TV Historical Dramas Preview – Part 2

Last week I shared with you all a bunch of historical dramas that are currently or going to be on PBS-Masterpiece. This week, I’m going to share some of the shows on paid services – such as STARZ and Netflix. There are some great new shows coming that I can’t wait to dive in to.

On STARZ

STARZ has come up with a great selection of historical dramas over the last couple of years – and the three I am featuring below are all returning selections.

Outlander – Premiered September 2014, 2^nd season coming in the Spring

Outlander is based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married World War II nurse in 1945 who finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743, where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

I LOVE THIS SHOW!! Was that a clear enough statement of how I feel about this show? I think it beautifully brings the novels to vivid life. Sometimes hard to watch for sure, but so good. I’m looking forward to season 2 and seeing their time in France.

Black Sails – Premiered in 2014, 3^rd season is coming this month

Black Sails is an American dramatic adventure television series set on New Providence Island and a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island

I have seen a couple episodes of this show, just the very beginning. I love tales of pirates and adventure and Treasure Island – although I didn’t realize it was related to Treasure Island when I watched it the first time. And visually stunning!! Beyond that, I don’t know much about this one.

DaVinci’s Demons – Premiered in 2013, 3 seasons (ended December 2015)

Da Vinci's Demons is a historical fantasy drama series that presents a fictional account of Leonardo da Vinci's early life.  The show follows Leonardo as he is implicated in the political schemes of the Medici and Pazzi families and their contrasting relationships with the Catholic Church. These events occur alongside Leonardo's quest to obtain the Book of Leaves as he finds himself entangled with a cult known as the Sons of Mithras.

I saw most of the first season of this one, haven’t had the chance to finish up watching this though. The plot was a little strange at times and hard to follow, but I LOVED Tom Riley who plays Leonardo. A great mix of insane and genius. Another one that is visually beautiful. It just ended its run in

On Netflix

Marco Polo – Premiered in 2014 and 2^nd season was just renewed

Marco Polo is an American drama series inspired by Marco Polo's early years in the court of Kublai Khan, the Khagan of the Mongolian Empire and the founder of the Yuan dynasty (1271 – 1368), in Khanbaliq.

I have not have the chance to see this one yet, however it is in my Netflix queue. I have heard mixed reactions to this one. I have heard it is a little weak in plot.

The Crown – Premiering in 2016 at a date to be announced

The Crown is a biographical drama series about the British royal family, namely the inside story of Queen Elizabeth II and her many prime ministers as it spans across several decades.

Not quite as historical as some of the shows discussed today, as the subjects are still currently living and ruling, but it is about royalty and that is enough for me. I’m assuming if we are going to be being treated to many of her prime ministers it will go back a ways.

Frontier – Premiering in 2016 at a date to be announced

Set in the late 1700s, Frontier is an adventure drama series that explores the clash between Native tribes and European settlers during the height of the North American fur trade. Will star Jason Momoa, previously of Game of Thrones.

This has potential as far as I’m concerned. There aren’t too many USA based historical dramas these days – but they are branching out! I will have my eyes out for this one.

I do not have a trailer yet for this one.

There are a lot more historical dramas than I knew about – how to find the time to watch them all and read!!! I’m excited for the new shows coming from Netflix and to catch up on Outlander and Da Vinci’s Demons.  What are you excited about?

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War edited by Hew Strachan

The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War edited by Hew Strachan
Hardcover, 400 pages
Oxford University Press
May 19, 2014
★★★★☆

Genre: Non-Fiction, History

Source: Personal purchase for my Masters class

World War I was a war of extraordinary intensity and one which has shaped the history of the 20th century. It was the first conflict in which aeroplanes, submarines and tanks played a significant role, the first in which casualties on the battlefield outnumbered those from disease. The USA's entry into the war and the part it played in the peace settlement signalled the arrival on the world stage of a new great power. The victors at Versailles took nationalism as one of their guiding principles; they also aimed at instituting their vision of liberalism and even democracy; the political consequences are still being played out.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War edited by Hew Strachan is an excellent overview work on World War I. For anyone looking to pick up one book and get some solid information about a majority of the aspects of the war, they will find it here; from the different battlefronts, to war origins, the role of women, propaganda, to peace settlements and more. This is a first-rate resource for anyone who might be new to the subject area or just to serve as a refresher for a seasoned historian.

The dual strengths of this book are its brevity and its contributors. Typically I find the brevity of books on one specific subject to be a hindrance to my understanding of said topic. In the case of The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War it strikes the perfect balance between spending enough time covering the important topics while not allowing the flow to become bogged down in number/fact regurgitation. Here you will not find endless lists of troop strengths and numbers of field artillery pieces owned. What you will find are topics of import and interest. It explores more than just the battlefield experience of the primary theatres of war, but encompasses the periphery theatres as well.

Interspersed throughout the book on virtually every page are photos, drawings, and maps that relate to the subject matter being discussed within those pages. This layout makes the images much more relevant to the reader. The only thing worse than no images within a book of this type are images that are placed in the center of the book without the benefit of the context of the writing. Laid out this way the images do no break up the flow of the text, but enhance the reading experience.

The contributors to this book appear as a sort of all-star lineup. Many of these chapter contributors are major historians within their field; I’m not just taking the word of the publisher’s description, I did a little bit of my own research. To take a cross-section of the contributors: Holger Afflerbach (writing on “The Strategy of the Central Powers, 1914-1917”) is a historian of both World Wars with a specialized focus on Central European history; David French (writing on “The Strategy of the Entente Powers, 1914-1917”) is a British military historian with a specialization on the late nineteenth century; and Susan R. Grayzel (writing on “The Role of Women in the War”) is a director of women’s studies and has researched extensively within that field. That is just three of the twenty-four contributors to this book. To put it frankly, they appear to be quite knowledgeable within their fields and it is wonderful to see these specialists contributing to a compilation work.

While I did not pinpoint any areas in this book that I would raise as a negative issue, I did encounter one element that made me stop and think about the topic deeper. Both of these elements actually refer back to the previous discussion on the contributors. When I opened to the chapter on the female experience in the war and saw that the section was penned by a woman, my initial reactions were mixed. From my count, there are only two female contributors to this book, and one of those wrote the chapter on women. Was this because the editor felt that a female would better portray the female experience and be more credible to the reader because of her gender? Was this because women are more knowledgeable about the history of their own gender? Did a man not want to write about women’s history because it might be viewed as “lesser” history in the grand scheme of the war? All of these questions flew through my head before I had even read the first sentence. These questions led me to research this historian and now I can see the likely reasons why she was chosen as a contributor; she has a lengthy experience with women’s history. However, if I asked these questions, it is likely others will too – and they might go with a gender biased opinion. Overall, I found the chapter to be well written and encompassing the majority of the wartime experiences of women across the theatres involved.

This installment in the Oxford Illustrated series is exactly what I have come to expect from them (and I have read a few of the books in that collection) and they have yet to let me down with their publications. Of all of the books I have read on the subject of the First World War this was the easiest to read and understand and relatively enjoyable to read.

 
Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• WWII Diaries

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

 
Also in the Oxford Illustrated History Series:

A collection of lavishly illustrated single-volume histories, Oxford Illustrated Histories present well-documented chronologies on topics like Britain, theater, Greece, opera, English literature, modern Europe, and more. Each history includes color and black and white illustrations, as well as photographs, and is compiled by a taskforce of leading scholars in its respective field of interest. These titles are ideal for any casual reader and also, because of the scholarship, serve as companions to any budding researcher's reference collection.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Ancient Egypt

The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain

The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity

The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature

The Oxford Illustrated History of Greece and the Hellenistic World

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval England

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe

The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern Europe

The Oxford Illustrated History of New Zealand

The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera

The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe

The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Reformation

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings

The Oxford Illustrated History of World War II

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Weekend Cooking: Elizabeth Hunter's Spiced Apple and Cranberry Cake

Earlier this week I posted by review of An Angel Called Gallagher by M.K. McClintock. Not only did I enjoy the newest entry into the Montana Gallaghers series – but I was excited to see when I reached the last few pages that the author again included a recipe from the novel! Elizabeth Hunter is the grandmother to main characters Ramsey and Brenna and she is always in the kitchen cooking up something that sounds delightful – so much so that I can almost smell it! Well, now I truly can with the recipe for Elizabeth Hunter’s Spiced Apple and Cranberry Cake.

 Elizabeth Hunter’s Spiced Apple and Cranberry Cake
Serves approximately 12 people

Ingredients:

For the Cake-

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large egg whites
2 cups apples, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, chopped

For the Glaze/Icing-

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
2-5 Tbsp. non-fat milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Cake-

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Bundt pan with cooking spray w/ flour or lightly grease and flour the pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, & nutmeg.

3. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Combine with the dry ingredients until it just comes together.

4. Fold in the apples, cranberries, and pecans. Pour into pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Be sure to test at 45 minutes – a knife inserted should come out mostly clean but not entirely.

For the Glaze/Icing-

1. Combine the melted butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Blend in the vanilla extract. The 2 Tbsp. will result in a consistency of a frosting. If you want more of a light glaze, add additional milk until it reaches the desired consistency.

Fresh from the oven, frosted, and ready to eat!

Tasty!

First, let me say that this cake smells AMAZING!!! My husband couldn’t stop commenting about it even when it was wrapped up and stored – it has a very strong smell. That being said, the taste isn’t as strong as it smells - the cake is just a good spice cake. The vanilla frosting is VERY sweet when consumed on its own (and let’s be honest, I did consume my fair share while frosting the cake before my husband forcibly took the spoon from my hand). When combined with the vanilla frosting (I made mine with just 2 Tbsp. of milk, so it was more like a spreadable frosting), the sweetness of the frosting toned down and blended beautifully with the spice cake. It would be either a good sweet breakfast pastry or an after dinner dessert – I would go with a glaze for a breakfast or a frosting for a dessert.

I didn’t have any allspice available, so I used just an extra ¼ tsp. cinnamon and ¼ tsp. cloves – came out equally as good. I also want to offer a tip I learned while making this dish – have all your ingredients prepped in advance – including chopping your apples and pecans so that you can add the wet to the dry and followed quickly by the stir-ins.

 
All attributions for this recipe are owed to M.K. McClintock and An Angel Called Gallagher.

 
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Any post remotely related to cooking can participate.

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Yuletide Bride by Michelle Ule

The Yuletide Bride by Michelle Ule
Book 5 of the 12 Brides of Christmas series
Kindle e-Book, 51 pages
Shiloh Run Studios
November 3, 2014
★★★★☆

Heat Rating:

Genre: Historical Fiction, Short Story, Christmas

Source: Personal purchase

Ewan Murray and Kate McDougall hold a mutual appreciation for music—and each other. But as she comes of age, Ewan realizes he must do something to prove his worth to her banker father. Will a refurbished heirloom and a sudden snowstorm be the key to earning permission to marry?

The Yuletide Bride has been one of my favorite short stories in this collection of Christmas stories so far of the 5 I have read. While with many of these in the collection there is a clear indication from the outset as to just who the heroine would end up with, in this story there was some clear doubt. This was something I appreciated as it gave the story have a little more weight to it and there was a clear sense of there being consequences for actions or lack of action. Additionally, I liked that this story wasn’t at its core about two people falling in love in a ridiculously short time frame. There is a relationship already there from the start that is built upon over time and the characters interest in each other actually makes sense. At play against the interest of love is the responsibility of Kate’s father to only agree to a match for his daughter with someone who has shown that he can take care of his daughter. It was very well done.

I did notice a sense of good guy vs. bad guy in this story. Not that one was a criminal or a terrible choice, but there was the guy who wants to help everyone and the guy that is just looking out for himself. It made it easier for the reader to decide who they supported for Kate’s hand.

There are elements of Christian faith throughout this story – it is used to show where the characters get their strength from and was believable to their nature. It was not heavy-handed or preachy here.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Zac Weikal
• Sunnie Reviews

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 
Also in the 12 Brides of Christmas Series:

The Advent Bride (Book 1)

By Mary Connealy

[My Review]

The Nutcracker Bride (Book 2)

By Margaret Brownley

[My Review]

The Evergreen Bride (Book 3)

By Pam Hillman

[My Review]

The Gift-Wrapped Bride (Book 4)

By Maureen Lang

[My Review]

The Gingerbread Bride (Book 6)

By Amy Lillard

The Nativity Bride (Book 7)

By Miralee Ferrell

The Christmas Tree Bride (Book 8)

By Susan Paige Davis

The Festive Bride (Book 9)

By Diana Brandmeyer

The Christmas Star Bride (Book 10)

By Amanda Cabot

The Snowbound Bride (Book 11)

By Davalynn Spencer

The Fruitcake Bride (Book 12)

By Vickie McDonough

Find the 12 Brides: Website | Facebook

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

TV Historical Dramas Preview

I don’t know about you, but the majority of my favorite must-see-tv shows tend to be historical dramas (or any of the Chicago Fire/PD/Med shows!). I’m so thrilled that it is actually becoming easier to find these kinds of show these days – some are on your cable channels, but there are quite a few of the regular tv channels as well. I thought today I would do a little preview of the historical drama offerings from 2015 (in case you missed them!) and upcoming. I’m going to do this over a couple posts, so today I’m going to talk about those available on Masterpiece (PBS). Please chime in with any must-haves that I might have missed in the comments below!

On Masterpiece (PBS)

Ok, so Masterpiece on PBS seems to be one of the big ones for having the most historical dramas and I think that is likely because they air many tv shows that were originally released to a British audience, and you can’t deny they do historical dramas the best! Here is a look at some of their offerings:

Poldark – Premiered in 2015, 1 season thus far (filming second season)

In the late 18th century, Ross Poldark returns to his Cornish tin mines after spending three years in the army to avoid charges of smuggling, leaving behind his sweetheart, Elizabeth. On his return, having fought in the American War of Independence, he finds his father dead, his estate in ruins and Elizabeth engaged to his cousin Francis. He rescues a young woman, Demelza, from a beating, and takes her on as a kitchen maid and attempts getting control of the mines sought after by a rival, the greedy and arrogant George Warleggan.

I haven’t seen this one yet, but have heard great things and it is on my DVR.

Downton Abbey – Premiered in 2011 (US), 6^th and final season just started airing

The series is set in fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house. Downton Abbey is home and seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, along with their children and distant family members. Each series follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family, their friends and servants during the reign of King George V.

So I have only seen season 1 so far but I was sucked in to an unhealthy binge watching obsession – so I haven’t watched any more since – but I can safely say that this is a must see. Available on Netflix.

Sherlock – Premiered in 2010 (US), 3 seasons thus far (4^th season to film soon)

Sherlock depicts "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes solving various mysteries in modern-day London. Holmes is assisted by his flatmate and friend, Dr. John Watson, who has returned from military service in Afghanistan with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Although Metropolitan Police Service Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade and others are at first skeptical of Holmes, over time his remarkable intellect and powers of observation persuade them of his value. In part through Watson's blog documenting their adventures, Holmes becomes a reluctant celebrity with the press reporting on his cases and eccentric personal life. Both ordinary people and the British government ask for his help.

This is another that I have yet to see – with only 9 episodes so far, I don’t think that will be too hard to catch up on. I have always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories, the movies starring Robert Downey Jr, and the tv show Elementary – so this is one that I would likely enjoy.

Home Fires – Premiered 2015, 1 season so far (2^nd is in the works)

Home Fires is a British period television drama about the life of Women's Institute members on the Home Front during World War II. It is set in a rural Cheshire community called Great Paxford. The first series is set between September 1939 and 1940.

This one intrigued me, but I don’t know too much about it besides what it says above.

Indian Summers – Premiered 2015, 1 season so far (2^nd is in the works)

The series details the events of summers spent at Simla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, by a group of British socialites at the time of the British Raj.

I recorded this series this past summer, but haven’t had the chance to watch it. This time period and location is very new to me so I have no idea on the history, but I am interested to check it out.

Wolf Hall – Premiered 2015, 1 season of 6 episodes (possible second series based on Hilary Mantel book in progress).

An adaptation of both Mantel’s novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Historical and literary accounts have not been kind to Cromwell; Mantel's novels offer an alternative to that characterization, a more intimate portrait of Cromwell as a pragmatic and talented man attempting to serve king and country amid the political machinations of Henry's court and the religious upheavals of the Protestant Reformation.

I’m just going to say it…I strongly disliked both of the books this series is based on, so I’m really not too keen on watching this one. Although, my issue was with the style of the book, so if it isn’t presented the same way, I might actually enjoy the story.

I have learned that I have a lot of DVR things to watch!  Have any new shows joined your watch list?  What have you thought of any of these you have seen?




Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: An Angel Called Gallagher by M.K. McClintock

An Angel Called Gallagher by M.K. McClintock
Book 4 in the Montana Gallagher series
E-book, 213 pages
Cambron Press
December 3, 2015
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Romance, Western

Source: Received from Author for Review as part of McClintock Readers

On a ranch known as Hawk’s Peak, a family celebrates love, joy, and peace at last . . . or so the Gallaghers thought.

Briarwood, Montana Territory—December 1883 

Brenna is convinced she hears a woman singing to her son. Eliza and Ethan are unnerved by a sleepwalker, and Isabelle swears Hawk’s Peak is haunted.

Then an unlikely visitor stumbles into their lives.

Enjoy a heartwarming holiday adventure filled with tenderness, hope, and the promise of a better tomorrow for more than one deserving soul. Join us for a Gallagher Christmas at Hawk’s Peak and fall in love with the family all over again.

What could possibly go wrong at Christmas?

In this book in the Montana Gallagher series (Book 4) we experience the world through yet another woman who finds her way to Hawk’s Peak, this time a young teenage girl who certainly needs a dose of loving kindness that the gang at the ranch can offer. Catie has had to live a pretty rough life and when she encounters the Gallaghers she is stealing what essentials she need to simply survive day to day. Through the different experiences and personalities that the residents of Hawk’s Peak have, they are able to slowly melt the ice and find Catie’s heart and soul – that’s what the Gallagher’s do best!

Beyond this being Catie’s story where we learn about her life before arriving at Hawk’s Peak, it is a continuation of the stories of Ethan, Gabriel, and Eliza Gallagher and their spouse’s Brenna, Isabelle, and Ramsey (respectively). We learn more about Amanda Warren (introduced to us at the end of Gallagher’s Choice) and while this offers just a taste more about her, I’m sure she has her own book coming up soon. There is daily life on a ranch in the winter and the discussions of adding a horse breeding element to it. And Christmas is coming! The Gallagher’s offer their warmth to the town in an effort to bring everyone together to celebrate this holiday in the hard scrabble world of the American west.

Even though this is a Christmas entry into this series, it is not wholly focused on that event to the exclusion of the continued storytelling arc as a whole. It’s not something you should skip over if reading the series. There is a lot of character development here and we learn new things about them that build your understanding of the characters. With the ever growing cast, I find it amazing that the author seems to always be able to allocate roughly equivalent time to all of them (even though there is always one or two featured characters) and they all still maintain their own voices.

This is the first of McClintock’s Gallagher books that I have not listened to in audio format, so it was a different reading experience for me. While reading I could still hear their voices in my head – that’s how much the narration stuck with me from the previous books! Oh, and a random perk of this book, there is a recipe for a spiced apple and cranberry cake that will be featured in an upcoming Weekend Cooking segment here on the blog! I love when authors include little perks like that as the cake was mentioned in the book.

Buy the Book: Amazon

 
Also by MK McClintock:

Also in the Montana Gallagher series:

Gallagher’s Pride (Book 1)

[My Review]

Gallagher’s Hope (Book 2)

[My Review]

Gallagher’s Choice (Book 3)

[My Review]

Other M.K. McClintock Books I Have Reviewed:

• A Home for Christmas

Find MK McClintock: Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Youtube | Blog

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court