SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE WEEK

Mary Queen of Scots: A Study in Failure

Jenny Wormald, Birlinn, £14.99 When it was first published in 1988, Jenny Wormald’s book caused a stir. Piercing through the romanticism and sentimentality that had surrounded previous accounts of this unfortunate monarch, the author insisted that Mary be judged first and foremost on her actions as a monarch rather than as a martyr, victim, or simply a woman. Mary Queen of Scots: A Study in Failure takes as its focus Mary’s personal rule in Scotland (1561-67).

Examining her performance as both a Scottish and a European renaissance monarch, Wormald concludes that Mary was a rare individual, a reluctant ruler born to supreme power who was “wholly unable to cope with its responsibilities”.

Wormald’s opinions and the book’s relentless, prosecutorial style remain controversial but her research and expertise in Stewart Scottish government remain unimpeachable.

This concise biography rings with acerbic wit and quotable phrases, making it required reading for students, scholars, and history enthusiasts interested in a pithy, critical insight into Mary’s reign.

Anna Groundwater’s foreword and substantial afterword, and a new bibliography, bring the book within 21st Century Scottish culture.