Mirror of Great Britain: Life of James VI & I

James VI & I, who died 400 years ago, was one of Britain`s most consequential and interesting monarchs, not least in creating the British monarchy itself by joining the English and Scottish thrones. A major intellectual, James`s preoccupations ranged from witchcraft and theological controversy to hunting, diplomacy, poetry and sartorial fashion. The `Mirror of Great Britain` was a spectacular jewel that gave symbolic endorsement to James`s vision of British union, but mirrors themselves - with their limitless capacity to magnify, illuminate and distort - supplied James with one of his favourite literary metaphors. Ruler of Scotland for nearly four decades before his accession to the English throne in 1603, James was a `cradle king` whose long reigns encompassed extraordinary dramas, including his abduction in the `Ruthven Raid` in 1582 and his attempted assassination in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. In his lifetime, James often confounded contemporaries` expectations while his posthumous reputation has been distorted by crude stereotypes. Closely attentive to James`s own words - in numerous publications, manuscript musings, topical verse and private correspondence - Clare Jackson`s wonderful new book tells the story of this highly unusual monarch with great flair and insight.