I think it is fair to say that everyone in the UK will have at least heard the name Mary Queen of Scots. The Captive Queen shares with us many of the details of her very strange life and does it with aplomb. Mary Queen of Scots has always niggled me as I have always been curious about her actual life and, finally, I have many of the answers that I was hoping for. If you think that life is complex in the 21st Century, you are going to be very surprised at how complicated it was back in the 16th Century, especially when you remember how rudimentary things were then when compared with the world today. I will just mention two titbits of information. It is only very recently that some of the codes used by Mary and her supporters to exchange messages and plans have been deciphered. Think how much more powerful our technology is for things like this. Mary was a Queen in captivity and yet her main meal of the day was served with around 30 different dishes for her to choose from! I found Captive Queen to be a fascinating glimpse of her life and I am so pleased to have read it. An Advanced Reader Copy review - free books never buy my opinion!

I’ve always been interested in the Tudors and there’s always been a shroudy aspect of mystery when it comes to Mary and especially her twenty year stint in captivity. With all the plots, the espionage, cryptic ciphers and hidden messages, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a plot for an epic blockbuster. It’s such an intriguing era of history and I really enjoyed learning more during this time. My previous knowledge was only slightly foundational so to build on the little I knew and flesh out my knowledge on the topic was great and it made for really interesting reading. I also loved that at the start of each chapter, it expertly set the scene for what was outlined to come, as fiction before non fiction followed. It was a great way to begin each segment. It was really well written and in a compelling way and I got to be quite invested in everything that was going on. A great read for any history buff. It was enlightening and brings the latest in some of her recently deciphered letters.

This biography covers the nearly twenty-year period when Mary was imprisoned by Elizabeth I. She feared Mary not only because she was the rightful Scottish Queen, but also because she was Catholic, so an uprising could have resulted in Britain becoming Catholic again. Mary wrote and received a multitude of letters during her captivity, many of those to her allies being in code. Some of these have been previously decoded but now many more have been decrypted. Through these coded letters, more details of her attempts to escape have been found. The book charts her life during her imprisonment, until the time of her execution for treason in 1587. For added interest, photos of some of the coded letters are included. An engrossing read.

As a history enthusiast, I was delighted to read this intelligent and enlightening account of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jade Scott uses Mary’s letters to explain her story. Through her coded correspondence, we discover how the captured Queen kept her support alive. We also find out the lengths Elizabeth I spymasters were prepared to go. I appreciated how the author set the scene on the events of Mary’s life. Using the cyphered letters we could see further into her thoughts and actions. I felt that by the end of the book I understood Mary more. I also understood the obstacles she was up against and the determination of those working for her cousin. The relationship with Elizabeth was a complicated one and this can be seen clearly through the correspondence. I was enthralled. A fascinating read, bringing clarity and a greater understanding of a pivotal figure in our history.

This is a refreshingly different and insightful account of Mary Queen of Scots. Dr Jade Scott has decrypted numerous letters Mary wrote during her period of captivity as the basis for this book. I find the Tudor period fascinating. The machinations of the monarchy, part from Henry VIII onwards are unparalleled. At the heart of everything was fear of losing the crown and Henry’s successor, Elizabeth, spent her reign threatened by Mary’s rightful entitlement to the throne. At the behest of her numerous duplicitous advisors, she had her locked away and eventually signed her execution warrant. It’s difficult to imagine what it must have been lime to spend most of one’s adult life incarcerated. Mary was articulate, intelligent and not without support and her letters give a unique insight into what her day to day life was like and the numerous attempts she made to escape her imprisonment and fate. It’s rich in period detail and adds a whole new dimension to both the political background, but more importantly to the person behind the name. I found parts of the narrative very moving and could sense her frustration and fear of her situation. There are many books about Mary; this is top of the list as one of the best.