Tudor Book Blog

Today is the last day to get your name in for the September Tudor Book Blog Giveaway! We are offering a brand new copy of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. For more information and to enter, go here.

All entries must be in by midnight tonight. The winner will be announced tomorrow!

I am working on a few new posts as well as a Book of the Week on Elizabeth I. I hope to have them up tomorrow and/or Thursday.

Also, don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a free copy of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall! You can enter here.

We have decided on the books for our next read at the Tudor Book Club.

The non-fiction read will be The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir

The fiction read will be Mademoiselle Boleyn Robin Maxwell

We will read them simultaneously, but if you are only able to read one of them that is no problem! You are still welcome to participate in both discussions. We will begin discussions on both of these on Sept. 12th at the Everything Tudor Wiki/Tudor Book Club.

We are finishing up The Lady Elizabeth next week and are now in the final stages of deciding our next read. We have decided to pick a non-fiction book (the see our list so far, go here). We are putting our suggestions in a “hat” and drawing to decide. Once we decide on the non-fiction, we will decide on a corresponding novel. That way, if a member only has time to read one of the books, they can still participate in both discussions.

All recommendations are due by Midnight Tues. I am drawing and announcing on Wed.

Go here to add your recommendations, or simply leave a comment!

For those of you who do not read the Tudor Times Blog:

With the success of our Tudor Book Club, one of our wiki members suggested a Tudor Film Club where we will choose a Tudor film/show, watch it, then discuss it. We are in the rudimentary stages of deciding what to watch and when, so be sure to voice your opinion and join us!

Here’s the link.

It seems the wetpaint team have fixed the problem with their wikis, so the Everything Tudor Wiki and the Tudor Book Club are back up and running! Yay! I am so happy!

We are continuing with our discussions of The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir, so be sure to join in! Here’s the link.

Wetpaint is still acting up I have received word that it should be fixed by tomorrow (Monday). I have decided to put the discussions on hold until then, as it would be hard to do our discussions on the Book Blog. If for some reason it is still not fixed, I will add a new temporary forum onto the site (or use our old one). I will update as information becomes available.

Since the entire wetpaint website (not just our wiki, but all wikis) are being affected, I am sure they will get the problem solved soon!

I am slowly renovating the older parts of the site and have finished the Tudor Timelines section and the Tudor Biographies section. They are also found linked on the home page.

I am now turning my attentions to the literature section and updating it. Hopefully it will be completed by next week.

Hope you enjoy!

Viginia and I have finished our first podcast together on Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey! You can listen to it here at Virginia’s site, Tudor Talk. If you aren’t able to use the player in the post, go here for Quick Player or check it out on itunes!

Leave comments and let us know what you think or add your two cents about Anne Boleyn and the Divorce

Virginia has been kind enough to invite me back to talk about the book again next month so I will post as soon as it is ready!

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In the podcast we discuss a book and an article. Here are some links to read more:

We discuss Henry VIII and Anne’s love letters, currently housed in the Vatican. Here’s the link to the book we mention Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn. Just for fun, here is a transcription of the only known surviving letter Anne wrote Henry:

Sire,
It belongs only to the august mind of a great king, to whom Nature has given a heart full of generosity towards the sex, to repay by favors so extraordinary an artless and short conversation with a girl. Inexhaustible as is the treasury of your majesty’s bounties, I pray you to consider that it cannot be sufficient to your generosity; for, if you recompense so slight a conversation by gifts so great, what will you be able to do for those who are ready to consecrate their entire obedience to your desires? How great soever may be the bounties I have received, the joy that I feel in being loved by a king whom I adore, and to whom I would with pleasure make a sacrifice of my heart, if fortune had rendered it worthy of being offered to him, will ever be infinitely greater.

The warrant of maid of honor to the queen induces me to think that your majesty has some regard for me, since it gives me means of seeing you oftener, and of assuring you by my own lips (which I shall do on the first opportunity) that I am,

Your majesty’s very obliged and very obedient servant, without any reserve,

Anne Bulen

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We also discuss David Starkey’s public “discussion” (or bashing) of women authors, like Antonia Fraser. Here’s the link to a new article to read more about it.

On Aug. 22, 1498 Richard III was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth. The victor, Henry VII, became King of England and founded the Tudor dynasty. To remember Richard, a very misunderstood figure in history, I have decided to highlight books about him this week.

Many people have read or at least heard of Richard III as depicted by Shakespeare. He is an evil hunchback who murders his innocent and young nephews to claim the throne. But how true is this depiction?

I. Young Richard

Richard was the fourth surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. His father was killed at the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses. Later, his brother Edward became Kind Edward IV. Richard, unlike their brother George, served Edward faithfully throughout the Wars and his brother’s on and off again reign.

Author Josephine Wilkinson has released the first volume of a series she is writing on Richard titled Richard III: Vol 1 The Young King to Be. In it, she writes on the early life Richard “from the insignificant younger brother of a would-be king to Knight of the Garter, duke, respected soldier and loyal supporter to Edward IV, Richard faced extreme danger and heady triumph, poverty and abundance, neglect and acclamation as the House of York rose to the heights of power and propelled him a glorious career at Court.”

Here’s the amazon link. It offers a “look inside.”

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II. Richard: The King

After the death of Kind Edward IV, Edward V, the former King’s young son rose to the throne. However, Richard was quick to move. He took the young king into his custody and placed him and his younger brother in the Tower for their safety. He then moved with parliament to have the boys declared illegitimate, stating that Edward IV had been precontracted to Eleanor Talbot, thus his marriage to Elizabeth Wydville was invalid and their sons illegitimate. This made Richard king.

John Ashdown-Hill has taken this and written an interesting book on Richard’s rise to the throne. It is titled Eleanor The Secret Queen: The Woman Who Put Richard III on the Throne.

According to the product description, “this book argues that Eleanor Talbot was married to Edward IV, and that therefore Edward’s subsequent marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was bigamous, making her children illegitimate. When Edward IV died in 1483, the Yorkist succession was called into question by doubts about the legitimacy of his son, Edward (one of the Princes in the Tower). The crown therefore passed to Edward’s undoubtedly legitimate younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But Richard, too, found himself entangled in the web of uncertainty, since those who believed in the legitimacy of Edward IV’s children viewed Richard III’s own accession as usurpation. From the day when Edward IV married Eleanor, or pretended to do so, or allowed it to be whispered that he might have done so, the House of York, previously so secure in its bloodline, confronted a contentious and uncertain future.”

Here’s the amazon link for more information.

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III. Richard the Murderer?

The newly bastardized princes stayed in the Tower. They played in the turrets or on the Tower Green. However, slowly they began to play less and less in public until they completely stopped. Their disappearance has become one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Many books have been written on them including one investigating Richard’s possible part in the disappearance.

Alison Weir believes that Richard was responsible, as the later Tudor historians (including Thomas More) state. Her book, The Princes in the Tower, “explores documentary evidence and various theories about the fate of the famous Princes in the Tower of London. Relying on contemporary accounts, Weir assesses credibility and compares details. Her sound research and rational arguments make a convincing case for Richard’s direct involvement in the murder of his two young nephews. While she admits that there is no convincing evidence that Richard was hunchbacked or more evil than his contemporaries, Weir does show that he was supremely unpopular, largely because of the murder of the children.”

Here’s the link.

Other historians do not believe Richard was responsible for the murders. The Richard III Society is one group which offers several other possible candidates including Henry VII. Here’s the link to their site.

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IV. Richard the Husband

Many forget that Richard was not just a king and possibly a murderer, but also a husband. His wife was Anne Neville, daughter of “The King Maker.” This new biography on Anne offers an interesting look at Richard, showing him as a murderer who eventually killed off Anne’s family and herself. According to the product description, “In addition to killing her first husband, this fascinating new biography also reveals how Richard also helped kill her father, father-in-law, and brother-in-law, imprisoned her mother, and was suspected of poisoning Anne herself. Dying before the age of 30, Anne Neville packed into her short life incident enough for many adventurous careers, but was always the passive instrument of others’ evil intentions. In this book, Anne’s story is told in her own right, uncovering the real wife of Richard III.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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V. The End of Richard III

As explained above, Richard’s short reign ended with his death at the Battle of Bosworth. A new book by John Ashdown-Hill chronicles Richard’s last days. According to the product description, The Last Days of Richard III is a “new and uniquely detailed exploration of Richard’s last 150 days explores these events from the standpoint of Richard himself and his contemporaries. By deliberately avoiding the hindsight knowledge that he will lose the Battle of Bosworth Field, this book presents a new Richard—no passive victim, awaiting defeat and death, but a king actively pursuing his own policies and agenda. It also reexamines the aftermath of Bosworth—the treatment of Richard’s body, his burial, and the construction of his tomb. Based on newly discovered evidence and wider insights it explores the motives underlying these events. And there is the fascinating story of why and how Richard III’s DNA was rediscovered, alive and well, and living in Canada.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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VI. Richard the Myth

Finally, I wanted to point out two books devoted to uncovering the truths behind the many myths surrounding Richard.

According to author Annette Carson, Richard III: Maligned King “seeks to redress the balance by examining the events of his reign as they actually happened, based on reports in the original sources. Eschewing the overlay of assumptions so beloved by historians, she instead traces actions and activities of the principal characters, using facts and timelines revealed in documentary evidence. Daring to investigate areas where historians fear to tread, this book raises some controversial questions. Was Edward IV assassinated? Did Queen Elizabeth Woodville engage in witchcraft? Why did Thomas More lay down his pen, leaving his dramatic attack on Richard unfinished?”

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Another book examining the myths is Richard III: England’s Black Legend by Desmond Stewart “argues that the traditional view of Richard III is very near the truth - Shakespeare’s Richard is closer to reality than the image of a betrayed hero favoured by his modern defenders.”

Here’s the link.

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For more on Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth, check out the Tudor Times Blog.

As some of you may have noticed, there are a few problems with the wiki right now, including not being able to click, scroll, etc. It is a problem all wetpaint sites are experiencing. According to the main wetpaint site, the crew is working on fixing the problem asap.

If it isn’t fixed by tomorrow, I will post a temporary discussion board for the Book Club on the Tudor Book Blog. Hopefully the wiki will be fixed though! I will update as soon as more information is available!

I am happy to finally announce my first Tudor Tour, starting in Summer 2011! Since starting my site a year and a half ago, I have traveled to England several times and have wanted to share the many Tudor places I have visited with my readers through more than just pictures and photo tours. Thus, I have developed a tour devoted to the Queens of this period.

The Tour focuses on all Queens of Tudor England, from Elizabeth of York to Elizabeth I. While on the tour, you will travel to many Tudor destinations including Hampton Court, Hever Castle, Sudeley Castle, the Tower, and more. You will also have private, guided tours of most of our destinations, or be able to explore them on their own. You will also get to experience a Tudor Banquet in the Great Hall of the Old Palace at Hatfield, once used by Elizabeth I!

To learn more about this tour, be sure to check out the Tudor Queens of England Page here. The itinerary as well as all costs, terms, and other information are available in detail.

There are only 20 spots available, so be sure to book your place now! To book, go to our Booking Page here.

Secrets of the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan

*Warning, this review does contain some spoilers!

Synopsis:

This novel is told from the point of view of Mary Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, the powerful Duke of Norfolk. Mary is brought to court to serve as a Maid-of-Honor to her cousin, Anne Boleyn. By serving Anne, Mary witnesses many famous events, such as Anne’s coronation, the birth of Elizabeth, the arrest and execution of Anne, the death of her brother, Henry Howard, and the arrest and downfall of her family during the reign of Katheryn Howard.

While still a young teenager, Mary is married to Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII. She becomes the Duchess of Richmond upon her marriage and is eager to start her life with her husband who, unlike her father, treats her well. His untimely death and a promise made on his deathbed influenced Mary the rest of her life. She eventually finds love again only to have it ripped away. She is also faced with the downfall of her family and a testimonial she gives at her brother’s treason trial. Despite these sad and hard events, Mary comes through and eventually lives a quite life, which seems to suit her.

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Background on Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond:

Mary was the second daughter of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Stafford, daughter of the Duke of Buckingham. She came to court during the time of Anne Boleyn and was married to Henry’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, in 1533. When Fitzroy died in 1536, Mary had to petition and fight to keep her inheritance from him. However, since their marriage had not been consummated (by order of the King), Mary was legally not entitled to some of the lands he left her. She was finally bequeathed some lands by the King years later.

After the fall of the Howards in the scandal with Queen Katheryn Howard, Mary left court and lived quietly until her death in 1557.

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Review:

This novel spans from the rise of Anne Boleyn until the reign of Edward VI. Mary is witness to all of the big events in Tudor times, which the author describes well. Her descriptions bring to life the Tudor court and put you in the view of Mary, a minor figure in the Tudor court. Her being a minor figure is in no way a disadvantage in the novel. Rather, it enhances it. Many novels set in this time period focus on the main royal players, such as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, often told from their perspectives. The new perspective offered by Mary is a breath of fresh air.

A key element of the novel is Mary’s relationships with the men in her life. These relationships really drive the story. Mary’s relationship with her father is complicated and the most important in the book. Norfolk is extremely abusive, both physically and emotionally. Throughout her life she sees her father beating her mother (being born while her father is beating her mother…). Despite this, all Mary wants from him is his love and approval. She obeys him at every turn, even doing things she does not feel are right. Norfolk uses his daughter as a spy, marries her to Henry’s illegitimate son, and at one point tries to bring her to the bed of the King as his mistress. However, his abuse eventually turns to her. There are really no redeeming features of Norfolk in this novel. He is extremely cold and unlikeable. However, the author does give us a few moments of love between father and daughter, but they are rare.

Mary is married to Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond when she is about fifteen. Henry seems to love her and the two want to begin their lives together but are stopped at every turn. When Henry succumbs to disease later in the story, Mary is left a widow. She makes a death bed promise that she will not remarry. Henry, knowing if she does the lands he leaves her will be forfeit. He wants her to be able to live on her own, and get out from under her father. Mary struggles with this promise the rest of her life.

Another interesting point of the novel is Mary’s relationship with Cedric, a court musician. Though fictional, it raises some interesting problems for Mary. Because Cedric is lowly and unable to give Mary what she, as a Duchess, “deserves,” their relationship is strained. However, the two fall in love and Mary is forced to face her identity, either as a Duchess and the daughter of Norfolk, or as a woman.

The final important male relationship is between Mary and her brother, Henry Surrey. The two were close in their younger years, but as Surrey spends more and more time at court, he and Mary grow apart with his growing ambitions. Mary has some enjoyment in writing poetry and shares it with her brother who is well known at court for his. At one point, he takes a poem of hers and uses it as his own, hurting Mary deeply. He is brash and wild, and is eventually brought up on charges of Treason. Mary is forced to choose between family ambition, her lover for her brother, her own desires, and the truth.

I do not a lot of negatives with this novel. The main thing that stuck out to me was the frustration with Mary for blindly following her father. She never really breaks from him and finds herself, though she does change and grow throughout the story. I also felt like the novel focused too much on the time when Anne Boleyn was at court. Obviously this is a long period of time and an important period of time, but I felt like the author brushed over later queens and events as a result. The biggest problem to me isn’t really about the novel…rather it is about the cover. Firstly, the ladies in the image are wearing Elizabethan and Marie-Antoinette-era clothing! For a novel that did a pretty good job at sticking with history, they really flubbed there.I know one isn’t suppose to “judge a book by its cover” but I was really apprehensive when I saw this cover. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Also, I do not understand why the novel is titled Secrets of the Tudor Court. I think it should have a different title, one that really relates to the story. I feel like this title is really generic…like they couldn’t think of anything to name the novel. I especially think it should be changed considering there is another Tudor series already using this name. It is quite confusing!

Despite these small squawks, I give this novel 4 out of 5 Tudor Roses.

It was an easy and fun read, and took a bit of a twist on an old, and often told, story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Tudor fiction, but especially to those who enjoy the Anne Boleyn story, but would like a fresh take on it.

I want to thank the author for sending me an advanced copy of this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read your next one!

We are having a wonderful time discussing our current read The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir at the Tudor Book Club, but are beginning to think to our next book club book. I have created a thread to get some ideas for our next book club read. We could either do another novel or we could go back and forth between fiction and non-fiction. If enough people are interested, we can also do a fiction book club and a non-fiction book club. So please go here to offer your suggestions, or simply leave a comment here!

I have an interesting bit of web to share with you today, a chapter from a novel titled The Maids of Honor at Greenwich Palace. I am not sure if this is actually a published novel, as I cannot find it online anywhere.

The chapter is about the marriage of Mary “Rose”  Tudor and Louis XII of France. Here are the links to Part One and Part Two.

Speaking of Mary Tudor, I found a few clips from the old Sword and the Rose film about Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon. Here is one clip:

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I have found a giveaway for the Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. Sorry, I’m catching this giveaway at the tail end but it is still open until Monday! It is only open to the UK and Ireland.

The blogger also did a review on it, concluding that “If you enjoy historical fiction, I do believe you will enjoy The Red Queen.  Gregory does a good job bringing history alive and even the changes she makes that have me annoyed do fit the context of the story.  I wouldn’t say I enjoyed this one quite as much as The White Queen, but I would recommend both.”

Here’s the link to read both the goods and bads of this book, as well as enter to win it!

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Here is another review for a Philippa Gregory book: The Constant Princess. According to the reviewer, “[Katherine's] actual reign as Henry’s queen is more interesting and gives a lot of insight into a time I didn’t know much about. She was a much stronger woman that I would have previously given her credit for.”

Here’s the link to the review.

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I have received a few questions about where to find Tudor books in languages other than English.

I honestly do not know much about this. I know that if amazon is in your country and in your language, they would probably be the best place to look. Also, if you have a library near your home check it out and ask your librarian. They would know if their collection contained any Tudor books or where to get them in your language. I am sorry I haven’t been much help with this but perhaps some other readers in other countries can offer some suggestions! Feel free to comment!

I was wondering if you know of any book clubs that are devoted exclusively to Anything Tudor? I’m completely enthralled by this time period and have read alot of books about the monarchs, queens and lifestyles of the 16th century tudors. I’m always looking for more and more books. Can you recommend any book clubs, whether online or elsewhere where I can find more of these books? Your help is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Devoted Tudor Fan

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*Note: See comments for answers!

Author Jeane Westin has been kind enough to send me a copy of her new novel His Last Letter which I am giving away this month to celebrate its release.

To enter the competition, please leave a comment on this post with your name and e-mail (which will not be visible to the public) and tell me what your favorite Tudor book is (fiction or non-fiction–this will help me decide some future items for giveaway :D). This comment will get your name put in for the drawing one time. To be put in twice, do the above as well as post about the giveaway on your blog/website. Link the post back to your comment here.

All entries are due in by midnight on Sunday, Aug. 9. The winner will be announced Aug. 13th (a week from today).

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*Note: Unfortunately, this competition is only open to USA residents. However, if you live outside the USA, please feel free to tell us your favorite Tudor Book anyway! Sorry for it, but shipping costs overseas are pretty expensive!

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Jeane Westin has also offered to write an author post for the Tudor Book Blog this month! More on this soon.

I am adding a new space on the right hand side of the blog which will be updated regularly to show each particular month’s Tudor book releases. I have also added a space for my upcoming reviews. My next will be on D.L. Bogdan’s Secrets of the Tudor Court. I will be posting it next week as soon as I finish tweaking it!

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I have found an interesting review which compares Alison Weir’s The Lady Elizabeth and Innocent Traitor. According to the review, “unlike so many others, [Weir] is able to take what would normally be boorish details, such as moving from the country, to court, back to the country, back to court compelling because she gives explanations about why Elizabeth has to come and go so often.”

Here’s the link. Don’t forget that we are currently reading and discussing this book in our Tudor Book Club. Feel free to join in any time!

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The Lady Jane Grey Reference Blog has posted information on Tudor Queenship: The Reigns of Mary and Elizabeth edited by Anna Whitelock and Alice Hunt. It will be published in September 2010. The post contains the Table of Contents. It looks like there are going to be some interesting chapters! Here’s the link to check it out.

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Mary Tudor: Rennaissance Queen Blog has posted the recent BBC History Magazine Article titled How Bloody was Bloody Mary? It was a really interesting read and has some great pictures. Here’s the link.

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I found a new review for The Last Wife of Henry VIII. It gives a really detailed overview as well as a nice excerpt from the book. Read it here.

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Finally, I found an excellent review for Mary Tudor: England’s First Queen. The review gives great insight into Mary, comparing this book with others about her. It also discusses Elizabeth and Mary, explaining that “At the beginning of the book, Whitelock points us to the Latin inscription on the tomb in Westminster Abbey shared by Mary and Elizabeth: ‘Partners both in throne and grave, here rest we two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, in the hope of one resurrection.’ It speaks eloquently not just of the relationship between the two Queens, but also of the age in which they reigned.”

Here’s the link. It is worth a read!

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