Royal Reading

My latest favorite author is Alison Weir because she writes so elegantly and compellingly of medieval and Renaissance Britain, focusing especially on the lives of female rulers.  Better yet, this esteemed historian has in recent years branched out into luxuriously detailed, historically accurate novels that bring to life great historical figures.

I recently read Weir’s The Lady Elizabeth (actually, I listened to the audio book, and I so much enjoyed Rosalyn Landor’s rich, intelligent voice, with a slight British accent, that I often wished for a longer commute so that I could keep listening…).  The true story of Queen Elizabeth I is so full of drama, intrigue, suspense and tragedy that Weir did not need to add any fictional embellishments to this tale of an extraordinary woman who faced many challenges and dangers before ascending to the throne.  The fictional telling allows us to linger over the rich descriptions of clothing, food, and psychological character that I enjoy.

Weir has written two other novels – Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey and Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor Aquitaine – that also explore the intriguing lives of strong female historical figures.

If Weir’s fiction sparks your interest in royal history, check out some of her many fascinating nonfiction books about British royalty, including Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery and Murder in Medieval England, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, and The Life of Elizabeth I.  Her nonfiction is detailed and historically accurate, but is so interesting that it “reads like fiction.” 

Readers, what about you – do you have any favorite history writers (fiction or nonfiction)?