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But what marks both versions of the speech out is Elizabeth’s emphasis on her sex. In Leigh’s account of the speech, Elizabeth tells her English troops that the Spanish enemy may believe her to be an ineffectual ruler because she is a woman, rather than being a ‘strong’ man who can lead his troops into battle. But she responds to this hypothetical criticism by reminding her audience that the Spanish enemy are but men, who are mortal (and can therefore be killed). The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. All upcoming public events are going ahead as planned and you can find more information on our events blog
I have not yet read the individual Loves of King Solomon books, but I thought this book read well by itself, although I may have received a more “rounded” view of the women had I read them beforehand. Four wives are central in this story: Naamah, Abishag, Siti and Nicaula. All four different types of women. All four captured his heart in some way. With tenderness and hopefulness, this story will wrap you up and put you in the center of a time, that is only read about in the Bible, of a time many have forgotten to remember. The rich historic detail is vivid and captivating and Smith has once again managed to make me fall in love with yet another amazing book. This is beyond 5 star worthy and I hope you, too, will fall in love with the story of Solomon and his loves. I loved her nonfiction book, When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams, which I reviewed just a little while ago. This novel is very imaginative, very emotional, and very thought-stirring. It displays King Solomon (and some of his many loves) in a way I’ve never considered before. As each love interest made her appearance, the character of King Solomon became more alive and more understandable. And I could not tear myself away from that inside look! What I loved most about this novel was that it gave Abishag – a personal caregiver to King David and someone I’ve always wondered about – a special and surprising place in the story. I’m still thinking about the connection Jill Eileen Smith made between the woman in The Songs of Solomon and the women highlighted in this novel.Here we find no heart and stomach, and no interesting play on the Queen’s femininity or sex. This has led some historians to wonder if Sharp’s later recording of the words is unreliable and inauthentic. However, I did not enjoy this book very much. The imagined personalities of the first three wives were terrible.
As the divisions of waters, so the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord: whithersoever he will he shall turn it. Fear of invasion by Spain remained high in England, especially with the action of the Spanish Armada taking place so close to England's shores. As a result, the ageing Robert Dudley was put in charge of the land army at Tilbury, on the Thames, to the east of London in Essex. We also see him struggle with himself and his god. He seem to questions if he is doing what is right by his god. His he not following God commands or comments? The subject matter here is a little mature, in my opinion, for younger teens. While entirely clean, there are numerous preludes to lights-out liasions. I appreciated the uniqueness of each woman’s story, and how they intertwined, not only with King Solomon, but also with each other throughout their lives.The Old Testament is full of profound stories of people still iconically remembered today through novel and movie retellings. My excitement is always piqued by those retellings, and I try to read or watch as many as I can. When the chance came for me to review Jill Eileen Smith’s latest novel, The Heart Of A King, I happily dived in. Solomon's character as shown in the book was quite multifaceted. He sought to follow God and showed a deep love and concern for following His ways - at first. Though in some ways he appeared strong - in his rulings - he also seemed quite insecure and unsure of the right actions to take, especially after the death of his mother. His portrayal was a bit swarmy in the way he related to the women. Then again, this is probably the way it really was. Seeing his alleged reason for taking on all his wives was quite thought-provoking. In writing a biography of someone who is first and foremost a figuration, one that cannot by definition be transparent, the sensible course is to examine what exactly he’s a figuration of – and this is the approach Mayer adopts. Yes, she has some interview subjects: princely besties such as Emma Thompson and Nicholas Soames, but what they have to say is anodyne, while the positive remarks of staff members and campaigning associates is for the most part dreadfully dreary hagiography. On some of the hoo-ha the prince has triggered – from the “Spider” memos, to the seven boiled eggs, to his position on Islam – Mayer has had to rely on second and even third-hand testimony. However, this doesn’t matter, because by anatomising what the prince is emblematic of, she reacquaints us with – gulp! – ourselves.
Smith poses and explores the question of whether Solomon’s wisdom ultimately helped or hindered him and how his relationship with God was affected. Even though I had already read the bulk of this story, I enjoyed every minute of it and it never felt stale or repetitive. Smith always writes fantastic Biblical fiction and I definitely recommend this one! My new favorite from this author, The Heart Of A King is a novel I think lovers of biblical fiction would very much enjoy reading! Siti was the third wife and daughter of the pharaoh. I did not like her at all. I didn't care for her attitude and how she tried so hard to turn Solomon from God. She annoyed me with how sneaky she was -- like a serpent. She planned so much to get Solomon's attention. She had no real respect for him as her husband. She was a spoiled brat. I didn't care for her at all. She was the only wife who did not seek to learn and get to know about God. Now, updated and revised with a new preface and two new chapters - covering details of Harry and Meghan's exit and its implications, the cash-for-honours scandal, Prince Andrew, and more - this significant study reveals a monarchy threatened and a man in sight of happiness yet still driven by anguish and a remarkable belief system, a charitable entrepreneur, activist, agitator and avatar of the Establishment who just as often tilts against it.
I also began to understand that the gift of wisdom can be a double-edged sword. It can blend with human wisdom so imperceptibly that we can be deceived into believing we are still fully heeding God’s wisdom when in fact we’re relying on our own, as happened with Solomon. My only complaint here is that I felt as though this theme didn’t become clear until towards the end. If you are into reading the bible, but in a simpler way. This book is good for you. This is what it kind gave me as I was reading it. I enjoyed it, do not get me wrong. It seem better then reading the bible it self to get the history or story of King Solomon. Wish is best for me to understand.
Admirers and intimates (half of whom wanted to run their praise past “HRH”) testify that sir throws “the best parties”, sir is kind – no, actually sir is Christ-like, “almost to the point of pain he suffers with people”, sir is emotionally intelligent, a “huge asset” to the FCO, sir is “trying to save the world, dammit!”, sir is like Richard Branson, also Steve Jobs, although “almost too nice”, a man of conviction, with “a wisdom about him”, venerated in Armenia, a “fantastic bloke”, ahead of his time, and, to one particularly besotted acolyte, “a remarkable human being” whose arrival “on the planet” at this moment is “no accident”. And supposing he’d arrived too early or late to redeem mankind, Mayer herself tells us that with his great comic timing, sir could have been a decent standup.Solomon woos several of his wives with the same poems and sayings, including calling each of them "my dove" and a passage describing Solomon holding and kissing intimately them prior to marriage, resulting in a sexual rise from the lady, only to say "we must wait until love awakens"as he walks away. Dudley arranged for Queen Elizabeth to visit Tilbury to announce his appointment and rally the troops on 9 August 1588. The queen's reported words during that visit has gone down in history. Read it in full below. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust.
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