Derek A. WilsonReseñas

Enjoying this so far. There are some factual errors some of which might be editorial and typographical (ex. age given as 28 not 18), others are somewhat glaring (wrong person named for incident).

The more interesting point of this book is the approach it takes to the situation of Henry's reign and his struggles with his own belief, conscience, and the events of the day. It specifically speaks to the evangelical reform movement which was unfolding rapidly in England during this time and the impact this had upon his choices and decisions as a monarch given his personality traits. It does examine his relationship to his spouses, family, close confidants, and advisers in this capacity. The speculations of these theories and the evidence presented is compelling and worth study.

Religion is vital to understanding the history of early modern Europe and this book aims to grapple with the English Reformation, an event set in motion by Henry VIII's divorce and which dominated English life and politics during the 16th century. I appreciated the author's focus on how the Reformation impacted the English church and religious practice, which is helpful, for example, in understanding why the attempt to restore the Catholic Church under Mary I failed. Overall, this is an excellent book for understanding the English Reformation, although at times I did wish more detail had been provided.

Kniha vypráví o Angličanovi Drakeovi, který se chystal na novou expedici na moře. Drakeovi to ale trvalo čtyři roky, než expedici uskutečnil. Když dostal povolení vyplout, námořníkům nepřálo počasí a loď musela zůstat v přístavu. Drake byl úspěšný obchodník a cestovatel. Po ponížení od Španělů se Drake nemohl s touto prohrou smířit, a tak zasvětil svůj život pirátství. Vydal se na dvě průzkumné cesty na západ od Indie a podnikl patnáctiměsíční krvavou loupežnou výpravu.

Second book in the series about real life mysteries in Tudor England. Found this one to be very good.

Tudor mysteries sure seem to be popular right now. My favorite is still the Matthew Shardlake series. However, I did find this interesting and a good read and I plan on reading the next book in the series. Would recommend it to anyone wanting one more perspective of Thomas Cromwell and Tudor England.

Finished: 19/11/2020

Interesting enough, not sure I'd read more with these characters.

Rothschild family (Subject)

Guinness family (Subject)

Charlemagne was a fascinating and complex individual. He was an ingenious military strategist, a wise but ruthless leader, a cunning politician, and a devout Christian who joined the military might of his army to the spiritual force of the Church in Rome to forge Western Christendom.

Charlemagne: A Biography by Derek Wilson is not so much a biography as an interesting combination of biography, historical, mythological and political analysis that puts Charlemagne into the context of broader European history up to the present day. Wilson divided his book into three parts: Charlemagne the Man, Charlemagne the Emperor, and Charlemagne the Myth.

The book begins by providing a short history of Europe, up until the time of Charlemagne's birth, then discusses Charlemagne in the context of his own life - his successes and failures, his relationship with his family, subjects, academics, enemies and the church. The story continues with Charlemagne's immediate successors and the division of his empire. This is a story full of political and religious intrigue, barbarian invasions, and military actions. Wilson tries to separate the real Charlemagne from the mythological Charlemagne with some success. The last third of the book analyses the historical impact of the Charlemagne mythos, which (according to Derek Wilson) was important for the concept of "Europe" and ultimately the unification of Europe in its various forms, to the current European Union.

Even though it contains a lot of information (with maps and colour plates), the book is rather short and would have benefited from additional details regarding Charlemagne's personal life, military campaigns and methods, trials and tribulations in implementing state/ governmental policies. However, I'm assuming this is due to the lack of contemporary sources.

Despite its faults, this book will make an interesting and informative read for someone who does not know much about the subject and is interested in Charlemagne, his legacy and the development of modern Europe. This book provides a well written portrait of Charlemagne and of the intricate political, religious, and cultural world he dominated.

Rating: 2.5

Some new information, but mostly old information. Each chapter deals (rather briefly) with a different catastrophe or calamity in history, which the author as arbitrarily decided is the "worst year in history". One chapter gives a brief overview of the Justinian Plague, another one mentions the effect of the weather on wars and population movement, but most of the chapters deals with humans butchering each other. I would have liked to read more about the non-human factors (disease, weather, volcanoes etc) that cause havoc on human populations, rather than the all too common wars. I found each chapter rather bland and too brief.

Boring. Didn't Finish. Characters were flat

A biography of the famous Rothschild family from their relatively modest beginnings in Frankfurt to their status as the wealthiest family that ever lived.

Beyond the phenomenal amount of money the Rothschild have acquired, the author presents some of the more interesting tidbits about the Rothschilds; that a Rothschild became the first Jewish person elected to British parliament, that the family has produced its fair share of eccentrics (which is fine by me) and that World War II showed who the Rothchild's friends were.

We should all know more about the Rothschilds, not because I think they are a secretive evil organisation that secretly controls the world (I don't think this) but that it's always useful to know what gaspingly wealthy people are up to.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! There were parts where I was like "Why are we talking about this?" But I truly enjoyed this book!!! I thought this book gave a lot of good points and facts but a little biased.

Summary: A history of the house of Tudor, and how their rule transformed England both religiously and politically, and the influence of the vernacular scriptures on the English people.

For English speaking peoples, to understand our religious history, we cannot help but understand the English Reformation. Much of American religious history is either influenced by, or a reaction to this century or so of Tudor rule in England.

Derek Wilson traces the finer details of a story whose basic outlines may be familiar. Henry VIII seems the unlikely reformer. Early on, he is even bestowed the title, "Defender of the Faith" for his arguments against the continental European reformers. He fills in the narrative of Henry's frustrated dynastic ambitions, jeopardized by the failure to produce a male heir, that leads to the fateful step of separation from Rome when the web of papal politics leads to a failure to obtain an annulment, and his subsequent proclamation of sovereignty over the church in England. He seizes and dissolves monasteries, bankrolling his wars, executes Anne Boleyn, his second wife, and finally secures a male heir from Jane, the third wife, who dies as a result of childbirth.

Wilson narrates the rise and fall of powerful religious figures--Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More, and Thomas Cromwell. Thomas Cranmer is the figure charged with forming a church, purging it of Catholic elements, resisting the more radical elements, and establishing the via media that characterizes the Church of England to this day.

Wilson covers the Catholic backlash--from dynastic houses on the continent, and within the country. When Edward VI dies young and heirless, Mary, born of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife, becomes a Catholic queen and initiates the purge that gains her the title of "Bloody Mary." Wilson provides graphic descriptions of burnings at the stake, a truly gruesome means of execution that also left us with Foxe's Book of Martyrs and tales of Cranmer running to the stake.

Relative peace comes only with the accession of Elizabeth I, a shrewd woman who did all she could to avoid antagonizing enemies while returning to its place the church Henry began. This was not without uprisings and more executions, particularly as Catholics make England the object of missionary enterprise, but Elizabeth more readily sought compromise rather than revenge, and the nation, perhaps weary from religious upheaval, accepted the peace she brought.

With reform came the vernacular Bible in various English versions with glosses of Lutherans, Genevans, and eventually English Bishops. For Wilson, this seems one of the most significant events, not necessarily intended by the leaders among the Reformers. In place of ritual came the preaching of the Bible, and a growth of biblical literacy to the place where Shakespeare's biblical allusions made sense to his public. In concluding the book, Wilson writes:

"One change above all had not only shaped England but ensured that it could never revert to an authoritarian polity dominated by kings and priests. This monumental transformation of the national psyche was brought about by a book. The English Bible potentially enabled every man and woman to find faith for him/herself. And as they discovered truths within its pages, so they would apply those truths to every aspect of social, political and economic life. The Reformation did not invent individualism, but it did provide individualism with a textual basis. The Reformation did not inaugurate an age of faith. What it did establish was a national Christianity that could define its own doctrines, invent its own liturgy and negotiate its own public morality without dependence on a foreign spiritual superpower. Since church and state were inextricably entwined, this freedom found expression in the government's internal and external relations. England assumed a leadership role in Protestant Europe. In the fullness of time, thanks to its commercial and colonial expansion, it would take its culture and its reformed heritage to the ends of the earth."

Out of all of this came the Protestant movements that colonized America. English Bibles trace their lineage back through King James to versions by Coverdale and Tyndale. The sometimes tendentious relationship between church and state finds its roots both in the reaction to state control and yet the idea that somehow the teaching of holy scripture should "apply...to every aspect of social, political, and economic life." We may trace all this and more back to the English Reformation, making works like this important if we are to understand our own religious and national roots.

Review: All The King’s Women by Derek Wilson.

This was an uneventful boring book. The content was slow pace reading and any information written was forgotten after every fifty pages. I was so glad but frustrated when I got to the last page. I don’t even think the book deserves a review but I felt the readers need a warning because I didn’t find one review about the book. I did find two people who never finished the book and gave no comment.

There was some information on King Charles Stuart I, but most of the book was about Prince Charles II who later became King. Charles II was influenced by his domineering mother, Henrietta Maria. The book had its normal spiel of Prince Charles II as an adolescent and his bad behaviors growing up and then becoming King experiencing a new freedom and power to influence men and events throughout his exile and after his restoration.

Then the author moves on to King Charles II’s fascination with the theaters, warrior battles, and his adult obsession as a womanizer. King Charles II actually got married, however that never stopped his philandering with many devoted royalist ladies, actresses, prostitutes, and ambitious gold-diggers who surrounded him at all times. He did have one special mistress, Lucy Walter that was afar but always somewhere close by throughout the book.

Okay mystery, without real resolution. Hans Holbein goes missing. Reviewed for Booklist.

A history of the dynasty established by Henry II and continued by Richard, John, and others. The line ended with the reign of Richard III.

A good look at the Tudor dynasty through the eyes of their loyal servants - the Dudley family. Derek Wilson examines both the well-known and lesser-known members of this remarkable 16th-century family and emphasizes the loyalty they displayed towards the Tudors, rather than the self-interest they have been reviled for. A fresh view that brings in lesser-known figures. Good reading for those interested in the period.

Intriguing and hilarious while entertaining. This book kept my interest peaked page after page. While obviously fictional it certainly reads as actually written by Crumblewit. A delectable treat with a delightful dark humor. Even if you are unfamiliar with Screwtape this book is refreshingly satisfying in a macabre sort of way.



I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you for the generosity in exchange for an honest review.

Given the ongoing fascination with all things Tudor, the idea of a series of historical crime novels devoted the unsolved true crimes is excellent, and the 1536 death of cloth merchant Robert Packington – the first person murdered by a handgun – is a good place to start.

The hero of the proposed series is wealthy goldsmith Thomas Treviot who is suffering from deep depression following the death of first his father then his wife: family friend Robert Packington is constantly by his side, offering support and advice, so when Robert is murdered on his way to Mass Thomas determines to find the killer.

In 1536 Anne Boleyn was beheaded and Henry viii married Jane Seymour: although his new queen was sympathetic to the Catholic cause, Henry’s chief minister Thomas Cromwell was a Protestant and used the king’s greed to encourage him in dissolving the monasteries and taking their treasures.

In the midst of the religious and political turmoil, Thomas discovers his friend was not the man he thought he new, but a committed Lutheran determined to smuggle Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into England for everyone to read.

Thomas negotiates various factions, the New Learners, the Catholics, Protestant merchants and religious reformers, criminals and assassins, and corrupt courtiers in his search for the assassin, unwittingly becoming a target himself and even being arrested as a heretic.

The premise is excellent and everyone loves a cold case which is solved with flair and ingenuity: unfortunately however The First Horseman contains neither. Packed with real historical characters and containing a wealth of fascinating information, the first in the Thomas Treviot series does not flow easily.

Possibly Wilson has let the facts get in the way of a good story? Historically, the book is far more accurate than most novels set in this era, and offers a realistic window into the lives of the successful members of the Tudor bourgeoisie and how they were affected by the whims of their rulers, both spiritual and temporal.

I'm giving Derek Wilson two stars in my review mostly because it takes a lot of balls to write a self-proclaimed "sequel" to the masterpiece Screwtape Letters. To openly draw comparisons to one of the arguably greatest writers of all times is either very brave or very foolish.

When held against Lewis' classic, Magnificnet Malevolence is flat, repetive and derivative. Wilson is doing what has already been done, but not nearly as well. Unlike in Screwtape, the criticisms in M.M. are too obvious to be impactful (internet porn is endorsed by the devil - who knew?) and the themes are too broad to be personal (mega-churchs are more about show than carrying on Jesus' missions- shocking!). Lewis had the awareness and skill to record the little things individuals do to each other everyday that are devilish. As a result, we can change our behaviors and become better. Wilson's attempt at this fails because his scope is too big and historic.

I'm sorry to continuosly compare this work to Lewis', but by putting Screwtape on the cover, Wilson asked for it. In a vacuum, Wilson's work would be ok, but he begged comparisons (and sales) with his cover art. As such, the work fails.

This is by no means the only "sequel" to Lewis' _The Screwtape Letters_ that has been written over the years. The premise of the original is an appealing one and quite handy for the scrutiny of current events and trends in a different light.

Unfortunately, _Magnificent Malevolence_ fails to take full advantage of Lewis' premise. Rather than focusing on the human failings of the present age, which might have provided more original insight, Wilson burdens the demon Crumblewit with a very narrow survey of social and religious (primarily Christian) trends over the past 60 or 70 years. For the most part, this material provides no surprises. It's hard to dispute that the good intentions that pave the road to Crumblewit's Hell can be twisted and distorted in many of the ways described, but they're nothing new; humanity has been falling into those same basic errors for centuries now, if not longer. Yet, today's world indulges in new forms of error, in my opinion (or at least, old errors in new skins), and I would have preferred to see the author take on some of those.

The material that is presented seemed to become repetitious as Crumblewit flitted from one scheme to another. Perhaps this stands as a good commentary on Hell itself, which is the antithesis of progress, but it serves less well to advance the narrative.

I laughed out loud as I read this book. The themes of pride and selfishness which must be a part of the life of a demon were clearly evident. I enjoyed the subtle ways in which Crumblewhit was able to accomplish his mission. The fresh take on the modern church was eye opening. This book was able to accomplish the goal of making us look at our own lives and our walk with God.

Clearly, and by the author's admission, this is connected to the brilliant work "The Screwtape Letters" by the masterful C.S. Lewis. Unfortunately, this work never consistently achieves the same level of insight, wit, or scathing commentary that the original displayed. I certainly found moments to love, laugh with, or be unsettled by, but if felt a bit lackluster generally. I am glad I read it once, but this won't garner the same attention year after year that Lewis' groundbreaking work has earned.