The World History Shelf

Arthur Plantagenet
Sarah-Beth Watkins
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399000611, $34.95, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Plantagenet-Henry-VIIIs-Illegitimate/dp/13990= 00616

Synopsis: Illegitimate son to Edward IV and the uncle of Henry VIII, Arthur=
Plantagenet's life is an intriguing story. Raised in his father's court, h=
e then became a trusted member of Henry VII's household and after his death=
, was a prominent figure at the court of Henry VIII. Henry VIII treated his=
uncle well in the early years of his reign, making him vice-admiral and th=
en Lord Deputy of Calais in 1533.

Arthur did the best he could in his new position in Calais over seven years=
, including trying to maintain a relationship with Thomas Cromwell against =
a background of religious change, but there were numerous complaints about = him and his paranoid nephew's suspicions over his loyalty grew - culminatin=
g in Lisle's arrest and imprisonment for two years with no legal reason.

Arthur was released from the Tower in 1542, yet tragically died (3 March 15= 42) after receiving a diamond ring from his nephew. He was so excited that = his heart (that 'gentlest living heart') failed soon after.

We owe much of what we know about Henry VIII's uncle to the seizure and pre= servation of the Lisle Letters, an impressive collection of correspondence = obtained at his arrest that has miraculously survived. Not only do they giv=
e details of Arthur's life, but they are an amazing insight into the religi= ous, political, culture and social background of the 16th century. Placed a=
s he was, Arthur Plantagenet's story gives a whole new, fresh perspective o=
n a turbulent yet vibrant period of history.

Critique: A masterpiece of historical scholarship by Sarah-Beth Watkins, "A= rthur Plantagenet: Henry VIII's Illegitimate Uncle" is informatively enhanc=
ed for the reader with the inclusion of listing of the 'Dramtis Personae', =
a ten page listing of References, a four page Bibliography, and a three pag=
e Index. Exceptional in both organization, documentation, and presentation,=
"Arthur Plantagenet: Henry VIII's Illegitimate Uncle" is unreservedly reco= mmended as a critically important addition to personal, professional, commu= nity, and academic library Royal British History/Biography collections and = supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal = reading lists of students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general=
readers with an interest in the subject that "Arthur Plantagenet: Henry VI= II's Illegitimate Uncle" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle=
, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Sarah-Beth Watkins's love of writing has seen her articles = published in various publications over the past twenty years. Working as a = writing tutor, Sarah-Beth has condensed her knowledge into a series of writ= ing guides for Compass Books. Her history works are Ireland's Suffragettes,=
Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII, Th=
e Tudor Brandons, Catherine of Braganza, Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots, An=
ne of Cleves, The Tragic Daughters of Charles I and Sir Francis Bryan.

Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots
Rosemary Goring
Birlinn Ltd.
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781780277233, $30.00, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Homecoming-Scottish-Years-Queen-Scots/dp/1780277237

Synopsis: One of the most famous queens in history, Mary Stuart (8 December=
1542 - 8 February 1587) lived in her homeland for just twelve years: as a = dauntless child who laughed at her friends seasickness as they sailed to sa= fety in France and later, on her return as a 18-year-old widow to take cont= rol of a nation riven with factions, dissent and religious strife. Brief th= ough her time in Scotland was, her experience profoundly in uenced who she = was and what happened to her.

With the publication of "Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of S= cots", author and historian Rosemary Goring tells the story of Mary's Scott= ish years through the often dramatic and atmospheric locations and settings=
where the events that shaped her life took place and also examines the par=
t Scotland, and its tumultuous court and culture, played in her downfall. W= hether or not Mary Stuart emerges blameless or guilty, in this evocative re= telling she can be seen for who she really was.

Critique: An informative, deftly crafted, and thoroughly documented histori= cal biography of a major figure in 16th Century British/Scottish royal hist= ory, "Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots" is a welcome = and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,=
and academic library French, Scottish, and English 16th Century History/Bi= ography collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Mary Stuart stu= dies lists.

Editorial Note: Rosemary Goring (https://birlinn.co.uk/contributor/rosemary= -goring) was born in Dunbar and studied social and economic history at the = University of St Andrews. She was the literary editor of Scotland on Sunday=
, followed by a brief spell as editor of Life; Work, the Church of Scotland=
's magazine, before returning to newspapers as literary editor of the Heral=
d, and later also of the Sunday Herald. In 2007 she published Scotland: The=
Autobiography: 2000 Years of Scottish History By Those Who Saw it Happen, = which has since been published in America and Russia.

Roman Legends Brought to Life
Robert Garland
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399098526, $34.95, HC, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Legends-Brought-Robert-Garland/dp/1399098527

Synopsis: The legends of early Rome are among the most memorable of any in = the world. They are also highly instructive. They taught generations of Rom= ans about duty and obedience. Duty and obedience were precisely the virtues=
that made a Rome great empire. The legends are not, however, merely self-c= ongratulatory and they are rarely simple exercises in nationalist propagand=
a. On the contrary, many reveal their ancestors' dark side, which they expo=
se unflinchingly.

As in the case of Greek mythology, there is no authorized version of any Ro= man legend. The legends survived because they reminded the Romans who they = were, what modest beginnings they came from, how on many occasions their ci=
ty nearly imploded, and what type of men and women shaped their story.

Defeat, loss, failure. That's where the story of Rome (the story of the bol= dest, most enduring, and most successful political experiment in human hist= ory) begins. It's the story of how a band of refugees escaped from the ruin=
s of a burning city and came to establish themselves hundreds of miles to t=
he west in the land of Hesperia, the Western Land, the land where the sun d= eclines, aka Italia. It's also the story of a people who by intermingling, = compromise and sheer doggedness came to dominate first their region, then t=
he whole of peninsula Italy, and finally the entire Mediterranean and beyon=
d.

Critique: A work of meticulous historical scholarship that reads with all t=
he inherent reader engagement of an extended saga, "Roman Legends Brought t=
o Life" is a as informative as it is fascinating. Informatively enhanced fo=
r the reader beginning with the inclusion of 'A Mostly Somewhat Putative Ch= ronology', and concluding with a two page Further Reading bibliography orga= nized into a Modern Studies list and an Ancient Sources in Translation list=
, "Roman Legends Brought to Life" is an exceptional and recommended additio=
n to personal, scholarly, and community library Roman History/Mythology col= lection. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, aca= demia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject t= hat "Roman Legends Brought to Life" is also available in a digital book for= mat (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Robert Garland (https://www.colgate.edu/about/directory/rga= rland) is the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics at C= olgate University, where he has taught for 30 years. He attended drama scho=
ol before completing his Ph.D. at University College London. In recent year=
s he has recorded four courses for The Great Courses and written two videos=
for TED Animation. Robert has published 13 academic books on both Greek an=
d Roman history, and has recently finished a comic historical novel. His in= terest is in how to make history come alive and his most important contribu= tion to the discipline has been to identify categories of people who have b= een generally overlooked in conventional accounts of ancient history, inclu= ding the disabled and refugees.

The Ptolemies, Rise of a Dynasty: Ptolemaic Egypt 330 - 246 BC
John D. Grainger
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399090223, $42.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ptolemies-Rise-Dynasty-Ptolemaic-330-246/dp/13990902=
24

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Ptolemies, Rise of a Dynasty: Ptolem= aic Egypt 330 - 246 BC" (the first volume of a trilogy on the Ptolemies), B= ritish historian John Grainger explains how Ptolemy I established the dynas= ty's power in Egypt in the wake of Alexander the Great's death. Egypt had b= een independent for most of the fourth century BC, but was reconquered by t=
he Persian Empire in the 340s. This is essential background for Ptolemaic h= istory since it meant that Alexander was welcomed as a liberator and, after=
the tyranny of Kleomenes, so was Ptolemy. This was the essential basis of = Ptolemy's power. He conciliated the Egyptians, but reinforced his military = strength with Greek settlers, mainly retired or available soldiers. He buil=
t the city of Alexandria, but to his own requirements, not those planned by=
Alexander.

The empire outside Egypt was acquired, perhaps for defense, perhaps by shee=
r greed. Ptolemy took over Cyrenaica (with difficulty), Cyprus and Syria/Pa= lestine. These had to be defended against his rivals, hence the development=
of his navy, and the Syrian Wars.

The succession was carefully managed, but was not directly hereditary (Ptol= emy II was not the eldest son), and the new king was very different. He fou= ght repeated wars in Syria, and in the Aegean, built up his navy to the gre= atest seen in the ancient world, and extended his empire into the lands of = the Red Sea, Sudan and Ethiopia. He taxed the Egyptians mercilessly to fund=
all these activities. Yet few of his wars were successful, and he stored u=
p trouble for his successors.

Critique: Along with historical maps, "The Ptolemies, Rise of a Dynasty: Pt= olemaic Egypt 330 - 246 BC" also features two pages of Genealogical Tables,=
nineteen pages of Notes & References, and eight page Bibliography, and a n= ine page Index. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentati= on, "The Ptolemies, Rise of a Dynasty: Ptolemaic Egypt 330 - 246 BC" is an = ideal introduction to the creation and rise of Ptolemaic era of Egypt and w= ill leave readers looking forward to the next two volumes from the research=
studies of John Grainger. While a very special and recommended addition to=
personal, community, college, and university library Egyptian History coll= ections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for s= tudents, scholars, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in t=
he subject that "The Ptolemies, Rise of a Dynasty: Ptolemaic Egypt 330 - 24=
6 BC" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Currently residing in Evesham, Worcestershire, UK, John D G= rainger is a former teacher and historian of great experience with a partic= ular interest in Classical and Hellenistic Greek history. His many previous=
works include the following for Pen & Sword: Hellenistic and Roman Naval W= ars (2011); The Wars of the Maccabees (2012); Roman Conquests: Egypt and Ju= daea (2013); a three-part history of the Seleukid Empire (2014-16), King's = and Kingship in the Hellenistic World 350-30 BC (2017), Antipater's Dynasty=
(2018), Ancient Dynasties (2019), The Roman Imperial Succession (March 202=
0) and The Galatians (August 2020).

Alexander the Great and Persia
Joseph Stiles
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399094412, $34.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Great-Persia-Conqueror-King/dp/1399094416

Synopsis: Upon his return from India, Alexander the Great traveled to the P= ersian royal city of Pasargadae to pay homage at the tomb of King Cyrus, fo= under of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, whom he admired greatly. Disgusted =
to find Cyrus' tomb desecrated and looted, the Macedonian king had the tomb=
guards tortured, the Persian provincial governor executed and the tomb ref= urbished.

This episode involving Cyrus' tomb serves as one of many case studies in Al= exander's relationship with Persia. At times Alexander would behave pragmat= ically, sparing his defeated enemies and adopting Persian customs. Sisygamb= is, the mother of Persian King Darius III, allegedly came to view Alexander=
as a son and starved herself at the news of his demise.

On other occasions he did not shy away from destruction (famously torching = the palace at Persepolis) and cruelty, earning himself the nickname 'the ac= cursed'. This conflicting nature gives Alexander a complex legacy in the Pe= rsian world. Joseph Stiles explores Alexander the Great's fascinating relat= ionship with his 'spear-won' empire, disentangling the motives and influenc=
es behind his policies and actions as 'King of Asia'.

Critique: A seminal work of historical/biographical scholarship, "Alexander=
the Great and Persia: From Conqueror to King of Asia" is a deftly crafted,=
impressively informative, and exceptionally well presented history the inc= ludes twenty pages of Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a five page Index=
.. An inherently fascinating and original study, "Alexander the Great and Pe= rsia: From Conqueror to King of Asia" is an especially recommended addition=
to community and academic library Ancient Greek and Mesopotamia history/bi= ography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of r= eaders with an interest in the subject that "Alexander the Great and Persia=
: From Conqueror to King of Asia" is also available in a digital book forma=
t (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Joseph Stiles has a bachelor's degree in History from Templ=
e University and recently gained his master's degree in World History from = Norwich University, Vermont, USA, where his research centred on Alexander t=
he Great and his policies in the East. He now works as a teacher and lives =
in suburban Philadelphia.

Rivalries that Destroyed the Roman Republic
Jeremiah McCall
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526733177, $42.95, HC, 328pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rivalries-that-Destroyed-Roman-Republic/dp/152673317=
X

Synopsis: "Rivalries that Destroyed the Roman Republic" is the story of how=
some Roman aristocrats grew so competitive in their political rivalries th=
at they destroyed their Republic, in the late second to mid-first century B= CE.

Politics had always been a fractious game at Rome as aristocratic competito=
rs strove to outshine one another in elected offices and honors, all ostens= ibly in the name of serving the Republic. And for centuries it had worked -=
- or at least worked for these elite and elitist competitors. Enemies were = defeated, glory was spread round the ruling class, and the empire of the Re= public steadily grew. When rivalries grew too bitter, when aristocrats seem=
ed headed toward excessive power, the oligarchy of the Roman Senate would c= urb its more competitive members, fostering consensus that allowed the syst=
em (the competitive arena for offices and honors, and the domination of the=
Senate) to continue.

But as Rome came to rule much of the Mediterranean, aristocratic competitio=
ns grew too fierce; the prizes for winning were too great. And so, a series=
of bitter rivalries combined with the social and political pressures of th=
e day to disintegrate the Republic.

"Rivalries that Destroyed the Roman Republic" is the story of those bitter = rivalries from the senatorial debates of Fabius and Scipio, to the censoria=
l purges of Cato; from the murders of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, to the u= ltimate rivalry of Caesar and Pompey. A work of historical investigation, R= ivalries that Destroyed the Roman Republic introduces readers not only to t=
he story of the Republic's collapse but the often-scarce and problematic ev= idence from which the story of these actors and their struggles is woven.

Critique: Given the current state of American politics today, reading "Riva= lries that Destroyed the Roman Republic" by Jeremiah McCall gives a new cur= rency to that old adage that 'Those who are ignorant of history are doomed =
to repeat it." An impressively informative, compelling, and thought-provoki=
ng read from first page to last, "Rivalries that Destroyed the Roman Republ= ic" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Glossa= ry, a listing of ancient authors and available onlikne translations, twenty= -eight pages of Notes, a three page Bibliography, and an eight page Index. = While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.00) for students=
and non-specialist general readers, "Rivalries that Destroyed the Roman Re= public" is an especially recommended, core addition to community, college, = and university library Roman History collections and supplemental studies c= urriculum lists.

Editorial Note: Jeremiah McCall (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-mccal= l-79302527) has a PhD in Classical History and specializes in the military = history and political culture of the Roman Republic. He teaches high school=
history in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a pioneering advocate of the use of vid=
eo games as a means for learning history. His previous works include The Ca= valry of the Roman Republic (2002); The Sword of Rome: A Biography of Marcu=
s Claudius Marcellus (Pen & Sword 2012) and Swords and Cinema: Hollywood vs=
the Reality of Ancient Warfare (Pen & Sword, 2014).

The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323 to 204 BC
Paul Johstono
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473833838, $42.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Army-Ptolemaic-Egypt-323-Institutional/dp/1473833833

Synopsis: The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt and much of the eastern Mediter= ranean basin for nearly 300 years. As a Macedonian dynasty, they derived mu=
ch of their legitimacy from military activity. As an Egyptian dynasty, they=
derived much of their real wealth and power from maintaining a secure hold=
on their new homeland. As lords of a far-flung empire, they maintained muc=
h of their authority through garrisons and the threat of military action. T=
o achieve this they devoted much of their activity to the development and m= aintenance of a large army and navy.

With the publication of "The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323 to 204 BC: An Inst= itutional and Operational History", Professor Paul Johstono focuses on the = period of the first four Ptolemies, from the acquisition of Egypt after the=
death of Alexander the Great to the great battle of Raphia more than a cen= tury later.

"The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323 to 204 BC: An Institutional and Operationa=
l History" offers an informative study of the Ptolemaic army as an institut= ion, and of its military operations, both reconstructed through a wide rang=
e of ancient sources, from histories to documentary papyri and inscriptions=
to archaeological finds. It also examines the reasons for Ptolemaic succes= ses and failures, the causes and nature of military change and reform, and = the particular details of the Ptolemaic army's soldier classes, unit organi= zation, equipment, tactics, and the Ptolemaic state's strategy to compile a=
military history of the golden age of one of the classical world's signifi= cant forces.

Critique: A seminal and outstanding contribution to personal, professional,=
community, and academic library Egyptian Military History collections and = supplemental curriculum studies lists, "The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323 to = 204 BC: An Institutional and Operational History" is informative enhanced f=
or the reader with the inclusion of a section of color plates, maps, thirty=
pages of Notes, a twenty-two page Bibliography, a four page Index of Perso= nal Names, and a seven page Index. It should be noted for the personal read= ing lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an=
interest in the subject that "The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt 323 to 204 BC: A=
n Institutional and Operational History" is also available in a digital boo=
k format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Paul Johstono gained his PhD from Duke University, North Ca= rolina, USA, with a thesis on Hellenistic military institutions. He is an A= ssociate Professor of Military History and Security Studies at the Air Comm= and & Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, where he designs and teaches l= eadership and ethics curriculum. He was previously Associate Professor for = History of Warfare and Leadership Studies at The Citadel in Charleston, Sou=
th Carolina. He was formerly lead project historian for the video game team=
, Europa Barbarorum. He has published numerous articles and book chapters o=
n Hellenistic military history, Ptolemaic history, and ancient historiograp= hy. He regularly speaks on ancient warfare, leadership, and strategy.

Machiavelli's Broken World
John M. Najemy
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780199580927, $40.00, HC, 496pp

https://www.amazon.com/Machiavellis-Broken-World-John-Najemy/dp/0199580928

Synopsis: Machiavelli (3 May 1469 - 21 June 1527) was painfully aware of li= ving in a disastrous moment of Italy's history with respect to foreign inva= sions, occupations and shattered states. He was harshly critical of Italy's=
princes (such as Francesco Sforza), its professional military class (espec= ially Cesare Borgia), and the Church (Pope Julius II).

"Machiavelli's Broken World" by John M. Najemy is a study of Machiavelli's = evaluation of their failures and of their underlying causes. He believed th=
at the root of Italy's political weakness was the excessive ambition of its=
elite classes, who, like their counterparts in ancient Rome, were prepared=
to overthrow governments that obstructed their ambition.

Machiavelli formulates this phenomenon, first theoretically, then historica= lly in the context of the Florentine Republic's descent into family-based f= actionalism, which culminated in the brittle Medici regime. The most damagi=
ng tyranny, according to Machiavelli, was the collective tyranny of wealthy=
elites ready to undermine law and government to preserve and augment their=
power and wealth.

Critique: With added currency to that old adage about those who don't know = history are doomed to repeat it, "Machiavelli's Broken World" is especially=
timely both as a work of political history having lessons about the causes=
and consequences of corruption that existed in Machiavelli's time -- and o=
ur own. A work of meticulous and insightful scholarship, "Machiavelli's Bro= ken World" is a welcome and recommended addition to the personal reading li= sts of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers, as well as c= ommunity, and academic library World History and Political Theory collectio=
ns and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: John M. Najemy is an expert on Machiavelli. In addition to = many essays, a study of the famous epistolary exchange with Francesco Vetto= ri, exploring the political and personal contexts in which Machiavelli wrot=
e The Prince (Between Friends: Discourses of Power and Desire in the Machia= velli-Vettori Letters of 1513-1515, 1993). He has also written two books on=
Florentine history, including A History of Florence, 1200-1575 (2006; Ital= ian translation, 2014), and essays on a variety of Italian authors from Alb= ertano da Brescia and Brunetto Latini to Leon Battista Alberti and Baldassa=
re Castiglione. He has edited The Cambridge Companion to Machiavelli (2010)=
and Italy in the Age of the Renaissance (2004) in the Short Oxford History=
of Italy series.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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