Son of the doomed Mary Queen of Scots, raised to rule two countries, James was one of the oddest kings ever to ascent any throne. Neither noble nor heroic, he confounded those who despised him by being shrewd enough to reign for fifty-eight years, survive countless plots and never go to war. 'A vastly entertaining addition to the historical novels of Scots author Nigel Tranter.' Glasgow Sunday Mail
James VI and I, the first monarch to reign over Scotland, England and Ireland, has long endured a mixed reputation. To many, he is simply the homosexual King, the inveterate witch-roaster, the smelly sovereign who never washed, the colourless man behind the authorised Bible bearing his name, or the drooling fool whose speech could barely be understood. For too long, he has paled in comparison to his more celebrated Tudor and Stuart forebears. But who was he really? To what extent have myth, anecdote, and rumour obscured him? In this new and ground-breaking biography, James's story is laid bare and a welter of scurrilous, outrageous assumptions penned by his political opponents put to rest. What emerges is a portrait of Elizabeth I's successor as his contemporaries knew him: a gregarious, idealistic man obsessed with the idea of family, whose personal and political goals could never match up to reality. With reference to letters, libels and state papers, it casts fresh light on the personal, domestic, international and sexual politics of this misunderstood sovereign. 'A real page-turner for lovers of history' - Philippa Gregory
Written in a spirit of activism, the street plays in this collection explore gay identity politics in language that is pure theatre. The monologues, spoken by a single character, Jay, at different points in his life, use homosexual sex as the backdrop, even as they make a satirical comment on bourgeois lifestyle, unemployment, male prostitution, the angst of the homosexual subject, religion, and right wing politics.
Have you found yourself in circumstances you never envisioned, tangled up with people you never approved of, and doing things you never imagined? It seems impossible that the valedictorian of the entire human race would ruin his life by making dumb choices, but Solomon did. Solomon was better equipped to see through Satan’s deceptions than any man who has ever lived, other than Jesus. But in the end, he became just as blind to them as everyone else. Pay attention to the news and you’ll see that it’s not just the numbskulls that fall into Satan’s traps. It’s also the best and brightest of America’s fathers, husbands, and sons. Many smart guys who love God end up being ashamed and humiliated by Satan’s seductions. With humor, grace, and a pastor’s heart, Mark Atteberry seeks to offer practical suggestions on how to avoid a similar fate. His prayer for readers is to experience a wake-up call to move forward and determined on an upward path.
