Mary, Queen of Scots

Book categories: Biographies, Writings, Travel, Parents, Darnley, Rizzio, Politics, Mary & Elizabeth I, Knox, Bothwell, James VI, Stuarts, Tudors, Fiction, Children's Books, Scotland, England, DVDs

Biographies

Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy. This biography presents Mary as an emotionally intricate woman and an adroit diplomat, the intellectual and political equal of Elizabeth I. The British title of this book is My Heart Is My Own. Winner of the Whitbread Biography Award.

Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser. This classic, prize-winning biography is an indispensable resource. It focuses on Mary's personality and private life.

Mary Queen of Scots: An Illustrated Life by Susan Doran. Biography. Contemporary records are either transcribed or explained with captions.

Mary Queen of Scots by Retha Warnicke. Biography that focuses on the personal side of Mary's life: her three marriages, her constant illness, and her role in numerous plots and conspiracies.

Mary Queen of Scots by Susan Watkins, photographs by Mark Fiennes. This biography is beautifully illustrated with portraits of Mary and photographs of her letters, possessions, and castles.

The Life of Mary, Queen of Scots: An Accidental Tragedy by Roderick Graham. Biography of a passive young woman who became a victim of circumstance.

A Wee Guide to Mary Queen of Scots by Joyce Miller. A short introduction to Mary's dramatic life.

Mary Queen of Scots by David Hay Fleming. A brief biography with critical notes, a few documents, and an itinerary. First published in 1897. Out of print, but available at Alibris.

The Enigma of Mary Stuart by Ian B. Cowan. A 1971 biography. From Alibris.

Mary, Queen of Scots: The Fair Devil of Scotland by Jean Plaidy. A nonfiction account of Mary's life, written by a popular 20th century historical novelist. From Alibris.

Mary's Writings & Needlework

Writing Renaissance Queens by Lisa Hopkins. Texts by and about Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.

Reading Monarchs' Writing edited by Peter C. Herman. Criticism of the poetry of Henry VIII, Mary Stuart, Elizabeth I, and James VI/I.

Eros and Poetry at the Courts of Mary Queen of Scots and James VI by Sarah M. Dunnigan. Argues that in this period, erotic poetry can only be considered in relation to the figure of the monarch.

Bittersweet Within My Heart: The Love Poems of Mary, Queen of Scots edited by Robin Bell. Out of print, but sometimes available at Alibris.

The Needlework of Mary, Queen of Scots by Margaret Swain. Includes 12 color photos and 77 black-and-white illustrations. Out of print in the U.S., but available at Alibris.

Mary's Parents & Family

Mary of Guise in Scotland, 1548-1560: A Political Career by Pamela E. Ritchie. About Mary Stuart's mother, a shrewd politician whose dynastic interests took precedence over her personal convictions.

Books About Mary's Father, James V
Books About Mary's Son, King James VI
Books About the Royal Stuart Dynasty

Mary Stuart's Scotland

On the Trail of Mary Queen of Scots by Keith J. Cheetham. A guidebook to sites related to the queen's life. Includes maps.

Mary Stuart's Scotland: The Landscapes, Life, and Legends of Mary, Queen of Scots by David and Judy Steel. Modern photos and historical illustrations of sites associated with Mary's life. Out of print, but available at Alibris.

A Queen's Progress by David J. Breeze. An introduction to the buildings associated with Mary. Includes color photos and maps. Out of print, but sometimes available at AbeBooks.

Books About Scottish Castles

Fiction About Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George. Although slow at times, this long novel provides a good introduction to the topic and a sympathetic picture of Mary.

Royal Road to Fotheringhay by Jean Plaidy. The haunting story of the beautiful and tragic Mary, Queen of Scots. (Bestselling novelist Plaidy, who died in 1993, was also known as Victoria Holt.)

The Captive Queen of Scots by Jean Plaidy. Novel about Mary, Queen of Scots's imprisonment in England.

The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson. The courageous, spirited queen tell her own story.

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. The newly married Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick, become jailers of doomed Mary Queen of Scots, and their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion.

A Question of Guilt: A Novel of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Death of Henry Darnley by Julianne Lee. Lady Janet de Ros thinks the recently executed Mary Stuart was not guilty of plotting against Queen Elizabeth I and killing Lord Darnley. Her investigation could endanger her life and disgrace her family.

Blood Royal by Elisabeth McNeill. Nathan, a pedlar, first sets eyes on Mary, Queen of Scots when she is an infant. Eventually he becomes more involved in her life than he could ever have imagined.

Fatal Majesty: The Drama of Mary, Queen of Scots by Reay Tannahill. A 1998 novel about Mary's life. From Alibris.

The Galliard by Margaret Irwin. Novel about Mary Queen of Scots's love affair with Lord Bothwell. First published in 1941 under the title The Gay Galliard.

Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller, translated by Eric Bentley and Joseph Mellish. An early 19th century German play.

Darnley by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton. A 19th century English play.

Mary Stuart by Alexandre Dumas. Account of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots written by the great French novelist. Out of print, but available at AbeBooks. (Read descriptions carefully; some copies are not regular books, but ebooks or audio cassettes.)

Books About Mary & Elizabeth I
Books About Darnley & the Casket Letters
Books About Bothwell
Other Books About Mary, Queen of Scots
DVDs About Mary

More Books

Books About Scotland's Royal History
Books About European Royal History
Books About Royal Women