I am an avid reader who loves discussing books. I post new book reviews almost every single day on a wide variety of topics- both fiction and non-fiction. Currently focusing on history, math, sci-fi, fantasy, and manga, but expect a little bit of everything!
Man I love how varied your reading is. It's crazy how much you read in a month I am pretty overwhelmed with my current reading which is nowhere near 16 books lol.
Thank you for the comment! Any amount of reading is good reading! I love reading and I spend time reading every night before bed, which allows me to get a lot of reading done, but definitely don't feel like my pace or number is normal. Hopefully you are able to enjoy your reading and not feel overwhelmed.
Great review. I've always been interested in the cultural aspects of medieval history, and how religion (for better and worse) played such a large role in all aspects of life and building. The cathedrals built during those times were quite impressive!
Thank you for the comment! If you ever have any suggestions for books that discuss the role of religion in medieval culture please let me know! I always love a good book recommendation.
Links to my reviews mentioned: The Remarried Empress vol. 6: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_D0D08pqbEs.html High Times in the Low Parliament: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GYCRt4Cs2c8.html What the Dead Know: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S3hW05PGZ-U.html Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FqSw_ni0MdM.html Assyrian Prophecies: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FIQFciix1P4.html The Ancient Near East: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y0MFv_tnYyQ.html The Bayeux Tapestry: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mIpsIeCl4IU.html Ethelred the Unready: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j7rE3f3HdGE.html Painters: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tw2vdF9LZqk.html Magic in Merlin’s Realm: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wgol3whqrvU.html The First Kingdom: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yf94rJaPoF8.html The Battle of Hastings: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y7sZPbKCggs.html Medieval Horizons: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_sKuUfl26YY.html
This is my favourite Asimov novel, and, indeed, my favourite science fiction book. The book stands up very well, nearly 70 years later, aside from the power source for Eternity "Nova Sol"!
Nice review, not sure why this was recommended, but a pleasant surprise for once, considering I normally get crazy conspiracy videos, menninist Right winger nut jobs ranting about Wokism killing America (I am not even American) or terrible pop music by supposedly famous current artists which is just garbage. Two thumbs up ;) Just to expand on Ethelred.... he was a MORON. Ethelred the unready kicked this whole thing off by being a terrible husband, one of the worst, ever, in history. He did not have problems with anyone...I mean he did... but looking back, historically... he WAS the PROBLEM. Firstly, at the start of the 11th Century, it was the same as you say applied to this time period of the book, there were multiple powerful dynasties, and nobles, and numerous claimants to the throne. Ethelred's first wife, I forget her name, was ANGLE. When they talk about the Anglo-Saxons, most of the time, most the major players, were the Saxon bit.... they were more powerful clans in general... and mostly based in the mid and south of England (Wessex, Sussex, Middlesex etc are footprints of this history today), and Angles were more on the fringes, consolidated at the time Ethelred came to power, in the north and east (East Anglia is still a county of England today for example). But it was the Saxons, initially in Kent... then in Wessex, who rose to the most power among the post Roman Anglo Saxon colonizers (Ethelred was of the Wessex house, descended from Alfred the Great). But there were also Angles and Jutes, who were not from what we call Germany today, but Jutland... which even back then, was little piece of Nordic influenced mainland Europe. There were two things which happened because of this. One, Nobles of one group, married the other. So Saxon Dynasts seeking to ensure their power, and aiming for rulership, ultimately of all the Anglo-Saxons ... to become Brecthwald, like one of Ethelred's ancestors, Echbert, who, if I recall was Alfred The Great's ... grandfather? .... somethng like that.... then you had to also make sure you not only tied the other powerful Saxon nobles, like those in say Mercia, to you, but the Angles too. So you married them in to your family. Ethelred did this. His first wife was Angle Princess from Northumbria, I think it was. But of course, HE was NOT the first Saxon dynastic patriarch of one of the Saxon Kingdoms to do this, and more, it was a two way street, Saxon daughters, and even excess spares in the male form (you wanted an heir, and couple of spares, sons wise, at least, but if you had seven sons, well.....)... would be shipped off to marry Angle nobles. This was less of a thing with the minority Jutes though. They were, for a time, kind of their own thing, outside this Anglo-Saxon dance of power. So when the first Vikings came to England, raiding, but then later many deciding to come back and STAY, they had cultural connections in that part of England, and often did not raid, but assimilated well, especially in JUTE areas. These Vikings, were DANES, after all, just like the forefathers of the Jute communities and clans now in England. So this meant Ethelred had a couple of problems. Firstly, his wife's family, had claims through blood to the English Crown too, as they were descended from Wessex nobility, the same which became England's Royalty, and that had remained through multiple marriages between their Angle ancestors and Wessex Royalty. Secondly, the Nordic ... well specifically Danish, descended peoples, who were not as powerful as the Angles or Saxons... now had swelled with new Danes arriving as Vikings, but settling in the north east of the Kingdom. There are many ways to deal with this. Ethelred chose to see an opportunity. He could kill two birds with one stone. There had been concern, not just from he and his court, but other English Nobles, these Danes in the Danlaw, could revolt... and he decided yeah, that was it, they were definitely going to... so, why not preemptively deal with that, by a little bit of ethnic cleansing? AND would'nt you know it, he could then use that as cover to accuse the Angle leaders.... his OWN INLAWS, of conspiracy with the Danes, and eradicate them too, getting rid of rivals too far removed geographical to otherwise be cowed or culled like those among the Saxons could. So that is what he did. Ultimately, he killed a bunch of ethnic Danes, then killed a few of his wife's relatives... and maimed...blinding and cutting the tongues out, of couple more (back then, if you could not see, and not speak, you could not rule, it was literally impossible for you see what happening in your kingdom, or make royal decree from thy own mouth... of course, the process of blinding and muting, would oft KILL the victim anyway, which would have a tragic ironic consequence later). But the thing was.... at this time, between late 8th, and early 12th Centuries... the Danish were basically the world Superpower. places would pay them 'Dengeld' Danes Gold, to NOT raid and pillage them. Swedes and Norwegians were out there, doing the Viking thing of going Viking-ing... as it was not what one was, Viking was the act one did.... but the Danes were the maestros of it. Which meant things would not end well when Svein Forkbeard, King of Denmark, heard about Ethelred killing off a ton of Danes in England. His wife likely did not like what he did either... but that did not matter, thanks to the stories of her family conspiring with enemies... she was brought low, he set her aside... and married a NORMAN..... Emma of Normandy. Blood descendant of Rolo, First Duke of Normady (himself a Dane, and possibly brother of Ragnar Lothbrok, the Viking Jarl who lead the Danish raids and invasions of England during Alfred the Great's reign). He had two more children with her... or three.. I think he had a son.. Edmund Ironsides... with his first wife, and couple of daughters...have to look it up.... but he had two sons and a daughter maybe,. with Emma. Alfred.... ....and Edward. Yeah, he who would go on to be 'The Confessor'.
But of course... likely then also descendant of the Danish royals, and thus too likely distant relative of Sveign or not, marrying Emma, was not enough to save Ethelred from Sveins wrath. The Danes invaded England, and deposed him, seizing the crown. However, Svein died soon after, and his sons took his body back to Denmark for his funeral. Ethelred briefly retook the throne, before dying himself, and the crown passing to his son, Edmund. But the Danes came back. They always intended too. England was now there's. Sveins oldest son, Cnute, returned the next spring, and began the fight to reclaim the throne. History remembers Ethelred by the epithet The Unready.... it remembers Cunte by the epithet The Great... so out of the Saxons and Danes, you take guess who won? Now, there is a slew of Danish Kings... Svein, then Canute, then his son Harald, then Harthacanute and all these Kings, take a leaf out of Cnutes book... who made the same play Ethelred did. When Cnute deposed Edmund, to placate the Saxon nobles, he set HIS wife aside, just like Ethelred, and married EMMA of Normady too. Making Emma's sons... part of his family as well as the Saxon Royal line. But, he also married his relatives in to Norwegian nobility... not their royalty, because there was none, Cnute ruled most of Scandinavia, including Norway. This all happened between all the descendants, too. Meaning, as half brother of Harthacnute, and half brother of Edmund, the last Danish and Saxon kings respectively... Edward was the strongest heir... but if HE died without issue.... there was a three way tie for the crown. The Godwinsons, were once just Godwins.... but Son was added as is the Danish way, because they married so heavily in to the Danish line. Became wholly Danglicized if you will. In fact, Harold II, was directly related to both the Wessex Royal line, AND the Kings of both Denmark AND Norway at the time, half brother of one, in fact, irrc. So he had a strong claim. But Edward had grown up in Normandy, with his mother's people, including young Guilame ... the Bastard... as he was known... or William the Conqueror as we call him today, his COUSIN. But Edward's older half brother, Harthacnute, also had a cousin. Harald Hadrada Sigurdson. A potential heir to the King of Norway. Harhtybaby and Harald were close, real close. Closer than he was with much of his more immediate family, and relatives in England or Denmark. He and Harald made a pact. When they took their crowns, if one died without an heir, the other would take control of their Kingdom. Harald was war lord, who actually traveled all over Europe as a Mercenary. He was in the Varangian Guard of the Emperor of Byzantium, when he was to inherit the crown of Norway, so his nephew did instead. But eventually Harald comes home, crazy rich, strong as an Ox, implacable as a bear, battle hardened from literally wars in every corner of Europe, with his truly fearsome men at his back, and of course, he takes the crown. Now King of Norway, he recalls the pact, and that his cousin is dead, without heir. He decides that pact is still in tact. Of course, he does not immediately do anything... probably because being the former English Kings.. both a Danish and the last Saxon one, Half brother, and thus a prince of both the Saxon and Danish lines, Edward's claim was indisputable, and few nobles in his own land, or England, would support HE over Edward, and most of the other Kingdoms in Europe would likely see him a usurper.... but Edward dies without issue... and NOW? Well that pact. The rest, as they say, is history... like literally in that book. A bloody, savage, tragic, mess. Changed the very language of our ancestors, and lead to our language of the present being what it is, but also killed a great many people. And it all happened because Ethelred was paranoid and power hungry, and figured Machiavellian scheming, diplomacy, or familial nepotism, or good old bribery were all less appealing options for dealing with his enemies... who werent... just actually potential ones... than murderous treachery and bit of light attempted genocide.... despite the fact his wife was of these people, and that made them family ...though he was also already related to them before he ever married an Angle woman. Then he had to trade in the old wife... guess the wall was killer even back then :P.... and marry a Norman woman. Side note. Edward and his brother Alfred, had to flee England, when Cnute took power. But their mother marrying Cnute meant they were estranged. After a time, they made an appeal to Cnute to allow them to visit their mother, swearing oaths they planed no treachery or rally their fathers once vassals to their cause. Cnute agreed. They showed up in England, and were met by an Earl, who claimed he'd take them to the King and their mother. One Earl Godwin... or Godwinson... who, did NOT take them to their mother.. but in to an ambush. Both were seized and spirited off to base, and Alfred was blinded on the spot... but he and Edward's retainers, though outnumbered, killed the ambushers, gave chase, and recued them. Sadly, returning to France, Alfred died of his wounds. One does wonder where Godwin might have gotten that idea, though, no? Guess Ethelred was not just shitty husband, but a terrible father too. So yeah, all starts off with HIM... even though he was long dead, by the time it all played out.
@@badbettybooks4001 Overkill post...Kinda... but when you mentioned Ethelred, it triggered me. Everything from Stamford Bridge to at least the foundation of Tudor period.. including the Norman conquest, the Anarchy, the rise of the Bloody Dynasty as the near three hundred years of Plantagenet rule were known as, the next civil war after the Anarchy, between Henry II and the oft forgotten of his sons, the eldest, Henry the Young King, the conquest of Ireland, the reign of 'Bad' King John, the wars with Scotland, the subjugation of Wales, the Peasants Revolt, the 100 Years war, and the Wars of The Roses ..events which killed tens of thousands of people over about a 400 year period.... ...can be ultimately traced back to Ethelred The Unready, opting to murder his in-laws and commit a little light ethnic cleansing, instead of doing any of the things the Wessex Dynasts ruling England had done to address those issues instead. One might say, we'll, how they rolled back then...but not in England. Ethelreds Grandfather was King Edgar...THE PEACEABLE Ffs lol. So yeah, Ethelred had problems with Vikings ..and rebels..but HE was the CAUSE, and the gensis for all the chaos that came later and went on centuries! Just got a bit triggered thinking about that d*ck I guess 😛
But your "overkill" comment raises a good point I should have emphasized more in the video - he had a big impact on what would happen in the next couple centuries, and I think very vew people could name him or give any real facts about him today. Thanks for the comments, again! I appreciate the support for my reviews and channel!
Got recommended this video by the algorithm (Probably due to the subject of the book) But just wanted to say you did an awesome job of summarising the book and spoke so clearly and with such enthusiasm. Subbed and looking forward to more of your videos
Thank you for the comment, I really appreciate it! I'm working to improve my book review skills, and it sounds like I am least conveying my enthusiasm for books I enjoy!
Hi! I've just discovered your channel and I am thoroughly enjoying it. We academics need to stick together. A book that you might find interesting or, at least, that I would enjoy seeing you review, is *The Discovery of King Arthur* by Geoffrey Ashe. He uses what I find to be a unique method of literary analysis of Medieval works, one in particular, to make a very compelling argument for who the man behind the myth really was. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Arthuriana and, particularly, the search for the historical Arthur. Anyway, I look forward to more of your reviews.
Thank you for comment and for checking out my videos! I really appreciate it when people discover my little corner of book reviews and leave me a comment or recommendation. I will have to check out The Discovery of King Arthur - I have added it to my list!
Thanks!! 😊 I find taking notes, especially by hand, allows me to remember things better and make connections. I went through so many notebooks in college haha!
The Dutch word should be raaD not raaT, I wrote it out wrong. Don't mind my unhinged linguistic theory - that part was not fact checked at all and was just my brain making connections to other words in other Germanic languages.
Hey, just so you know, the iron trial (number 123 on the list) is a middle grade book. I’m not saying it’s bad, my brother just finished the series and enjoyed it, I’m just saying so the expectations for an adult fantasy won’t ruin the experience for you if you ever decide to read it. I was surprised to see fire logic on your list, I feel like I’ve never seen it anywhere except for the one goodreads list that inspired me to read it. I found the first one to be pretty good and the rest being fine but kind of a slog for me, but it’s probably because I decided to read them one after another like one big book instead of taking breaks in between. (Also, one of the two characters I really liked got pretty neglected in my opinion, which was a bummer for me, but whatever) One last thing, It’s really cool to see how many different topics your list covers! Thank you for the video!
Thank you for the comment! And thanks for the heads up about The Iron Trial - I don't dislike middle grade, but it will help me set my expectations accordingly. Hopefully I still enjoy it! And from your comment, I am now interested in reading Fire Logic sooner rather than later to see what I think about the book. If I like it the first book I will probably read the series, but I will take your advice and take some breaks! I consider myself a naturally curious person - I want to learn about anything and everything! I think it serves me well, but in this case it has caused my TBR to grow to a massive size!
This is interesting! Thanks for the video. Im kinda lacking behind on watching your videos. Cause I've been very busy with school. But I always love to see the notification when youve uploaded a new video. Hope I can catch up in my vacation Edit: also love seeing your updates on Goodreads
Thanks for the comment and for watching! I read a lot and film a lot of reviews so I don't expect even my family or friends to keep up with all my reviews, let alone my subscribers! But thank you for being a loyal watcher, I appreciate it!
Oh no maybe this wasn’t the book to read or hear about right before you move! Hopefully you enjoy your new home - I do have book reviews of photography collections of the region showcasing the beauty instead of the crime haha!
I suggest you start at the beginning of the Agatha Raisin book series with book one. Starting with book 20 something isn't a fair assessment. Seems irresponsible of the reviewer. I suggest you need to know the character before giving a negative review. I encourage others to not take this review as definitive but try from the beginning of the series. Also, the book series and the tv series are not the same. The books have a lot of different characters, who's stories are a continuous progression, and you can't put 6 hours of book content into a 30 minute show. I choose to read the book, prior to watching the tv show. Or you can enjoy them independently. The Agatha Raisin character is very flawed and realizes it, but when you know her, you want to see something go well for her. Her bumbling, intuitive adventures, lead her to solving the cases.
Your review promises a fascinating journey through history and mysticism, making this book a compelling read for those interested in the intersection of politics and magic.
Do friends and family see you as the crazy one as you enthusiastically share your thoughts on your most recent read as you did in your video? If so, I can relate. RU-vid presented me with an animated version of this wonderful book which triggered me to share my thoughts with my girlfriend who was unlucky enough to have just walked into the room. Using many of the same hand gestures along with a rising level of excitement she eventually found a way to excuse herself causing her to miss the tie-in to quantum mechanics. Oh well, her loss :-) Silliness aside, your summery was infectious and I'm comforted knowing that there are other unbalanced people in this world that seek out thoughts and ideas that challenges themselves to think beyond the obvious. Thank you for sharing.
You jest, but I actually started my RU-vid channel after years of subjecting my friends and family to long-winded, 10-minute+ book reviews (rants). Someone finally suggested I just start a channel, and direct all my energy and talking to a camera. I think my true enjoyment of talking about books keeps me going haha!
Makes me glad to be a Gen Xer, being born in a time where I understand late 20th Century words and the intention behind them as much as current year lingo. Enables me to just enjoy this book.
Links to my reviews mentioned: Saints in Medieval Manuscripts: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-USeH6rhwajw.html Glass-Painters: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FPr6uRWI_IM.html Embroiderers: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A2BokV6LSiU.html English Tilers: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NxTmmTk1TQg.html Graphic History: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N-WfZdIDDxE.html Seasons of Sleeping Bear: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UryJ7mINX00.html Correspondence v. 2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N0O60xvl1i0.html Correspondence v. 3: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vED7f4_Mi3Y.html Correspondence v. 4: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jjWuMEjQJDc.html Komi v. 30: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0VqAtjie6pY.html Ennead v. 2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-am3BFrJSZKs.html The Tusks of Extinction: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GNxM-ZY3fKg.html Flowers for the Sea: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Bu-L46Vy4xk.html The Ship Who Sang: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tEWZMW-F2NQ.html
The book is very US-focused, but it might be interesting to read even if you are not US-based because the lessons to good city planning could be universally applied. The case studies and examples would just be very US focused.
The internet was not available when I sought out second hand versions of all science fiction 'bests' to read and what stood out was 'Timescape' by Gregory Benford of time travel novels which also motivated me to get a science degree, so I recommend it to you.
Thank you for the suggestion, I will have to check it out! I also find it interesting what books motivate us to change in real life- in your case getting a degree.
If you want a good book to read in line with the academic works of the medieval works you've covered prior, you should read Dionysos, Myth and Cultus by Walter F Otto. Fundamentally one of the best insights into Hellenic paganism bar none, to the point he even affirmed dates of the god's worship which was only vindicated through archaeology decades after his death (via cultural insight, he ascribed the god as dating far earlier than originally thought).
Thank you for the suggestion! That sounds like an interesting book and it looks like I can have it ordered to my library, I will certainly give it a read!
uh-oh, I've been getting warnings! I believe I am reading the age-16/censored version, as I have been warned by other commenters that it becomes less family-friendly as the series goes on. I am waiting for my library to get volume 3 so I can keep reading!
@@badbettybooks4001 hope you enjoy the series! Not many physically copies are released yet, so if the library struggles to stock you’ll be able to get them online 🙏
