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When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe
Library Journal • "Books and Authors to Know: Titles to Watch 2021"
Sixteenth-century Europe was a time of destabilization of age-old norms and the waging of religious wars—yet it also witnessed the remarkable flowering of a pacific culture cultivated by a cohort of extraordinary women rulers who sat on Europe’s thrones, most notably Mary Tudor; Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Catherine de’ Medici.
Recasting the dramatic stories and complex political relationships among these four women rulers, Maureen Quilligan rewrites centuries of scholarship that sought to depict intense personal hatreds among them. Instead, showing how the queens engendered a culture of mutual respect, When Women Ruled the World focuses on the gift-giving by which they aimed to ensure female bonds of friendship and alliance. Detailing the artistic and political creativity that flourished in the pockets of peace created by these queens, Quilligan’s lavishly illustrated work offers a new perspective on the glory of the Renaissance and the women who helped to create it.
Sixteenth-century Europe was a time of destabilization of age-old norms and the waging of religious wars—yet it also witnessed the remarkable flowering of a pacific culture cultivated by a cohort of extraordinary women rulers who sat on Europe’s thrones, most notably Mary Tudor; Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Catherine de’ Medici.
Recasting the dramatic stories and complex political relationships among these four women rulers, Maureen Quilligan rewrites centuries of scholarship that sought to depict intense personal hatreds among them. Instead, showing how the queens engendered a culture of mutual respect, When Women Ruled the World focuses on the gift-giving by which they aimed to ensure female bonds of friendship and alliance. Detailing the artistic and political creativity that flourished in the pockets of peace created by these queens, Quilligan’s lavishly illustrated work offers a new perspective on the glory of the Renaissance and the women who helped to create it.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2021
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February 5, 2022
It is easier to portray women as combative and ‘catty’ against those of their same gender rather than recognizing their power when supporting fellow women. Boiling down to control; this is done to diminish the value of women. The prime example of this behavior can be seen in politics in the course of history especially during the medieval and Renaissance periods through the key players: Mary Tudor (England’s first Queen Regent), Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots and Catherine de’ Medici. Although these formidable women have been blackened as being pure enemies; this is far from the truth. Maureen Quilligan observes the alternative and lesser-discussed perspective of these rulers working more in consort than previously thought in, “When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe”.
Quilligan’s aim with “When Women Ruled the World” is nothing short of ambitious, unique and admirable as she explores the interactions between these four women in a positive light and through that of their gift-giving to one another (and the symbolism behind each gift/object). “When Women Ruled the World” naturally explores this premise in a historical context and therefore presents background information in the events surrounding the four subjects of the text.
Quilligan compartmentalizes “When Women Ruled the World” into four main sections: The Tudors, The Stuarts, The Medici and The Hapsburgs (which is somewhat of a collaborative summary involving all parties). The distinctions make sense and offer clarity to the hypothesis resulting in a concise direction and readable work. Each woman and dynasty receives equal coverage and thus one does not over-shadow the other. The issue with this foundation lays in the chronological jumps back-and-forth which consequentially cannot avoid tedious and confusing repetition. This error weakens “When Women Ruled the World” although is not the major downfall of Quilligan’s text.
There are bigger problems with “When Women Ruled the World” with the most blaring being that the entire piece is that of theory, conjecture and opinion. There is no founded-basis behind any of Quilligan’s statements and the entire work reads like a college argumentative paper. That is not to say there isn’t a time and place for such a point of view and credit is given to Quilligan for showing these women in a new light; but that is not how the book is promoted and on the contrary claims to be more academic in scope. Quilligan’s examinations are introspective, though, and certainly provide ample thought-provoking conversations.
Quilligan also makes the mistake of firmly stating specific historical events as fact even though these are either A) still indisputable or B) have been proven as inaccurate by a number of contemporary historians. “When Women Ruled the World” also fails to suggest any new information or unearthed material (being as again, the arguments are opinion). There are occasional “Ah-ha!” moments as the text progresses but not enough to be redemption. Such aspects of “When Women Ruled the World” will certainly annoy those readers well-versed on the subject. In fact, the text is best for novices seeking on introduction to Mary Tudor, her sister Elizabeth, Mary, Queen of Scots and Catherine de’ Medici.
The writing style throughout “When Women Ruled the World” is vivid, illustrative and floral although Quilligan mentions in the book’s acknowledgements that her fiction-writing husband is behind these passages so it is not stable who is responsible for the “good parts”. Plus, Quilligan tends to slip into overly-familiar and conservational writing attempting humor to “reach out to readers”; but such meanderings have no place in a borderline-scholarly text.
The latter chapters of “When Women Ruled the World” are noticeably more impactful and compelling adding a bit of pizzazz to the otherwise lacking surface structure of Quilligan’s writing. The concluding chapter is a well-summarized take on the topic and helps to give a macro-view of the events, women and gifts discussed; ending in a solid-enough manner.
“When Women Ruled the World” is supplemented with illustrations and images throughout the pages but sadly the details discussed in the texts are obscured by black-and-white ink making it difficult to literally see what Qulligan is depicting. Larger images and/or a section of photo plates would have worked considerably better. Quilligan’s “Notes” are, however, delightfully annotated and will be a pleasure for true history aficionados. “When Women Ruled the World” also highlights primary and secondary sources used in the research of the text.
“When Women Ruled the World” is an admirable subject effort in a quick, easy-to-read form. However the execution is slightly flawed and is best recommended to new readers of the history seeking an introduction. Those readers having read hundreds of books on the period (such as myself) don’t walk away with much gained and lose nothing skipping “When Women Ruled the World” unless you are in the market for a filler read. “When Women Ruled the World” isn’t horrible… it just feels somewhat void and flat.
Quilligan’s aim with “When Women Ruled the World” is nothing short of ambitious, unique and admirable as she explores the interactions between these four women in a positive light and through that of their gift-giving to one another (and the symbolism behind each gift/object). “When Women Ruled the World” naturally explores this premise in a historical context and therefore presents background information in the events surrounding the four subjects of the text.
Quilligan compartmentalizes “When Women Ruled the World” into four main sections: The Tudors, The Stuarts, The Medici and The Hapsburgs (which is somewhat of a collaborative summary involving all parties). The distinctions make sense and offer clarity to the hypothesis resulting in a concise direction and readable work. Each woman and dynasty receives equal coverage and thus one does not over-shadow the other. The issue with this foundation lays in the chronological jumps back-and-forth which consequentially cannot avoid tedious and confusing repetition. This error weakens “When Women Ruled the World” although is not the major downfall of Quilligan’s text.
There are bigger problems with “When Women Ruled the World” with the most blaring being that the entire piece is that of theory, conjecture and opinion. There is no founded-basis behind any of Quilligan’s statements and the entire work reads like a college argumentative paper. That is not to say there isn’t a time and place for such a point of view and credit is given to Quilligan for showing these women in a new light; but that is not how the book is promoted and on the contrary claims to be more academic in scope. Quilligan’s examinations are introspective, though, and certainly provide ample thought-provoking conversations.
Quilligan also makes the mistake of firmly stating specific historical events as fact even though these are either A) still indisputable or B) have been proven as inaccurate by a number of contemporary historians. “When Women Ruled the World” also fails to suggest any new information or unearthed material (being as again, the arguments are opinion). There are occasional “Ah-ha!” moments as the text progresses but not enough to be redemption. Such aspects of “When Women Ruled the World” will certainly annoy those readers well-versed on the subject. In fact, the text is best for novices seeking on introduction to Mary Tudor, her sister Elizabeth, Mary, Queen of Scots and Catherine de’ Medici.
The writing style throughout “When Women Ruled the World” is vivid, illustrative and floral although Quilligan mentions in the book’s acknowledgements that her fiction-writing husband is behind these passages so it is not stable who is responsible for the “good parts”. Plus, Quilligan tends to slip into overly-familiar and conservational writing attempting humor to “reach out to readers”; but such meanderings have no place in a borderline-scholarly text.
The latter chapters of “When Women Ruled the World” are noticeably more impactful and compelling adding a bit of pizzazz to the otherwise lacking surface structure of Quilligan’s writing. The concluding chapter is a well-summarized take on the topic and helps to give a macro-view of the events, women and gifts discussed; ending in a solid-enough manner.
“When Women Ruled the World” is supplemented with illustrations and images throughout the pages but sadly the details discussed in the texts are obscured by black-and-white ink making it difficult to literally see what Qulligan is depicting. Larger images and/or a section of photo plates would have worked considerably better. Quilligan’s “Notes” are, however, delightfully annotated and will be a pleasure for true history aficionados. “When Women Ruled the World” also highlights primary and secondary sources used in the research of the text.
“When Women Ruled the World” is an admirable subject effort in a quick, easy-to-read form. However the execution is slightly flawed and is best recommended to new readers of the history seeking an introduction. Those readers having read hundreds of books on the period (such as myself) don’t walk away with much gained and lose nothing skipping “When Women Ruled the World” unless you are in the market for a filler read. “When Women Ruled the World” isn’t horrible… it just feels somewhat void and flat.
August 29, 2022
This was largely boring.
The main focus was gift giving and it just truly draggggggggggggged.
The main focus was gift giving and it just truly draggggggggggggged.
January 8, 2022
2.75 stars *may change
that’s so crazy i cant believe queen elizabeth was alive in the 1500s… you learn something new every day
that’s so crazy i cant believe queen elizabeth was alive in the 1500s… you learn something new every day
October 26, 2021
Recorded history is often dominated by men. Particularly Western History. But there are times, often pivotal times in Western History where women, not men, are the primary movers and shakers of the age. This book takes a look at one such time -- the 1500s and four rulers who were rulers in their own right: Mary Tudor, Elizabeth Tudor, Mary Stuart, and Catherine deMedici.
--
If you know me, you know that this is a time period that is near and dear to my heart. It was my focus in college and it's something I've studied extensively afterwards. I absolutely adore these disparate queens but I'm not sure I fully adore this book.
First off, it's definitely an interesting choice to only focus on four queens three of whom rule countries on one small island. Especially since there were other queens ruling at this time including: Joan I (Juana la Loca who ruled Spain until 1555), Anna (Queen of Poland), or even Mary of Hungary (who is mentioned in this book but not as someone who ruled... more of as an extension of Philip II of Spain). And one of the queens focused on isn't technically a queen regnant but instead a queen regent... the choice definitely had me tilting my head a bit.
As did the choice to focus so much time and page space to Philip II, who I will grant was super important and powerful... but by devoting so much time to him and by calling him the true ruler of the world the author not only leans very heavily into colonialism and Eurocentrism schools of thought but also negates her own thesis that the ruling women of this time were just as powerful and worthy of ruling as the men.
For instance in the sections on Mary Tudor, more time is spent on Mary's relationship with Philip and Philip's wooing of Elizabeth than on Mary's accomplishments as queen. While there are a few tantalizing sections on how Mary influenced her sister, there isn't nearly enough focus on the deeds and acts of Mary and how she ruled. Indeed, there's more on confusion regarding a piece of jewelry - La Peregrina.
That isn't to say that this book is bad, it isn't. I found the writing readable and the topics well researched. I particularly liked the inclusion of relevant artwork to bolster the author's claims. But that said, I also found the book meandering, repetitive, and occasionally contradictory.
For example, the author states that the pearl that Mary Tudor is well known for wearing in many of her portraits and even on the currency bearing her image is not "La Peregrina" which was found off the coast of Panama and is part of the Spanish crown jewels. That it was La Peregrina that ended up in the collection of Elizabeth Taylor's jewels and not Mary Tudor's pearl. And the author proceeds to show us this with some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence. But then the author ends this chapter by essentially contradicting the whole thrust of her argument that saying that Mary Tudor's pearl would have been a good addition to Elizabeth Taylor's collection.
On the good side, the author while light on Mary's acts does take the more recently accepted viewpoint that Mary Tudor was a kinder and more popular monarch than most people would think. I would have liked more on this, but what is there is definitely more in line with modern historical thought.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It didn't make me angry and it's clear that the author cares about the subject. That said, I feel that this needed at least one more pass through with a red pen to weed out all of the repetitiveness, contradictions, and to add a little more rationale on why focus on ONLY these four queens when there were other strong female rulers that are also worthy of the spotlight.
I think I'm going to give this:
Three Stars
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley
--
If you know me, you know that this is a time period that is near and dear to my heart. It was my focus in college and it's something I've studied extensively afterwards. I absolutely adore these disparate queens but I'm not sure I fully adore this book.
First off, it's definitely an interesting choice to only focus on four queens three of whom rule countries on one small island. Especially since there were other queens ruling at this time including: Joan I (Juana la Loca who ruled Spain until 1555), Anna (Queen of Poland), or even Mary of Hungary (who is mentioned in this book but not as someone who ruled... more of as an extension of Philip II of Spain). And one of the queens focused on isn't technically a queen regnant but instead a queen regent... the choice definitely had me tilting my head a bit.
As did the choice to focus so much time and page space to Philip II, who I will grant was super important and powerful... but by devoting so much time to him and by calling him the true ruler of the world the author not only leans very heavily into colonialism and Eurocentrism schools of thought but also negates her own thesis that the ruling women of this time were just as powerful and worthy of ruling as the men.
For instance in the sections on Mary Tudor, more time is spent on Mary's relationship with Philip and Philip's wooing of Elizabeth than on Mary's accomplishments as queen. While there are a few tantalizing sections on how Mary influenced her sister, there isn't nearly enough focus on the deeds and acts of Mary and how she ruled. Indeed, there's more on confusion regarding a piece of jewelry - La Peregrina.
That isn't to say that this book is bad, it isn't. I found the writing readable and the topics well researched. I particularly liked the inclusion of relevant artwork to bolster the author's claims. But that said, I also found the book meandering, repetitive, and occasionally contradictory.
For example, the author states that the pearl that Mary Tudor is well known for wearing in many of her portraits and even on the currency bearing her image is not "La Peregrina" which was found off the coast of Panama and is part of the Spanish crown jewels. That it was La Peregrina that ended up in the collection of Elizabeth Taylor's jewels and not Mary Tudor's pearl. And the author proceeds to show us this with some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence. But then the author ends this chapter by essentially contradicting the whole thrust of her argument that saying that Mary Tudor's pearl would have been a good addition to Elizabeth Taylor's collection.
On the good side, the author while light on Mary's acts does take the more recently accepted viewpoint that Mary Tudor was a kinder and more popular monarch than most people would think. I would have liked more on this, but what is there is definitely more in line with modern historical thought.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It didn't make me angry and it's clear that the author cares about the subject. That said, I feel that this needed at least one more pass through with a red pen to weed out all of the repetitiveness, contradictions, and to add a little more rationale on why focus on ONLY these four queens when there were other strong female rulers that are also worthy of the spotlight.
I think I'm going to give this:
Three Stars
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley
January 30, 2022
Unfortunately I can’t rate this book higher than two stars. While an interesting and necessary historical correction, it’s an organizational conundrum (I won’t outline the historical inaccuracies since others, apparently more knowledgeable than me, have already done so). The author’s thesis is that women rulers gifted inalienable possessions in a way that was different and unique from men, yet she provides no anthropological literature review as basic evidence for this claim, which is a curious omission. She then goes on to completely ignore this thesis except for passing references throughout the book, instead focusing on relationships and the lore around these women. It leaves her argument unsatisfactory and unconvincing. She doesn’t do more to explain how these gifts are different from men other than a few paragraphs in the introduction, and does nothing to advance how they were contemporarily or historically significant, not even in the last chapter - instead of concluding her thesis by tying the book together, she merely describes all the gifts again. Interestingly, she claims Elizabeth’s gift of inalienable possession were her speeches, which makes no sense since these are supposed to be material gifts. It’s a clumsy way of tying Elizabeth into her thesis since Elizabeth appears to not have been a gift giver and the only gifts she gave were distinctly alienable (I.e liquidated) assets. She also doesn’t do herself a service by ordering the book out of historical timeline order - she starts with the Tudors and Stuarts, with lengthy background passages on Catherine de Medici, then has a whole section on the Medicis which is mostly before the Tudors and Stuarts, and then goes forward in time again to Philip II. I have no idea why she didn’t place the Medici section first to give the necessary historical background, and proceed in temporal order. The lengthy passages on Catherine could have been omitted in the earlier chapters and then placed in the correct section by a simple reordering. Ending a book on women with a man is another interesting choice, especially since he didn’t seem to do a whole lot for the advancement of women other than love his female family members.
I laughed to myself when I saw in the acknowledgements that she thanked her (male) editor for having her focus on lurid stories rather than dry theory - THE COMPLETE ANTITHESIS OF THE BOOK since she set out to correct historical narratives of these women as blood thirsty, jealous whores. As a result, she has a book that is lacking in both theory and coherent narrative, riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies. If she writes another book, I hope she fires this editor.
I laughed to myself when I saw in the acknowledgements that she thanked her (male) editor for having her focus on lurid stories rather than dry theory - THE COMPLETE ANTITHESIS OF THE BOOK since she set out to correct historical narratives of these women as blood thirsty, jealous whores. As a result, she has a book that is lacking in both theory and coherent narrative, riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies. If she writes another book, I hope she fires this editor.
April 11, 2022
2.5 stars. I have way too many thoughts about the way this was formatted as a thesis and the themes covered, and most of them are not happy. Review maybe to come.
dnf
March 20, 2022I'm only a quarter of the way through so I would have to get it from the library again, and I think it might be worth finishing, but I have come across three historical errors in that 25%, which aren't crucial to the thesis but are pretty basic and easily checked, so they do make me wonder what ones I'm missing that are, but that I don't know enough to recognize.
1) Lady Jane Grey is said to be Queen Mary I's first cousin (p. 22). She was her first cousin once removed. Her mother Frances was Mary's first cousin.
2) Thomas Seymour was Katherine Parr's fourth husband, not her third (p. 84).
3) A real doozy - the 1660 Restoration put Charles II on the throne, not his brother James II, who succeeded him 25 years later (p. 96).
1) Lady Jane Grey is said to be Queen Mary I's first cousin (p. 22). She was her first cousin once removed. Her mother Frances was Mary's first cousin.
2) Thomas Seymour was Katherine Parr's fourth husband, not her third (p. 84).
3) A real doozy - the 1660 Restoration put Charles II on the throne, not his brother James II, who succeeded him 25 years later (p. 96).
November 23, 2022
Hijo manito, la verdad me gustan lo libros de historia pero me desespera cuando personalizan y vierten opiniones sesgadas sobre lo que debería ser o debió ser o juzgan fuera de su tiempo, contexto y sociedad las situaciones que se presentaron. Eso sin mencionar que vuelvan mártires a personas que poco les importaba el vulgo solo porque comparten los mismos genitales, ningún rey, reina o lider que sea puesto por herencia en un puesto es bueno o sirve de algo o es mejor que otro por ser hombre o mujer, todos son escoria de la historia y un pasado que debe de recordarse para no seguir teniendo tanto pendejo en la cima porque se ven buenas personas en campaña. Volviendo al libro, le falto un poquito de edición ya que repite varias ideas dos o tres veces, la que se me viene a la mente es que costó más un vestido que la segunda mejor casa en Verona que compró Shakespeare, no sé porqué el afán de puntualizar eso.
July 13, 2023
Traditionally, history sucks at discussing women in power, and this book represents a step in the right direction by questioning traditional "crazy queen" narratives in four cases. If you want details on the lives and reigns of Mary and Elizabeth Tudor, Mary Stuart, and Catherine de' Medici, this might be worth a read — the book's focus on their gifts to each other was particularly interesting for me. It falls short of slam dunk status mainly for a lack of focus in some parts (we get a chapter on Philip II of Spain who was, ya know, NOT a queen.) Also relies on a bit of prior knowledge, so I'm not sure it's the best introduction to these monarchs or the time period.
December 27, 2021
I stopped reading this book at 10% when I came upon a glaring mistake. First of all, the author was very repetitive. For example, she kept repeating that the half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth Tudor were bastardized, then legitimized, during their father's reign. Secondly--and this was such a big mistake that the author lost all credibility with me--she wrote that the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was Mary Tudor's UNCLE. He was not her uncle; he was her first cousin as their mothers were sisters. Then two paragraphs down, the author did confirm that Charles and Mary were indeed FIRST COUSINS! I could not continue to read this book as I was just at 10% and found such a huge error. I don't think I want to read the next 90% when those pages probably contained more errors. Where were the editors for this book? I do want to read more about Catherine D'Medici, but I will look for another book on her, which hopefully won't contain big mistakes.
October 25, 2021
Good 16th century European History course.
January 12, 2022
Ugh, no he podido pasar de la página 95. Una señora que se supone que es especialista en el tema y profesora universitaria, y en menos de 100 páginas te dice que Carlos V era tío de María Tudor (eran primos hermanos), que Felipe II era nieto de Isabel la Católica (era su bisnieto), que la restauración monárquica de Gran Bretaña puso a Jacobo II en el trono (puso a Carlos II) y hasta que Diana Spencer dejó de ser Princesa de Gales cuando se divorció (dejó de ser Alteza Real, no Princesa de Gales). ¡Ah! Y por alguna razón que no alcanzo a comprender, se empeña en llamar todo el rato "Buonaparte" a los Bonaparte porque PATATAS. Es un desastre de principio a fin, y vistos otros comentarios por aquí no parece que vaya a mejorar.
Tengo demasiadas lecturas pendientes como para perder el tiempo con algo de tan mala calidad, y mira que el tema y las protagonistas me interesaban muchísimo.
Tengo demasiadas lecturas pendientes como para perder el tiempo con algo de tan mala calidad, y mira que el tema y las protagonistas me interesaban muchísimo.
July 14, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because the author spent five pages talking about Spenser 🥰
November 25, 2021
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Audio review first: really liked the narrator. She brought the right combination of nuance and humour to the narration, adding interest to an already engaging subject. (Minor, very petty issue - was there no UK narrator available? It is centred around UK history after all!)
Main review:
I am baffled that some reviewers have described the subject matter as dry! It was fascinating. I would like more historical tomes that focus on the complex interpersonal relationships between historical figures, taking into account the context of the time and the language of gifts between highly educated people in power. I think it's especially interesting to consider the way these four renaissance queens - who had ascended to power despite the genuine patriarchy they lived in - interacted and thought of each other. It was incredibly refreshing to look at female relationships from a more layered perspective instead of just accepting the centuries old male promoted understanding of events. Important events happened off the battlefield and out of parliament! As is proved here.
It certainly reframes Mary Tudor's relationship with her younger sister, Elizabeth I's relationship with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine Medici's relationship with all of them. (Mostly male) Historians have led us to believe that there was little between these women except petty jealousies and plots to destroy each other. And I suppose if you're going to embrace a perspective of these women being in power because there was no other choice and that women at that time had no value beyond their ability to produce children, then you're going to fall into the trap of grossly misunderstanding communications and gifts between them. You're not going to understand that some gifts were comments on a person's character, some showed kinship, some were intended as pieces of art to be passed down to daughters, and some were tactful ways of giving presents of ready cash to poorer monarchs. The gold christening font Elizabeth sent to Mary queen of Scotts, for example, which Mary melted down to pay her soldiers a scant three months later, was likely intended for just that purpose. Elizabeth knew Mary was in trouble and had limited resources, and this was a way of helping without conferring obligation or appearing to interfere in another kingdom's politics. But if all you can see is a jealous older queen intimidated by the presence of a younger, beautiful cousin, then the subtlety, wit and aptness of the gift is going to go over your head.
And that's what this book does. It challenges pre-conceptions about these four women and calls for a more nuanced examination of the historical record. This is something we should be applying to all history, rather than accepting the inherited Victorian version of events. Overall this was an excellent book. I found some of the subject changes a little abrupt and it had the irritating habit of getting into detail on a subject and then just stopping before pursuing another thread. I wish Lady Jane Grey had been considered more simply because how she came to rule for nine days and the men pushing her forward would have given more context to Mary Tudor ascending the throne. And honestly, I could have happily read a much longer version of this book. But these are minor gripes and I highly recommend it.
Audio review first: really liked the narrator. She brought the right combination of nuance and humour to the narration, adding interest to an already engaging subject. (Minor, very petty issue - was there no UK narrator available? It is centred around UK history after all!)
Main review:
I am baffled that some reviewers have described the subject matter as dry! It was fascinating. I would like more historical tomes that focus on the complex interpersonal relationships between historical figures, taking into account the context of the time and the language of gifts between highly educated people in power. I think it's especially interesting to consider the way these four renaissance queens - who had ascended to power despite the genuine patriarchy they lived in - interacted and thought of each other. It was incredibly refreshing to look at female relationships from a more layered perspective instead of just accepting the centuries old male promoted understanding of events. Important events happened off the battlefield and out of parliament! As is proved here.
It certainly reframes Mary Tudor's relationship with her younger sister, Elizabeth I's relationship with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine Medici's relationship with all of them. (Mostly male) Historians have led us to believe that there was little between these women except petty jealousies and plots to destroy each other. And I suppose if you're going to embrace a perspective of these women being in power because there was no other choice and that women at that time had no value beyond their ability to produce children, then you're going to fall into the trap of grossly misunderstanding communications and gifts between them. You're not going to understand that some gifts were comments on a person's character, some showed kinship, some were intended as pieces of art to be passed down to daughters, and some were tactful ways of giving presents of ready cash to poorer monarchs. The gold christening font Elizabeth sent to Mary queen of Scotts, for example, which Mary melted down to pay her soldiers a scant three months later, was likely intended for just that purpose. Elizabeth knew Mary was in trouble and had limited resources, and this was a way of helping without conferring obligation or appearing to interfere in another kingdom's politics. But if all you can see is a jealous older queen intimidated by the presence of a younger, beautiful cousin, then the subtlety, wit and aptness of the gift is going to go over your head.
And that's what this book does. It challenges pre-conceptions about these four women and calls for a more nuanced examination of the historical record. This is something we should be applying to all history, rather than accepting the inherited Victorian version of events. Overall this was an excellent book. I found some of the subject changes a little abrupt and it had the irritating habit of getting into detail on a subject and then just stopping before pursuing another thread. I wish Lady Jane Grey had been considered more simply because how she came to rule for nine days and the men pushing her forward would have given more context to Mary Tudor ascending the throne. And honestly, I could have happily read a much longer version of this book. But these are minor gripes and I highly recommend it.
August 11, 2022
There is a ton of fascinating detail in this book, and I found Quilligan's focus on female gift-giving made for particularly unique discussions of figures that have long since become legend and made in-roads toward grounding them more solidly in the real world. An upsetting misstep of a moment, though, in the discussion of Philip of Spain in the last chapter. Here the author gets a bit caught up, whilst lamenting the fact that Spain often gets left out of the conversation when we are talking about the great European Renaissance powers, in a distressing moment of comparing the relative horribleness of different nations' genocides committed in the Americas. I think we don't really need to defend one by saying another was possibly worse.
Aside from this, this was actually a great history read.
Aside from this, this was actually a great history read.
May 2, 2022
An interesting approach to history which has heretofore been told from the male perspective, in other words, women were not successful World leaders.
I appreciated being able to make connections between the four women rulers and to learn of their contributions.
I appreciated being able to make connections between the four women rulers and to learn of their contributions.
May 1, 2023
I enjoyed this, it dives into the lives and connections between Catherine De Medici, Elizabeth I, and Mary of Scots. I just wish it also had more information about what each of these women did for their countries as rulers.
September 8, 2023
Really more like a 4.5. Very interesting and enlightening, and a unique perspective on some of the Renaissance’s most famous rulers.
January 16, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
January 6, 2022
Gosh the feminist in me is writhing in agony in this 1 star but I just don't believe the authors premise of ruling women giving other ruling women heartfelt gifts.
That's a storytelling fantasy.
This author should 1) invest her entire life savings in a single business and then 2) see how inclined she and her direct competitor is to exchange "heartfelt gifts"
It's obvious this author has not burned in such fire. In which case, she should not promote fantastical tripe.
That's a storytelling fantasy.
This author should 1) invest her entire life savings in a single business and then 2) see how inclined she and her direct competitor is to exchange "heartfelt gifts"
It's obvious this author has not burned in such fire. In which case, she should not promote fantastical tripe.
October 25, 2025
Exactly what I wanted, bite sized bits of niche info on some super cool ladies. I will be making everyone around me suffer with my new found knowledge of all I learned here.
July 30, 2024
loved this! i think im in my nonfiction history era!
March 15, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley for an honest review. The review below is my opinion alone.
This is a great book for anyone who only has basic knowledge of the women mentioned in this book. For someone like me, I already had a good grasp on them, so I found it mostly repetitive. I wouldn't hold it against this book though, as it's a great way to dip a toe into important women during this time.
It may be a two star review for me, but for anyone who wants to know more about the four women, I'd bump it up to four star. The writing is extremely good. It flows very well, and is an easy read. The author goes beyond hitting each significant part of these women's lives, and the details added are really interesting. From this book, I invested in a book exclusively on Catherine de'Medici because I wanted to know more. This book by Maureen Quilligan re-sparked my interest in her.
If another book was to come out by Maureen Quilligan on any subject that I don't know, I would buy it through her name alone. I'd highly recommend this.
This is a great book for anyone who only has basic knowledge of the women mentioned in this book. For someone like me, I already had a good grasp on them, so I found it mostly repetitive. I wouldn't hold it against this book though, as it's a great way to dip a toe into important women during this time.
It may be a two star review for me, but for anyone who wants to know more about the four women, I'd bump it up to four star. The writing is extremely good. It flows very well, and is an easy read. The author goes beyond hitting each significant part of these women's lives, and the details added are really interesting. From this book, I invested in a book exclusively on Catherine de'Medici because I wanted to know more. This book by Maureen Quilligan re-sparked my interest in her.
If another book was to come out by Maureen Quilligan on any subject that I don't know, I would buy it through her name alone. I'd highly recommend this.
October 30, 2021
When Women Ruled The World: Making The Renaissance in Europe
By Maureen Quilligan
⚡️ I was provided an audio-ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
🌟: 3 / 5
📚: A look at the overlapping lives and rules of four female rulers in Renaissance Europe
💭: As much of a fan as I am of court politics in fiction, this book made the complex and cunning of the reigns of Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine de Medici seem objectively dry. There is so much meat to this book, but not much creativity lent to the telling, to the point where many of the downright dramatic moves basically went in one ear and out the other for me.
And although the bulk of this book centers on the women who lorded over several decades of Renaissance Europe, most of what I retained from reading this book were focused on the traditional roles of women of the time and how these rulers still held true to them. Their “inalienable gifts,” their belongings and handiwork that passed along generations rather than belonging to the state and position, their marital status, and their ability to produce heirs still remained at the center of their stories, as opposed to the politicking that would have likely been centered were this book about kings of the Renaissance. While this is definitely an interesting take and would have doubtlessly been the focus of many of the male historians at the time who would document their rules, the way that these stories are told lacks the drama inherent in saying that these women filled both the role of woman and ruler that I expected to find in this book.
From a historical standpoint, the content within this book is relevant and accurate in its writing, but from a storytelling perspective, the writing makes court intrigue and moves that can only be described as dramatic into clinical and bland blocks of text. If I recommended this book, it would be more of a textbook recommendation than something for creative nonfiction entertainment purposes. I think that the history captured within When Women Ruled The World is fascinating and would translate well into a tv show or film plot line, but the way it’s written didn’t capture me like I wished it would.
By Maureen Quilligan
⚡️ I was provided an audio-ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
🌟: 3 / 5
📚: A look at the overlapping lives and rules of four female rulers in Renaissance Europe
💭: As much of a fan as I am of court politics in fiction, this book made the complex and cunning of the reigns of Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine de Medici seem objectively dry. There is so much meat to this book, but not much creativity lent to the telling, to the point where many of the downright dramatic moves basically went in one ear and out the other for me.
And although the bulk of this book centers on the women who lorded over several decades of Renaissance Europe, most of what I retained from reading this book were focused on the traditional roles of women of the time and how these rulers still held true to them. Their “inalienable gifts,” their belongings and handiwork that passed along generations rather than belonging to the state and position, their marital status, and their ability to produce heirs still remained at the center of their stories, as opposed to the politicking that would have likely been centered were this book about kings of the Renaissance. While this is definitely an interesting take and would have doubtlessly been the focus of many of the male historians at the time who would document their rules, the way that these stories are told lacks the drama inherent in saying that these women filled both the role of woman and ruler that I expected to find in this book.
From a historical standpoint, the content within this book is relevant and accurate in its writing, but from a storytelling perspective, the writing makes court intrigue and moves that can only be described as dramatic into clinical and bland blocks of text. If I recommended this book, it would be more of a textbook recommendation than something for creative nonfiction entertainment purposes. I think that the history captured within When Women Ruled The World is fascinating and would translate well into a tv show or film plot line, but the way it’s written didn’t capture me like I wished it would.
May 21, 2021
At the dawn of the Renaissance, there were an unprecedented number of women occupying the thrones of Europe. This book specifically looks at the two Tudor queens, their Stuart cousin, Catherine de Medici, and how the Hapsburgs fit into the mix. We see how, “…a quartet of Renaissance queens whose crowded lives were intertwined by complex blood and marriage ties, by changing allegiances and the fractures of religion, by their premier places in the world of a few dozen European monarchs, and by the great worlds that those neighboring monarchs ruled…”
It is how these women engaged with one another that is the central theme here, especially in the context of gifts they bequeathed. “The reciprocity of [gift] exchanges is fundamental to most social connections and so gift-giving is a signal ritual in demonstrating… loyalty.” By examining the underlying meaning of these gifts, we can see where their affections lie. Historically, rivalry often trumps support and cooperation, but regardless of how the history books portray these sovereigns’ attitudes towards one another, they still demonstrated thoughtful generosity. I was especially intrigued by the significance of tapestries as inalienable possessions.
There were some redundancies in the narrative, and I thought perhaps that Catherine de Medici’s section should have been presented first. It started with Mary Tudor, then Elizabeth I, followed by Mary of Scots, and then her former mother-in-law, Catherine. Despite that, I got a good sense of how each sovereign ruled, what her priorities were, and how she felt about her sister queens.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the GoodReads First Reads program.
It is how these women engaged with one another that is the central theme here, especially in the context of gifts they bequeathed. “The reciprocity of [gift] exchanges is fundamental to most social connections and so gift-giving is a signal ritual in demonstrating… loyalty.” By examining the underlying meaning of these gifts, we can see where their affections lie. Historically, rivalry often trumps support and cooperation, but regardless of how the history books portray these sovereigns’ attitudes towards one another, they still demonstrated thoughtful generosity. I was especially intrigued by the significance of tapestries as inalienable possessions.
There were some redundancies in the narrative, and I thought perhaps that Catherine de Medici’s section should have been presented first. It started with Mary Tudor, then Elizabeth I, followed by Mary of Scots, and then her former mother-in-law, Catherine. Despite that, I got a good sense of how each sovereign ruled, what her priorities were, and how she felt about her sister queens.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the GoodReads First Reads program.
November 10, 2021
A solid 3.5 for me. There have been countless books written on the four queens featured in this book. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine de’ Medici. I have read a few of them. I knew this one was going to be interesting when it opened and talked about how there was a difference in the gifts that women gifted each other, and how they were designed to hold value and bring prestige to the receiver, while men are usually gifted women.
The four queens were all rulers around the same time, and they all interacted with each other in personal and professional ways. This book covers each woman, and her history, in its own right. It also looks at how their history then overlaps and what those interactions in the written record tells us about each Queen, and about their relationships. Where there is a difference between the record and what popular history tells us about the Queens Maureen Quilligan makes sure to point out. Some of what is in the book can be old retellings to those who have studied these women before, but it is a refreshing refusal to take the same old sexist tropes of jealousy and bitterness that surrounds ruling Queens. If you have read on the subject it will seem repetitive with gems hidden in it, if you haven’t, it is a good place to start learning about some of the many ruling Queens of the century. Thank you to NetGalley and Liverlight for the copy of this book.
The four queens were all rulers around the same time, and they all interacted with each other in personal and professional ways. This book covers each woman, and her history, in its own right. It also looks at how their history then overlaps and what those interactions in the written record tells us about each Queen, and about their relationships. Where there is a difference between the record and what popular history tells us about the Queens Maureen Quilligan makes sure to point out. Some of what is in the book can be old retellings to those who have studied these women before, but it is a refreshing refusal to take the same old sexist tropes of jealousy and bitterness that surrounds ruling Queens. If you have read on the subject it will seem repetitive with gems hidden in it, if you haven’t, it is a good place to start learning about some of the many ruling Queens of the century. Thank you to NetGalley and Liverlight for the copy of this book.
July 23, 2021
In "When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe" by Maureen Quilligan, the focus is on the gifts exchanged between European women in the 16th century and a fresh look at old misconceptions about women rulers. These women in particular: Mary Tudor, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, and Catherine de’ Medici created themselves or had created, gifts of poems, cloth, embroidered items, and golden and silver fonts. The four women all faced hardships in their childhood and as rulers most of them worked toward peace and religious tolerance, more than their male counterparts, like William Cecil, John Knox, and the Pope. Many Hapsburg women had assumed positions of great authority over the family's lands with the backing of Phillip II of Spain. and gifts tied them together as family heirlooms as well. Tapestry was the most expensive form of art and revealed much about family and history. The author brings together recent scholarship by various people and there is a nice bibliography and notes section. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.
March 13, 2023
A fantastic book to read and listen to during a few business travel trips. To specifically talk to the audiobook, I loved how this narrator gave character to these women and changed her voice just a bit for each women featured in the book. She also read the book with conviction, there was no monotone in this one and because of this I would love to hear her read another!
I read this book at a time where I needed to hear about powerful women to empower myself! I loved hearing about these women who lived such big lives at a time where women weren't allowed in many places. They defied what the critics said and proceeded to fill roles that were set aside for men.
After reading this book, I wanted to dive deeper into each woman's story and hope to read a book that is dedicated to each woman individually to hear even more of their stories and their individual experiences. I love when a book pushes me to want to know more.
My first Maureen Quilligan book, but by no means my last - I plan on reading more from her in the not so distant future.
I read this book at a time where I needed to hear about powerful women to empower myself! I loved hearing about these women who lived such big lives at a time where women weren't allowed in many places. They defied what the critics said and proceeded to fill roles that were set aside for men.
After reading this book, I wanted to dive deeper into each woman's story and hope to read a book that is dedicated to each woman individually to hear even more of their stories and their individual experiences. I love when a book pushes me to want to know more.
My first Maureen Quilligan book, but by no means my last - I plan on reading more from her in the not so distant future.
May 23, 2022
i greatly enjoyed the first half of this book, before i realized that it wasn’t about the renaissance in europe, but in england specifically with regards to the ways that queen elizabeth I and mary queen of scots related to the rest of europe. throughout the entire first half (over 50% covers english queens, with just three chapters dedicated to the medici family, ie catherine de medici, and the hapsburgs, meaning philip ii), quilligan argues that elizabeth and mary were friends that were misjudged by history. to a degree i understand her argument, however in presenting this argument quilligan diminishes the power elizabeth and mary possessed, instead blaming everything on the men around them. women can commit war crimes too.
it’s also a shame that quilligan did not spend more time on catherine de’ medici, especially her early life, as it would have made the parallels she attempts to make between the french queen mother and elizabeth and mary more relevant. quilligan also spends much of catherine’s section discussing her work as a patron, which demonstrates a great knowledge and ability to write about art history, but which does little to uphold the title of the book “when women ruled the world,” since catherine was so instrumental in the rule of three of her children.
the third section “the hapsburgs” isn’t even about a queen, but phillip ii. truthfully, i ended up skipping most of his section out of sheer spite for quilligan. she discusses the women who surrounded and helped philip, but only in order to show philip’s successes, not for the women’s merits in their own right.
it’s clear that quilligan only wanted to discuss the english monarchy and had this book been better titled and organized, it would have merited higher praise. she even writes that the “story would have been very different if a much anticipated british defeat by the [spanish] armada in 1588 had ended the elizabethan age (in which case this book might have been written in spanish, if at all)” recognizing that her book revolves solely around the briths monarchy (pg 231). it is extremely well written and well argued, even if i find her position to be inaccurate and at times misogynistic. there were oddly also quite a few typos and grammatical errors.
overall, this book was well written and a nice way to dip my toe back in to early modern history after college. it’s clear that quilligan is passionate about english history and her use of textual and artistic examples was very impressive. however, my disappointment in the inaccuracy of the title and certain historical facts really colored my judgement of this book, as i was hoping to learn more about female monarchs other than the oft analyzed british royals.
it’s also a shame that quilligan did not spend more time on catherine de’ medici, especially her early life, as it would have made the parallels she attempts to make between the french queen mother and elizabeth and mary more relevant. quilligan also spends much of catherine’s section discussing her work as a patron, which demonstrates a great knowledge and ability to write about art history, but which does little to uphold the title of the book “when women ruled the world,” since catherine was so instrumental in the rule of three of her children.
the third section “the hapsburgs” isn’t even about a queen, but phillip ii. truthfully, i ended up skipping most of his section out of sheer spite for quilligan. she discusses the women who surrounded and helped philip, but only in order to show philip’s successes, not for the women’s merits in their own right.
it’s clear that quilligan only wanted to discuss the english monarchy and had this book been better titled and organized, it would have merited higher praise. she even writes that the “story would have been very different if a much anticipated british defeat by the [spanish] armada in 1588 had ended the elizabethan age (in which case this book might have been written in spanish, if at all)” recognizing that her book revolves solely around the briths monarchy (pg 231). it is extremely well written and well argued, even if i find her position to be inaccurate and at times misogynistic. there were oddly also quite a few typos and grammatical errors.
overall, this book was well written and a nice way to dip my toe back in to early modern history after college. it’s clear that quilligan is passionate about english history and her use of textual and artistic examples was very impressive. however, my disappointment in the inaccuracy of the title and certain historical facts really colored my judgement of this book, as i was hoping to learn more about female monarchs other than the oft analyzed british royals.
October 11, 2023
Is This An Overview?
This is the story of Mary Tudor Queen of England, Elizabeth Tudor Queen of England, Mary Stuart Queen of Scotland, and Catherine de’ Medici Queen of France. Showing how they interacted with each other, learned from each other, and resolved their conflicts. The queens gave each other gifts. Some were physical, as devices to influence decisions and garner cooperation. Some were intellectual, as they learned from the others experiences to change how they ruled. They made different relationship choices, and faced the consequences. The queens were often divided by religion. As their regions were engaged in the conflict between Protestants and Catholics. The queens sometimes tried to reduce political friction, to engage in religious toleration, but their choices were limited due to competing powers.
They were women who ruled during a time when many in their regions, and even relatives, wanted a male sovereign. The role of women was to produce a male heir for succession. Being female was not the only challenge to their sovereignty, as regions were also challenging the divine authority of monarchy. An era of growing demand to turn monarchies into republics. Political competition was another challenge, for the expansion of a kingdom or religion could had threatened the other kingdoms or religions. The queens, and other leaders, used various maneuvers to try to obtain or prevent a kingdom from gaining more power.
Caveats?
The focus of this book is on a few events, which emphasize decisions being made on account of the sovereigns being queens rather than kings. References are made to international influences, but were given little information. This book provides an introduction to the queens era’s political schemes, which the reader can use to search for more information about the related sovereign entities and political decisions.
This book showcases sexist claims against women from the people during the era, that effected the era’s decisions. Some of these claims are being reflected on and remarked with sexism against the author’s male contemporaries. The remarks do not take up much space, but create contradictions in how the author approaches sexism.
This is the story of Mary Tudor Queen of England, Elizabeth Tudor Queen of England, Mary Stuart Queen of Scotland, and Catherine de’ Medici Queen of France. Showing how they interacted with each other, learned from each other, and resolved their conflicts. The queens gave each other gifts. Some were physical, as devices to influence decisions and garner cooperation. Some were intellectual, as they learned from the others experiences to change how they ruled. They made different relationship choices, and faced the consequences. The queens were often divided by religion. As their regions were engaged in the conflict between Protestants and Catholics. The queens sometimes tried to reduce political friction, to engage in religious toleration, but their choices were limited due to competing powers.
They were women who ruled during a time when many in their regions, and even relatives, wanted a male sovereign. The role of women was to produce a male heir for succession. Being female was not the only challenge to their sovereignty, as regions were also challenging the divine authority of monarchy. An era of growing demand to turn monarchies into republics. Political competition was another challenge, for the expansion of a kingdom or religion could had threatened the other kingdoms or religions. The queens, and other leaders, used various maneuvers to try to obtain or prevent a kingdom from gaining more power.
Caveats?
The focus of this book is on a few events, which emphasize decisions being made on account of the sovereigns being queens rather than kings. References are made to international influences, but were given little information. This book provides an introduction to the queens era’s political schemes, which the reader can use to search for more information about the related sovereign entities and political decisions.
This book showcases sexist claims against women from the people during the era, that effected the era’s decisions. Some of these claims are being reflected on and remarked with sexism against the author’s male contemporaries. The remarks do not take up much space, but create contradictions in how the author approaches sexism.
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