Margaret George
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Margaret George | |
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Born | 1943 (age 80–81) Nashville, Tennessee,U.S. |
Occupation | Author |
Education | Tufts University(BA) Stanford University(MA) |
Genre | Historical |
Notable works | The Memoirs of Cleopatra Mary, Called Magdalene |
Margaret George(born 1943)[1]is an Americanhistorical novelistspecializing in epicfictional biographies.She is known for her meticulous research and the large scale of her books.[2]She is the author of the bestselling novelsThe Autobiography of Henry VIII(1986),Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles(1992),The Memoirs of Cleopatra(1997),Mary, Called Magdalene(2002),Helen of Troy(2006),Elizabeth I(2011),The Confessions of Young Nero(2017), andThe Splendor Before the Dark(2018).
Several of these novels were New York Times bestsellers[3][4][5][6]and the Cleopatra novel was made into an Emmy-nominated ABC-TV miniseries in 1999.[7][8][9]Altogether the novels have been published in 21 languages. She is ranked at the forefront of historical novelists writing today.[10]
Because of the detailed and accurate research behind her books, she has been a featured interviewee on A & E Biography (Henry VIII: Scandals of a King,1996, andElizabeth: The Virgin Queen,1996) and a special on Alexandria (Cleopatra's World: Alexandria Revealed,1999).[11]She has also spoken at the Folger Shakespeare Library,[12]Hampton Court[13][14]the Tower of London,[15]and twice at the Library of Congress's National Book Festival (2011, 2019).
In 2021, George authored an immersive audiovisual step inside a story tour for theCircus MaximusinRomeentitledThe Charioteeron the BARDEUMmobile app.[16]
Life
[edit]Margaret George was born inNashville, Tennesseein 1943.[1]Her father joined theU.S. Foreign Servicewhen she was four, and she lived overseas –Taiwan,Israel,andGermany– before she was thirteen. She was exposed early to historical sites and learned that legends might have historical bases.[17]
She graduated fromTufts Universitywith a B.A. andStanford Universitywith an M.A., co-majoring in biological science and English literature. She worked as a science writer for several years at theNational Institutes of HealthinBethesda, Marylandbefore moving toMadison, Wisconsinwith her husband.
Writing career
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Margaret_George_%2849627464062%29.jpg/220px-Margaret_George_%2849627464062%29.jpg)
She began writing at a very early age, composing on yellow lined tablets and illustrating them herself. By middle school, she had begun writing novels, but did not show them to anyone except a few close friends. Only when a book was completely finished did she try for publication. Although she is now known exclusively for historical tomes, she wrote in many genres as she was teaching herself to write.
Her first published novel,The Autobiography of Henry VIII(1986),[18]set the pattern. It drew a sympathetic portrait of the notorious king without whitewashing the dishonorable episodes of his life. Almost thirty years after its publication, it is still influential and was at the top of the fans' recommended Henry VIII fiction list forThe Tudorsminiseries.[19]
Her other books show the same key characteristics: careful research almost qualifying for non-fiction standards, enough length to give perspective to the subject's life, and colorful imagery. She says she aims to be on paper whatDavid Lean's films are in visual terms: elegant, detailed, and panoramic.
Mary, Called Magdalene(2002) was published a year beforeDan Brown'sThe Da Vinci Codeand was based on the historical facts. Both books struck a chord with a public eager to know more about the enigmatic Mary of Magdala, a close companion of Jesus.[20]
Helen of Troy(2006) incorporates the whole myth cycle of theTrojan Warand its aftermath, weaving together all the different strands of the story.[21]
Elizabeth I(2011) focuses on the later years of Queen Elizabeth’s life, a period neglected by most popular novels, although it showcases the enigmatic queen's personality very strongly. It begins with the Spanish Armada in 1588 and ends with her death in 1603.[22]
She has also co-authored an illustrated children's book about tortoises with Christopher Murphy, DVM, titledLucille Lost(2006).
The Confessions of Young Nero(2017) and its continuation,The Splendor Before the Dark(2018) tell the story of the artist-emperor' brief but legendary life, from A.D. 37-68.
Margaret George’s knowledge of ancient medicine, acquired through her background in biology and her research onCleopatra,Mary Magdalene,Helen of Troy,andNero,has led to her speaking on the subject at various venues. Her favorite is discussing the chemistry of the fatal snakebite and Cleopatra, illustrating the erroneous depictions in film and paintings.[citation needed]
Works
[edit]- The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers(1986)
- Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles(1992)
- The Memoirs of Cleopatra(1997)
- Mary, Called Magdalene(2002)
- Helen of Troy(2006)
- Lucille Lost(2006)
- Elizabeth I(2011)
- The Confessions of Young Nero(2017)
- The Splendor Before the Dark(2018)
References
[edit]- ^ab"Margaret George".Fantastic Fiction.Retrieved2021-02-24.
- ^"absorbing, meticulous cast-of- thousands epic" —Entertainment Weekly, 5/16/97[1]
- ^"Best Sellers".New York Times.May 25, 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^"Best Sellers".New York Times.July 7, 2002. Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^"Best Sellers".New York Times.September 3, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^""Best Sellers".New York Times.April 24, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^"Movies on NBC".Orlando Sentinel.January 14, 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^Leonard, John. "Indescribably Delicious: TV Review".New York Magazine.Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^Cleopatra (1999 film)
- ^"The Top 10 Historical Fiction Authors".Washington Independent.Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^"Cleopatra's World: Alexandria Revealed".
- ^"Past Seasons-Folger Shakespeare Library".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-09-19.Retrieved2014-11-12.
- ^"The Henry VIII talks - Download free content from Historic Royal Palaces on iTunes".itunes.apple.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-12-27.
- ^"What's on".
- ^http://hrp-members.org.uk/interface/external_view_email.php?J910147672675506058416526342914
- ^"Margaret George".BARDEUM.Retrieved2023-09-20.
- ^"About Margaret – Margaret George".margaretgeorge.com.Retrieved2023-04-04.
- ^"About Margaret – Margaret George".margaretgeorge.com.Retrieved2023-04-04.
- ^"Henry VIII and his Court - Fiction Shelf - the Tudors Wiki".
- ^Seeing Mary Magdalene as one of the Apostles.New York Times.July 9, 2002. Retrieved February 11, 2015
- ^"The Memoirs of Helen of Troy; Helen of Troy: A Novel – Bryn Mawr Classical Review".Bryn Mawr Classical Review.
- ^"Elizabeth I by Margaret George".Washington Post.April 5, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2015
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Biography at Fantastic Fiction
- ProfileinJanuary Magazine
- InterviewinAuthormagazine
- Top 10 Historical Fiction AuthorsatWashington Independent Review of Books
- 20th-century American novelists
- 21st-century American novelists
- American historical novelists
- 1943 births
- Living people
- Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity
- Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages
- Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period
- Stanford University alumni
- Tufts University alumni
- Writers from Nashville, Tennessee
- Writers from Madison, Wisconsin
- Novelists from Tennessee
- 20th-century American women writers
- 21st-century American women writers
- American women historical novelists
- Novelists from Wisconsin