James of thrones: A new book on the monarch who created modern Britain

NZ Herald

20-07-2025

'The wisest fool in Christendom': King James I. Photo / Getty Images
Compelling, meticulous account of the life and aspirations of the monarch who created modern Britain.
What do you know of James I? Your answer might include 'gunpowder plot', 'Bible', 'witches', and maybe, 'Was he the gay one?' But do you then draw a blank? Here's a highly readable, meticulously researched book to fill those gaps and give you a broad understanding of this fascinating period of history, when the world order was undergoing profound changes that would ripple down through the centuries. The events of James I's reign took place 400 years ago, but we're still dealing with their consequences today.
British historian Anna Whitelock says The Sun Rising isn't a biography. 'Rather it is a reframing, a 'provocation' which seeks to move beyond traditional accounts, to place James in a global context, as a 'politician' who … laid the foundations for the future development of Britain; its identity, ambition and place in the world.' The result is a fascinating insight into Britain and beyond at the start of the 17th century. It includes riproaring tales of adventure – sometimes tragic, often comic, always gripping – and is brought to life with contemporary quotes that give a real flavour of the times.
James I was 36 when he ascended to England's throne in 1603. He'd already been King James VI of Scotland since the age of one. He was the first monarch of the Stuart dynasty and the first king of both England and Scotland, and was committed to uniting those two kingdoms. During his reign, modern Britain was born, with the creation of a common currency and a British flag – now called the Union Jack. For the first time, ambassadors were appointed to represent 'the King of Great Britain'.
The European powers – Britain, Spain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands – were jostling for position, particularly when it came to trade. It's a brave author who discusses the origins of colonialism, but Whitelock does this brilliantly, plunging us into the mindset of the times, never excusing, only laying out the facts, the context and the history.
Part one discusses James's ascension to the throne. When Elizabeth I died, this most stubborn of queens had failed to name her successor and people were nervous. Civil war was a distinct possibility and the English worried that European countries would use the excuse of a contested succession to invade.
But James – and here we see the canny Scot – had spent years secretly planning for this, cultivating alliances with both Catholic and Protestant courts in Europe, as well as significant players in England. Of note is his secret correspondence with Elizabeth's closest adviser, Robert Cecil. This was dangerous for Cecil – Elizabeth liked to know everything. We learn that James's code name for Cecil was '10', while Cecil referred to James as '30'.
When Elizabeth died, James proceeded to London with great ceremony. 'It was to be a truly unprecedented progress: a king of Scotland travelling south … to peacefully claim the crown of England after centuries of acrimonious rivalry and warfare between the two nations.' Nevertheless, we learn that more than 4000 soldiers were deployed across London and that eight ships were moored on the Thames in case of foreign invasion.
The English were mostly happy with James as successor, not least because he already had two male heirs (he'd been married to Anne of Denmark for 13 years). Plus, he was a direct descendent of Henry VII, his grandmother being Henry's eldest daughter.
James's greatest desire was for peace in Christendom and he worked hard to towards this end. He didn't achieve it but left as his legacy the King James Bible, first published in 1611: 'James hoped the new translation would unify his kingdom and build a national identity in which he, the Bible and the church stood together. A single Bible translation equalled a unified church, and a unified church was the first step to a unified country.'
In part two we head overseas. Britain desperately needed to secure trade routes, because at the end of Elizabeth's reign, England was broke. 'My hairs stand upright to think of it,' Cecil wrote in 1601. This is the meatiest part of the book with tales of early settlers in Virginia, and trade wars and bumbling fiascos in the East. The author tells a great tale, and the descriptions of those voyages of exploration, those meetings with sultans and shoguns and shahs, have the flavour of historical fiction, except they're true.
Anna Whitelock: A fascinating account of early 17th-century life. Photos / Supplied
In part three we're back to Protestants vs Catholics, and we learn of the lengths to which James went to secure peace in Europe. He attempted to keep the Catholics on side by marrying his eldest son to the Spanish infanta (it didn't happen), while also supporting his powerful Protestant son-in-law Frederick, the Elector Palatine of the Rhine. It was an impossible task and James died without achieving his dream, as Europe became embroiled in the Thirty Years War.
James I was described by a contemporary as 'the wisest fool in Christendom'. Whitelock writes, 'James could be pragmatic, shrewd and adept. A highly educated man with extensive views on issues ranging from theology and political philosophy to witchcraft, from tobacco use to silkworm-farming, he showed guile during his reign, balancing principle with pragmatism …' I was impressed, particularly with his focus on peace. However, we also see the beginnings of the struggle between parliament and the monarchy that would lead to the English Civil War.
There are portraits, illustrations, and maps of 17th-century London, Asia and the Americas – a great addition to what is already a highly readable account of James and the dawn of a global Britain.
The Sun Rising: James I and the Dawn of a Global Britain by Anna Whitelock (Bloomsbury, $44.99) is out on July 29.