Review by Booklist Review
Collingridge's comprehensive history doesn't just look at the Iron Age queen who conquered three cities in Roman-occupied Britain but begins with the Roman incursion into Britain under Julius Caesar. It wasn't until almost 90 years after Caesar, under the emperor Claudius, that the Romans really got a foothold in Britain, and the invaders did not find it an easy province to manage. While some tribes accepted the path of least resistance and submitted to Roman rule, others did not. Boudica's husband, King Prasutagus, was a pro-Roman client king, but after his death Roman soldiers beat Boudica and raped her two daughters. The proud queen went on a rampage, gathering warriors from various tribes and sacking three cities (including London) before her army was defeated. Drawing on two Roman historians, Tacitus and Cassius Dio, Collingridge shows an early lionization of Boudica at the final battle, and later chapters go on to illustrate just how Boudica became legend, even influencing another famous British queen, Elizabeth I. An absorbing historical study of how an upstart queen became a legend. --Kristine Huntley Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Boudicca (died 60/61 C.E.) is a famed enemy of Rome, but, oddly enough, she was virtually unknown before the Renaissance. She was queen of the Iceni, a Celtic people in what is now the county of Norfolk in eastern England. After Roman conquerors apparently raped Boudicca and her daughters, the Iceni, led by Boudicca, rose up against the Roman Empire. Some stories say Boudicca's army killed 70,000 Romans before she was defeated. British writer Collingridge (Captain Cook: A Legacy Under Fire) describes not only Boudicca and her battles but also the Roman mentality and the subsequent creation of Boudicca's legend. She lets her varied sources do most of the speaking. To the misogynistic Romans, Boudicca was everything evil they could imagine. To modern eyes, she has come to represent all the good that women can manifest; she was strong, assertive, and aggressive in defense of her family. Collingridge draws parallels between Boudicca and queens Elizabeth I and Victoria as well as Princess Diana to show that Boudicca is more than just legend; she is nothing less than the female spirit of Britain. Recommended for public libraries and women's studies collections. Robert Harbison, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
