Nancy GoldstoneRecensioni

Enjoyable, but I almost felt like the historian was hiding things. She would admit primary sources from Marguerite, but then not share them. Sort of , sure she sounds ridiculous in these letters, but trust me, she's not. Still, I know far more about 16th century France than I did before or would ever have thought likely

I really enjoyed this fun, if a little dated look into the life of amateur book collectors, Larry and Nancy Goldstone. What started out as a hunt for a meaningful birthday present ended up taking the couple on an adventure to learn the ins and outs of book buying and collecting---the thrill of the chase and the self control it takes to walk away from what seems like the perfect book. I'm super inspired and just want to run right out to my favorite book store right now and peruse the rare book section that I always avoid for the sake of finances.

The book was written during the time when computers were just starting to be introduced to the general public for business and recreational use. There were several fun instances where I said to myself, "Oh yes, I remember that." One in particular was their thrill in finding that the library could print their cards right there in front of them (amazing technology, they said!)

Usually when I read something biographical/memoir-ish I stop about 10-15 pages in to look up what the author is doing now---especially with a book as "old" as this one. (I graduated high school in 1997) However, this couple had been having such a great time in this story that I was wary to look up anything on them for fear that perhaps their marriage didn't work out. I would be sad to think of them not continuing on these kinds of fun adventures together. About half way in, I finally couldn't stand it any longer and had to see what they were up to. Sure enough, their author pages seem to indicate they are happy and thriving---I'm so glad. In fact, I was so glad that I actually wrote the wife an email to tell her so. I'm sure I'm on somebody's weirdo list now but rarely do I engage so well with a memoir. ha!

Another interesting part of reading this book came with the "forgotten bookmarks" I found inside. In the front cover was a Barnes & Noble receipt from July 3, 1997. Someone in the Boston, Mass. store purchased this as a new release. Later in the book was a very early advertising bookmark for Amazon.com---back in the days when it was just an online bookstore. Some quotes from the back of the bookmark:

"Amazon.com: Earth's biggest bookstore."
"Offering 2.5 million titles (more than 14 times the number of books you'll find in the largest chain superstore), we're sure to have the book you want."
"Amazon.com has a wealth of information about the books and authors that interest you" (including) ... "Personalized E-mail notification about your favorite subjects and authors."

I don't remember the last time I actually bought a book on Amazon but I thought it was ironic that this novel new internet business was being advertised in this book about all the unique and often family owned book shops of the 90s---the same ones that Amazon long ago put out of business.

ETA: second irony is that my copy of this book is listed on several websites as being worth $50-$60. Ha!! I wonder if the receipt and Amazon bookmark add to that value at all???

Here is my post featuring photos of the "forgotten bookmarks": http://www.belleslibrary.com/2022/01/the-secret-lives-of-books-used-and-rare.htm...

Like their other books, Used & Rare and Slightly Chipped, this book describes the search for books for their collection, often odd choices (Max Beerbohm?) at various library sales, book fares and by visiting a wide variety of bookstores.. Interesting to me are the often detailed descriptions of dealers' shops, stock and personalities. Can be a bit cloying sometimes when they overdue the aw shucks, we art just learning posture. Includes a long discussion of the New England forger, with coverage of some of the forgeries and, to me, the devisive effects on bookdealers on whether to pursue or even report the bogus books purchased and resold to customers. the embarrassment and the potential money loss in doing the right thing. Just a small contribution to the memoir bibliography, but a candid look inside the twists and turns of small business and businessmen in the world of books.½

In the early years of their marriage the writers Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone decided to become book collectors. I suspect the authors were being disingenuous in claiming to be completely ignorant about the hobby to the point of not even knowing what they wanted to collect. However, their feigned naïveté allows them to lead the reader through dusty old bookshops that have likely ceased to exist by now, learning what to look for. Along the way they introduce many delightfully quirky booksellers. Even to the non-collector their excursions into book land are great fun. I picked up a few tips and am glad to find out that I’m not the first would-be buyer to get snubbed in NYC’s Argosy Bookshop.

I picked up this book because I enjoyed Goldstone’s more recent book, Daughters of the Winter Queen. It’s about a historical period and a region I don’t read about often — most of my French history knowledge comes from whatever intersects with English or Scottish history. In this case, Mary, Queen of Scots, is connected to the two queens chronicled here, as is Elizabeth I. I found this much harder to focus on than a book about English or Scottish history, especially keeping track of all the Henris and Louis, but I’m not going to get any better at keeping track of everyone if I don’t keep reading about the period. Goldstone acknowledges the difficulties of keeping track and refers to people by a single name throughout—Marguerite is Margot, and a couple of her siblings, who changed their names from childhood to adulthood, are referred to by their adult names. I found this quite comprehensive and would recommend it, even if my tired brain took a while to get through it.

A biography of Joanna I of Naples, arguably the first European woman to reign as queen in her own right, as a result of a decision by her father, Robert the Wise. Joanna’s titles included Queen of Naples (roughly the southern third of the Italian peninsula), Duchesse of Provence, Princess of Achaia in Greece (because her great-great-grandfather, Charles of Anjou, had bought it) and Queen of Jerusalem (because Charles had bought that too, despite not having any physical presence there). She also had a claim to be Queen of Sicily and was able to exercise that claim briefly (after a series of complicated legal maneuvers, both Joanna and Frederick III claimed the title of sovereign of Sicily, leading to the Neapolitan state being called “The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” for hundreds of years thereafter).

Naples under Joanna had a mix of fortunes; she entertained both Boccaccio and Petrarch, but also had to endure the Black Death, warfare, and bad luck in husbands (she was put on trial in Papal court for the murder of her first husband, Andrew of Hungary, and her next two, Louis of Taranto and James IV of Majorca, died on campaign). Joanna herself was eventually murdered while a prisoner of Charles of Durazzo (probably; Charles claimed she died of “natural causes”).

Author Nancy Goldstone has written a readable and interesting book. There is, alas, no real feel for Joanna as a person – i.e., what she ate, how she took her leisure, etc. - but that can’t really be helped; there’s not much feel for the life of anybody during this time period. Good maps and genealogical trees; contemporary illustrations. A somewhat sparse index.

Lawrence and Nancy Gladstone are a husband and wife writing team. This work focuses on Michael Servetus, who wrote, "[t]he 'Christianismi Restitutio', a heretical work of biblical scholarship in 1553, aimed to refute the orthodox Christianity that [his] colleague, John Calvin, supported. After the book spread through the ranks of the Protestant hierarchy, Servetus was tried and agonizingly burned at the stake. . ." There are bibliographic notes, a selected bibliography and the book is well indexed.

Despite liking Goldstone's history books in the past, this one just hasn't grabbed me, so I'm going to call it a DNF. I usually like these glimpses into what life might have been like for royal/upper class women in times long ago. This one takes place in the 1300s. But it is feeling too much like a string of disasters and wars and too little of really getting to a characterization of Joanna I. I know it's hard to piece that together 700 years after events, but I'm not getting enough about her life, decisions, or period details to keep me interested.

This was a very colourful and dramatic slice of Medieval European history focusing on a little known and fascinating ruler, one of the most powerful female rulers of the Medieval age. "During her long, eventful reign, Joanna held together a large and far-flung dominion, which included Provence and all of southern Italy, and even expanded her rule, however briefly, into Sicily and Piedmont.....For more than thirty years, this queen fed the poor and cared for the sick; built churches and hospitals; reduced crime and promoted peace; protected trade and introduced new industry within her borders. She guided her subjects to recovery from the many instances of plague, war, famine, and depression endemic to the second half of the fourteenth century." So, why is she called the "notorious" Queen? This is because of the accusation that she murdered her first husband Andrew of Hungary, though she was cleared of this in a trial in 1348. However, this set off a very turbulent period of threatened and actual invasion, negotiating with 5 or 6 successive popes, marital turmoil with the first three of her four husbands, and seeing the deaths of her young children by Andrew and by her second husband Louis of Taranto. Joanna's final fall came at the hands of another Hungarian invasion, after she fell foul of the battles of rival Popes at the time of the Great Schism of the Papacy, an event "which would bitterly divide the church for the next forty years and be as damaging to Europe, and especially to the kingdom of Naples, as any war". Her murder as a wretched prisoner in a remote castle I found particularly sad and bathetic, an ignominious end to a great ruler. In conclusion, the author rues the fact that Joanna's story "when it is recounted at all, focuses entirely on her notoriety, as the queen who murdered her husband, and not on the many impressive accomplishments of her reign." A great read.

This is the history of a particular book of theology in the 1500's by Michael Servetus (who also discovered pulmonary circulation in the human body). It's interesting but a bit dry as it revolves around his refutation of Calvinistic Christianity.

I picked up this biography of Empress Maria Theresa, who ruled the Habsburg Empire in the 1700s, because I was traveling through Austria, Prague, and the Netherlands, and because I knew Nancy Goldstone's historical writing is entertaining and fairly easy to read. I got just what I wanted - a look at a strong female ruler and a focus on 3 of her daughters, Marie Antoinette - Queen of France, Maria Carolina - Queen of Naples, and Maria Christina - Governor-General of the Netherlands.

Goldstone writes history that is fun to read because she focuses on what I'm most interested in - the human side of things like family relationships, ruling challenges, personal strengths and faults, rivalries with other rulers, etc. I think her work is well-researched, but I also think she tends to take fairly well-known research and use it to create a good story. I don't think her books generally reveal much new research or enlighten the historical record.½

Interesting history of Europe during the 1600s.

We hear so much about the 1500s (Henry the 8th, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare). And the 1700's (French and American revolutions, rise of Napoleon).

But this book fills an interesting gap of the 1600s. Religious and secular wars, Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburgs, Germany and Eastern Europe splintered into tiny principalities. And tons of intrigue, backstabbing and drama. This book follows all of it.

I was interested to learn how many of the wars of this era were fought essentially between families vying for personal and family power.

The book drags just a little as, inevitably, some of the story turns into who attacked whom and where. But overall the author did a good job of bringing some potentially dry subject matter to life.

A nice little memoir of how a couple got suckered into book collecting (modern firsts). Really about getting suckered into any collecting hobby/compulsion.

Along with a few reference books and a little first hand advice would let you get into collecting, buying, auctions, etc. without seeming to be too novice.

And speaking of toxic families (elsewhere), you don't much more toxic than the French monarchy in the mid 16-17th century. Holy crow, what an astonishing and horrifying piece of work they were. This is the story of Queen Margot and her mum. Her mum was a PROBLEM. So were her brothers. La Reign on the other hand, displayed an astonishing ability to survive and eventually (veeeeery eventually) thrive. This biography is quite candidly pro Margot and anti-Catherine, but there is also a significant amount of time exploring what made Catherine what she was, and that is also interesting. It bogged down a bit in the middle, but on the whole another enjoyable history from Nancy Goldstone, whose footnotes occasionally make me snort with laughter.

I admit, I picked this one up because of the excellent title, then realized it was by Nancy Goldstone (and have enjoyed her work in the past) -- and -- I was continuously astonished about how much I enjoyed this book. That sounds like a backhanded compliment, but what I mean is that I have never been interested in this particular time in history, or Mary, Queen of Scots, or the reign of James I or, god forbid, Cromwell and Charles -- for whatever reason, they've never appealed to me. Now I'm fascinated by the whole clan. This book is exceptional. It's amazing. It's a soap opera with deeply far reaching future impacts, and Goldstone not only is a master storyteller for the history, but she effortlessly weaves the stunning future complications into the greater story without breaking the narrative. In addition to that, her somewhat snarky commentary left me giggling on more than one occasion. This isn't dry nonfiction, it's unputdownable. I love that it centers on the women, I love that it's structured in short bursts that really give you a sense of the personalities of the times, and I love the thought and research that has gone into it. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Very engaging and readable history, without the history channel flash to make you doubt her scholarship. I feel more informed and pleased about it.

Whew! I couldn't keep all the kings/queens/relatives straight. Medieval history in this book was confusing! Interesting that these women that powerful ad how young they all got married; 13!

There's a blurb on the back of this book from Kirkus Reviews that says Used and Rare is "A sort of Year in Provence for book lovers." This is the perfect description for this book, except it was funnier; I laughed out loud in several places.

Used and Rare chronicles the journey of the Goldstones into book collecting, starting with an innocent search for a used copy of War and Peace suitable for a gift. This is how lifelong, obsessive passions begin. In fact it occurred to me as I read this that I have reason to be thankful that MT does not share my passionate love of books because if he did, we'd be the Goldstones and I shudder to think of the swath of destruction the two of us having a shared passion would wreck on our finances.

Having started reading this last night before bed (and making MT stay awake long enough so I could read parts of it aloud to him), I blew off everything I had to do today so that I could sit down and finish it. It's well written, it's funny, it's interesting and surprisingly it has what could sort of be called a plot, in that there's a journey these two take through book collecting and by the end of the book they come out the other other side with realisations made and lessons learned. In fact, the way the book ended was just the cherry on top of a perfectly lovely read.

This book isn't necessarily going to appeal to people who love to read, but people who love to own books and take great pleasure in being physically surrounded by the works of authors who have educated, entertained and changed them for better or worse? I think those people would love this book and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

"Four Queens" was an excellent book. But, I sure am glad I just read Peter Ackroyd's "Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors" first and am somewhat familiar with European Medival history. I would have loved to have seen a map with the territories coming into their modern shapes because of these four women as the book progressed. Author Nancy Goldstone must have had done a lot of digging due to how long ago the events took place and because she was looking for information about women, even if they were queens. I feel lucky to have come upon this book.

This book is entertaining. I think that's the best I can say for it. I became very nervous when I read in the genealogical table at the beginning that two of Marie Antoinette's children were fathered by Count Fersen. In fact, the whole of the sections about Marie Antoinette seem to me to be a bit far-fetched. There is absolutely no evidence that Count Fersen and Marie Antoinette were lovers. Yet, the author goes to great pains to describe how Count Fersen was never far from the ill-fated queen's bed. Her husband, Louis XVI, is labeled as being on the autism spectrum. The author indicates that she contacted a professional about this diagnosis. One wonders what information she didn't send to the professional. The sections on Marie Antoinette give me cause to doubt the rest of the veracity of the book. I enjoyed reading about Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen, as I had never read anything about her. However, the author's style of writing doesn't suit a legitimate biography. Footnoted and annotated throughout the book are the author's personal opinions in response to some of the happenings of the day. Completely unprofessional.

If you're looking to be entertained, this book is for you. If you're looking for a serious biography of the daughters of Maria Theresa, I'd look elsewhere. Unfortunate coming from Nancy Goldstone.

stars

This book fell short of my expectations. I was geared up for a a story about strong women from the 17th century, it fell short.

The book encompasses the female descendants of Mary Queen of Scots. It begins with the botched beheading of Mary and picks up after that with her granddaughter Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of James the I of England. After her father's ascension to the throne, Elizabeth is taken from the poverty of Scotland, to the role of a princess. At 14 she is wed to a German Count, far below her station-with promises from her father to raise them both up. Mary gives birth to a bakers dozen of children, all the while waiting for her fathers help, which is slow in coming, and standing by her man. 4 of these children, Princess Elizabeth, Henrietta Maria, Lousia and Sophia grow into women who reshape the British monarchy.

If you are a history nerd like me, it sounds good, right? Unfortunately Goldstone goes off topic so much that it take the entire first half of the book before you really start learning about these women. Then when a chapter is suppose be about one of these women it turns into another story about one of their brothers and the wars they fought in Bavaria to reclaim their land.

It still got three stars because I did learn a few things-one of them being that the genetics of these 4 can all be traced down to the current European royalty. I also liked that all the heavy scholarly information was lightened up with humor and engaging prose.

So, a 3 mediocre stars it is-on to better reading.

Actual Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: So this did end up getting 3.5 of 5 stars from me (in one of my Goodreads updates, I mentioned how it was starting to feel like a 3.5 of 5 stars read). I did enjoy reading this book and learning about these two powerful women, but, while reading, I felt like Goldstone was singularly focus in on their tumultuous relationship. The Rival Queens would have gotten 4-5 stars if this didn’t bother me as much. As I mentioned, I did enjoy reading this.

This was a really good book. I enjoyed learning about a queen I had previously never heard about.
However, I did want there to be a bit more clarity about how Joanna I got to the throne of all three places mentioned in the title (maybe I didn’t read it very closely).

Slightly Chipped, Footnotes in Booklore by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone (pp 213). In the truest sense of the words, this book was a reader’s delight. Published in 1999, it was a followup to Used and Rare, another fine (enjoyable) book about book collecting. Despite not being a collector, or at least not a serious collector—the only portion of my library that constitutes a collection is an approximately 1,000volume assemblage of books about boating, only a few of which were purchased in the $100 to $350 range—hearing the Goldstone’s stories about used and rare book collecting was often fun and always engaging. They wrote (both books) with such ease that flipping through the pages was akin to sitting across from them in a living room, coffee cup in hand, listening to their book-related adventures. Their second volume was relatable, in part, because they collected reasonably priced books: not thousand dollar gems. Their subject matter focus was literature/fiction, so they mentioned numerous titles and authors about which I know nothing, but there were enough familiar names to hold my interest. If you collect books—or more simply, know how to read—you might want to pick this one up. It provides inspiration for visits to local booksellers, an endangered species, and an impetus for buying (if such a thing is ever needed).

Used and Rare, Travels in the Book World, by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone (pp. 215). This is a thoroughly delightful romp through book stores throughout New England as the authors, both writers, fall in love with book collecting. They start simply with books they love or with which they want to love, all inexpensive and easy to find. They are increasingly and reluctantly seduced by the used book world, and are then into drawn into the rarified world of rare and hard to find books. This entrancing story is, amazingly, the exquisitely detailed experiences of investigating the musty, dusty shelves of numerous book stores near their home in Massachusetts, and then extending to the locked cabinets and immaculate shelves of serious and often stuffy booksellers. It’s hard to explain the attractiveness of this book, and I shall suffice to say that it’s the romance of pursuit, sometimes of the known beauty that only needs to be found, and often as not finding a treasure for which you are not looking but which captures your heart nonetheless. I loved this book and recommend it highly.