Mary Queen of Scots: Truth or Lies

This book does an overall good job of going over the known facts and questionable rumors of Mary, Queen of Scots and drawing the best conclusions on what she was really like and how she ruled. The book focuses more on the rumors and controversies surrounding her rule, such as her religious policies and beliefs and her tumultuous love life. The only gripe I had with the book is that it concentrated more on her love life than her rule. I did not know much about her before reading this book so I was curious to know what her subjects thought of her and what her economic and political polices were. This book is more about dispelling false rumors about her and how she lived than the general facts about her rule therefore my suggestion would be to read this after you have a general knowledge of the time period, though it is not necessary. Overall this is a good, well researched and argued book that presents all the theories and controversies fairly and presents Mary, Queen of Scots as the dynamic and flawed monarch that she was.

This book was a companion publication for what was undoubtedly the most comprehensive exhibition about Mary ever held in the UK. Many of the photographs of objects related to her life that appear here may never have been displayed before. The text is comprehensive w/o being overly "scholarly" and presents a concise overview of her life.I had an interest in Mary, Queen of Scots long before our family "archivist" discovered that one of my ancestors was an observer at her beheading. Even w/o that connection and even if you already have a few books about this Scottish Queen, this small volume would make a good addition to your bookshelf. I can almost guarantee that you will find photos of objects here that appear in none of your other books.

This is an easy to read and informative book. Still, I was troubled by the lack of footnotes. The author asserts he is separating truth from lies, but where are his sources?

If you view Mary as honorable, surely she led the most heart wrenching life imaginable. Regardless, you will enjoy the examination of this very complex world. Very well written!

Quick read good to start as foundation. The author is clear and concise does a good job of presenting .

The book was a great read. But needed to have more information on Mary Queen of Scots. But otherwise good book.

Reign -- the tv show started my interest in Mary Queen of Scots . Really enjoyed this book. Nice to straighten out the royal families and their connections. I like the beginning of each chapter where a myth is alleged-- and then the rest of the chapter explains what really happened. Good read.

If you don't know that much about Mary, Queen of Scots then this is a perfect book for you! I had some questions about her and this book answered them all. This book is not meant to be a heavy read riddled with political details: it's a short introduction to Mary's life. Clears up a lot of controversies surrounding this unfortunate queen. Highly recommended for beginners.

This new book about Mary Queen of Scots adds a fascinating new dimension to her life of which so much has been written over the years. Was she heroine or villain? shrewd or naive? The author, a renowned Scottish historian, unravels fact from myth in her tragically short and dramatic life.Running at just over 120 pages and reasonably priced this is a concise, easy to follow read that I can recommend to both those already familar with the subject and those interested in history generally.

Dr. Marshall has once again turned a legend into a 'flesh and blood' human being with all of the weaknesses and triumphs that make up most human lives. It is a pleasure to read her narratives that bring events of so long ago into our modern era and to find that we are not all that different after all. The passions and fears of the sixteenth century are not so dissimilar than those of our own century. I could not wait for this book to become available in the U.S. so I ordered my copy from Amazon U.K. and am glad I did!

When I saw this book here I was very excited because this is the way history should be written; to answer a question. You don't get many historical books that attempt to do this; the genre being overwhelmed by biography. Here in fact Rosalind K Marshall attempts to answer ten key questions about Mary, Queen of Scots concerning her identity, her right to the English throne, John Knox, Lord Darnley, David Rizzio, the Earl of Bothwell, Elizabeth I, James VI and her competence.First and foremost I am confused who Marshall is trying to pitch the book to? Her language is at a level that would suit young teenagers, while I doubt that those well-read in Mary's or Tudor history would enjoy it. It is at times jarringly simplistic and patronising. For example Marshall assumes that her readers would think that in the 16th Century two people of the same sex who shared the same bed would do more than just sleep! Perhaps she is aiming the book at children.Embarrassing errors are throughout. Marshall asserts that Henry VIII's conscience of taking his brother's wife was only pricked after Anne Boleyn's miscarriage in 1536, describing Jane Seymour as 'quiet' and 'undemanding' is too simpistic a view, asserting that Mary and Elizabeth I never met is silly when one should say at the very most that there is no evidence of a meeting, while James VI reburial of his mother should not mean he thought her innocent of the murder of his father Darnley.To it's credit the final chapter successfully attempts to portray Mary as a competent ruler and argues we should not centre on her disastrous personal life. I would very much like to read a book by the author solely dedicated to this as books on Mary always centre on the juice. A book arguing her competence is long overdue.

I wasn't diappointed reading this book. I enjoyed every page and all the pictures showing eveything related to Mary Queen of Scots. I wish I could have made it to the exhibtion in Scotland, but since I couldn't this was the closest I could get to seeing and reading about her life.

I liked the pictorial presentation and having seen the Scottish Museum Exhibition on Mary Queen of Scots I now have a book which re-unites me, fully, with this excellent event.I have recommended the book to my friend in Florida.A good reference point.