wondered how someone so obviously intelligent could start so well and finish so badly. She was undoubtedly spoilt and far more flighty and romantic than the focussed, driven and politically-minded Elizabeth. But this was never enough to explain the incomprehensible blunders she appeared to make, time and time again.
John Guy explains these 'blunders' so well that you begin to understand they were not blunders at all, merely a woman in a difficult situation doing the best she could while being pulled between factions and manipulated.
If there is one criticism I would direct at John Guy it would be that he has taken all the mystery away from her story. There is no more to debate, no more to speculate on. It is all laid out here so clearly and convincingly it's left nothing more to read about her.
Mary is no doubt looking down with a smile on her face and sighing 'Finally!'
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51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars mary treated fairly, 18 Jan 2004
By A Customer
I find this book fascinating- it is a blend of huge scholarship and excellent storytelling. It makes sense of complicated events without losing sight of the fragile human personalities caught up in the events of the period - the explanation of the type of society in which Mary found herself is clear, very interesting and quite exciting - lots of details which bring the story alive and makes it immediate- and Mary herself now makes sense to me- flawed, yes, but brave and remarkably astute for her age. It is a real page turner- exciting history, even if you thought you had read it all - you have not, yet.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A hugely impressive piece of research., 14 Feb 2007
By K. Garden (Lockerbie, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots (Paperback)
Although the title makes you think of a romantic novel, this is a robust and intricate examination of Mary's life. She comes across as a sensitive, passionate, moderate woman who tried to deal with the powerful religious and political factions in her country and find a middle way in her dealings with them. The way she fell victim to the power-politics of her time is truly tragic. Film-makers could not invent such a dramatic, involving and complex story. This is miles better than fiction.
I did the tour of Holyrood Palace while I was reading this biography and to visit her rooms where Rizzio was murdered and see the stairway his body was bundled down, was really moving and awe-inspiring.
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