Alexander Courtney
I'm an early modern historian, specialising in the life and kingship of James VI & I (1566-1625). My first book, 'James VI, Britannic Prince', is a biography of James up to 1603. It was published in 2024 by Routledge.
'A gripping account...'
'Based on deeply impressive research, this is a story that is told – and very, very vividly told – with flair, and it changes large parts of the long-established narrative... a major contribution not only to Scottish and British History but to our understanding of the geopolitics of Europe in an age of turmoil.'
Professor John Morrill, University of Cambridge, on James VI, Britannic Prince
'Beautifully written, persuasively argued...'
'.... a splendid new account of King James VI’s life from his birth in 1566 down to his accession to the English throne in1603... Alexander Courtney’s picture of James’s personality and Scottish kingship is entirely coherent and consistently original. Courtney draws on much new material that has previously been neglected by historians.... by far the most detailed and compelling treatment of James VI’s Scottish rule that has yet been published.'
Dr David L. Smith, University of Cambridge, on James VI, Britannic Prince