Recommend a historical bio for a long beachside read, please!

[VeryAngryGusset]

Could anyone point me in the direction of a historical bio I might enjoy? I like to get stuck into something interesting at the beach and at least feel as if I'm learning a bit!

To give you an idea, bios I have read and enjoyed are:

Alison Weir: Wars of the Roses; Children of England; 6 Wives.

Antonia Fraser: Marie Antionnette; Mary Queen of Scots; Charles II.

Claire Tomalin: Unequalled Self (Pepys); Mary Wollstonecraft; Jane Austin.

David Starkey: Elizabeth I.

Vera Brittan: Testament of Youth.

I also read and enjoyed a bio of Fanny Burney but can't recall author.

Claire Tomalin's 'The Invisible Woman' is one of my favourite biographies - the story of Nelly Ternan, the nineteenth-century actress who had a secret relationship with Charles Dickens. Pielight, I loved 'Amongst the Bohemians' by Juliet Nicholson, and agree it would be a great holiday read.
'Circle of Sisters' by Judith Flanders is also very readable, about the four Macdonald sisters.

Sorry, 'Among the Bohemians' is by Virginia Nicholson, not Juliet! Juliet Nicholson's 'The Perfect Summer - Dancing into Shadow in 1911' is also very good.

I enjoyed Claire Tomalin's biography of Katherine Mansfield. And you could take some of her short stories to dip into at the same time, unless of course you hate MAnsfield (like DH) in which case scratch that...

I read Florence Nightingale by Mark Bostridge this summer, which was interesting.

I've just started a new bio of Florence Nightingale by Mark Bostridge. Seems quite promising so far.
Also, not bio, but Richard Holme's Age of Wonder is v good.
And The Verneys by Adrian Tinniswood is fab.
Also a plug for a fellow MNers DH - Ian Mortimer's Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England (although it is not out in paperback yet and the hb might be too heavy for your suitcase.

Was coming on to recommend Alison Weir's Eleanor of Aquitaine, but I see Rustybear has got in there first. Tis fab. Antonia Fraser's one about the gunpowder plot is good too- is it called 1605? I think so.

Read White Mischief on a beach a few years back and enjoyed it a lot - all about British colonials and their shenanigans in Kenya.

Talking of Antonia Fraser, her book about 17th-century women is good too. The Weaker Vessel, I think it's called.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Sharon Penman does some great historical novels, very well researched. My favourites are :

The Sunne in Splendor - about the War of the Roses and Richard III

Here be Dragons - about King John and Llewellyn Ab Iowerth of Wales

Crumpet - I was going to recommend the Aristocrats, but you beat me to it. One of my all time favourite books, in fact started me off on a sort of historical book binge for several years.

I also loved The Gentleman's Daughter by Amanda Vickery, lots of biographical detail taken from ladies letters, day books etc. from ordinary (not aristo) women in the 18th century.

Thank you ladies, I've made a list and will spend my lunch hour blissfully in a bookshop having a look at them all!

Don't forget to come back and tell us what you bought.

Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore was great if you're interested in that kind of stuff.

You beat me to it Bubbaabdbump, I was going to recommend that.
So (with a Russian theme), my choices are Pavlovsk by Suzanne Massie (not quite biog, but almost) and Pushkin's Button by Serena Vitale.
Oh and Catherine the Great by Henri Troyat.

Ooh, might try those myself TT. All I need now is a few days to myself with no children, housework or work...

Thanks for this thread veryangrygusset and all those who contributed!

I have just ordered; the Unequalled Self, Aristocrats, Ungrateful Daughters and Here Be Dragons.

A load more are on my wish list!