Vanessa Collingridge

The first I'd heard of Boudica (or Boadicea as it was spelled then) was in the Eagle Eye Mysteries in London edutainment game- one of the Eagles' friends wrote a song inspired by her. Popped up again when I signed up for the library's winter reading program, which had a time-traveling theme- read a book written about, in or set different time periods, which is problematic for me because I tend to stick to either fantasy worlds or science. Didn't feel like reading about actual Romans for the 'Ancient Rome' category, so opted to read about the infamous British queen's rebellion against them.

An interesting read. Collingridge first looks at the historical context and story of the actual Boudica (Rome and conquering the Gauls then Ocean then Britannia, etc.) then digs into the cultural evolution of the myth around Boudicca in the second half. The most fascinating part to me was actually a tangent- the fabrication of the Celtic identity by European Romantics in the late 1700s- early 1800s and the weird fusion of Druidism and the Britons. Use of Boudica as an avatar for whatever values the people of the time wanted to say was also interesting- would love to see comparisons of all the different depictions in plays.

I have way, way too many library books in my queue so I'm glad to get this done. Actually missed submitting any reads to the winter reading program, whoops.… (plus d'informations)

This book covers almost the same territory as Boudica: Iron Age Warrior Queen and contains several quotes from that author Richard Hingley. The major exception being that Collingridge goes further back in time to Rome and Caesar to study their attitudes toward women in society as a backdrop for her research. Both books look at the classical authors and modern archaeology to tell their tales. Both books conclude we know very little about the woman known as Boudica--including her name, which might have been a title or battle name (it means Victory). Both books spend about half their pages on history and about half on the legend that grew up around Boudica and her image down through the ages in literature, art, drama, and role in politics. However, Collingridge's book is meant as a popular biography. There are no footnotes, attributions are given in the text, and the narrative is in modern accessible language. She does provide a select biography and index. Personally I preferred the Hingley book, but I am doing research and liked the footnotes and attributions. Both books are thorough and well-written. (I think) the casual reader would enjoy either or both.… (plus d'informations)

"The story of the three of us – James, George and me... where we should have been separated by geography, history and place in society, our stories were now fused into one". Oh dear, this reader thought, one of those books where the author is the reason and core of the story. But this work is better than that, and is not even a “light” history as it closely follows the Captains own official journals and offers a very readable interpretation of Cook’s journeys of discovery and meticulous navigation.
Because of previous readings, of the original journals, much of the history was familiar, indeed even the interposing of the Collingridge name with Cook was familiar ground, as several other writers and biographers mention the connection. Tony Horwitz covered much the same material in his account of a similar search for the man in Blue Latitudes (http://www.librarything.com/work/143772/book/71205497).
Minor complaints… this is a rather ‘breathless’ narrative. Not that it is in the style of ”scribblin’ wimmin”, but in the overuse of the word. When I visit my cardiologist he always asks “Any breathlessness?” If he asked Vanessa she should, in truth, have to reply; “Only every third paragraph or so”. Everything takes her breath away or leaves us, she claims, breathless. And the author remains seemingly convinced that “Pickled Cabbage”, or even “Salted Cabbage” is somehow different to Sauerkraut. I seem to recall her using at least two versions of this famous antiscorbutic in the same sentence!
However, the author has produced a solid, well researched, history and a good book on this remarkable man, and any author sharing an illustrious name and engaged in a work that provides a connection between the book’s subject and that name could scarcely resist providing a strong reference.… (plus d'informations)