Second Series

After pointing out the first of Sabatini’s Historical Nights’ Entertainment books the other day, I figured that it would be worthwhile to mention that just today I was made aware of the releasing of the second one. I don’t know how Sabatini was at writing straight history, but considering it’s what he did before he wrote fiction, I figure he must have had some skill at it.

At the end of the preface to this one he says: “In the remaining six essays in this volume the liberties taken with the absolute facts are so slight as to require no apology or comment.” This may simply be old-fashioned writer’s hyperbole, but who really cares?

Just for fun, though, I figured I’d post the table of contents for both the first and second series, so anyone who’s interested (which probably isn’t that many people, but whatever) can get a better idea of what’s in these pages. So, as lifted from Project Gutenberg:

The Historical Nights’ Entertainment: First Series

I. THE NIGHT OF HOLYROOD
The Murder of David Rizzio

II. THE NIGHT OF KIRK O’ FIELD
The Murder of Darnley

III. THE NIGHT OF BETRAYAL
Antonio Perez and Philip II of Spain

IV. THE NIGHT OF CHARITY
The Case of the Lady Alice Lisle

V. THE NIGHT OF MASSACRE
The Story of the Saint Bartholomew

VI. THE NIGHT OF WITCHCRAFT
Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan

VII. THE NIGHT OF GEMS
The Affaire of the Queen’s Necklace

VIII. THE NIGHT OF TERROR
The Drownings at Nantes under Carrier

IX. THE NIGHT OF NUPTIALS
Charles the Bold and Sapphira Danvelt

X. THE NIGHT OF STRANGLERS
Giovanna of Naples and Andreas of Hungary

XI. THE NIGHT OF HATE
The Murder of the Duke of Gandia

XII. THE NIGHT OF ESCAPE
Casanova’s Escape from the Piombi

XIII. THE NIGHT OF MASQUERADE
The Assassination of Gustavus III of Sweden

Hmmm, some interesting stuff there. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the melodramatic gimmick of naming each one “The Night of…” something.

The Historical Night’s Entertainment: Second Series

I. THE ABSOLUTION
Affonso Henriques, First King of Portugal

II. THE FALSE DEMETRIUS
Boris Godunov and the Pretended Son of Ivan the Terrible

III. THE HERMOSA FEMBRA
An Episode of the Inquisition in Seville

IV. THE PASTRY-COOK OF MADRIGAL
The Story of the False Sebastian of Portugal

V. THE END OF THE VERT GALANT
The Assassination of Henry IV

VI. THE BARREN WOOING
The Murder of Amy Robsart

VII. SIR JUDAS
The Betrayal of Sir Walter Ralegh

VIII. HIS INSOLENCE OF BUCKINGHAM
George Villiers’ Courtship of Anne of Austria

IX. THE PATH OF EXILE
The Fall of Lord Clarendon

X. THE TRAGEDY OF HERRENHAUSEN
Count Philip Koenigsmark and the Princess Sophia Dorothea

XI. THE TYRANNICIDE
Charlotte Corday and Jean Paul Marat

So there you have it, history dorks (because I’m sure ya’ll are the only ones who got this far). Looks like some fun stuff–when I have the time and money (or the patience to read a book on the computer screen) I’ll try to give these a look myself. It would be interesting to see Sabatini’s take on Buckingham’s wooing of Anne of Austria, which, of course, is very central to Dumas’ classic The Three Musketeers.