The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I

James VI and I, the first monarch to reign over Scotland, England, and Ireland, has been a controversial figure. This new biography sheds light on his life, revealing him as a gregarious man obsessed with family, but whose personal and political goals could never match up to reality. It challenges the myths and rumors that have obscured his reputation and provides a fresh perspective on his reign.

Format: Hardback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2023
Publisher: Birlinn General

James VI and I, the first monarch to rule over Scotland, England, and Ireland, has long been a subject of mixed reputations. To many, he is simply the homosexual King, the inveterate witch-roaster, the smelly sovereign who never washed, the colorless man behind the authorized Bible bearing his name, or the drooling fool whose speech could barely be understood. For too long, he has paled in comparison to his more celebrated Tudor and Stuart forebears.

But who was he really? To what extent have myth, anecdote, and rumor obscured him? In this new and groundbreaking biography, James' story is laid bare, and a welter of scurrilous, outrageous assumptions penned by his political opponents put to rest. What emerges is a portrait of Elizabeth I's successor as his contemporaries knew him: a gregarious, idealistic man obsessed with the idea of family, whose personal and political goals could never match up to reality. With reference to letters, libels, and state papers, it casts fresh light on the personal, domestic, international, and sexual politics of this misunderstood sovereign.

A real page-turner for lovers of history - Philippa Gregory

Weight: 698g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 41 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781780278162