I received this book through Netgalley. I enjoy biographies and thought it would be insightful.

This is a story of the life, times and challenges of William Cavendish – Earl of Newcastle. The book’s setting is in England in the 1600s. It provides the royal family relationships. It is a bit of a Who’s Who in Royalty during this time. The information around the variety of castles and who owns ones is interesting. There are challenges to keep the castles maintained and up to date. Being in the royalty doesn’t mean finances are readily available. The cash flow is a persistent challenge.

William (called Newcastle through most of the book) is the governor for Prince Charles. I found it interesting his interactions with the Prince. Newcastle tutored Prince Charles in horse. Yet, when the Prince becomes the King, Newcastle is no longer closely engaged with the royal family. The Queen remained Newcastle’s constant through the battles.

Much of the book covers the armed strife of the civil war. Chapters were full of Newcastle’s efforts in battles. Newcastle leads his troops and is respected. I found it interesting he had to recruit and pay his troops. Wearing troops would go weeks without pay. Taking the reader back to battles in the 1600s was interesting. For example, something as simple as a pocket watch to synchronize actions between troops was not owned by all offers. It was safer to rely on signals, trumpet or a gun.

I learned Newcastle was a playwright. It was interesting to learn about the numerous scripts that he wrote. A number of poems were provided. He also wrote numerous books. One was around horsemanship, which he was known for after tutoring Prince Charles.

The mortality of the times was horrific. Out of ten children only a few survive. A main concern is a male heir to carry on the name. Disease, such as smallpox, was common. After Newcastle’s first wife of 25 years passes away, he remarried Margaret who is 30 years his junior. Margaret never had children. She, like Newcastle, also spent her time writing (offering escape from society). She was the first Englishwoman to write not only for her own pleasure but for publication. While Newcastle was away fighting, Margaret had to run the house and lived on credit. Newcastle’s children from his first marriage were not fond of their stepmother. Newcastle lived into his 80s and outlived his younger wife.

The book does a good job in sharing this history in an interesting manner.
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