So, um. Can we make a deal? I start the new post and you guys tell me the gossipy sensationalism version of the English Civil Wars? :) By which I just mean that this is one of those (many many) history things I know basically nothing about because I never read a piece of historical fiction set in that time period :P Seriously, what I know about this entire time period is "English revolution... something something... Oliver Cromwell... something something... people getting their heads cut off... Charles II." I tried looking up wikipedia but... it's a lot.
(Also apparently in my brain I was conflating the names Glorious Revolution and the English Civil Wars, whooooops)
We can try. :) I know some fiction, both from the pro Parliament and the royalist quarters, plus eons ago I've read the Charles II biography by Antonia Fraser, and much more recently the one about the Winter Queen and her daughters - and sons, and one of the sons, Rupert (of the Rhine, poodle owner, legendary Cavalier and part time pirate), fought for Uncle Charles while another, Karl Ludwig (Liselotte's dad) tried to keep out of the Civil War in the vain hope of making Parliament continue to pay his mother's and his financial support this way (they didn't).
:D Should I read the Fraser? Like I said to mildred, I am planning to read the Winter Queen!
(I don't need fiction, it's just that over the past couple of years I've realized this theme where the difference between "I know absolutely nothing about History Thing X" and "I know enough that I can follow along without needing a primer" has in almost all cases been that I read some kind of fiction concerned with that era as a child, and which sometimes inspired me to go digging into nonfiction :) )
I will gladly read whatever gossipy sensationalism Selena has, but you have to understand that the entire 17th century is the period that I tried studying 20 years ago out of a sense of obligation, and ended up almost crying with boredom until I gave up and went back to my fascinating 18th century. So while I know the general outlines of this century better than you do (judging by that summary, lol), what's in my head is the dry version of history, not the "anecdotes and personalities" version.
Sorry! Read the Winter Queen! (Which I'm still only a third of the way through, because I got distracted by the 18th century again, as is my custom. ;) )
Also, I'm not saying it's intrinsically boring, far from it. Many exciting things happened! It's just the things I've read about have never pushed my fannish buttons.
But definitely start a new post before I go to bed, so I can subscribe to notifications before Selena wakes up and starts teaching us things!
I will! Only I've promised myself to read Faust first, and also I got the vague impression that it would be better if I knew a little more about the 17th century going in than "various people got their head cut off." :P
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English revolution
(Also apparently in my brain I was conflating the names Glorious Revolution and the English Civil Wars, whooooops)
Re: English revolution
Re: English revolution
(I don't need fiction, it's just that over the past couple of years I've realized this theme where the difference between "I know absolutely nothing about History Thing X" and "I know enough that I can follow along without needing a primer" has in almost all cases been that I read some kind of fiction concerned with that era as a child, and which sometimes inspired me to go digging into nonfiction :) )
Re: English revolution
Sorry! Read the Winter Queen! (Which I'm still only a third of the way through, because I got distracted by the 18th century again, as is my custom. ;) )
Also, I'm not saying it's intrinsically boring, far from it. Many exciting things happened! It's just the things I've read about have never pushed my fannish buttons.
But definitely start a new post before I go to bed, so I can subscribe to notifications before Selena wakes up and starts teaching us things!
Re: English revolution
I will! Only I've promised myself to read Faust first, and also I got the vague impression that it would be better if I knew a little more about the 17th century going in than "various people got their head cut off." :P
Post coming right up, in 5-10 minutes.