Mary Queen of Scots: An illustrated life by Susan DoranĪn illustrated biography that sets itself apart from other books about Mary through its illustrations of Mary and the people connected with her, as well as of contemporary documents that help to tell the story of the queen’s life and reign. Best for: an exploration of contemporary records My Heart is my Own was awarded the Whitbread Biography Award and the Marsh Biography Award.ģ. The book is billed as a ‘dramatic reinterpretation’ of Mary’s life and is based on years of research from one of the foremost historians of the renaissance period. Originally published in 2004, the book explores the relationship between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth I of England two queens in one isle who were destined never to meet.

John Guy’s My Heart is my Own inspired the movie Mary Queen of Scots, with the book’s author acting as writer. My Heart is my Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy Best for: The book that inspired the movie Mary Queen of Scots The author seeks to present Mary’s reign within its longer term and Scottish contexts, separating it from the adultress/innocent martyr debate that can so often cloud our understanding of Mary and her life.Ģ. With a foreword by Anna Groundwater, the book aims to show Mary not as the romantic heroine of public imagination, but as a woman whose downfall was brought about by her failure to deal with the problems and challenges that faced her as a renaissance monarch. This updated version of historian Jenny Wormald’s study of Mary Queen of Scots brings this study, first published 30 years ago, to a new audience. Mary Queen of Scots: A Study in Failure by Jenny Wormald Best for: an unflinching assessment of Mary’s reign With so many books available about Mary Queen of Scots, how can you decide which to read? Our recommendations were written by some of the country’s best historians and scholars and allow you to find out about the life and times of the Stewart queen, whatever your level of knowledge. Mary fled to England and was imprisoned for 19 years on the orders of Elizabeth I, before being executed for treason, after being implicated in a plot to murder England’s queen.īut there is so much more to Mary’s life than these facts. She became queen at just six days old after the death of her father James V, spent her childhood in France and married three husbands ( read about Mary’s husbands here), before being forced to abdicate in favour of her son James VI. Mary Queen of Scots was born on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace.

Queen of scots john guy