Julian Goodare

This would have been, perhaps is, standard reading fare at the university level. It is full of fine detail of the interactions between James, his nobles, and what became his government entities. It deals with the formation of bureaucracies, the ever changing shape of religion, and culture. I found this book especially interesting because even with in depth study about King James, it seemed always to be about his reign as an English king. We know that he ruled over a united kingdom, but I don't recall reading anything about him from a Scot's viewpoint after he left Scotland. I'm glad I read this because, for me, it filled in some gaps and explained how he developed from a child prince to a conscientious king (and then on to a king led astray.)… (mere)