James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 –27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603.Although he long tried to get both countries to adopt a closer political union, the kingdoms of Scotland and England remained individual sovereign states, with their own parliaments, judiciaries,and laws,both ruled by James in personal union.James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a great-great-grandson of Henry VII, King of England and Lord of Ireland,and thus a potential successor to all 3 thrones.He succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of 13 months after his mother was forced to abdicate in his favour.Four different regents governed during his minority, which ended officially in 1578, though he did not gain full control of his government until 1583.In 1589, he wed Anne of Denmark,and 3 of their children survived to adulthood: Henry Frederick, Elizabeth, and Charles I,his successor.In 1603, James succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I.James survived 2 conspiracies in the first year of his reign,despite the smoothness of the succession and the warmth of his welcome: the Bye Plot and Main Plot, which led to the arrest of Lord Cobham and Walter Raleigh, among others.Freedom of worship for Catholics in England,however, continued to be a major objective of Spanish policy, causing constant dilemmas for James, distrusted abroad for repression of Catholics while at home being encouraged by the Privy Council to be intolerant towards them.This led to the failed Gunpowder Plot by dissident English Catholics to commit regicide by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605.Guy Fawkes was in charge of explosives.James was strongly committed to a peace policy,and tried to avoid involvement in religious wars,especially the Thirty Years' War.James oversaw a new authorised English translation of the Bible,published in 1611 as the King James Version.He believed in the divine right of kings.James was a prolific writer,authoring Daemonologie,The True Law of Free Monarchies,and Basilikon Doron.

‘Make no mistake that James had faced some significant competition for the tantalising prize of English kingship in the run-up to the succession.’

This was an interesting introduction for me into the Stuart period. I don’t think I have ready any books on the topic or if I have it’s maybe been a couple.

After reading this I am intrigued to read more on James and his family, especially Charles I.

‘The common crowds were unable to contain their giddy excitement at the king’s spectacular entrance, bellowing such niceties as ‘Welcome!’ and ‘God save King James!’

Another book adding more books to my TBR!

The ideal read for any history lover and those interested in particular in the Stuart history.

I want to thank Netgalley and Pen & Sword for a copy of this book in exchange for review.

I was drawn to this book because I am trying to expand my reading horizons and I am not as familiar with the Stuart period as I am with the Tudors'. I found the idea of focusing specifically on the first year of James I's English reign very intriguing. And I want to be very clear. Norman did an excellent job pulling from the historical record to paint a lively picture of England in 1603. Years of work must have gone into this book looking at parish records and diaries to create a timeline of events. That in and of itself earns this book a 5 out of 5. However, I found some parts of this book boring. Again this is NOT because of Norman's work or writing. I just found that I was not always entirely interested in all the crimes and diary entries that were discussed throughout this book. It just wasn't all for me. So from an interest perspective, I would rate this book a 3 out of 5. I thus averaged the two.

That being said I found several aspects of this book very interesting. First, the movements of Queen Anna, Lady Arabella Stuart, and Princess Elizabeth. Now, they are not the focus of the book by any means, but I enjoyed how they would make appearances and you got to learn a bit about the relationships and events that they participated in during the establishment of the Stuart Dynasty.

Second, the way that Norman brought out James's personality from the sources made him a more dynamic and interesting historical figure to me. For instance, his desire to knight nearly every man he met on his way to London was rather entertaining to read.

Third, although it was somewhat difficult to read given recent events, the discussion of the plague outbreak was interesting. Although, centuries separate that epidemic and the Covid 19 pandemic it was easy to see similarities in how things were originally handled because the understanding of the disease (at least at first) was not well understood. Even though Norman discusses the death tolls of the plague throughout 1603 he does a very good job of humanizing the victims and reminding the reader how their loss was felt by their communities and loved ones.

Finally, the discussion of the Main Plot was super interesting. I knew about the Gun Powder Plot, but I did not realize that there were attempts to stop James from taking the throne. I appreciate how Norman discussed the participants in the plot. He maintained their humanity and highlighted each player's motivations at various points, but Norman does not overly input his own opinion on these discussions.

If you are interested in the transition period between Stuart and Tudor England I would recommend this book. Also, if you are interested in the lives of everyday people in the early modern period this book is a font of well-researched information.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Murder, Blood, Violence, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
Moderate: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty

This is a book about events that happened during the first year of the reign of James I.
It's a fascinating look at what was going on in the country during that time, and gives readers an insight into the politics and religion.
The similarities between Elizabeth dying and the turmoil that followed the new King James, are highly relevant in this day and age.
I found it intriguing, thoroughly researched and a great read

A very informative book. I am not familiar with James 1 so finding a book about him really piqued my interests. The format of the book seems like it was telling a story, bringing you back to where it all began. It was nice learning more about his background and how he became king of England after Elizabeth I's death. Although I hope the format qas more different because the paragraphs are too long and it loses me in the middle of it.

A year in the life and reign of a king! In particular James I of England (James VI of Scotland), his first year after his coming to the throne after the death of the long-serving Elizabeth I. A year not only of upheaval but one in which the bubonic plague would wipe out tens of thousands of his citizens of all levels of society all happening while plots to put a Catholic back on the throne were hatched but defeated. This book tells of a time I suspect not that often written about by historians.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

With the death of Queen Elizabeth I, 1603 brings monumental political and social changes in Great Britain. As James VI & I takes the English throne, fresh hopes and threats emerge. The plague spreads, Catholic uprisings threaten, and a plot emerges to depose King James I and raise Lady Arbella Stuart to the monarchy. Delving into the pivotal year through insights from court and countryside, this history uncovers the intricate link between rulers and the ruled in 17th century England.

This is a fascinating and informative narrative that follows social change in 1603 England. I expected the book to be about James I’s policy clashes with his new court, given that he was a foreigner, but it wasn’t that at all. It’s more about the country in general than James I in particular.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved the idea behind this book and found the experiences and events absolutely fascinating - it was somewhat like following the plot of a soap opera. Who needs fiction? Everyone in the book had their own drama from Lady Arbella Stuart to Robert Carey. I particularly enjoyed the elements of social history woven through the political accounts and the lives of the better known early Stuarts. It was a through provoking journey through the year.

The structure of the book was interesting: we follow the progress of the new King Charles I on his way to England in a parallel to the progress of the plague through the country. Also very detailed was the trial of the men accused of the Big Plot. However, I did not really learn much about Charles in his first year in England. A few information about the inhabitants of the country at large was given but not so much that I would qualify this book as a fascinating one.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.