Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Six Loves of James I:
One of the loves is partying.
Quick synopsis:
A biography of King James IV and I of Scotland and England.
Fact for Non-History People:
James became King of Scotland at only 13 months old.
Fact for History Nerds:
James was the king when the Gunpowder Plot was foiled.
My Take on The Six Loves of James I:
James I of England is one of those historical characters who is tough to pin down. Does he suffer from following Elizabeth I (I call her Lizzie)? Do we blame him for the problems his successors ran into? How much of James’s reputation is colored by his liaisons? Luckily, I can think of no better author to tackle the life of James than Gareth Russell in The Six Loves of James I. (For the record, the UK title is “Queen James.” It should have stayed that way for reasons I will explain.) Russell is so adept at making history feel like a conversation at a pub that is both scholarly but damn good fun.
Do you disagree that history can be fun? Here’s a quote directly from the book: “Tall, athletic, handsome, and spoiled out of the vaguest possibility of usefulness by his adoring parents…” Can we not agree that this is sheer poetry? And if you are thinking, “Well, I don’t like an author just adding their personal opinion,” I will point you to the fact that there is a citation at the end of this sentence. My man Russell shows up with receipts.
The author is also not afraid to jump into James’s love affairs with both feet. I will give a slight criticism here for the subtitle change I mentioned. The American subtitle makes it sound like this book is purely focused on the relationships. However, this is truly a biography of James more than anything else. That said, Russell takes the time to explain that we can never be 100% sure what happens behind closed doors, but circumstantial evidence can still tell us a lot. If you came for the bedroom drama, you won’t be disappointed. If you came to learn about James the person, you will also be happy.
As with every great biography, and this one is just that, I felt a lot of things about the subject. I certainly wouldn’t call James a great king, but that is not Russell’s intent. Instead, I understand James much better than I ever did. Russell nailed that, and that is why I highly recommend reading this one. It is definitely not a crock of imaginary gold. (That reference will make sense when you read it. Trust me.)
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Atria Books.)
Verdict:
Everything you want it to be. Buy it here!
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