Time for TV Tuesday #5

Recently Finished: 

The White Queen

This TV mini-series follows Philippa Gregory's books set during the War of the Roses. The story followed three impressive and influential women of the time Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville. 

I've read a couple of the books but there are a whole bunch of them that spans over during and after the war that tore England apart. 

It took a while for me to really get into this show. Not because it was slow or boring...but it was confusing. There was really no introduction. I know a thing or two about the war and I was still unsure who was who and where we were in the story. I think the main reason was because there is a huge cast with little to no introduction. After a couple of episodes things began to make sense and I got on track. From there I couldn't stop watching this show. It was addicting honestly. 

I really must applaud the casting director. They did a wonderful job finding people who fit the roles and who are excellent actors. I was especially proud of who they found to play Margaret. She fit the character to a T. I am also really proud of who they got to play the devilish George. I simply love that actor. He is amazing. 

There are some major historical inaccuracies, but the writers did a good job making those stretches work well and they didn't seem cheesy at all. 

I do wish there had been more war scenes. Yes, yes, this story mainly follows the women and what they are up to in the politic realm. However, I do love a good bloody war. ;D We did get some especially near the end. Especially in the last episode since. I was disappointed that there was not an epic duo between the two Kings. I was so bummed. It was anticlimactic.

Overall, I really liked this show. It was good. Not amazing, but good. The cast was wonderful, costumes lovely, and entertaining. The beginning was confusing and then the ending was anticlimactic. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Currently Watching: 

Frontier (Season 1) 

I went back and forth on what to tackle next on my list. But I think I am going to give this a try. 

Finally going to watch this show in chronological order! This is going to be a show Boyfriend and I watch together. I am super excited...it will take forever since it has so many seasons and Boyfriend and I are on different shifts. But it will be worth it. 

Richard III Has Been Found

When I got home from work my mother informed me that they found the missing body of Richard III of England. Being a history nerd I had to know more! How amazing that they solved one of the mysteries of History!? Through DNA testing it is affirmed that it is him. At first I had my doubts...but when they checked out the skeleton and the deformed spine convinced me that it was him. Also the wounds on the back of his head convinced me also. Here's a couple links to articles I've read:

USA Today

Reuters

Daily Mail

CNN

Do you see the spine? 

Now since they found the body, debates will explode. What do you think of Richard III? Was he a cold-blooded King or has the victor distorted this man's reputation? Personally? I'm not really sure...I believe he was just like anyone else...wanting power and the throne and the crown. Power meant EVERYTHING back then. I think he was a victim of his own greed and since he lost the throne to Henry Tudor, history will forever mark him as the "baddie". 

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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: Queen By Right

Author: Anne Easter Smith
Title: Queen By Right
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance,
Pages: 494
First Published: 2011
Where I Got It: My Shelf (I won it!)

"In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet.History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour."




This is first book I've read by Anne Easter Smith and concerning the York side of the War of the Roses. Well, to be technical, this book mostly covers events before the bloody War of the Roses and it lightly touches the Civil War England was forced to endure. I was blessed to have won this novel, so I didn't have to buy it with my own money and I'm glad Lady Luck blessed me with this, because I simply adore this book.


I found it intriguing to see Cecily Neville's view of the world. Too be honest I didn't know much about her or her family, so this was an eye-opening experience. I loved how Anne Easter Smith sucked me into the story and showed me this world rather than just telling me. Even though it took me a while to finish reading this, it wasn't because it was huge or I didn't want to read it. It was because this book is like a fine wine. You can't drink it all at once, you have to savor and enjoy every little bit. I will admit, however, I didn't start savoring the book until Part 2, but once that was read and done I could barely put the book down.


I really like Cecily Neville, because she was a strong-willed and opinionated lady. Even though you might be a Lancastrian sympathizer, you can't help but like the Duchess of York. Even Queen Margaret of Anjou really adored Cecily, because she's just one of those people, I guess. Anne Easter Smith made it really hard to pick sides; she showed everyone with strengths and weaknesses. No one side was completely right or completely wrong. I really loved that aspect of the book, because I do tire of books trying to make you pick a side. Anne Easter Smith mostly focused on Cecily and Richards love story and I really cherished that love story. Unlike a lot of couples back in that time, they had true love and pretty much married for love and friendship. 


It was really also interested to see Richard before he became an overly ambitious man. Richard seemed really level-headed and lived for his family...at the beginning, but near the end he became just like his father: he put his ambitions before his own family. The way Anne Easter Smith showed this change was fantastic! At first, Cecily had a small taste for ambition, while Richard just wanted to be respected and be nothing like his "treasonous" father, but after a time Richard did become like his father and Cecily's small amount of ambition turned into sand. 


All-in-all, I loved this book! The only thing that I didn't like was how slowly paced Part 1. Other than that, I couldn't get enough of Anne Easter Smith's writing. I will be defiantly checking out her other books ^.^. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history, a good love story, or just a fantastic book. Out of five stars I grant this one 5 stars. 


Favorite Character(s): Cecily Neville
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Margaret of Anjou, Somerset, and the ambitious Richard, Duke of York.
Favorite Quote(s): The poem at the beginning of the Epilogue:
"What can I do? It's not surprising that I
Weep and sigh, with my dear lover dead.
For when I look deeply into my heart and
see how sweetly and without hardship I
loved from my childhood and first youth
with him, I am assailed by such great 
pain that I will always weep for his death."
~Christine de Pisan, One Hundred Ballads

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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: The Red Queen

Author: Philipa Gregory
Title: The Red Queen (Cousin's War #2)
Genre: Historical Fiction, War,
Pages: 382
First Published: 2010
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Krogers)


"The second book in Philippa's stunning new trilogy, The Cousins War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series - The White Queen - but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses. The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England. Through collaboration with the dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret agrees a betrothal between Henry and Elizabeth's daughter, thereby uniting the families and resolving the Cousins War once and for all by founding of the Tudor dynasty"


This is the second installment of the Cousin's War series by Philippa Gregory. However, it can stand alone perfectly fine. Each book has a different heroine, so reading out of order is okay. I'm glad for this, because I have NOT read 'The White Queen' yet. I plan too, but this cover drew me to it and I couldn't resist it. Also, it was on sale at Krogers. Oh well. Even though I'm not a huge fan of Ms. Gregory's viewpoint of Anne Boleyn or Elizabeth I, I'll give her a chance in other areas of history; just like I did for this one. However, when I picked up this novel, I was a little worried I would be confused, because I'm not that knowledgeable about the War of the Roses (aka Cousin's war).  


Firstly, I give a nod to Philippa Gregory because she didn't assume that every reader is a historian on that war. Secondly, she wrote this series, so you could read all the novels out of order and NOT get confused. I love when series are like that. ^.^ Just these points made me like the novel! 


I loved how Philippa Gregory presents each character. She presents them with real human flaws and she even shows their positive points too. Even the main characters show their flaws AND this "heroine" of novel is very, very flawed! I couldn't stand the woman! If I had known her, I would have probably smacked her in the face. She was so annoying BUT I give Ms. Gregory major creds for presenting this lady as she was. She showed her as selfish, arrogant, self-conceded, independent, cold-heart, destiny-driven, holy, and proud. She would have given ANYTHING for her son the throne of England. 


I have not read one review that stated that they "loved" this character. No one likes her, but many love the book. How is that possible? Well, because the book was fantastic! I couldn't get enough of it either! It took a little bit to get into though, but after a certain point I could barely put it down. 


The only thing I didn't like about this book, was Lady Beaufort. That woman got on my nerves. In my head I called her "The Bitch". She did have some positive points, but she kept comparing herself to Joan of Arch and she thought that she was God's "chosen" and everyone should bow down and kiss her feet (well, she never really stated that, but she probably secretly wanted that). I think I would have preferred the story to narrated by someone else, but it was interesting to hear Henry VII's mother's view point.   


All-in-all, I really liked this book. It makes me want to check out the rest of the series. Maybe I'll even read more books set during the War of the Roses time period. This has become my second favorite of Philippa Gregory's novels, even though I hated the main character. Out of five stars I grant this one 5 stars. Yayy!


Favorite Character(s): Jasper Tudor and Lord Stanley (why? I don't know, but I loved that guy for some odd reason.)
Not-so Favorite Character(s): LADY MARGARET and Richard III

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<3CaroleRae

WildCard Wednesday: History Edition

Happy WildCard Wednesday everybody!!

As you may or may not know but today is May 4. What's so special about May 4th, you may be asking? I didn't think today was anything special either and since I drew the Club card today, I decided to challenge myself by finding an event that occured on this day. I found a few things, but only one really caught my eye.

On this day, 540 years ago, the Battle of Tewkesbury began and ended! This battle was also nicknamed 'The Battle of Queen Margaret and Edward'. Whats so special about this battle? Well, this battle was the last major battle fought in the War of the Roses in England. As we all that war was a bitter battle for the throne. Anyway, I find myself becoming destracted. Here's a little tid bit about what happened before, during, and after the Battle of Tewkesbury:
Margaret of Anjou, ex-Queen of England (widow of the last King, who is fighting for her son's right to sit on the throne), had returned to the shores of England a few days before May 4th. She actually arrived on the same day as Warwick is defeated and killed. She meets up with Duke of Somerset, who convinces her to contiue to fight to good fight. She begins her journey and finds herself being followed by Edward, a contender for the throne of England. She heads north and meets up with Devon and Cornwall. On May 3rd, they reach Tewkesbury.

Edward, the contender, catches up to the widow Queen and her entourage. Her army and his army clash. She slips away and escapes. After just a few hours of bloody battle, it ends with victory going to Edward. The Widow Queen's son and Duke Somerset are captured and executed that same day. A few days later Queen Margaret is captured and taken prisoner. Throughout her imprisonment, she is treated with honor and respect She would remain prisoner for years, but is then released and sent to France to live out the rest of her days in poverty.
This battle that happened 540 years ago ended the long and bloody War of the Roses. This day was a huge day in English history and French history. For more about the battle click HERE. The find out more about Queen Margaret of Anjou click HERE or if you want to know more about King Edward click THIS.

Queen Margaret of Anjou

King Edward IV

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of history! I would love to learn more about this time period and read more books set in this time. Any good suggestions?

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<3Carole Rae