261 ratings | 128 reviews | avg rating:4.55

Gareth’s Year In Books

Gareth’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Gareth’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Gareth’s 2025 Year in Books

Gareth Russell’s Followers (425)

Gareth’s Bookshelves

to-read (223)
currently-reading (7)
read (272)
did-not-finish (0)

Gareth’s Friends (202)

Donna Foster

2,481 books | 5,001 friends

Heidi Malagisi

793 books | 181 friends

Kathryn Perceval-Price

255 books | 38 friends

DanSk

216 books | 303 friends

Wendy Dunn

666 books | 549 friends

Christine Hartweg

2,245 books | 121 friends

Ebba Båtelsson

1,819 books | 8 friends

Valerie Villanueva

1 book | 21 friends

More friends…

Gareth Russell

Goodreads Author

Member Since

August 2016

edit data

Gareth Russell is an historian and broadcaster. He is the author of "Queen James," (a BBC History Book of the Year, a Daily Mail Book of the Year, a Waterstones Best History Book 2025, an Esquire Book of the Year, a Historia Book of the Year, an Amazon Editors' Pick for Best New History Book; published as "The Six Loves of James I" in Canada and the USA), "The Palace" (Amazon Editor's Pick for Best New History, A Waterstones Best Book of 2023, BBC History Book of the Year, Town and Country Must-Read, an Aspects of History Best Book of 2023), "Do Let's Have Another Drink" (A Times Book of the Year, 2022), "The Ship of Dreams" (A Daily Telegraph Best History Book, 2019), and "Young and Damned and Fair."

He divides his time between Belfast and ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Gareth Russell questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Gareth Russell’s books

Average rating: 4.13 · 8,259 ratings · 1,311 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII 4.16 avg rating — 2,608 ratings — published 2017 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era 4.03 avg rating — 1,890 ratings — published 2019 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of British History at Hampton Court 4.17 avg rating — 1,182 ratings — published 2023 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Six Loves of James I 4.29 avg rating — 1,110 ratings — published 2025 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Do Let's Have Another Drink!: The Dry Wit and Fizzy Life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 4.09 avg rating — 959 ratings — published 2022 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A History of the English Monarchy: from Boadicea to Elizabeth I 4.24 avg rating — 218 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Popular (Popular, #1) 3.66 avg rating — 179 ratings — published 2011 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Emperors: How Europe's Greatest Rulers Were Destroyed by World War I 4.12 avg rating — 120 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Immaculate Deception: The Popular Series 4.32 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Illustrated Introduction to the Tudors 4.24 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Gareth Russell…

At the beginning of each calendar month, Goodreads’ crack editorial squad assembles a list of the hottest and most popular new books...

Gareth is Currently Reading

Gareth Russell is currently reading

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)

by Agatha Christie

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

May 02, 2026 11:33AM

Gareth Russell is currently reading

The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic

by Ryan Cole

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 14, 2026 10:12AM

Gareth Russell is currently reading

Archbishop William Laud

by Charles Carlton

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 09, 2026 06:02AM

rss
Gareth’s Recent Updates

Gareth Russell is currently reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1) by Agatha Christie	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2026 11:33AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell is currently reading The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic by Ryan Cole	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 14, 2026 10:12AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Last Adieu by Ryan Cole. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Last Adieu by Ryan Cole <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell is currently reading Archbishop William Laud by Charles Carlton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 09, 2026 06:02AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Archbishop William Laud by Charles Carlton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Archbishop William Laud by Charles Carlton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell rated a book really liked it Heated Rivalry (Game Changers, #2) by Rachel Reid	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 06, 2026 02:10PM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell is currently reading The Life and Death of St. Kilda by Tom Steel	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 26, 2025 05:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Life and Death of St. Kilda by Tom Steel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Life and Death of St. Kilda by Tom Steel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell is currently reading The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford Illustrated Histories) by Ian Shaw	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 25, 2025 03:32PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell rated a book it was amazing They Flew: A History of the Impossible by Carlos M.N. Eire	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Exquisite. Eire’s invitation to re-think how we engage in the study of pre-Enlightenment accounts of religious miracles is somewhere between a piece of history and one of theology. Its academic credentials are clear, but it also involves some persona ...more
Dec 21, 2025 02:16PM · 8 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of They Flew by Carlos M.N. Eire. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — They Flew by Carlos M.N. Eire <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell rated a book really liked it Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) by Suzanne Collins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 19, 2025 06:37PM · 4 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell started reading Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face by Scott Eyman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 19, 2025 10:04AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Joan Crawford by Scott Eyman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Joan Crawford by Scott Eyman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gareth Russell rated a book it was amazing Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia by Sam Dalrymple	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 18, 2025 02:56AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Gareth's books…

Quotes by Gareth Russell (?)

“> *where Anne Boleyn had been executed.*
>

> …*The stones beneath the altar were prised up. Jane Boleyn and Catherine Howard were buried quickly next to the mouldering remains of Lady Salisbury, Thomas More, Jane’s husband, and another queen of England…. The few attendees walked out of the little church into the courtyard, where the scaffold still stood. The body of Catherine Howard was left to a vast silence. In all probability, she had not yet reached her twenty-first birthday.”
― Gareth Russell, Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

2 likes

“as ever, people tolerate in their friends what they deplore in their enemies,”
― Gareth Russell, Young and Damned and Fair: The Life and Tragedy of Catherine Howard at the Court of Henry VIII

2 likes

“Amid a mechanized forest of culinary equipment”
― Gareth Russell, The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era

0 likes

See all Gareth Russell's quotes »

Polls

What book about the Tudors or Tudor England would you like for us to have as our Group Read in August 2017?

Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII by Gareth Russell

14 votes, 23.0%

The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy

9 votes, 14.8%

Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant by Tracy Borman

9 votes, 14.8%

The Last Boleyn by Karen Harper

7 votes, 11.5%

My Lady of Cleves: A Novel of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes

6 votes, 9.8%

Mary Tudor: The First Queen by Linda Porter

5 votes, 8.2%

Elizabeth's London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London by Liza Picard

4 votes, 6.6%

Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery by Eric Ives

3 votes, 4.9%

The Tudor Bride by Joanna Hickson

3 votes, 4.9%

The Last Armada - Queen Elizabeth, Juan del Águila, and Hugh O`Neill: The Story of the 100-Day Spanish Invasion by Des Ekin

1 vote, 1.6%

Plain Jane by Laurien Gardner

0 votes, 0.0%

61 total votes

2 comments

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Reading the 20th ...: Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's Fifth Queen (April 2020)	129	26	May 26, 2020 11:31AM
Crazy Challenge C...: 2018 New to You Authors	594	128	Aug 08, 2020 04:33PM
The History Book ...: RAGAN - PERSONAL READING LIST - "To Be Read" List (2023)	51	300	Jun 29, 2021 05:12PM

More…

Gareth’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Gareth’s Year In Books

Gareth Russell’s Followers (425)

Gareth’s Bookshelves

Gareth’s Friends (202)

Gareth Russell

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Gareth Russell’s books

Related News

Gareth is Currently Reading

rss
Gareth’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

See a Problem?

Preview — The Last Adieu by Ryan Cole

See a Problem?

Preview — Archbishop William Laud by Charles Carlton

See a Problem?

Preview — Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

See a Problem?

Preview — The Life and Death of St. Kilda by Tom Steel

See a Problem?

Preview — The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw

See a Problem?

Preview — They Flew by Carlos M.N. Eire

See a Problem?

Preview — Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

See a Problem?

Preview — Joan Crawford by Scott Eyman

See a Problem?

Preview — Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Gareth’s Friend Comments

Gareth’s Year In Books

Gareth Russell’s Followers (425)

Gareth’s Bookshelves

Gareth’s Friends (202)

Gareth Russell

Goodreads Author

Learn moreAsk the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine EditionsGareth Russell’s books

Related News

Gareth is Currently Reading

rssGareth’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

See a Problem?

Preview — The Last Adieu by Ryan Cole

See a Problem?

Preview — Archbishop William Laud by Charles Carlton

See a Problem?

Preview — Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

See a Problem?

Preview — The Life and Death of St. Kilda by Tom Steel

See a Problem?

Preview — The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw

See a Problem?

Preview — They Flew by Carlos M.N. Eire

See a Problem?

Preview — Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

See a Problem?

Preview — Joan Crawford by Scott Eyman

See a Problem?

Preview — Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Gareth’s Friend Comments

Learn more
Ask the Author

Combine Editions
Gareth Russell’s books

rss
Gareth’s Recent Updates