The Wisest Fool

"A page-turner for lovers of history." ~Philippa Gregory

"Two kingdoms, two very different reputations. Veerapen brings fresh life and acute insight into the conundrum that is the reigns of King James." ~Leanda de Lisle

"Steven Veerapen's biography of James VI/I is so good that it seems likely to become the definitive work about the life of a much maligned and perhaps poorly understood character." ~Undiscovered Scotland

"He may not always have acted wisely during his reign, but a new biography shows that James VI and I was no fool...this is a very engaging book." ~Allan Massie, The Scotsman

"An extremely well-balanced account of James' character... a highly accomplished and well-written work of creative non-fiction." ~Country Life

It takes someone with the scholarship and narrative skills of Steven Veerapen to weave his way with through the evidence to provide a cohesive and plausible story, providing a book that will become essential reading for academics and ordinary history lovers alike' ~Robert Stedall, Amazon Five Stars

The Wisest Fool is a sensitive portrait of a king who, despite errors of judgement managed to negotiate a period of exceptional political and religious turbulence... this is a probing, wellrounded and very readable account of a king too often over-looked, despite his pivotal role in modern British politics.'  ~Rosemary Goring, Herald

A really interesting biography… a deep dive into the facts and information paints something of a different story… busts some of the false ideas and presents a better picture of this historical person' ~Dr Miranda Melcher, Newbooks Network (British Studies)

Veerapen weaves a fresh and honest tapestry of James’s character in all its imperfect glory. It is based on scholarly study and achieved with appropriate gravitas . . . Only by examining his time as King of Scotland can later years be fully understood – and this is expertly done' ~Mark Turnbull, GoodReads, FIVE stars

[James] was derided as "the wisest fool in Christendom" - wise in small things, but a fool when it came to weightier matters. That image has now been punctured. Not for the first time a historical parody emerges on closer inspection to be largely based on manufactured propaganda' ~Magnus Linklater, The Times

Steven Veerapen has done a splendid job in bringing this neglected king and the extraordinary life he led so vividly to the page . . . Expertly researched and eminently readable' ~Linda Porter, The Writing Desk blog

rescues James from the slurs and condescensions of history' ~West Highland Free Press