Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I have said this before and I will say it again,, it must have been hard to be a woman in those days! Marie de Guise was no exception. Betrayed so many times. Her life was very interesting. Well written

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Very informative for all Tudor history fans! Highly recommend.

this was a interesting biography, I had never really heard of Marie de Guise before, but I think this book was a great biography to her.

This was a very interesting look into the role of Marie de Guise, who is often overlooked in favor of her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. This historical time period was greatly influenced by royal women and many ruled in either their own right (Isabel of Castle, Mary I, Elizabeth I) or for underage children (Catherine de Medici and Marie of Guise. While Mary, Queen of Scots is highly researched, her mother, Marie of Guise, arguably had a bigger impact on Scotland and England for her 18 years as queen.

Marie was a charming, likeable and caring person who was forced to deal with several tragedies and dramas. She had to cope with her husband James V's black moods, English attacks, the deaths of some of her children and separation from others, fighting with volatile Scottish lords - the list goes on and on. The 'rough wooing' of her daughter by Henry VIII, who was anxious to marry Marie's more famous daughter Mary, Queen of Scots to his son required particular skills. Marie almost always coped admirably, hardly ever making mistakes.

Marie's activities as Queen Regent especially impressed me. She oversaw many laws designed to set Scotland, weakened by numerous battles, back on its feet, for example, imposing harsh penalties on poachers and forbidding the export of meat to ensure supplies. She was also upset about the loss of trees which had been cut down to provide wood for the navy, so she gave orders to protect them.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of royalty.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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I always enjoy a a well researched and written historical biography and I’m happy to say this was one of them. Melanie Clegg did a great job bringing to life a figure that honestly most people haven’t heard of, so many have heard of Mary Queen of Scots, but her story cannot be told in full without the story of her mother, the woman (and this is particularly important) that spent the vast majority of her life away from her child defending that child’s inheritance of the kingdom against English invasions and internal infighting, atthe cost of her own life in the end, And, yes I was also happy with the illustrations. :)

Scourge of Henry VIII is a loosely historically based biography of Marie De Guise presented by historian Melanie Clegg. Originally published in 2016, this reformat and re-release by Pen & Sword is due out in July 2021. It's 224 pages and will be available in paperback format. (Other editions available in other formats).

This is an engagingly written and layman accessible biography of the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Widowed early, with the infant Mary in a precarious position, she became regent ruler of Scotland in 1554 until her own death in 1560.

The books biographical and historical chapters are arranged roughly chronologically. The timeline is easy to follow and the author writes clearly and layman accessibly, so I didn't have any trouble following the narrative. There is also a list of dramatis personae in the front of the book, so it's a simple matter to flip back and see who's who if necessary.

This is not an academic treatise. There are no chapter notes or footnotes. The language is layman accessible and more narrative than precise. The book does include an abbreviated and helpful bibliography and cross referenced index. There is also a very interesting photographic appendix which includes black and white photos and facsimiles of many period buildings, blueprints, and portraits of the main players in the story.

Four stars. This is an interesting and well told biography of a woman who is largely ignored even by historians specializing in the period.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Marie de Guise has long been a footnote in history, but she was much more than that! This enigmatic woman was a formidable opponent - not one to bend to the pressures of a male monarch from another country.
While we know her as the mother of Mary Queen of Scots, Marie de Guise was regent of Scotland after the death of her husband, and managed to guide Scotland through some rather difficult times, such as the religious upheaval that was sweeping through Europe at the time.

Melanie Clegg does a great job with this book, drawing Marie back into the light that she deserves, and restoring her back into history. I loved this read!

I like the women who hold the political power of the throne when they aren't queens or rulers themselves! This is a historical fiction book. Not a history, as I had hoped. I wasn't familiar with Marie de Guise, so at least it was an interesting introduction to a strong woman. Too bad her daughter Mary wasn't as strong. Entertaining read about the royals.

I realised as I began this that I knew little or nothing about Queen Marie De Guise, the mother of Mary Queen of Scots. This was an interesting and informative biography, well written and sympathetic, and I galloped through it. It was interesting to see the the character of Henry VIII from a different standpoint. Despite the many tragedies that befell her, Marie De Guise remained a spirited and charming character. Thanks to Netgalley and to the publishers for an ARC. It was a real pleasure .

I am ambivalent about this book.

The good things:
* Reclaim the women! I am always in favour of a book that highlights a woman who has either been forgotten, or whom history has portrayed in an unfavourable-because-patriarchy light. This book largely does that, going into details about Marie's life, highlighting the reasons for the decisions that she made as well as the importance of those actions, not just her womb. These are really important things.
* It's accessible. This is intended for a general readership: there are no footnotes, it opens with a list of people the reader can refer back to when the titles etc get to be too much, and it usually balances complex foreign policy decision-making with ease of reading.

The slightly uncomfortable things:
* The lack of footnotes etc means it's not the most detailed of historical research: there's not that many primary sources directly used, and no other historians are referenced, which makes me a bit queasy.
* There are some editing mistakes. Sentences that lack of a primary verb, probably because there are so many clauses that it's easy to get lost; sentences where it's unclear whether one person with multiple titles, or several different people, are being discussed.
* Marie's apparently deliberately decision to remain single after James V's death is lamented as sad for a woman in her 30s. But... she's a widow twice over, she has the disastrous example of her mother-in-law to show how badly things can go for a widowed queen with an infant monarch. Why couldn't this be a sensible political choice? Why couldn't this be a relief to a woman whose life has been tied to the idea of marriage for more than two decades, usually not at her own decision? No evidence to suggest that she regretted this, and so... attributing emotions is a fraught business. It shouldn't be done.

The negative things:
* At one point, Clegg describes Marie's daughter Mary as having various ailments, and suggests they may be dismissed as nothing more than an anxiety related disorder. Uh. That's... not good.
* The way Marie's whole life is framed around men. Now I understand that to some extent, with the biography of a powerful woman in the sixteenth century this is unavoidable; her male relations were always going to play a huge part, especially early on, and any husband likewise. However, it felt like a lot of space was spent on men and their doings, sometimes only tangentially connected to Marie's life. Perhaps this was for added context, but it just served to detract from making Marie the focus. The greatest example of this is the title. In a book of nearly 220 pages, Henry VIII dies on p140. Marie was on a list of possible wives but got away; she got in his way to some extent around the issue of young Mary marrying Prince Edward... but to call her the Scourge of Henry VIII is ridiculous. I guess it made a good title? But I was expecting to discover that she had actively, and over a long period, skewered Henry's ambitions in the north. Yeh not so much.

Look, overall, for people wanting to find out more about Marie of Guise, this isn't a bad option - not bad at all, in fact. Just beware that it's by no means perfect.

Interesting book focusing on a person little talked about or even thought about witch is a shame as I found her story very interesting to read.

A very interesting and informative overdue biography of Queen Marie De Guise the almost forgotten figure of Scottish history.
At times I felt a little bit bogged down but could tell the book was very well researched and detailed,
I certainly put it down feeling more knowledge had been gained.
I will lookout for future books by this author.
A book to recommend for fans of this genre.
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

What first compelled me to request this book was the blurb and the realization that, indeed, I knew very little about Marie de Guise. I’ve read novels and non-fiction about both her predecessor as Queen of Scots, Henry VIII’s sister Margaret Tudor, and her successor, the famous Mary, Elizabeth I’s arch-nemesis, so I was quite intrigued to find out more about this other historical figure.

And Melanie Clegg didn’t disappoint me. She draws a fascinating picture of Marie de Guise’s forebears, including her upbringing in Lorraine, where she was surrounded by an almost clan-like, but loving family. The portraits of her doting mother, pious but cunning, and her larger-than-life chevalier of a father, successful war veteran and his daughter’s hero, together with other eminent members of the Guise let me understand how Marie’s character was forged. Later she joins the sparkling French court of King Francis I (François 1er), where she meets her husband, the Duke of Longueville. Theirs is a happy union which allows her to establish the same relationship of two equals she has seen her parents construct between themselves. Alas, only two years after their son Francis is born, the Duke dies at Rouen and leaves Marie a (well provided-for) widow.

She then goes on to marry Henry VIII’s nephew James V of Scotland against the resistance of the English king, who apparently would have liked to win her as his own wife instead. When Marie moves to Scotland, she leaves her little, beloved son behind. And her suffering has only just begun, because her first two sons by James die at a very young age, and her new husband deceases as well only six days after their daughter Mary was born. A situation which leads to a serious struggle for power between several forces within Scotland…

A highly enjoyable read that not only paints a compelling portrait of the Queen of Scots with lush details told in a vivid narrative, but also draws the picture of Marie de Guise’s contemporaries as well as of her times. Maybe there might not be enough referenced detail for a scholar, but for a lay historian with an educated interest in the Tudor-era like I am, this is a really good source not only of information but also of entertainment in the sense that I really loved reading the book.

I feel like the title of this biography is very misleading, as Henry VIII only featured heavily for like 2 chapters in this book and most of his interaction was with Marie's husband and the other Scottish lords. I get that Marie definitely interfered in the politics between marrying her daughter to his son but aside from that I think the title is very much an exaggeration of the roles they had in each other's life.

The most interesting bits here for me was Marie's life prior to marrying the King of Scots. I think there was more information from there compared to the latter parts that you couldn't find online/through other sources and I really enjoyed learning more about Marie's dynamics with her family as well as the overall role of the Guises in the French court. I feel like there were many assumptions about Marie's character throughout the book and I suppose one can't help doing that since it's a biography of a long dead person, but what it came out was that it seemed Marie was a very very good and not at all flawed person, which she might have been, but I don't know, her characterization here came out as if she was perfect and had no flaws whatsoever compared to everyone around her.

I liked the flowing narrative and it was very much like the author was just having a conversation with you and the writing wasn't very heavy or wordy.

If you enjoy the stories of the Tudor era you should read this! Not that it talks about the Tudors much (the title is misleading) but it is a really good introduction to Marie De Guise. It also shows the Guise family in only a caring light, which is nice and unusual. This biography is light and does not require prior knowledge of the time or the players to be understood. Anyone without prior knowledge may have some difficulty understanding how the political climate developed or how the relationships/history of the countries involved played a major influencing role in the decisions made by Maria De Guise and the other figures mentioned throughout. However, history is steeped in history and no one book can give the whole picture. For those who know a fair amount about this time period, you shouldn't expect to learn anything new but it is still fun to read.

M. Clegg's style of writing in engaging and brings Marie's story to life. Most importantly, it leaves one wanting to learn more. Thank you very much to Netgalley for the opportunity to read such an entertaining book.

*Many thanks to Melanie Clegg, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A very well-written and researched biography of a woman who belonged to a powerful family and whose fate was was to marry James V and become the mother of one of the most fascinating queens in history.
Ms Clegg depicts the period and Marie's life against it, her first marriage and a rather turbulent life she had during her stay in Scotland. The image we receive is that of an intelligent woman who knows how to navigate through political corridors of Scottish castles and who suffers personal losses when her two infant sons die and later on when she is the witness to the death of her son from her first marriage.
Ms Clegg knows how to write non-fiction and to keep a reader's interest throughout.

Melanie Clegg Scourge of Henry V111 The Life of Marie de Guise, Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History, 2021 (first published 2016).

Thank you NetGalley for this uncorrected proof copy for review.

As I finished this biography of a most remarkable woman, I wondered why Henry V111 was given top billing in the title. Not only did he die well before Marie de Guise, (January 1547, she died in June 1560) but her life was far more than her relationship with the English king. Her impact on Elizabeth 1, though her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, was, although after her death, worthy of consideration. One link with Elizabeth is Mary sending her a portrait of her mother in white mourning – perhaps a reminder that Elizabeth had had the power to make this immensely courageous woman’s life a little easier? Perhaps it would be more appropriate to refer Marie de Guise as the scourge of the last of the Tudors? In addition, de Guises’ relationship with the French through her family, armies and political figures, as well as with the English who sought her compliance, and the Scots who found her feminine ways appealing at the end of her life, but her resourcefulness during her time as regent, difficult, comprise an important part of Marie de Guises’ history. She was a scourge to many, fulfilling the modern quote,’ Well behaved women seldom make history’ (Laurel Hatcher Ulrich).

The index is well made, and there is a comprehensive bibliography. At the stage I read the book, there are no citations, most glaringly in association with quotes from letters. To be fair, this might be corrected in the final copy, bearing in mind that I am reviewing from an uncorrected proof. The addition of photos is always a positive feature of a popular history, and this book does not suffer the problem of an apparent throwing together photos that often have no strong relation to the text. Clegg has chosen carefully, so that the reader has a visual understanding of the people, the castles, and the detail of some of the latter. There is a list of Dramatic Personae, categorized under French, The Bourbons, The Valois, Scotland, England, and The Tudors. Each name is followed by a brief explanation of their relationship to other characters – a helpful feature. However, even with the list and some detail, the tumble of characters and their links, particularly in the early chapters, are hard to distinguish. Would some family trees have helped? Or possibly clear listings of the groups with individual pages? This is a history that appears to have been written to be accessible, rather than academic or laden with theory so, to me, clarity is particularly important. This could be improved with more signposting. The chapter headings could be more detailed or carefully crafted to become useful pointers to the content. In doing so they would provide a map to the content that could enhance clarity.

At the same time as I make these critical observations, I hasten to say what a gripping story Marie de Guises’ life poses. The Mary Queen of Scots versus Elizabeth 1 story is popular in academic and popular histories, television series and films. Henry V111, even more so. Melanie Clegg has produced a history of another intriguing figure, who clearly deserves this attention. I would have loved to give it four stars but must fall back on three and a half because of the issues I have discussed above. That being said, Melanie Clegg has gathered together a wonderful array of material, I suspect largely unknown by general readers. I feel that I have met another strong woman through Clegg’s work, and appreciate the opportunity to have done so.

This history book about the mother of Mary Queen of Scots is intriguing. Im not a historian by any means but this book was written with ease in a way that made learning about history pleasurable. Many historical accounts of such figures are hard to slog thru, however, this one is honestly enjoyable. Im not sure I have seen too many books published about her as her daughter is the more imfamous character from history. It seems to be a thoroughly researched piece of work and I greatly appreciate that! I would read other books from this author for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publishers for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Really enjoyed this
I found it well researched and written

A great introduction to a figure that has been very much in the background during this time in history