Claire Tomalin was born to write a biography of Samuel Pepys. Her previously acclaimed biographies of Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft have defined her as a scrupulous biographer who establishes a unique empathy with her subjects. In Pepys Tomalin has found her perfect subject, a man who is "both the most ordinary and the most extraordinary writer you will ever meet".

Pepys wrote his diary throughout the 1660s, "a period as intellectually thrilling as it was dangerous and bloody", and Tomalin's book vividly brings to life the tumultuous world of 17-century London, where Pepys grew up. Pepys' life spanned the execution of one king and the restoration of another, and Tomalin elegantly recreates both Pepys' public and private lives. From his early days in London and then Cambridge, Tomalin pieces together the crucial years when "the private Samuel Pepys began to develop and yearn". She chronicles his rise through the bureaucracy of the restored king, Charles II, to his position as energetic reformer of the navy and successful husband to his vivacious, mercurial wife Elizabeth. But the book also deals with Pepy's personal tragedies, his struggle to secure patronage as a commoner, his frank and hilarious extra-marital exploits, and the cataclysmic Fire of London in 1666.

This is a fine biography of an extraordinary man who "found the energy and commitment to create a new literary form" while also coming across as a generous, likeable, flawed human being. Tomalin's admiration for her subject is infectious, and will ensure that her biography becomes the standard reference for anyone interested in both Pepys's life and his art.--Jerry Brotton

True to Himself, 02 Jan 2008
I read this book some time ago, consequently the finer details escape me. However, what remains vivid is the sense that Ms Tomalin's book evinces of a remarkable man from our distant past, and of the social and political context of the times in which he lived. It is a cliche to say that 'someone is of his time', but there's no better way of saying it in Pepys's case. Yes, he could be cruel in his remarks about others, particularly when he's been disappointed, or when he feels that he's been misunderstood. But, then, there are no doubt many equally successful men (and women) today, who are much more ruthless in their dealings with others, both domestically and professionally.

However, it is highly unlikely (if not utterly unlikely) to comment so honestly about how unpleasant he has been - either to his wife, his maid or his underlings. Granted, he wrote in 'code', but he knew the code could easily be cracked by someone who had shorthand skills (as indeed it was) so he could have destroyed his diaries after he stopped writing them.

The other thing that stood out for me, was the pain he experienced with his 'stone'. This is something I could relate to, since, a couple of years before I read this book, I too had a 'stone', and, until it was removed, I was in considerable discomfort, and often pain, every night. My stone was about an inch long by a quarter of an inch thick. Pepys's was the size of a grape-fruit. Mine was removed painlessly while I was anaesthetised. Pepys's was removed while he was fully conscious (albeit by the best man in London). He wasn't even allowed alcohol (too dangerous) and his chances of survival had been about 20%. Small wonder that, afterwards, he reflected on life 'before the stone' in a way that suggests his re-birth. Nobody, from no matter what era, could have gone through that amount of pain and fear without being considerably changed.

The other remarkable honesty Pepys' displayed was regarding his sexual liaisons; one of his most endearing features was the feelings of guilt he expressed - always immediately afterwards. All right, he made little attempt to curb his habits, but he does come across as a man with a conscience and well aware of his bad behaviour. In our own times such men are pretty rare.

And the third thing that remains in my memory was his unique use of 'pidgin' English when describing his sexual adventures. He would use a combination of French, English and (I think) Latin, in order to 'obscure' (or, possibly, negate) the reality of his behaviour, even though what he was doing was as plain as a pikestaff to even the most naive of readers. In this way he was very child-like.

Yes, Pepys was a womaniser and, occasionally, a wife-beater. He was as flawed as any man in this respect, but put anyone under a microscope for a life-time and see if he remains faultless.

What was such a joy in this book was Ms Tomalin's impeccable writing. The biography read almost as a novel would, and Pepys's character flowed across every page. The humour, occasional violence, anger, opportunism (oh, yes, he was probably as dishonest in his naval dealings as any man, in any century has ever been) and skill, both as an administrator and as a survivor.

In fact, his greatest achievement was as a survivor of possibly the greatest upheaval in English history (including the blitz and the Battle of Britain) - the execution of Charles l, the social and political mayhem of the Commonwealth years, the Great Fire of London and the recurrent Plagues. His was a consummate balancing act - particularly given his elevated position - from being a known (or at least suspected) Royalist sympathiser, to acceptance by the Puritans and then to a timely and convincing reversion to the Royal cause. Although he had numerous close-shaves, generally he prosperred and maintained friendships at several levels of society, including the very highest, in spite of his humble start in life.

Pepys must rate alongside William Shakespeare as being a key figure, without whom England would have a much poorer history, and Miss Tomalyn's biography has made him eminently accessible to the twenty-first century reader.

A Truly Fascinating Man, 17 Jul 2006
This is another fascinating historical biography that reads more like a novel than a stuffy factual book. Virtually everyone knows the name of Samuel Pepys. Ah yes, he's the man who wrote the diary. This is of course true, but do they actually know anything about the man behind the name of Samuel Pepys. What for instance were his feelings on the politicians of the day. What were his own ambitions and aspirations.

Pepys was a naval administrator and friend and confidant of some of the most famous and powerful people in London . Sex, the plague, music, marital conflict, naval life, public executions and incarcerations in the Tower of London. These are just some of the colourful events in the life of a man famous for his writing of a diary.

The book contains a wealth of interesting material about the life of a man who's name goes before him. Everyone knows his name, but few know of the life of the man himself.

Am I the only one who can't like Pepys?, 23 May 2006
Firstly this is an excellent biography as the reviews and prizes show, but I had a serious problem empathising with Pepys. Someone describes it as a 'warts & all' book, but it's more than that: I don't have a problem with Pepys' numerous adulteries and fumblings with the servant girls - as long as they don't mind either. But that's where the problem starts: there's a whole section, for example, where Pepys forces a girl to touch him sexually in surreptitious circumstances despite her continuous protests that she doesn't like doing it. The fact that he and his wife also befriend the poor girl and her husband thus putting a power overlay to the story just makes it worse. I also have a problem with Pepys' casual violence towards his wife: a bit of nose pulling I can accept but to black someone's eye you have to hit them pretty hard...
I know that this is 17th century London, and I'm not saying that Tomalin should suppress the fact that these things happen, I'm just surprised that she can overlook these as merely playful characteristics and continue to evince an affection for the man. Personally, I found him offensive and unpleasant and so didn't finish the book because I didn't want to spend any more time in his company.

I feel like I've been there myself, 06 Oct 2005
despite a perfectly good education, I have always found history a bit remote and difficult to get involved in, something I ought to know about but don't. I bought this book because I thought I might learn something. I did, and more! It's quite slow at the beginning, but it's worth persevering because once the circumstances are established it reads like a juicy novel, with people you care about and a plot you couldn't make up! In particular, if you know London, you will love it when he talks about places that you know now - for example when he goes out to the country - to Clapham! And there are some bigger lessons in it as well, about duty, hard work and integrity. I can't recommend it enough.

Samuel Pepys, 25 May 2005
I first heard of Samuel Pepys in 84 Charing Cross Road, I proceeded to read a selection from his diary and then I just wanted to know more.

This is the first biography I have read - I am usually not very interested in them, but Pepys is such an interesting man I had to find out more.

I could not have been more pleased when I read this book, I expected something so dull it would fail to be informative, but Tomalin recreates a world of history for the reader who has perhaps not read extensively into history before. It is easy to read, completely enchanting and very involved with the person and time she was writing about.

No detail was spared, every little thing was explained and I was left wanting for nothing more then to read the full version of Samuel Pepys' Diary feeling that I know a lot more about him and the time he was in. Otherwise, to read the diary without knowing about his life and the history behind it, it is quite hard I think to grip the character behind the diary.

I have definately come out with a better knowledge of this time in history and of a truly extrodinary man.

True to Himself, 02 Jan 2008
I read this book some time ago, consequently the finer details escape me. However, what remains vivid is the sense that Ms Tomalin's book evinces of a remarkable man from our distant past, and of the social and political context of the times in which he lived. It is a cliche to say that 'someone is of his time', but there's no better way of saying it in Pepys's case. Yes, he could be cruel in his remarks about others, particularly when he's been disappointed, or when he feels that he's been misunderstood. But, then, there are no doubt many equally successful men (and women) today, who are much more ruthless in their dealings with others, both domestically and professionally.

However, it is highly unlikely (if not utterly unlikely) to comment so honestly about how unpleasant he has been - either to his wife, his maid or his underlings. Granted, he wrote in 'code', but he knew the code could easily be cracked by someone who had shorthand skills (as indeed it was) so he could have destroyed his diaries after he stopped writing them.

The other thing that stood out for me, was the pain he experienced with his 'stone'. This is something I could relate to, since, a couple of years before I read this book, I too had a 'stone', and, until it was removed, I was in considerable discomfort, and often pain, every night. My stone was about an inch long by a quarter of an inch thick. Pepys's was the size of a grape-fruit. Mine was removed painlessly while I was anaesthetised. Pepys's was removed while he was fully conscious (albeit by the best man in London). He wasn't even allowed alcohol (too dangerous) and his chances of survival had been about 20%. Small wonder that, afterwards, he reflected on life 'before the stone' in a way that suggests his re-birth. Nobody, from no matter what era, could have gone through that amount of pain and fear without being considerably changed.

The other remarkable honesty Pepys' displayed was regarding his sexual liaisons; one of his most endearing features was the feelings of guilt he expressed - always immediately afterwards. All right, he made little attempt to curb his habits, but he does come across as a man with a conscience and well aware of his bad behaviour. In our own times such men are pretty rare.

And the third thing that remains in my memory was his unique use of 'pidgin' English when describing his sexual adventures. He would use a combination of French, English and (I think) Latin, in order to 'obscure' (or, possibly, negate) the reality of his behaviour, even though what he was doing was as plain as a pikestaff to even the most naive of readers. In this way he was very child-like.

Yes, Pepys was a womaniser and, occasionally, a wife-beater. He was as flawed as any man in this respect, but put anyone under a microscope for a life-time and see if he remains faultless.

What was such a joy in this book was Ms Tomalin's impeccable writing. The biography read almost as a novel would, and Pepys's character flowed across every page. The humour, occasional violence, anger, opportunism (oh, yes, he was probably as dishonest in his naval dealings as any man, in any century has ever been) and skill, both as an administrator and as a survivor.

In fact, his greatest achievement was as a survivor of possibly the greatest upheaval in English history (including the blitz and the Battle of Britain) - the execution of Charles l, the social and political mayhem of the Commonwealth years, the Great Fire of London and the recurrent Plagues. His was a consummate balancing act - particularly given his elevated position - from being a known (or at least suspected) Royalist sympathiser, to acceptance by the Puritans and then to a timely and convincing reversion to the Royal cause. Although he had numerous close-shaves, generally he prosperred and maintained friendships at several levels of society, including the very highest, in spite of his humble start in life.

Pepys must rate alongside William Shakespeare as being a key figure, without whom England would have a much poorer history, and Miss Tomalyn's biography has made him eminently accessible to the twenty-first century reader.

A Truly Fascinating Man, 17 Jul 2006
This is another fascinating historical biography that reads more like a novel than a stuffy factual book. Virtually everyone knows the name of Samuel Pepys. Ah yes, he's the man who wrote the diary. This is of course true, but do they actually know anything about the man behind the name of Samuel Pepys. What for instance were his feelings on the politicians of the day. What were his own ambitions and aspirations.

Pepys was a naval administrator and friend and confidant of some of the most famous and powerful people in London . Sex, the plague, music, marital conflict, naval life, public executions and incarcerations in the Tower of London. These are just some of the colourful events in the life of a man famous for his writing of a diary.

The book contains a wealth of interesting material about the life of a man who's name goes before him. Everyone knows his name, but few know of the life of the man himself.

Am I the only one who can't like Pepys?, 23 May 2006
Firstly this is an excellent biography as the reviews and prizes show, but I had a serious problem empathising with Pepys. Someone describes it as a 'warts & all' book, but it's more than that: I don't have a problem with Pepys' numerous adulteries and fumblings with the servant girls - as long as they don't mind either. But that's where the problem starts: there's a whole section, for example, where Pepys forces a girl to touch him sexually in surreptitious circumstances despite her continuous protests that she doesn't like doing it. The fact that he and his wife also befriend the poor girl and her husband thus putting a power overlay to the story just makes it worse. I also have a problem with Pepys' casual violence towards his wife: a bit of nose pulling I can accept but to black someone's eye you have to hit them pretty hard...
I know that this is 17th century London, and I'm not saying that Tomalin should suppress the fact that these things happen, I'm just surprised that she can overlook these as merely playful characteristics and continue to evince an affection for the man. Personally, I found him offensive and unpleasant and so didn't finish the book because I didn't want to spend any more time in his company.

I feel like I've been there myself, 06 Oct 2005
despite a perfectly good education, I have always found history a bit remote and difficult to get involved in, something I ought to know about but don't. I bought this book because I thought I might learn something. I did, and more! It's quite slow at the beginning, but it's worth persevering because once the circumstances are established it reads like a juicy novel, with people you care about and a plot you couldn't make up! In particular, if you know London, you will love it when he talks about places that you know now - for example when he goes out to the country - to Clapham! And there are some bigger lessons in it as well, about duty, hard work and integrity. I can't recommend it enough.

Samuel Pepys, 25 May 2005
I first heard of Samuel Pepys in 84 Charing Cross Road, I proceeded to read a selection from his diary and then I just wanted to know more.

This is the first biography I have read - I am usually not very interested in them, but Pepys is such an interesting man I had to find out more.

I could not have been more pleased when I read this book, I expected something so dull it would fail to be informative, but Tomalin recreates a world of history for the reader who has perhaps not read extensively into history before. It is easy to read, completely enchanting and very involved with the person and time she was writing about.

No detail was spared, every little thing was explained and I was left wanting for nothing more then to read the full version of Samuel Pepys' Diary feeling that I know a lot more about him and the time he was in. Otherwise, to read the diary without knowing about his life and the history behind it, it is quite hard I think to grip the character behind the diary.

I have definately come out with a better knowledge of this time in history and of a truly extrodinary man.

London from 1660-1670, 06 Sep 2006
I stumbled on Liza Picard's books quite by chance. After looking at the publishing date in some of the books it is apparent some of them have been around for several years. I am now recommending them to anyone and everyone and I am so glad I stumbled across the first one I read on a rainy afternoon, lonely and far away from home. I have now read them all.

As soon as you start to read the book it becomes apparent that the author is passionate about her subject and wants the reader to enjoy the reading experience as much as she has in the writing of it. Liza Picard presents an enthralling picture of how life in London was really lived in the 1600s: the houses and streets, gardens and parks, cooking, clothes and jewellery, cosmetics, hairdressing, housework, laundry and shopping, medicine and dentistry, sex, education, hobbies, etiquette, law and crime, religion and popular beliefs. To anyone who has not read the author's books perhaps these subjects seem boring and mundane, but they are written about with such knowledge and wit that they literally come to life in the readers imagination.

Liza Picard was born in 1927. She read law and qualified as a barrister but did not practice. Quite where she gleaned all this information from I am not sure. That it was a labour of love is obvious to anyone who reads her books and I for one am grateful.

True to Himself, 02 Jan 2008
I read this book some time ago, consequently the finer details escape me. However, what remains vivid is the sense that Ms Tomalin's book evinces of a remarkable man from our distant past, and of the social and political context of the times in which he lived. It is a cliche to say that 'someone is of his time', but there's no better way of saying it in Pepys's case. Yes, he could be cruel in his remarks about others, particularly when he's been disappointed, or when he feels that he's been misunderstood. But, then, there are no doubt many equally successful men (and women) today, who are much more ruthless in their dealings with others, both domestically and professionally.

However, it is highly unlikely (if not utterly unlikely) to comment so honestly about how unpleasant he has been - either to his wife, his maid or his underlings. Granted, he wrote in 'code', but he knew the code could easily be cracked by someone who had shorthand skills (as indeed it was) so he could have destroyed his diaries after he stopped writing them.

The other thing that stood out for me, was the pain he experienced with his 'stone'. This is something I could relate to, since, a couple of years before I read this book, I too had a 'stone', and, until it was removed, I was in considerable discomfort, and often pain, every night. My stone was about an inch long by a quarter of an inch thick. Pepys's was the size of a grape-fruit. Mine was removed painlessly while I was anaesthetised. Pepys's was removed while he was fully conscious (albeit by the best man in London). He wasn't even allowed alcohol (too dangerous) and his chances of survival had been about 20%. Small wonder that, afterwards, he reflected on life 'before the stone' in a way that suggests his re-birth. Nobody, from no matter what era, could have gone through that amount of pain and fear without being considerably changed.

The other remarkable honesty Pepys' displayed was regarding his sexual liaisons; one of his most endearing features was the feelings of guilt he expressed - always immediately afterwards. All right, he made little attempt to curb his habits, but he does come across as a man with a conscience and well aware of his bad behaviour. In our own times such men are pretty rare.

And the third thing that remains in my memory was his unique use of 'pidgin' English when describing his sexual adventures. He would use a combination of French, English and (I think) Latin, in order to 'obscure' (or, possibly, negate) the reality of his behaviour, even though what he was doing was as plain as a pikestaff to even the most naive of readers. In this way he was very child-like.

Yes, Pepys was a womaniser and, occasionally, a wife-beater. He was as flawed as any man in this respect, but put anyone under a microscope for a life-time and see if he remains faultless.

What was such a joy in this book was Ms Tomalin's impeccable writing. The biography read almost as a novel would, and Pepys's character flowed across every page. The humour, occasional violence, anger, opportunism (oh, yes, he was probably as dishonest in his naval dealings as any man, in any century has ever been) and skill, both as an administrator and as a survivor.

In fact, his greatest achievement was as a survivor of possibly the greatest upheaval in English history (including the blitz and the Battle of Britain) - the execution of Charles l, the social and political mayhem of the Commonwealth years, the Great Fire of London and the recurrent Plagues. His was a consummate balancing act - particularly given his elevated position - from being a known (or at least suspected) Royalist sympathiser, to acceptance by the Puritans and then to a timely and convincing reversion to the Royal cause. Although he had numerous close-shaves, generally he prosperred and maintained friendships at several levels of society, including the very highest, in spite of his humble start in life.

Pepys must rate alongside William Shakespeare as being a key figure, without whom England would have a much poorer history, and Miss Tomalyn's biography has made him eminently accessible to the twenty-first century reader.

A Truly Fascinating Man, 17 Jul 2006
This is another fascinating historical biography that reads more like a novel than a stuffy factual book. Virtually everyone knows the name of Samuel Pepys. Ah yes, he's the man who wrote the diary. This is of course true, but do they actually know anything about the man behind the name of Samuel Pepys. What for instance were his feelings on the politicians of the day. What were his own ambitions and aspirations.

Pepys was a naval administrator and friend and confidant of some of the most famous and powerful people in London . Sex, the plague, music, marital conflict, naval life, public executions and incarcerations in the Tower of London. These are just some of the colourful events in the life of a man famous for his writing of a diary.

The book contains a wealth of interesting material about the life of a man who's name goes before him. Everyone knows his name, but few know of the life of the man himself.

Am I the only one who can't like Pepys?, 23 May 2006
Firstly this is an excellent biography as the reviews and prizes show, but I had a serious problem empathising with Pepys. Someone describes it as a 'warts & all' book, but it's more than that: I don't have a problem with Pepys' numerous adulteries and fumblings with the servant girls - as long as they don't mind either. But that's where the problem starts: there's a whole section, for example, where Pepys forces a girl to touch him sexually in surreptitious circumstances despite her continuous protests that she doesn't like doing it. The fact that he and his wife also befriend the poor girl and her husband thus putting a power overlay to the story just makes it worse. I also have a problem with Pepys' casual violence towards his wife: a bit of nose pulling I can accept but to black someone's eye you have to hit them pretty hard...
I know that this is 17th century London, and I'm not saying that Tomalin should suppress the fact that these things happen, I'm just surprised that she can overlook these as merely playful characteristics and continue to evince an affection for the man. Personally, I found him offensive and unpleasant and so didn't finish the book because I didn't want to spend any more time in his company.

I feel like I've been there myself, 06 Oct 2005
despite a perfectly good education, I have always found history a bit remote and difficult to get involved in, something I ought to know about but don't. I bought this book because I thought I might learn something. I did, and more! It's quite slow at the beginning, but it's worth persevering because once the circumstances are established it reads like a juicy novel, with people you care about and a plot you couldn't make up! In particular, if you know London, you will love it when he talks about places that you know now - for example when he goes out to the country - to Clapham! And there are some bigger lessons in it as well, about duty, hard work and integrity. I can't recommend it enough.

Samuel Pepys, 25 May 2005
I first heard of Samuel Pepys in 84 Charing Cross Road, I proceeded to read a selection from his diary and then I just wanted to know more.

This is the first biography I have read - I am usually not very interested in them, but Pepys is such an interesting man I had to find out more.

I could not have been more pleased when I read this book, I expected something so dull it would fail to be informative, but Tomalin recreates a world of history for the reader who has perhaps not read extensively into history before. It is easy to read, completely enchanting and very involved with the person and time she was writing about.

No detail was spared, every little thing was explained and I was left wanting for nothing more then to read the full version of Samuel Pepys' Diary feeling that I know a lot more about him and the time he was in. Otherwise, to read the diary without knowing about his life and the history behind it, it is quite hard I think to grip the character behind the diary.

I have definately come out with a better knowledge of this time in history and of a truly extrodinary man.

London from 1660-1670, 06 Sep 2006
I stumbled on Liza Picard's books quite by chance. After looking at the publishing date in some of the books it is apparent some of them have been around for several years. I am now recommending them to anyone and everyone and I am so glad I stumbled across the first one I read on a rainy afternoon, lonely and far away from home. I have now read them all.

As soon as you start to read the book it becomes apparent that the author is passionate about her subject and wants the reader to enjoy the reading experience as much as she has in the writing of it. Liza Picard presents an enthralling picture of how life in London was really lived in the 1600s: the houses and streets, gardens and parks, cooking, clothes and jewellery, cosmetics, hairdressing, housework, laundry and shopping, medicine and dentistry, sex, education, hobbies, etiquette, law and crime, religion and popular beliefs. To anyone who has not read the author's books perhaps these subjects seem boring and mundane, but they are written about with such knowledge and wit that they literally come to life in the readers imagination.

Liza Picard was born in 1927. She read law and qualified as a barrister but did not practice. Quite where she gleaned all this information from I am not sure. That it was a labour of love is obvious to anyone who reads her books and I for one am grateful.

loved it, 06 Oct 2008
What can I say about this biography? Before I read this, I had only a very general knowledge of Catherine de Medici, but reading Leonie Frieda's biography turned me into an obsessive Francophile for about a month! The book is so well written it is almost like watching a movie, Frieda really illustrates the history as writes it. I felt as though no stone was unturned in this biography, the author whittled down the life-story of Catherine and those around her until there was nothing left to tell. The book is an antidote to all of the black legends that surround Catherine de Medici, and I found it a refreshing read. This is popular history in a good way.

Very readable and colourful, 17 Mar 2008
A great read that demonstrates that real history can have the kind of characters and bizarre situations that, were a novelist to have created them, would be deemed too far-fetched. This is a well researched and readable biography, though it perhaps goes too far in trying to exculpate Catherine for masterminding the notorious St Bartholomew Eve's massacre for which she is most (in)famous today. The chapters were rather overlong as well.

Quite good, tells you everything you need to know, 19 Aug 2007
This biography is bursting with information and years of research which Frieda has skillfullly worked into a readable and edible book. While it isn't exactly a thriller, it would be badly out of place with its genre if it was, as biographies aren't exactly supposed to be compared with Agatha Christie. So don't expect excitement, but it's a good thing to take down from the shelf once in awhile and work your way through in little chunks, as anything more than that would be pushing it a bit.

A worthy Queen of France, 27 Jun 2007
This book on Catherine De Medici was wonderful,beautifully written & presented in an easy relaxed way the reader could follow, without losing any of the relevent points in Catherine De Medic's story. Indeed its ironic that women were not allowed to rule in their own right, due to the Saltic law, yet Catherine De Medici was a far better ruler than most of the French Kings before and after her.

Having read the trilogy on Catherine by Jean Plaidy, although well researched, had a very fictional favour, nevertheless i found myself drawn to this remarkable lady. Catherine without doubt ruled France and indeed saved the french monarchy through the weak & ineffective reigns of her 3 sons, Francis II, Charles IX and Henri III.

Leone Frieda gaves a very good insight to Catherine's early life, shows how she evolved and survived in a male dominated world and beat them at their own game.

Like the Borgia's Catherine De Medic was no saint, but i found myself admiring this Italian women, Queen Mother of France, who lived for and died for her family's power and position, she loved power herself but although she was ruthless when required, she displayed a very human side to her, i found myself smiling to myself. Catherine De Medici came from a very distinguished Italian family, the Medici of Florance, she was equal to them and certainly equal to her fellow rulers of her day.

This i believe is Leone Frieda's first biography, she has done justice not only to herself , but to another much maligned Woman, who certainly deserves our respect

Interesting but flawed, 19 Apr 2006
Unlike the other reviewers of this book I have to say that I thought this book was rather flawed. Frieda has assembled a wealth of material and some of what she says is very interesting- I especially liked her portrayal of the complex, and somewhat contradictory Henri III. Also despite the fact that she is not English Frieda does generally write very well. However her attempts to portray Catherine not as the Machiavellian and ruthless creature history remembers her to be but instead as a committed wife, loving mother and tolerant ruler do not entirely ring true. Frieda is obviously trying to avoid the hackneyed portrayal of Catherine mentioned above. I believe though that she over states her case. I also disliked some of the conclusions she drew on the more peripheral characters. I thought it was especially harsh to describe Antoinne de Bourbon as "bird brained," and that maybe Frieda was a little to uncritical on his brother Condé. Despite this Frieda does offer a very detailed account of the period, gives interesting pictures of many of the figures of Catherine's life and comes up with a different, if debatable conclusion.

True to Himself, 02 Jan 2008
I read this book some time ago, consequently the finer details escape me. However, what remains vivid is the sense that Ms Tomalin's book evinces of a remarkable man from our distant past, and of the social and political context of the times in which he lived. It is a cliche to say that 'someone is of his time', but there's no better way of saying it in Pepys's case. Yes, he could be cruel in his remarks about others, particularly when he's been disappointed, or when he feels that he's been misunderstood. But, then, there are no doubt many equally successful men (and women) today, who are much more ruthless in their dealings with others, both domestically and professionally.

However, it is highly unlikely (if not utterly unlikely) to comment so honestly about how unpleasant he has been - either to his wife, his maid or his underlings. Granted, he wrote in 'code', but he knew the code could easily be cracked by someone who had shorthand skills (as indeed it was) so he could have destroyed his diaries after he stopped writing them.

The other thing that stood out for me, was the pain he experienced with his 'stone'. This is something I could relate to, since, a couple of years before I read this book, I too had a 'stone', and, until it was removed, I was in considerable discomfort, and often pain, every night. My stone was about an inch long by a quarter of an inch thick. Pepys's was the size of a grape-fruit. Mine was removed painlessly while I was anaesthetised. Pepys's was removed while he was fully conscious (albeit by the best man in London). He wasn't even allowed alcohol (too dangerous) and his chances of survival had been about 20%. Small wonder that, afterwards, he reflected on life 'before the stone' in a way that suggests his re-birth. Nobody, from no matter what era, could have gone through that amount of pain and fear without being considerably changed.

The other remarkable honesty Pepys' displayed was regarding his sexual liaisons; one of his most endearing features was the feelings of guilt he expressed - always immediately afterwards. All right, he made little attempt to curb his habits, but he does come across as a man with a conscience and well aware of his bad behaviour. In our own times such men are pretty rare.

And the third thing that remains in my memory was his unique use of 'pidgin' English when describing his sexual adventures. He would use a combination of French, English and (I think) Latin, in order to 'obscure' (or, possibly, negate) the reality of his behaviour, even though what he was doing was as plain as a pikestaff to even the most naive of readers. In this way he was very child-like.

Yes, Pepys was a womaniser and, occasionally, a wife-beater. He was as flawed as any man in this respect, but put anyone under a microscope for a life-time and see if he remains faultless.

What was such a joy in this book was Ms Tomalin's impeccable writing. The biography read almost as a novel would, and Pepys's character flowed across every page. The humour, occasional violence, anger, opportunism (oh, yes, he was probably as dishonest in his naval dealings as any man, in any century has ever been) and skill, both as an administrator and as a survivor.

In fact, his greatest achievement was as a survivor of possibly the greatest upheaval in English history (including the blitz and the Battle of Britain) - the execution of Charles l, the social and political mayhem of the Commonwealth years, the Great Fire of London and the recurrent Plagues. His was a consummate balancing act - particularly given his elevated position - from being a known (or at least suspected) Royalist sympathiser, to acceptance by the Puritans and then to a timely and convincing reversion to the Royal cause. Although he had numerous close-shaves, generally he prosperred and maintained friendships at several levels of society, including the very highest, in spite of his humble start in life.

Pepys must rate alongside William Shakespeare as being a key figure, without whom England would have a much poorer history, and Miss Tomalyn's biography has made him eminently accessible to the twenty-first century reader.

A Truly Fascinating Man, 17 Jul 2006
This is another fascinating historical biography that reads more like a novel than a stuffy factual book. Virtually everyone knows the name of Samuel Pepys. Ah yes, he's the man who wrote the diary. This is of course true, but do they actually know anything about the man behind the name of Samuel Pepys. What for instance were his feelings on the politicians of the day. What were his own ambitions and aspirations.

Pepys was a naval administrator and friend and confidant of some of the most famous and powerful people in London . Sex, the plague, music, marital conflict, naval life, public executions and incarcerations in the Tower of London. These are just some of the colourful events in the life of a man famous for his writing of a diary.

The book contains a wealth of interesting material about the life of a man who's name goes before him. Everyone knows his name, but few know of the life of the man himself.

Am I the only one who can't like Pepys?, 23 May 2006
Firstly this is an excellent biography as the reviews and prizes show, but I had a serious problem empathising with Pepys. Someone describes it as a 'warts & all' book, but it's more than that: I don't have a problem with Pepys' numerous adulteries and fumblings with the servant girls - as long as they don't mind either. But that's where the problem starts: there's a whole section, for example, where Pepys forces a girl to touch him sexually in surreptitious circumstances despite her continuous protests that she doesn't like doing it. The fact that he and his wife also befriend the poor girl and her husband thus putting a power overlay to the story just makes it worse. I also have a problem with Pepys' casual violence towards his wife: a bit of nose pulling I can accept but to black someone's eye you have to hit them pretty hard...
I know that this is 17th century London, and I'm not saying that Tomalin should suppress the fact that these things happen, I'm just surprised that she can overlook these as merely playful characteristics and continue to evince an affection for the man. Personally, I found him offensive and unpleasant and so didn't finish the book because I didn't want to spend any more time in his company.

I feel like I've been there myself, 06 Oct 2005
despite a perfectly good education, I have always found history a bit remote and difficult to get involved in, something I ought to know about but don't. I bought this book because I thought I might learn something. I did, and more! It's quite slow at the beginning, but it's worth persevering because once the circumstances are established it reads like a juicy novel, with people you care about and a plot you couldn't make up! In particular, if you know London, you will love it when he talks about places that you know now - for example when he goes out to the country - to Clapham! And there are some bigger lessons in it as well, about duty, hard work and integrity. I can't recommend it enough.

Samuel Pepys, 25 May 2005
I first heard of Samuel Pepys in 84 Charing Cross Road, I proceeded to read a selection from his diary and then I just wanted to know more.

This is the first biography I have read - I am usually not very interested in them, but Pepys is such an interesting man I had to find out more.

I could not have been more pleased when I read this book, I expected something so dull it would fail to be informative, but Tomalin recreates a world of history for the reader who has perhaps not read extensively into history before. It is easy to read, completely enchanting and very involved with the person and time she was writing about.

No detail was spared, every little thing was explained and I was left wanting for nothing more then to read the full version of Samuel Pepys' Diary feeling that I know a lot more about him and the time he was in. Otherwise, to read the diary without knowing about his life and the history behind it, it is quite hard I think to grip the character behind the diary.

I have definately come out with a better knowledge of this time in history and of a truly extrodinary man.

London from 1660-1670, 06 Sep 2006
I stumbled on Liza Picard's books quite by chance. After looking at the publishing date in some of the books it is apparent some of them have been around for several years. I am now recommending them to anyone and everyone and I am so glad I stumbled across the first one I read on a rainy afternoon, lonely and far away from home. I have now read them all.

As soon as you start to read the book it becomes apparent that the author is passionate about her subject and wants the reader to enjoy the reading experience as much as she has in the writing of it. Liza Picard presents an enthralling picture of how life in London was really lived in the 1600s: the houses and streets, gardens and parks, cooking, clothes and jewellery, cosmetics, hairdressing, housework, laundry and shopping, medicine and dentistry, sex, education, hobbies, etiquette, law and crime, religion and popular beliefs. To anyone who has not read the author's books perhaps these subjects seem boring and mundane, but they are written about with such knowledge and wit that they literally come to life in the readers imagination.

Liza Picard was born in 1927. She read law and qualified as a barrister but did not practice. Quite where she gleaned all this information from I am not sure. That it was a labour of love is obvious to anyone who reads her books and I for one am grateful.

loved it, 06 Oct 2008
What can I say about this biography? Before I read this, I had only a very general knowledge of Catherine de Medici, but reading Leonie Frieda's biography turned me into an obsessive Francophile for about a month! The book is so well written it is almost like watching a movie, Frieda really illustrates the history as writes it. I felt as though no stone was unturned in this biography, the author whittled down the life-story of Catherine and those around her until there was nothing left to tell. The book is an antidote to all of the black legends that surround Catherine de Medici, and I found it a refreshing read. This is popular history in a good way.

Very readable and colourful, 17 Mar 2008
A great read that demonstrates that real history can have the kind of characters and bizarre situations that, were a novelist to have created them, would be deemed too far-fetched. This is a well researched and readable biography, though it perhaps goes too far in trying to exculpate Catherine for masterminding the notorious St Bartholomew Eve's massacre for which she is most (in)famous today. The chapters were rather overlong as well.

Quite good, tells you everything you need to know, 19 Aug 2007
This biography is bursting with information and years of research which Frieda has skillfullly worked into a readable and edible book. While it isn't exactly a thriller, it would be badly out of place with its genre if it was, as biographies aren't exactly supposed to be compared with Agatha Christie. So don't expect excitement, but it's a good thing to take down from the shelf once in awhile and work your way through in little chunks, as anything more than that would be pushing it a bit.

A worthy Queen of France, 27 Jun 2007
This book on Catherine De Medici was wonderful,beautifully written & presented in an easy relaxed way the reader could follow, without losing any of the relevent points in Catherine De Medic's story. Indeed its ironic that women were not allowed to rule in their own right, due to the Saltic law, yet Catherine De Medici was a far better ruler than most of the French Kings before and after her.

Having read the trilogy on Catherine by Jean Plaidy, although well researched, had a very fictional favour, nevertheless i found myself drawn to this remarkable lady. Catherine without doubt ruled France and indeed saved the french monarchy through the weak & ineffective reigns of her 3 sons, Francis II, Charles IX and Henri III.

Leone Frieda gaves a very good insight to Catherine's early life, shows how she evolved and survived in a male dominated world and beat them at their own game.

Like the Borgia's Catherine De Medic was no saint, but i found myself admiring this Italian women, Queen Mother of France, who lived for and died for her family's power and position, she loved power herself but although she was ruthless when required, she displayed a very human side to her, i found myself smiling to myself. Catherine De Medici came from a very distinguished Italian family, the Medici of Florance, she was equal to them and certainly equal to her fellow rulers of her day.

This i believe is Leone Frieda's first biography, she has done justice not only to herself , but to another much maligned Woman, who certainly deserves our respect

Interesting but flawed, 19 Apr 2006
Unlike the other reviewers of this book I have to say that I thought this book was rather flawed. Frieda has assembled a wealth of material and some of what she says is very interesting- I especially liked her portrayal of the complex, and somewhat contradictory Henri III. Also despite the fact that she is not English Frieda does generally write very well. However her attempts to portray Catherine not as the Machiavellian and ruthless creature history remembers her to be but instead as a committed wife, loving mother and tolerant ruler do not entirely ring true. Frieda is obviously trying to avoid the hackneyed portrayal of Catherine mentioned above. I believe though that she over states her case. I also disliked some of the conclusions she drew on the more peripheral characters. I thought it was especially harsh to describe Antoinne de Bourbon as "bird brained," and that maybe Frieda was a little to uncritical on his brother Condé. Despite this Frieda does offer a very detailed account of the period, gives interesting pictures of many of the figures of Catherine's life and comes up with a different, if debatable conclusion.

More about the King than his wives, 08 May 2004
There is a certain fascination with the larger than life (and towards the end of his life, grotesque) figure of Henry VIII. Of all of the Kings of England/Britain he is almost certainly the most recognisable. And the Tudor era certainly seems to be one which fascinates on television lately. This book, however, was supposed to be about, not King Henry, but his wives. Although they are all here, along with their life stories (to a greater or lesser extent - for some their lives before becoming Queen seem to be shrouded in mystery) the figure of Henry dominates the book, very much as he must have dominated these women in life.

The most interesting stories are that of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Here the stories are most dramatic, and therefore most gripping. In audiocassette form, the first 2 (of 4) tapes are taken up with these two - more Katherine than Anne admittedly, though of course, their stories overlap by about 7 years. The final four wives make do with approximately a side of a tape apiece.

Although well written the final four wives seem almost two-dimensional characters in comparison with Henry and his first two wives, and it is easy to see why there are biographies of Anne Boleyn by the score, but very few of say Jane Seymour - you simply couldn't find enough to write a full-length book it seems.

As I have read a couple of David Starkey's books before and found them to have depth, as well as being amongst the most fast paced and readable of histories, I do wonder how much personal detail about the women, which would turn this from a history text into a collection of biographies, was cut in the abridgement. I suppose I shall just have to read the book to find out.

All in all this is well worth buying for a long journey to pass the time, but I did expect to enjoy it more - it dragged a little towards the end, but only a very little. I must say though that the narration is excellent.

The thing that perhaps proves most strongly that this book is about Henry rather than his wives is that Katherine Parr's story ends with the death of the King and not her own. I found this especially irritating, as, although I know a little about what happened to her after the death of the King, I would have liked to have had the chance to see her story through to its real completion.

More about the King than his wives, 27 Nov 2003
There is a certain fascination with the larger than life (and towards the end of his life grotesque) figure of Henry VIII. If we think of a King of England or Britain he is almost certainly the most recognisable. And the Tudor era certainly seems to be one which fascinates most on television lately. This book, however, was supposed to be about, not King Henry, but his wives. Although they are all here, along with their life stories (to a greater or lesser extent - for some their lives before becoming Queen seem to be shrouded in mystery) the figure of Henry dominates the book, very much as he must have dominated these women in life.

As is always the case, the most interesting stories are that of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Here the stories are most dramatic, and therefore most gripping. In audiocassette form, the first 2 (of 4) tapes are taken up with these two - more Katherine than Anne admittedly, though of course, their stories overlap by about 7 years. The final four wives make do with approximately a side of a tape apiece.

Although well written the final four wives seem almost two dimensional characters in comparison with Henry and his first two wives, and it is easy to see why there are biographies of Anne Boleyn by the score, but very few of say Jane Seymour - you simply couldn't find enough to write it seems.

As I have read a couple of David Starkey's books before and found them to have depth as well as being amongst the most fast paced and readable of histories, I do wonder how much personal detail about the women, which would turn this from a history text into a collection of biographies, was cut in the abridgement. I shall just have to read the book to find out.

All in all this is well worth buying for a long journey to pass the time, but I did expect to enjoy it more - it dragged a little towards the end.

Starkey in advance 600 page skirmish with his main project, 02 Jun 2003
Historian and Tudor specialist, David Starkey, has made - and perhaps enjoys - a public reputation from his TV and radio appearances in Britain as a combative, quarrelsome and idiosyncratic free thinker who does not suffer fools gladly. Noone doubts the sharpness of his intellect but, say his detractors, he is sometimes just a little too opinionated and cocksure for his own good.

That is a shame, since as this latest work on the Six Wives of Henry VIII shows, away from the TV lights, Starkey is also a first class historian of clear perception, astute psychological insight and mature judgement.

For sure there are some early 'Starkeyisms' to be found here: Richard III, we are told 'almost certainly' killed the Princes in the Tower. Well, maybe he did and maybe he didn't. Or even let's say, conceding Starkey's case, that "although still disputed by some, the balance of evidence suggests strongly that Richard killed the princes." But, though the word 'almost suggests he may be mellowing, Starkey is not usually given to such weaselly shades of grey in his contempt for the pre-Tudor English establishment. Strange, because he is very capable of subtlety, refinement and moral ambivalence when it comes to his favoured dynasty.

Here, his portrait of Catherine of Aragon, for example, is freshly original, balanced and credible: his Catherine is 'saintly' for sure but also shrewd, calculating and not averse to the darker arts of political intrigue and spin. Further Starkey brings a novelist's gift of enabling us to empathise, at one and the same time with both Catherine and her arch enemy, and replacement as Queen, Anne Boleyn.

And it is in his careful, compelling and judicious portrayal of Henry's 'Great Matter': the divorce of Katherine and the blind, slow but insistent stumbling towards the break with Rome and the resulting Reformation that Starkey is at his very best.

The trouble with all accounts of Henry's wives is that the first half is so much more dramatic and exciting than the second. That applies in terms of both the purely human interest: the painful conflict of Catherine and eternally charismatic Anne Boleyn, with its superb support roles in Wolsey, Cromwell, Gardiner and Cranmer, resonates down the centuries and in the political interest: the birth of the English Church and the Reformation.

After Anne B is beheaded, the drama dies (not least because we know and they didn't) that the true destiny for England lies in the already born daughters of Katherine and Anne: the future Queens Mary and Elizabeth respectively.

First, we have meek, mousy (if admittedly enigmatic) Jane Seymour, followed by the bathos of Anne of Cleves. Then a comparison of 5th wife Catherine Howard's pathetic story with that of Anne Boleyn reminds us of Marx's dictum that everything happens twice: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. As for Katherine Parr, not without importance to the viability of the Reformation, well - we all unfairly dismiss her as the one 'survived'.

To be fair, Starkey recognises this fact by allocating far more space to the first two wives and bundling the rest rather more hurriedly together. And if he just about carries it off, it's thanks of course to the continuity of his Henry notwithstanding that it is the Wives, not Henry, who is the supposed subject of the book.

The life journey of Henry never fails to fascinate: from the glorious idealistic, handsome, intelligent cultured hero of Christendom of his youth to the bloated, self pitying, egocentric (if still capable of charm and generosity) wife bully and 'destroyer of monasteries' of later times. Starkey picks his way carefully, and not without considerable sympathy, through the personal and political minefield that is Henry's life.

No doubt much of it as an advance reconnoitre for, what Starkey suggests in his preface, will become his main and crowning mission: a biography of Henry himself.

It should be worth waiting for.

True to Himself, 02 Jan 2008
I read this book some time ago, consequently the finer details escape me. However, what remains vivid is the sense that Ms Tomalin's book evinces of a remarkable man from our distant past, and of the social and political context of the times in which he lived. It is a cliche to say that 'someone is of his time', but there's no better way of saying it in Pepys's case. Yes, he could be cruel in his remarks about others, particularly when he's been disappointed, or when he feels that he's been misunderstood. But, then, there are no doubt many equally successful men (and women) today, who are much more ruthless in their dealings with others, both domestically and professionally.

However, it is highly unlikely (if not utterly unlikely) to comment so honestly about how unpleasant he has been - either to his wife, his maid or his underlings. Granted, he wrote in 'code', but he knew the code could easily be cracked by someone who had shorthand skills (as indeed it was) so he could have destroyed his diaries after he stopped writing them.

The other thing that stood out for me, was the pain he experienced with his 'stone'. This is something I could relate to, since, a couple of years before I read this book, I too had a 'stone', and, until it was removed, I was in considerable discomfort, and often pain, every night. My stone was about an inch long by a quarter of an inch thick. Pepys's was the size of a grape-fruit. Mine was removed painlessly while I was anaesthetised. Pepys's was removed while he was fully conscious (albeit by the best man in London). He wasn't even allowed alcohol (too dangerous) and his chances of survival had been about 20%. Small wonder that, afterwards, he reflected on life 'before the stone' in a way that suggests his re-birth. Nobody, from no matter what era, could have gone through that amount of pain and fear without being considerably changed.

The other remarkable honesty Pepys' displayed was regarding his sexual liaisons; one of his most endearing features was the feelings of guilt he expressed - always immediately afterwards. All right, he made little attempt to curb his habits, but he does come across as a man with a conscience and well aware of his bad behaviour. In our own times such men are pretty rare.

And the third thing that remains in my memory was his unique use of 'pidgin' English when describing his sexual adventures. He would use a combination of French, English and (I think) Latin, in order to 'obscure' (or, possibly, negate) the reality of his behaviour, even though what he was doing was as plain as a pikestaff to even the most naive of readers. In this way he was very child-like.

Yes, Pepys was a womaniser and, occasionally, a wife-beater. He was as flawed as any man in this respect, but put anyone under a microscope for a life-time and see if he remains faultless.

What was such a joy in this book was Ms Tomalin's impeccable writing. The biography read almost as a novel would, and Pepys's character flowed across every page. The humour, occasional violence, anger, opportunism (oh, yes, he was probably as dishonest in his naval dealings as any man, in any century has ever been) and skill, both as an administrator and as a survivor.

In fact, his greatest achievement was as a survivor of possibly the greatest upheaval in English history (including the blitz and the Battle of Britain) - the execution of Charles l, the social and political mayhem of the Commonwealth years, the Great Fire of London and the recurrent Plagues. His was a consummate balancing act - particularly given his elevated position - from being a known (or at least suspected) Royalist sympathiser, to acceptance by the Puritans and then to a timely and convincing reversion to the Royal cause. Although he had numerous close-shaves, generally he prosperred and maintained friendships at several levels of society, including the very highest, in spite of his humble start in life.

Pepys must rate alongside William Shakespeare as being a key figure, without whom England would have a much poorer history, and Miss Tomalyn's biography has made him eminently accessible to the twenty-first century reader.

A Truly Fascinating Man, 17 Jul 2006
This is another fascinating historical biography that reads more like a novel than a stuffy factual book. Virtually everyone knows the name of Samuel Pepys. Ah yes, he's the man who wrote the diary. This is of course true, but do they actually know anything about the man behind the name of Samuel Pepys. What for instance were his feelings on the politicians of the day. What were his own ambitions and aspirations.

Pepys was a naval administrator and friend and confidant of some of the most famous and powerful people in London . Sex, the plague, music, marital conflict, naval life, public executions and incarcerations in the Tower of London. These are just some of the colourful events in the life of a man famous for his writing of a diary.

The book contains a wealth of interesting material about the life of a man who's name goes before him. Everyone knows his name, but few know of the life of the man himself.

Am I the only one who can't like Pepys?, 23 May 2006
Firstly this is an excellent biography as the reviews and prizes show, but I had a serious problem empathising with Pepys. Someone describes it as a 'warts & all' book, but it's more than that: I don't have a problem with Pepys' numerous adulteries and fumblings with the servant girls - as long as they don't mind either. But that's where the problem starts: there's a whole section, for example, where Pepys forces a girl to touch him sexually in surreptitious circumstances despite her continuous protests that she doesn't like doing it. The fact that he and his wife also befriend the poor girl and her husband thus putting a power overlay to the story just makes it worse. I also have a problem with Pepys' casual violence towards his wife: a bit of nose pulling I can accept but to black someone's eye you have to hit them pretty hard...
I know that this is 17th century London, and I'm not saying that Tomalin should suppress the fact that these things happen, I'm just surprised that she can overlook these as merely playful characteristics and continue to evince an affection for the man. Personally, I found him offensive and unpleasant and so didn't finish the book because I didn't want to spend any more time in his company.

I feel like I've been there myself, 06 Oct 2005
despite a perfectly good education, I have always found history a bit remote and difficult to get involved in, something I ought to know about but don't. I bought this book because I thought I might learn something. I did, and more! It's quite slow at the beginning, but it's worth persevering because once the circumstances are established it reads like a juicy novel, with people you care about and a plot you couldn't make up! In particular, if you know London, you will love it when he talks about places that you know now - for example when he goes out to the country - to Clapham! And there are some bigger lessons in it as well, about duty, hard work and integrity. I can't recommend it enough.

Samuel Pepys, 25 May 2005
I first heard of Samuel Pepys in 84 Charing Cross Road, I proceeded to read a selection from his diary and then I just wanted to know more.

This is the first biography I have read - I am usually not very interested in them, but Pepys is such an interesting man I had to find out more.

I could not have been more pleased when I read this book, I expected something so dull it would fail to be informative, but Tomalin recreates a world of history for the reader who has perhaps not read extensively into history before. It is easy to read, completely enchanting and very involved with the person and time she was writing about.

No detail was spared, every little thing was explained and I was left wanting for nothing more then to read the full version of Samuel Pepys' Diary feeling that I know a lot more about him and the time he was in. Otherwise, to read the diary without knowing about his life and the history behind it, it is quite hard I think to grip the character behind the diary.

I have definately come out with a better knowledge of this time in history and of a truly extrodinary man.

London from 1660-1670, 06 Sep 2006
I stumbled on Liza Picard's books quite by chance. After looking at the publishing date in some of the books it is apparent some of them have been around for several years. I am now recommending them to anyone and everyone and I am so glad I stumbled across the first one I read on a rainy afternoon, lonely and far away from home. I have now read them all.

As soon as you start to read the book it becomes apparent that the author is passionate about her subject and wants the reader to enjoy the reading experience as much as she has in the writing of it. Liza Picard presents an enthralling picture of how life in London was really lived in the 1600s: the houses and streets, gardens and parks, cooking, clothes and jewellery, cosmetics, hairdressing, housework, laundry and shopping, medicine and dentistry, sex, education, hobbies, etiquette, law and crime, religion and popular beliefs. To anyone who has not read the author's books perhaps these subjects seem boring and mundane, but they are written about with such knowledge and wit that they literally come to life in the readers imagination.

Liza Picard was born in 1927. She read law and qualified as a barrister but did not practice. Quite where she gleaned all this information from I am not sure. That it was a labour of love is obvious to anyone who reads her books and I for one am grateful.

loved it, 06 Oct 2008
What can I say about this biography? Before I read this, I had only a very general knowledge of Catherine de Medici, but reading Leonie Frieda's biography turned me into an obsessive Francophile for about a month! The book is so well written it is almost like watching a movie, Frieda really illustrates the history as writes it. I felt as though no stone was unturned in this biography, the author whittled down the life-story of Catherine and those around her until there was nothing left to tell. The book is an antidote to all of the black legends that surround Catherine de Medici, and I found it a refreshing read. This is popular history in a good way.

Very readable and colourful, 17 Mar 2008
A great read that demonstrates that real history can have the kind of characters and bizarre situations that, were a novelist to have created them, would be deemed too far-fetched. This is a well researched and readable biography, though it perhaps goes too far in trying to exculpate Catherine for masterminding the notorious St Bartholomew Eve's massacre for which she is most (in)famous today. The chapters were rather overlong as well.

Quite good, tells you everything you need to know, 19 Aug 2007
This biography is bursting with information and years of research which Frieda has skillfullly worked into a readable and edible book. While it isn't exactly a thriller, it would be badly out of place with its genre if it was, as biographies aren't exactly supposed to be compared with Agatha Christie. So don't expect excitement, but it's a good thing to take down from the shelf once in awhile and work your way through in little chunks, as anything more than that would be pushing it a bit.

A worthy Queen of France, 27 Jun 2007
This book on Catherine De Medici was wonderful,beautifully written & presented in an easy relaxed way the reader could follow, without losing any of the relevent points in Catherine De Medic's story. Indeed its ironic that women were not allowed to rule in their own right, due to the Saltic law, yet Catherine De Medici was a far better ruler than most of the French Kings before and after her.

Having read the trilogy on Catherine by Jean Plaidy, although well researched, had a very fictional favour, nevertheless i found myself drawn to this remarkable lady. Catherine without doubt ruled France and indeed saved the french monarchy through the weak & ineffective reigns of her 3 sons, Francis II, Charles IX and Henri III.

Leone Frieda gaves a very good insight to Catherine's early life, shows how she evolved and survived in a male dominated world and beat them at their own game.

Like the Borgia's Catherine De Medic was no saint, but i found myself admiring this Italian women, Queen Mother of France, who lived for and died for her family's power and position, she loved power herself but although she was ruthless when required, she displayed a very human side to her, i found myself smiling to myself. Catherine De Medici came from a very distinguished Italian family, the Medici of Florance, she was equal to them and certainly equal to her fellow rulers of her day.

This i believe is Leone Frieda's first biography, she has done justice not only to herself , but to another much maligned Woman, who certainly deserves our respect

Interesting but flawed, 19 Apr 2006
Unlike the other reviewers of this book I have to say that I thought this book was rather flawed. Frieda has assembled a wealth of material and some of what she says is very interesting- I especially liked her portrayal of the complex, and somewhat contradictory Henri III. Also despite the fact that she is not English Frieda does generally write very well. However her attempts to portray Catherine not as the Machiavellian and ruthless creature history remembers her to be but instead as a committed wife, loving mother and tolerant ruler do not entirely ring true. Frieda is obviously trying to avoid the hackneyed portrayal of Catherine mentioned above. I believe though that she over states her case. I also disliked some of the conclusions she drew on the more peripheral characters. I thought it was especially harsh to describe Antoinne de Bourbon as "bird brained," and that maybe Frieda was a little to uncritical on his brother Condé. Despite this Frieda does offer a very detailed account of the period, gives interesting pictures of many of the figures of Catherine's life and comes up with a different, if debatable conclusion.

More about the King than his wives, 08 May 2004
There is a certain fascination with the larger than life (and towards the end of his life, grotesque) figure of Henry VIII. Of all of the Kings of England/Britain he is almost certainly the most recognisable. And the Tudor era certainly seems to be one which fascinates on television lately. This book, however, was supposed to be about, not King Henry, but his wives. Although they are all here, along with their life stories (to a greater or lesser extent - for some their lives before becoming Queen seem to be shrouded in mystery) the figure of Henry dominates the book, very much as he must have dominated these women in life.

The most interesting stories are that of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Here the stories are most dramatic, and therefore most gripping. In audiocassette form, the first 2 (of 4) tapes are taken up with these two - more Katherine than Anne admittedly, though of course, their stories overlap by about 7 years. The final four wives make do with approximately a side of a tape apiece.

Although well written the final four wives seem almost two-dimensional characters in comparison with Henry and his first two wives, and it is easy to see why there are biographies of Anne Boleyn by the score, but very few of say Jane Seymour - you simply couldn't find enough to write a full-length book it seems.

As I have read a couple of David Starkey's books before and found them to have depth, as well as being amongst the most fast paced and readable of histories, I do wonder how much personal detail about the women, which would turn this from a history text into a collection of biographies, was cut in the abridgement. I suppose I shall just have to read the book to find out.

All in all this is well worth buying for a long journey to pass the time, but I did expect to enjoy it more - it dragged a little towards the end, but only a very little. I must say though that the narration is excellent.

The thing that perhaps proves most strongly that this book is about Henry rather than his wives is that Katherine Parr's story ends with the death of the King and not her own. I found this especially irritating, as, although I know a little about what happened to her after the death of the King, I would have liked to have had the chance to see her story through to its real completion.

More about the King than his wives, 27 Nov 2003
There is a certain fascination with the larger than life (and towards the end of his life grotesque) figure of Henry VIII. If we think of a King of England or Britain he is almost certainly the most recognisable. And the Tudor era certainly seems to be one which fascinates most on television lately. This book, however, was supposed to be about, not King Henry, but his wives. Although they are all here, along with their life stories (to a greater or lesser extent - for some their lives before becoming Queen seem to be shrouded in mystery) the figure of Henry dominates the book, very much as he must have dominated these women in life.

As is always the case, the most interesting stories are that of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Here the stories are most dramatic, and therefore most gripping. In audiocassette form, the first 2 (of 4) tapes are taken up with these two - more Katherine than Anne admittedly, though of course, their stories overlap by about 7 years. The final four wives make do with approximately a side of a tape apiece.

Although well written the final four wives seem almost two dimensional characters in comparison with Henry and his first two wives, and it is easy to see why there are biographies of Anne Boleyn by the score, but very few of say Jane Seymour - you simply couldn't find enough to write it seems.

As I have read a couple of David Starkey's books before and found them to have depth as well as being amongst the most fast paced and readable of histories, I do wonder how much personal detail about the women, which would turn this from a history text into a collection of biographies, was cut in the abridgement. I shall just have to read the book to find out.

All in all this is well worth buying for a long journey to pass the time, but I did expect to enjoy it more - it dragged a little towards the end.

Starkey in advance 600 page skirmish with his main project, 02 Jun 2003
Historian and Tudor specialist, David Starkey, has made - and perhaps enjoys - a public reputation from his TV and radio appearances in Britain as a combative, quarrelsome and idiosyncratic free thinker who does not suffer fools gladly. Noone doubts the sharpness of his intellect but, say his detractors, he is sometimes just a little too opinionated and cocksure for his own good.

That is a shame, since as this latest work on the Six Wives of Henry VIII shows, away from the TV lights, Starkey is also a first class historian of clear perception, astute psychological insight and mature judgement.

For sure there are some early 'Starkeyisms' to be found here: Richard III, we are told 'almost certainly' killed the Princes in the Tower. Well, maybe he did and maybe he didn't. Or even let's say, conceding Starkey's case, that "although still disputed by some, the balance of evidence suggests strongly that Richard killed the princes." But, though the word 'almost suggests he may be mellowing, Starkey is not usually given to such weaselly shades of grey in his contempt for the pre-Tudor English establishment. Strange, because he is very capable of subtlety, refinement and moral ambivalence when it comes to his favoured dynasty.

Here, his portrait of Catherine of Aragon, for example, is freshly original, balanced and credible: his Catherine is 'saintly' for sure but also shrewd, calculating and not averse to the darker arts of political intrigue and spin. Further Starkey brings a novelist's gift of enabling us to empathise, at one and the same time with both Catherine and her arch enemy, and replacement as Queen, Anne Boleyn.

And it is in his careful, compelling and judicious portrayal of Henry's 'Great Matter': the divorce of Katherine and the blind, slow but insistent stumbling towards the break with Rome and the resulting Reformation that Starkey is at his very best.

The trouble with all accounts of Henry's wives is that the first half is so much more dramatic and exciting than the second. That applies in terms of both the purely human interest: the painful conflict of Catherine and eternally charismatic Anne Boleyn, with its superb support roles in Wolsey, Cromwell, Gardiner and Cranmer, resonates down the centuries and in the political interest: the birth of the English Church and the Reformation.

After Anne B is beheaded, the drama dies (not least because we know and they didn't) that the true destiny for England lies in the already born daughters of Katherine and Anne: the future Queens Mary and Elizabeth respectively.

First, we have meek, mousy (if admittedly enigmatic) Jane Seymour, followed by the bathos of Anne of Cleves. Then a comparison of 5th wife Catherine Howard's pathetic story with that of Anne Boleyn reminds us of Marx's dictum that everything happens twice: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. As for Katherine Parr, not without importance to the viability of the Reformation, well - we all unfairly dismiss her as the one 'survived'.

To be fair, Starkey recognises this fact by allocating far more space to the first two wives and bundling the rest rather more hurriedly together. And if he just about carries it off, it's thanks of course to the continuity of his Henry notwithstanding that it is the Wives, not Henry, who is the supposed subject of the book.

The life journey of Henry never fails to fascinate: from the glorious idealistic, handsome, intelligent cultured hero of Christendom of his youth to the bloated, self pitying, egocentric (if still capable of charm and generosity) wife bully and 'destroyer of monasteries' of later times. Starkey picks his way carefully, and not without considerable sympathy, through the personal and political minefield that is Henry's life.

No doubt much of it as an advance reconnoitre for, what Starkey suggests in his preface, will become his main and crowning mission: a biography of Henry himself.

It should be worth waiting for.

the complete life of Mary Stuart. , 26 Feb 2008
One or two reviewers down: Wasn't Mary thee times a widow? Bothwell died before her too, I seem to recall. Quite horribly, too: he was locked up in a dungeon in some castle in Denmark. He was held there, chained to a stone pillar, for ten years. In that time nobody spoke to him (his wardens were expressly forbidden to do so) and his food and drink was brought through a small trap door. After a few years he was a raving lunatic and after that, for the last two to three years he was there, completely catatonic. When he hadn't touched his food for two weeks, they looked in on him and found his dead body clothed in scraps and rags, covered in filth, sores and vermin. He had starved to death. The odd thing is, and it is quite touching too in a way, is that after his death his body was taken out of his cell and was cleaned up, washed, shaved, embalmed and dressed in finery befitting a man of his station. He was given decent christian burial. Why the King of Denmark had treated him so badly in life is not known, nor why he was decently laid out and buried after his death. After Mary's flight to England in 1568 Bothwell is never mentioned again in many books, which is odd: the tragic story of his captivity and death marks a poignant and moving epilogue to their marriage. Nine years after him, Mary would die.
We know she knew Bothwell died, but was she ever told how horrible his end had been....I wonder. This is very good book. Read it and get aquainted with Mary Stuart and her troubled life and times. O and Darnley was a stupid pr*ck, a nasty egocentric spoilt little toff who was a willing if useless pawn in the schemes and intrigues of his ghastly and over-ambitious parents. Bothwell was a hundred times the man Darnley was, Oh Mary Stuart, Oh James Bothwell: why dinnea ye two hi yesel' tae Holland or Flanders, or tae France even, and live happily ever after... Instead of which bliss it was a stone pillar that did for the one, and three strokes of an axe for the other. Sic transit...

First class biography, 03 Nov 2007
A magnificent biography of a woman who still courts controversy 400 years after her death. Fraser's biography is immensely sympathetic to Mary, and all the more readable for that. She has researched every aspect of Mary's life and times, I believe she visited every place associated with her while researching the book, and this attention to detail is obvious in every sentence. I've read this book at least half a dozen times and it is one of my favourite biographies. Fraser manages to make the politics of the French court and the Scottish nobility intelligible (especially important when every Scottish lord seems to be called James, Duke of Mar, Moray, Morton etc etc). The portrait of Queen Elizabeth during Mary's long captivity highlights her struggle with the daughter of debate, as Mary was called. Beautifully written, full of insights and intelligent interpretations of the facts, this is an outstanding biography.

The Best Biography I've Ever Read, 07 Feb 2004
I have been fascinated by Mary, Queen of Scots, since I first heard about her in a history lesson when I was about 9 years old. I was very shocked by the fact that she was executed, partly because she was a queen and partly because she was a woman. I felt that her fate was so unfair and have never come across anything to change that vivid first impression.

I loved this book about her. Antonia Fraser really brings her subject to life, truly a 3 dimensional portrait painted in words. This book is so full of detail, none of which feels unnecessary. There is no skipping bits because they are dull and/or irrelevant. I also got the impression that Antonia Fraser liked her subject, that she too had at some time felt distressed that this woman met such a horrible end, the culmination of a life spent largely in captivity. The author does a splendid job of conveying the frustration of Mary's position as a "guest" of Queen Elizabeth I.

This book is interesting and well-written. I find that even the most interesting history books and/or biographies often have dry sections that I skim but that wasn't the case at all with this particular book. There are long discussions of the moral and political issues surrounding Mary's captivity but they are written in such a way that they engage the reader. In some ways the author had a head start, given the subject matter. Even the bare bones of Mary's story are interesting but Antonia Fraser has certainly doen her subject justice.

I think this is one of the best historical biographies I have ever read. The subject comes alive and almost jumps out of the book. By the end of this book I felt like I had known Mary all my life and overall my impression of her was favourable. The detailed description of her last moments was difficult to read such was my sympathy for the vital woman described by the author. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest in Mary, Queen of Scots. I have read many good books by Antonia Fraser but this one, to my mind, stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Exhaustive and exhausting, 10 Jun 2002
Fantastic amount of information. How did she manage to put it all together in the 1960s, before the days of word processors? But it's not an easy read, because the politics of Mary's time were complicated and it's hard to tell one of the Protestant lords from another if you don't know something about the period before you start. She does manage to bring Mary to life, though, without doing too much of the 'Mary must have thought...' or 'It probably occurred to her', which is the downfall of lesser biographers. I like the way she gets faintly exasperated by her heroine without ever falling out of sympathy with her. It makes a change from so many biographers nowadays, who devote themselves to debunking their subjects. All in all, very impressive.

What can I say? Excellent in detail, in opinion, in feeling, 16 Feb 2002
A very detailed yet sympathetic (for the reader) book. It offers a great deal of information while refusing to be bogged down in description. It moves away from the simply scandalous view of Mary's life to show a much more understanding (but still detailed) view of her life. And it's easy to read.

True to Himself, 02 Jan 2008
I read this book some time ago, consequently the finer details escape me. However, what remains vivid is the sense that Ms Tomalin's book evinces of a remarkable man from our distant past, and of the social and political context of the times in which he lived. It is a cliche to say that 'someone is of his time', but there's no better way of saying it in Pepys's case. Yes, he could be cruel in his remarks about others, particularly when he's been disappointed, or when he feels that he's been misunderstood. But, then, there are no doubt many equally successful men (and women) today, who are much more ruthless in their dealings with others, both domestically and professionally.

However, it is highly unlikely (if not utterly unlikely) to comment so honestly about how unpleasant he has been - either to his wife, his maid or his underlings. Granted, he wrote in 'code', but he knew the code could easily be cracked by someone who had shorthand skills (as indeed it was) so he could have destroyed his diaries after he stopped writing them.

The other thing that stood out for me, was the pain he experienced with his 'stone'. This is something I could relate to, since, a couple of years before I read this book, I too had a 'stone', and, until it was removed, I was in considerable discomfort, and often pain, every night. My stone was about an inch long by a quarter of an inch thick. Pepys's was the size of a grape-fruit. Mine was removed painlessly while I was anaesthetised. Pepys's was removed while he was fully conscious (albeit by the best man in London). He wasn't even allowed alcohol (too dangerous) and his chances of survival had been about 20%. Small wonder that, afterwards, he reflected on life 'before the stone' in a way that suggests his re-birth. Nobody, from no matter what era, could have gone through that amount of pain and fear without being considerably changed.

The other remarkable honesty Pepys' displayed was regarding his sexual liaisons; one of his most endearing features was the feelings of guilt he expressed - always immediately afterwards. All right, he made little attempt to curb his habits, but he does come across as a man with a conscience and well aware of his bad behaviour. In our own times such men are pretty rare.

And the third thing that remains in my memory was his unique use of 'pidgin' English when describing his sexual adventures. He would use a combination of French, English and (I think) Latin, in order to 'obscure' (or, possibly, negate) the reality of his behaviour, even though what he was doing was as plain as a pikestaff to even the most naive of readers. In this way he was very child-like.

Yes, Pepys was a womaniser and, occasionally, a wife-beater. He was as flawed as any man in this respect, but put anyone under a microscope for a life-time and see if he remains faultless.

What was such a joy in this book was Ms Tomalin's impeccable writing. The biography read almost as a novel would, and Pepys's character flowed across every page. The humour, occasional violence, anger, opportunism (oh, yes, he was probably as dishonest in his naval dealings as any man, in any century has ever been) and skill, both as an administrator and as a survivor.

In fact, his greatest achievement was as a survivor of possibly the greatest upheaval in English history (including the blitz and the Battle of Britain) - the execution of Charles l, the social and political mayhem of the Commonwealth years, the Great Fire of London and the recurrent Plagues. His was a consummate balancing act - particularly given his elevated position - from being a known (or at least suspected) Royalist sympathiser, to acceptance by the Puritans and then to a timely and convincing reversion to the Royal cause. Although he had numerous close-shaves, generally he prosperred and maintained friendships at several levels of society, including the very highest, in spite of his humble start in life.

Pepys must rate alongside William Shakespeare as being a key figure, without whom England would have a much poorer history, and Miss Tomalyn's biography has made him eminently accessible to the twenty-first century reader.

A Truly Fascinating Man, 17 Jul 2006
This is another fascinating historical biography that reads more