As the son of Mary Queen of Scots, born into her 'bloody nest', James had the most precarious of childhoods. Even before his birth, his life was threatened: it was rumoured that his father, Henry, had tried to make the pregnant Mary miscarry by forcing her to witness the assassination of her supposed lover, David Riccio. By the time James was one year old, Henry was murdered, possibly with the connivance of Mary; Mary was in exile in England; and James was King of Scotland. By the age of five, he had experienced three different regents as the ancient dynasties of Scotland battled for power and made him a virtual prisoner in Stirling Castle. In fact, James did not set foot outside the confines of Stirling until he was eleven, when he took control of his country. But even with power in his hands, he would never feel safe. For the rest of his life, he would be caught up in bitter struggles between the warring political and religious factions who sought control over his mind and body. Yet James believed passionately in the divine right of kings, as many of his writings testify. He became a seasoned political operator, carefully avoiding controversy, even when his mother Mary was sent to the executioner by Elizabeth I. His caution and politicking won him the English throne on Elizabeth's death in 1603 and he rapidly set about trying to achieve his most ardent ambition: the Union of the two kingdoms. Alan Stewart's impeccably researched new biography makes brilliant use of original sources to bring to life the conversations and the controversies of the Jacobean age. From James's 'inadvised' relationships with a series of favourites and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to his conflicts with a Parliament which refused to fit its legislation to the Monarch's will, Stewart lucidly untangles the intricacies of James's life. In doing so, he uncovers the extent to which Charles I's downfall was caused by the cracks that appeared in the monarchy during his father's reign.

In the Beginning, James. Orphaned, bullied, lonely, and unloved as a boy, in time the young King of Scots overcame his troubled beginnings to ascend the English throne at the height of England’s Golden Age. In an effort to pacify rising tensions in the Anglican Church, and to reflect the majesty of his new reign, he spearheaded the most important literary undertaking in Western history—the translation of the Bible into a beautiful, lyrical, and accessible English. David Teems’s narrative crackles with wit, using a thoroughly modern tongue to reanimate the life of this seventeenth century king—a man at the intersection of political, literary, and religious thought, yet a man of contrasts, dubbed by one French king as “the wisest fool in Christendom.” Warm, insightful, even at times amusing, Teems’s depiction of King James has all the elements of a grand tale—conspiracy, kidnapping, witchcraft, murder, love, despair, loss. Majestie offers an engaging new look at the world’s most cherished, revered, and influential translation of Sacred Writ and the king behind it. “Engrossing and entertaining…a delightful read in every way.” – Publishers Weekly

When King James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of England in 1603 he had ruled his native land almost as long as had Queen Elizabeth. He showed both vision and determination in pursuing his major political goals: a united Britain, and a foreign policy based on peace rather than bellicose chauvinism. Of course, there was a darker side: in the face of growing Parliamentary opposition, he would need all his celebrated wisdom to prevent open conflict. This book is a sympathetic portrait of a worthy first king of Great Britain.

Living Through History is a complete Key Stage 3 course which brings out the exciting events in history. The course is available in two different editions, Core and Foundation. Every core title in the series has a parallel Foundation edition. Each Evaluation Pack includes the Assessment and Resource Pack and a free compendium volume student book. The resource packs include a variety of tasks which students should find interesting and enjoyable. They also include differentiated exercises to provide support for less able students and challenging work for more able students. Assessment exercises for the compulsory study units aim to help teachers monitor progress through NC levels.

This is an attack on the destruction of the culture and environment of indigenous tribes in Latin America and the South Pacific by fundamentalist missionaries from the US.

The accession of James VI of Scotland to the English throne in 1603 created a multiple monarchy covering the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland which endured until 1922. Clear and concise, Pauline Croft's study provides a compelling narrative of the king's reign in all of his dominions, together with an authoritative analysis of his remarkable, though flawed, achievements. Bringing together all of the latest researches and debates on the three realms in the years 1566-1625, Croft emphasises their interaction and the problems posed by multiple monarchy. She also examines the interplay between domestic and foreign policy, religious tensions at home and abroad, finance and parliamentary politics, and discusses the king's writings, his personal life, and his own view of his role. An ideal introduction for all those with an interest in the reign of James VI of Scotland and I of England, this is the first account to successfully place the king in the context of all his kingdoms.