The Disappointed Idealist

Blood Sisters: The Women Behind The War Of The Roses by Sarah Gristwood My rating: 3 of 5 stars As much as I don't like Philippa Gregory's works and their totally inaccurate stance on history, there is one thing that she did right: she revived general interest in British history, including some periods of time that, despite their obvious drama and spectacular events, were not really that familiar to people that were not history geeks. I am referring, of course, to the Wars of the Roses, which is my favorite subject in history for various reasons (I cannot think of any other period of time so rich in drama, spectacular turns of events and twists and turns that would make any movie script writer envious - with the added bonus that they all actually happened). This book is obviously inspired by Philippa Gregory's books and, if you have read them or watched The White Queen two years ago and have become interested in what the reality behind the fiction is, this could be r

Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts My rating: 4 of 5 stars What I like most about this book is that, although the author is clearly fascinated by Napoleon, he does not stop from describing even the less pleasant aspects of his rule and personality. This leads to the book being quite objective, from start to finish, with maybe a touch of an admiring tone. The book focuses more on Napoleon's military skills and touches less of his personal life, but that is to be understood. The battles are described in great detail and someone fascinated with tactics and military will like this book, regardless of their opinion of the main subject. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know more of Napoleon - it is accessible enough to not require much knowledge of history but accurate enough to please even the more pretentious readers. It contains enough information for everyone, quotes and notes that complete the overall picture and is as objective as it can be. View all my reviews