"The Incredible Story of the Winter Queen's Daughters: How Four Sisters Changed the Course of European History"

Stephanie A. Mcmillen-sherry: So fun! Goldstone writes a bodice ripper and it’s all true! You won’t be able to put the book down reading the remarkable lives of the grand and great granddaughters of Mary Queen of Scots.

United States on Apr 19, 2023

Kristy O'Connor: Perfect for history lovers who like a bit of scandal

Australia on Jan 11, 2023

shopaholic: the book was great. Im interested in biographies of historical figures. this book was a good read. really enjoyed it. book was in great condition.

Canada on Sep 24, 2021

Melissa Norr: The title is slightly misleading as the book is a much more significant overview of European politics during the time of James I through William and Mary though through the lens of James I daughter's and grandchildren's lives. While obviously not inclusive to all of European history at this time, it is much broader than just the lives of the four daughters of Elizabeth as the title would suggest. I very much enjoyed the glimpses of such a variety of people and the clear way in which the politics of small principalities in the Empire were connected to and impacted those of larger, more prominent countries like France and England that tend to dominate the history books. Readers who enjoy narrative nonfiction that reads almost like a novel will enjoy this book.

United States on Jul 28, 2021

Amelia L. Quirk: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and how the individual lives of Mary Queen of Scot's grandaughter and great granddaughters played out against the backdrop of the thirty years war and the Civil War in England. Charles was obviously Elizabeth of Bohemia's brother and the family were of course drawn into the situation in England. It was such an accessibly written book, which like all good historical biographies, read more like a novel. The only criticism I had was it that it went on a tad too long and I started to get confused as to who was who. Highly recommended otherwise.

United Kingdom on Jan 28, 2020

TLG: My favorite thing about Nancy Goldstone is her writing — about as far from dry historical retelling as one can get. She takes facts and makes them human, more like story telling than recitation. This is huge for a historical non fiction book. So many seem like what you’d imagine a boring history professor’s lecture to sound like, and this diminishes the human experience. Nancy really gets into these people’s heads. They aren’t simply historical figures, or historical events, they’re human and engaging the reader.

Now, Nancy has a dry sort of wit, slightly sarcastic at times, that totally comes across in her writing. I can see that being off putting to some readers, but I love it. She doesn’t sugar coat her subjects’ failings or poor decisions, and everyone gets a fair treatment.

This book follows important, but usually peripheral figures in this period. It covers the dynamics between Germany and England through all the religious turmoil, the English Civil War, Thirty Years War, through the medium of the Winter Queen and her daughters’ crazy lives. I was amazed at how little understanding I had of this period (for a self-proclaimed history buff, this...

United States on Jul 05, 2019

Ninaminacat: This is not the review I hoped I would be writing.

First of all, the book's title, "Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots", is rather misleading. It begins, at some length, not with the daughters, but with the Winter Queen, Elizabeth Stuart, the granddaughter of Mary Queen of Scots. This is most certainly very useful information, which I found I found interesting since I had no prior knowledge of this historical figure at all, but not what the title implies, unless you include it under the "legacy" heading. A reader already acquainted with Elizabeth Stuart might have been less forgiving.

I wish this were the only unexpected aspect of the book. More worryingly, I had not tead very far when I spotted a basic factual error. Elizabeth Stuart may not have been know to me previously, but I recall from my teenage reading about Mary Queen of Scots that Bothwell was her third not her second husband. A later footnote reveals (encouragingly) that Nancy Goldstone was aware of Mary's first marriage to the Dauphin but this does not alter the sloppiness of the original error or regain the...

United Kingdom on May 29, 2019

Cathryn Conroy: Ever since I had the most extraordinary history teacher in my senior year of high school, I have loved reading the occasional history book. But like that teacher, the books I choose must be those that make the period come alive. They must be highly readable. Translation: Not dry and boring. This prodigiously researched book is one of those treasures that makes the deeds, misdeeds and sexual shenanigans of kings, queens, princes, and princesses—now 400 years in the past—just pop off the page.

What this book is: A history book, plain and simple. It is interesting reading—fascinating at times, albeit sluggish at others.

What this book is not: A "thrilling family saga," as the publisher depicts it. Don't be misled by this description. It is not some sweeping historical romance novel. It's a history book!

Written by Nancy Goldstone, the book examines the remarkable impact Mary, Queen of Scots—a woman who spent most of her adult life essentially imprisoned—had on the British crown and parts of Europe primarily through her genetics. And it's still true today. Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as their children, carry a bit of Mary in their...

United States on May 10, 2019

Mr Tim Cole: This is a fascinating new book by renowned historical biographer Nancy Goldstone and focuses upon the four remarkable and exceptionally gifted daughters of Elizabeth the ill-fated Winter Queen of Bohemia 1596-1662 This ground-breaking and innovative book tells the rich and fascinating history of Elizabeth and her talented beautiful daughters Elizabeth, Louise Holladine, Henrietta-Maria and Sophia Electress of Hanover. She examines their fascinating and colourful lives in great analytical detail before discussing their impact upon their respective families and dynasties and the legacies each has left to posterity! The final part of the book looks back at the legacy of the sisters Great-Grandmother the extraordinary and captivating Mary, Queen of the Scots and the most famous woman that has ever lived throughout history. This exhaustively and yet accessible biography has brought to life Elizabeth and her long forgotten daughters and weaved an exciting narrative that will leave the readers breathless from beginning to end! this unusual and skillfully woven book breathes new and exciting historical research to some long neglected women who lived and breathed the times they lived in! I...

United Kingdom on Jan 18, 2019