December 2022 MBR The World History Shelf

The World History Shelf

When Women Ruled the World
Maureen Quilligan
Liveright
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781631497964, $29.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/When-Women-Ruled-World-Renaissance/dp/1631497960

Synopsis: The sixteenth century in Europe was a time of chronic destabilization in which institutions of traditional authority were challenged and religious wars seemed unending. Yet it also witnessed the remarkable flowering of a pacifist culture, cultivated by a cohort of extraordinary women rulers (most notably, Mary Tudor; Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Catherine de' Medici) whose lives were intertwined not only by blood and marriage, but by a shared recognition that their premier places in the world of just a few dozen European monarchs required them to bond together, as women, against the forces seeking to destroy them, if not the foundations of monarchy itself.

Recasting the complex relationships among these four queens, Maureen Quilligan, a leading scholar of the Renaissance, rewrites centuries of historical analysis that sought to depict their governments as riven by personal jealousies and petty revenges. Instead, with the publication of "When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe", Professor Maureen Quilligan shows how these regents carefully engendered a culture of mutual respect, focusing on the gift-giving by which they aimed to ensure ties of friendship and alliance. As Professor Quilligan demonstrates, gifts were no mere signals of affection, but inalienable possessions, often handed down through generations, that served as agents in the creation of a steep social hierarchy that allowed women to assume political authority beyond the confines of their gender.

Professor Quilligan also reveals how eleven-year-old Elizabeth I's gift of a handmade book to her stepmother, Katherine Parr, helped facilitate peace within the tumultuous Tudor dynasty, and how Catherine de' Medici's gift of the Valois tapestries to her granddaughter, the soon-to-be Grand Duchess of Tuscany, both solidified and enhanced the Medici family's prestige. Quilligan even uncovers a book of poetry given to Elizabeth I by Catherine de' Medici as a warning against the concerted attack launched by her closest counselor, William Cecil, on the divine right of kings -- an attack that ultimately resulted in the execution of her sister, Mary, Queen of Scots.

Beyond gifts, "When Women Ruled the World" also delves into the connections the regents created among themselves, connections that historians have long considered beneath notice. "Like fellow soldiers in a sororal troop," Professor Quilligan writes, these women protected and aided each other. Aware of the leveling patriarchal power of the Reformation, they consolidated forces, governing as "sisters" within a royal family that exercised power by virtue of inherited right -- the very right that Protestantism rejected as a basis for rule.

Vibrantly chronicling the artistic creativity and political ingenuity that flourished in the pockets of peace created by these four queens, Professor Quilligan's lavishly illustrated work offers a new perspective on the glorious sixteenth century and, crucially, the women who helped create it.

Critique: A brilliant presented and extraordinarily informative contribution to personal, professional, community, college, and university library European Renaissance History collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists, (and featuring an 8-page color insert and 40 black-and-white images) it should be noted for students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe" is also available in a paperback edition (9781324092377, $18.95), in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.16), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200921515, $46.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Maureen Quilliganis (https://whenwomenruled.blog) is the R. Florence Brinkley Distinguished Professor Emerita of English at Duke University. The author of books about medieval and Renaissance literature, she was also co- editor of the groundbreaking essay collection "Rewriting the Renaissance: The Discourses of Sexual Difference in Early Modern Europe".

The Bletchley Park Codebreakers in Their Own Words
Joel Greenbert
Greenhill Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781784388119, $39.95, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bletchley-Park-Codebreakers-Their-Words/dp/1784388114

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Bletchley Park Codebreakers in Their Own Words", historian Joel Greenberg tells the story of Bletchley Park through countless letters written by key players to former colleagues and loved ones as the war unfolded.

Having intercepted millions of German communications, the codebreakers had felt bound by the Official Secrets Act and said little about their wartime activities. Some who had stayed on at GCHQ after the war, were concerned that speaking out could jeopardize their pensions.

Over one hundred letters have been included in this informative volume and have either been recovered from family members or declassified by GCHQ. They reveal fresh information about the clandestine operation and disclose the true feelings of the participants at Bletchley Park.

In contrast to early accounts, which lacked detail and were occasionally inaccurate, "The Bletchley Park Codebreakers in Their Own Words" thoroughly lays bare the day-to-day experiences at Bletchley Park and uncovers the operational and technical reasons behind the organization's successes and failures.

Simultaneously intimate and comprehensive, it will interest historians, World War II researchers, and anyone who wants to learn the secrets of Britain's signal intelligence effort.

Critique: A unique and substantial contribution to the growing number of World War II histories, "The Bletchley Park Codebreakers in Their Own Words" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Appendix (Letters to the Editor), ten pages of Notes, a three page Bibliography, and a five page Index. An extraordinary 'eye-witness' based history, "The Bletchley Park Codebreakers in Their Own Words" is a critically important and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II History/Biography collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of World War II military intelligence that "The Bletchley Park Codebreakers in Their Own Words" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Joel Greenberg (https://www.joelgreenberg.co.uk) is an author and historian who researches and writes about signals intelligence and its impact on two world wars. He is the author of "Gordon Welchman: Bletchley Park's Architect of Ultra Intelligence". This book is the basis of "The Forgotten Genius of Bletchley Park" -- a joint BBC/Smithsonian Network 2015 documentary about Welchman.

Celtic Warfare
Gioal Canestrelli
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399070171, $42.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Warfare-Fifth-Century-First/dp/1399070177

Synopsis: Warfare was a crucial aspect of Celtic society, deeply linked to the spreading of their culture through all Europe. Between the fifth century BC, when La T ne Culture Celts developed in Europe, and the first century AD, when they faced the complete subjugation or annihilation of most of their communities, their approach to warfare was subject to constant evolution, driven both by contact with Mediterranean cultures and different requirements closely related to social issues that were in constant flux.

With the publication of "Celtic Warfare: From the Fifth Century BC to the First Century AD", historian Gioal Canestrelli offers an interdisciplinary approach, combining archaeological and literary sources and examining Celtic warfare from both a practical perspective, linked to weapons structure and military tactics, and a social perspective, analyzing the cultural implications of Celtic military development. Furthermore, "Celtic Warfare" analyses the different areas of the Keltike, from Britain to Gaul, from Spain to the Alpine region, with more than 120 black & white drawings of the archaeological finds and a number of original color artworks of Celtic warriors.

Critique: In addition to a number of color plates, "Celtic Warfare: From the Fifth Century BC to the First Century AD" also features an Appendix (Stratagems and Poliorcetics - Siege War); a seven page Dictionary; twenty pages of Notes; an eleven page Bibliography; and a four page Index. Of special appeal to students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "Celtic Warfare: From the Fifth Century BC to the First Century AD" is highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Celtic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Celtic Warfare: From the Fifth Century BC to the First Century AD" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Historical Dictionary of Medieval Russia, second edition
Lawrence N. Langer
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538119419, $150.00, HC, 322pp

https://www.amazon.com/Historical-Dictionary-Medieval-Dictionaries-Civilizations/dp/1538119412

Synopsis: The emergence of Russia or Rus', as it was known, from a group of scattered Slavic tribes into one of the most powerful states of medieval and modern European history is an extraordinary story. It is a story filled with much struggle as there were historical periods when Russia almost ceased to exist as it underwent invasion and conquest.

Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Historical Dictionary of Medieval Russia" by Professor Lawrence N. Langer features a chronology, a glossary, an informative introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section itself has more than 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country's politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

Critique: With both an editor's Foreword and a Reader's Note, this newly published second edition of "Historical Dictionary of Medieval Russia" is an excellent and impressively informative resource and a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Medieval Studies collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Russian History studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the "Historical Dictionary of Medieval Russia" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $125.94).

Editorial Note: Lawrence N. Langeris (https://history.uconn.edu/person/lawrence-n-langer) retired from the University of Connecticut, where he taught in the history department and served as director of Slavic and East European Studies. He is currently an associate of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, and is the editor in chief of the journal Russian History.

In the Shadow of a Queen
Heather B. Moore
Shadow Mountain Publishing
P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0178
www.shadowmountain.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781639930500, $26.99, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Queen-Heather-B-Moore/dp/1639930507

Synopsis: Princess Louise's life is upended after her father's untimely death. Captive to the queen's overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother's tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother -- the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.

Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen's wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day's political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.

Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria, but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will support her free spirit.

"In the Shadow of a Queen" by Heather B. Moore is the story of a battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown's reputation unsullied no matter the cost.

Critique: Compelling, eloquent, original, featuring a roster of deftly crafted characters and a fully engaging, narrative driven storytelling style, Heather Moore's latest novel, "In the Shadow of a Queen" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Heather Moore fans that "In the Shadow of a Queen" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212014359, $31.95, CD).

Editorial Note: Heather B. Moore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_B._Moore) is the author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.

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