Tudor Book Blog

I wanted to point out two wonderful books on Mary, Queen of Scots this week.

The first is a non-fiction/biography on Mary by one of my favorite authors Antonia Fraser. Mary, Queen of Scots is thought to be the premier biography on Mary. It covers her entire life in great detail, but is still easy and enjoyable to read without being “too dry.” According to the product details,

“She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head. Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart, scandalizing her world with a foolish passion that would lead to abduction, rape and even murder. Betrayed by those she most trusted, she would be lured into a deadly game of power, only to lose to her envious and unforgiving cousin, Elizabeth I. Here is her story, a queen who lost a throne for love, a monarch pampered and adored even as she was led to her beheading, the unforgettable woman who became a legend for all time.”

Here’s the amazon link for more details including a “look inside.”

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The second book I wanted to point out is Margaret George’s Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles. It is a novel which also covers the entirety of Mary’s life. It is written in third person, unlike several of George’s other novels. I have not read this one, but I have read other books by Margaret George and can highly recommend her. Publisher’s Weekly describes the novel as “painstakingly researched…” explaining that,

“Like all tragic figures, George’s Mary Stuart has a flaw: a personal and political naivete, misunderstood to the end, that leads to her downfall. Recreating the Elizabethan era with a sure eye for telling detail, George uses her entirely plausible vision of Mary’s private life to explain the failures of her public one. Mary’s story becomes an allegory for the victory of morality over human weakness; her reign, a symbol of the abuses of rule by “divine right”; her death, of the triumph of the rule of law. Readers will empathize with Mary’s pain over an unhappy first marriage, the wrenching upheaval of adultery and her searing realization of trust misplaced and loyalties lost, finally coming to know with her the peace of a soul at rest in God and the glory of a meaningful death. With her use of authentic period language, her gifts for assured pacing and accomplished characterization, and her ability to convey the complex political issues and intrigues of 16th-century England and Scotland, George has created an engrossing novel. Moreover, her deep sympathy for her subject renders Mary an entirely real and unforgettable heroine.”

Here’s the amazon link for more details including a “look inside.”

Whether you want a non-fiction or fiction book to relax with, both can offer you an intriguing and well researched look into the life of one of Scotland’s most famous monarchs, and one of Tudor history’s most tragic figures.

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!

Marie Sandeford/Joy Childs (who writes under both names) is the author of three Tudor related books I wanted to highlight this week.

Second Sister: A Royal Tudor Romance is a lovely story following Lady Catherine Grey, sister of the ill-fated Jane Grey. Catherine led a tumultuous life and ended up gaining much resentment and anger from Elizabeth I for marrying without her consent. I have begun reading this recently and am thoroughly enthralled.

Here’s the amazon uk link.

Joy also sent me a copy of a review from the Derby Evening Telegram in May 1999 which states the “book is a compelling mixture of history and romantic writing, plus a touch of the thriller….”

Also, Tanzanite’s Shelf and Stuff has a review of this novel with a nice synopsis. Here’s the link.

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Dorothy: The Romantic Story of Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall

This is a story of Dorothy Haddon who is said to have eloped with James Manners from Haddon Hall. There is a nice overview of the story at a Haddon Hall website here. Joy explained that parts of her novel were used in a play performed at Haddon Hall.

Here’s the amazon link.

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Tales of Tudor Women is a small book which Joy informed me that some of its content is based on essays she has written on various Tudor women, as well as some extra information. It was published on the 400th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I’s death. She is presently working on its companion volume.

Here’s the amazon link.

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I have a bit more to post on each of these, but I will do so as I review them! I am currently reading The Second Sister and really enjoying it. That review should be up soon.

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This past week (yes, I’ve been slowly putting this post together for a week…:p) marks the 501st wedding anniversary of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. They were married on June 11th, 1509 and had one surviving child, Mary I. Therefore, I have decided to highlight literature pertaining to Katherine of Aragon.

There is surprisingly quite a lot of literature about Katherine…of course, not as much as Anne Boleyn, but Katherine has held her own in the world of Tudor Books!

Coronation of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon

I will begin by highlighting some of the non-fiction books written on Katherine. She is of course mentioned in Weir, Fraser, and Starkey’s versions of the Six Wives. I am not going into detail on these in this post.

I want to start by mentioning a new biography on Katherine titled Catherine: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII by Giles Tremlett. This new biography will not be released until Oct. in the UK and in Nov. in the USA. There is currently not any real information on this book, but I will update the blog as it becomes available.

Here’s the amazon uk link. And here’s the amazon USA link.

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The Divorce of Katherine of Aragon: The Story As Told by the Imperial Ambassadors Resident at the Court of Henry VIII is an amazing piece of primary source materials. Of course, these views are slightly biased, but still offer a nice picture of England during “the King’s Great Matter.”

Here’s the amazon link to view more detail.

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Katherine of Aragon and Her Friends by John E. Paul is another great non-fiction, also dealing mainly with the players in “the Divorce.”

Here’s the link.

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Katherine of Argon by Julia Hamilton is a biography published in 1972 as part of a six vol. series on the Wives. If you are interested in this one, check out the very honest review of it on amazon.

Here’s the link.

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And finally, a while back Tanzanite’s Shelf and Stuff highlighted Catherine the Queen by Mary M. Luke. According to the blog, “Reading more like a novel than a biography, Mary Luke’s Catherine the Queen is an intriguing look at the first wife of Henry VIII. Written in the late 1960’s, it draws heavily on Garrett Mattingly’s 1941 biography of Catherine as well as various primary and secondary sources.”

Here’s the link to her post in which she tells quite a bit about the book.

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Now for some fiction:

Jean Plaidy wrote a series of novels on Katherine which have all been combined into one large novel now. It is titled Katherine of Aragon and includes Katherine, the Virgin Widow, In the Shadow of the Pomegranate, and The King’s Secret Matter. Plaidy was an excellent author who really did her research. I highly recommend her novels.

Here’s the amazon link.

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A newer novel about Katherine, which focuses mainly on her early life and time as a young widow, is Philippa Gregory’s The Constant Princess. According to Publisher’s Weekly, “the author presents a thorough, sympathetic portrait of her heroine and her transformation into Queen Katherine. Gregory’s skill for creating suspense pulls the reader along despite the historical novel’s foregone conclusion..”

Here’s the amazon link.

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The Spanish Bride is a relatively new novel by Laurien Gardner written about Katherine of Aragon. It is written in third person and follows Katherine’s arrival and life in England as well as her relationship with her close friend and servant Estella.

Here’s the amazon link.

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And to finish off this post, I ran across a CD titled Music for Katherine of Aragon from Peterborough Cathedral (where Katherine is buried). I had the lovely opportunity to visit is this past April when I was in England.

There is an option to preview all the songs on the CD. It is very beautiful.

Here’s the amazon link for it.

First off, Happy Love Day!

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As many of you probably know, Katheryn Howard was ill-fated 5th wife of King Henry VIII. On Feb. 13th, 1542 young Katheryn was led to the scaffold in the Tower of London, tried and convicted of adultery with several men. She was beheaded and buried in the chapel of St. Peter Ad Vincular where her cousin, Anne Boleyn (who also lost her head thanks to Henry VIII) was also buried. Immediately after her execution, her lady-in-waiting, Lady Jane Rochford, was also beheaded. She was convicted of treason for aiding the young Queen in her affairs. She was also buried in the chapel. What a great Valentines Day present….

To remember these two women, I am highlight some of the most popular book about them this week.

1) Catherine Howard: The Queen Whose Adulteries Made a Fool of Henry VIII by Lacey Baldwin Smith was published last year. According to the product description, this is a “biography of Henry VIII of England’s fifth wife, beheaded for playing Henry at his own game - adultery.” I haven’t read this particular one, but I have really enjoyed some of his other works. Here’s the amazon link.

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2) Johanna Denny has released a new biography of Katheryn titled Katherine Howard: A Tudor Consipracy in which she reveals “the true character of Katherine Howard, the young girl caught up in a maelstrom of ambition and conspiracy, which led to her execution for high treason while still only 17 years old.” She asks “Who was Katherine, the beautiful young aristocrat who became a bait to catch a king? Was she simply naive and innocent, a victim of her grasping family’s scheming? Or was she brazen and abandoned, recklessly indulging in dissolute games with lovers in contempt of her royal position? Joanna Denny’s enthralling new book once again plunges the reader into the heart of the ruthless intrigues of the Tudor court—and gives a sympathetic and poignant portrait of a girl tragically trapped and betrayed by her own family.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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3) The Rose Without A Thorn is Jean Plaidy’s fictional account of Katheryn Howard’s life. I really enjoyed most of this book (except for Katheryn’s queenship where the narrative seemed to just keep repeating itself over and over). However, the majority of the book was really good, especially Katheryn’s early life which doesn’t get much attention by anyone, historians and writers alike. Here’s the amazon link.

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4) Two other fictional accounts of Katheryn’s life were released last year:

The first is titled The King’s Rose by Alisa Libby. It has gotten good reviews from critics and readers alike! The School Library Journal says, “Told in Catherine’s voice, the story gains real immediacy as she glories in the excitement and glamour of the court, but soon realizes that she is in great danger. Her love for young Thomas Culpepper overcomes her common sense, and their affair seals her doom. Period activities such as a bear-baiting contest are skillfully woven into the plot. The dowager Duchess and her accomplice, Lady Jane Rochford, are deliciously amoral in their relentless political scheming. One particularly effective scene has Catherine shocked at seeing a portrait of the youthful Henry and realizing how much he has deteriorated. While numerous sexual encounters are part of the political reality, they are subtly handled. A real treat for lovers of historical fiction.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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The second fictional work recently released about Katheryn is titled The Queen’s Mistake by Diane Haeger. This novel seems to have a more romantic view of Katheryn, with the product description stating, “Wanting only love, Catherine is compelled to deny her heart’s desire in favor of her family’s ambition. But in so doing, she unwittingly gives those who sought to bring her down a most effective weapon-her own romantic past.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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5) And finally, another lady was executed the same day as Katheryn, Lady Jane Rochford, widow of George Boleyn and sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. History has painted her as a treacherous figure who gave Cromwell the “evidence” to convict Anne and George of incest. Now, Julia Fox attempts to paint a new portrait of this woman in her work Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford. Fox attempts to show Jane as “faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn’t rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell’s relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry’s sexual dysfunction. Moreover, Fox says, George’s execution was a financial blow to Jane—his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane’s complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law’s death.” Despite this, Fox didn’t receive great reviews. It isn’t really her work, but the lack of evidence from the time period. She seems to have a very romanticized view of Jane, one she cannot support with hard historical evidence.

Here’s the amazon link.

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Here are a few Upcoming Releases:

The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty by G.J. Meyer is being released this month! On Feb. 15th it will be available in the UK (here’s the amazon uk link) and on Feb. 23rd it will be available in the US (here’s the amazon us link). I’m hoping to get my hands on this one soon and hopefully review it!

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Linda Porter’s biography of Catherine Parr, titled Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr, comes out in March. Here’s the amazon.uk link.

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The next part of David Starkey’s biography of Henry VIII, titled Model of a Tyrant, is being released in the UK in October. Sadly I’m not sure when it will be released in the US! Here’s the amazon.uk link.

The product description states: “How and why did Henry VIII turn from a glamorous Renaissance prince into this country’s greatest tyrant? David Starkey’s magisterial concluding biography, published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne, tells this remarkable, bloodthirsty story. When Henry VIII came to throne in 1509, he had already distinguished himself as a scholar, musician and athlete. So how did this glamorous young Renaissance prince become this country’s greatest tyrant? Desperate to cement his claim to the throne, Henry quickly became frustrated by the lack of a male heir from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. His impatience increased after he became infatuated with the beautiful Anne Boleyn. When Anne refused to become his mistress, a desperate Henry was forced to take action that would set the course of British history for the next 500 years. In a move that would have fateful consequences for all involved, Henry ordered his lifelong friend Thomas More to implement religious changes that would allow him to remarry. The resulting establishment of the Church of England catapulted Henry to the height of his personal power and led to More’s death.Catherine was dismissed, Anne was ushered in, and so began the bloody cycle of marriage, divorce and execution for Henry is still remembered today. And yet behind this brutal history was a man traumatised by bitter divorce. David Starkey’s magisterial concluding biography of this most complex of British kings, published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne, tells the bloodstained story of his remarkable shift from humanist prince to all-powerful despot during one of the most vivid and significant periods of British history.

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Amazon.com graciously informed me today that Tudor Court Culture ed. by Thomas Betteridge and Anna Riehl will be available Feb. 28th in the US. This is “an interdisciplinary volume that examines the cultural history of the court and its possible interpretations from the early 1500s to the end of the reign of Elizabeth I. The history of Tudor court culture during the sixteenth century is a movement of the court beyond its physical confines out into the country so that courtliness becomes more a state of mind, a way of behaving, a language, and a symbol. The first part of this collection investigates issues in relation to the court of Henry VIII: the ongoing negotiation of the discrepancies between the ideal and the real, desired and granted, imagined and perceived. The second part explores the changing conditions of the court and assesses the extent of the centrifugal influence of the court culture during the reign of Elizabeth I.” It looks really interesting! I think I would really enjoy reading this. Here’s the amazon link for more info.

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Now for some reviews:

The Heretic’s Wife by Brenda Rickman Vantrease has been reviewed by the NY Times this week. Here’s what they say:

“The Heretic’s Wife Brenda Rickman Vantrease. St. Martin’s, $25.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-312-38699-3
Tudor England is a dangerous place to harbor Lutheran sympathies, yet brave souls like John Gough and his sister Kate smuggle protestant bibles into the country and translate them into English for the common man. When Gough is arrested, he recants, but Kate continues on with the mission, falling in love with translator John Frith, who takes her with him into exile in Antwerp. Meanwhile in England, Henry VIII is drifting slowly away from the Catholic faith under the influence of his mistress Anne Boleyn, while Thomas More becomes more and more obsessed with burning heretics and keeping England in the bosom of the church. No one with protestant beliefs is safe, including Kate and her husband, who may pay the ultimate price for their heresy. This is a strong historical, showing another side of the tempestuous Tudor times. Boleyn and Henry VIII, often the focus of these stories, are sideline figures, and the common folk who truly suffered under the intolerance of the regime take center stage while the saintly More is given shockingly brutal treatment. Tudor fans will be pleased and excited by this fresh approach. (Apr.)”

Here’s the link to the post.

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Here is a nice review for Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl. It’s from stevereads blog and really detailed with some nice excerpts from the novel. He states that “Despite the cavils of historical critics, there’s a good deal of accurate research at the back of this book. But its main delight comes in it quick exchanges of dialogue…” Here’s the link. It’s a really good read!

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The Novel Duchess at Tudor Literature Place has written up a nice review for The King’s Rose, Alisa Libby’s first novel focusing on Katheryn Howard. She says that “There were a lot of private thoughts and emotions conveyed in this book. I can see why it was written for the young adult audience, because Katherine was only a teenager, and a lot of her thought processes and experiences with sexuality and being taken advantage of are themes that a lot of young women can relate to.” Here’s the link to the full review.

I mentioned this over at the News Board, but wanted to make sure to mention it here as well: The National Gallery in London is holding an amazing exhibit focused on Jane Grey in artwork. To read more about the Jane Grey Exhibit, go here. Also, here’s the link to the exhibit page on the National Portrait Gallery’s site.

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I have found a nice summery of the historical mystery Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, in which an investigators looks into the murder of The Princes in the Tower. Here’s the link.

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Lady Gwyn has written a review for Kate Emerson’s latest novel in her series Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens. She seems to have enjoyed the first book in the series, but not so much this one. Lady Gwyn explains that “The main character, Anne Bassett, annoyed me throughout with her constant assessment of the men around her as marriage material: are they wealthy? do they have land? do they have a title? I understand that women of a certain social rank during this period did look for that in a man but she was so arrogant about it that it really made me dislike her.” Here’s the link to the full review. Warning! It contains spoilers!

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Here’s the link to a nice post about Antonia Fraser and her book The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I personally adore this book (and any other books written by her!). The post features a brief view of the book, as well as some information on other non-fictions books by Fraser.

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Brandy Purdy’s novel Vengeance is Mine has been reviewed over at the At Home With and Good Book and the Cat Blog. The reviewer didn’t give it a very good review, only earning 2/5 stars. The reviewer says that “If you’re looking for a very fictional take on Anne and Henry and don’t care about historical accuracy this might suit as a quick and easy read, but on the other hand this book isn’t going to provide you with anything new on the matter either.” Here’s the link to the full review.

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Karen Harper’s latest novel The Queen’s Governess comes out today, so I have decided to highlight it!

The novel follows Katherine “Kat” Ashely, confident to Anne Boleyn and later governess to Elizabeth I. According to Harper’s website (and Publisher’s Weekly) “Ashley lives through the reigns of four Tudors—but Harper’s diligent research, realistic portrayal, and insider/outsider heroine will hook those who can’t get enough of England’s turbulent history. Readers familiar with the period will feel at home and even manage some sympathy for men like Cromwell and Henry VIII.” Here’s the link to her site.

Also, here is a nice article by Harper on why she is a Tudormaniac. She explains that the Tudors “are my favorite (almost my only) topic for my historical novels and a historical mystery series. Books I’ve written about them (with Elizabeth Tudor always involved) include THE FIRST BOLEYN, a book about Mary Boleyn written 20 years before Philippa Gregory’s THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL. (And with a very different take on the Boleyns.) I’ve also authored the nine-book The Queen Elizabeth I Mystery Series with Elizabeth as the amateur sleuth. Her Grace has also appeared at different stages of her life in Mistress Shakespeare; a novel I just completed, The Irish Princess; and she’s a key figure in my current release, The Queen’s Governess. In short, Elizabeth Tudor is my favorite historical figure with her totally dysfunctional family right beside her.”

Sorry I am posting this so late in the week. The first week of school is always hectic!

I was happy to receive a very nice e-mail from author Robert Parry last week asking me to review his new novel The Virgin and the Crab: Sketches, Fables and Mysteries from the Early Life of John Dee and Elizabeth Tudor. Since reading such good reviews about it on The Anne Boleyn Files a while back I was super excited to do so! I got the book in the mail yesterday and have eagerly started it! I will finish it soon and post my review.

In the mean time, I wanted to highlight the book and post what Robert has said about it. I asked him to give me a little background on the novel including how he came up with the idea for it and why he wrote it.

He said:

“The novel takes place during the turbulent decade of the 1550s – shortly after the passing of Henry VIII. His daughter, Elizabeth, is a major character and it was, as I’m sure you know, during this period that she faced some of her greatest dangers and challenges – challenges that she overcame largely through the assistance of a group of powerful and influential men and women who aided and supported her from behind the scenes. That is the contention of the book, anyway.

At that time in England, the University of Cambridge was responsible for an influential group of academics, lawyers and classical scholars who worked at the royal courts and palaces – including William Cecil, Roger Ascham and John Cheke. The extent of Cecil’s involvement in the destiny of Elizabeth needs no introduction, but Ascham and Check were arguably as important. They were tutors to Jane Grey and the young King Edward, as well as to Elizabeth and her childhood sweetheart Robert Dudley. They were a small, tightly-knit community of intellectuals who all knew one another and who wielded considerable influence. John Dee, although among the youngest, was recognised even then as one of the most gifted among them. He was a brilliant mathematician, geographer, astrologer, a spy and a renaissance magician and alchemist. Some believe him to be the original James Bond (he sometimes signed his documents with a distinctive ‘007’ symbol). We meet him here as a young man, handsome and courageous, inventive and clever. He has an almost chivalric devotion for the young Elizabeth, and pledges to work tirelessly to aid and protect her though her darkest days – making for what is possibly one of the most remarkable and yet untold relationships of the Tudor age.

How did I come to write it? Well, perhaps because John Dee was the moving force behind so many of the great voyages of discovery during the late Tudor and Elizabethan periods – including those of Frobisher and Gilbert. The Tudors believed that the Far East could be reached from Europe via a voyage across the top of the American continent – via the fabled Northwest Passage - and that China in particular held the secrets to much of the arcane, and lost knowledge of antiquity, medical, astronomical, alchemical. Many who look into the history of European relations with the East will eventually stumble upon the Northwest Passage – which is where I come in, having been involved with Oriental medicine and philosophy much of my life - all part of a fascination I have with combining the rational with the intuitive, the Occident with the Orient. I also encountered the figure of Dee when studying astrology (another one of my quirky pursuits).”

If you are interested in more information on this book, here’s the amazon link. The Anne Boleyn Files has a great review for the book here. Robert has also written a guest post on his novel at Historical Fiction.com.

I will be posting my review asap! Again, thanks so much Robert for offering your book for review!

This week I would like to highlight some of my favorite Christmas presents, a few wonderful books I received from my lovely family!

1) The Tudor Chronicles by Susan Doran

This is a must have for anyone interested in Tudor history. I was excited about it, but after looking through it I am really blown away by it. The pictures are amazing, containing page after page of large colored prints of primary sources and portraits. I am thrilled by it and am really really loving reading it! Anyway, here is what the product description says, “”The Tudor Chronicles” is a compelling, year-by-year chronology of this tumultuous and critical period in the development of the modern English nation. Each year is covered by a concise, informative and accessible narrative, amplified by extensive quotations from contemporary sources and accompanied by generously captioned and stunning images of the period - including portraits, maps, illuminations, royal seals, tapestries and other artifacts.”

Here’s the amazon link for more info. on the book.

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2) Henry the Eighth by Francis Hackett

Secondly, I received a very old biography on Henry VIII. I don’t think I had heard of it before, being published in 1930, but so far it is really interesting. It begins with the arrival of Katherine of Aragon, so I am a little disappointed that it doesn’t delve more into Henry’s childhood. But we shall see, I am only on page 10!

Here’s the amazon link for its republication. However, I lucked out and got the original from an old book store!

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3) And lastly I received a really nice book titles Tudor Houses Explained by Trevor Yorke which I had not heard of before. I am really enjoying it, as it talks about the evolution of Tudor architecture in peasant’s and noblemen’s houses. There are a lot of great illustrations in it as well with diagrams of the architectural makeup of the homes. The only criticism I have so far is that I would love to see some nice colored pictures of examples still around, as the only pictures in the book are black and white. But other than that I am really enjoying it!

Here’s the amazon link if you want to check it out.

Here is a novel I have recently ran across. I hadn’t heard of it before so I thought I would highlight it!

The novel is titled The Quality of Mercy and written by Faye Kellerman. Rather than focusing on a Tudor monarch or the royal court it focuses on a Spanish-Jewish family who have immigrated to England and are posing as Anglicans during the reign of Elizabeth I. It was originally published in 1989, but rereleased this past April.

According to amazon the story follows the “beautiful and intelligent heroine, Rebecca Lopez, and her family…who practice their faith in secret. Rebecca’s father, Roderigo, the queen’s personal physician, leads a clandestine movement committed to smuggling Jews out of Spain. Rebecca’s betrothed has just died during a mission and, though she mourns him, she yearns to be independent, to remain unmarried. Meanwhile, the young actor-playwright William Shakespeare is seeking revenge for the murder of his mentor, Harry Whitman. He decides to retrace his friend’s last days in hopes of discovering clues to the killer’s identity. Intent on different endeavors, Will and Rebecca eventually cross paths, changing their lives forever. Deft characterization and dazzling prose evoke the ambiance of the period. More than just a mystery, the novel is a spectacular epic–romantic, bawdy, witty and abounding with adventure.”

Here’s the amazon link. It has the “look inside” feature!

As with last week’s book of the week I am interested in books on the two often overshadowed (and shortest) reigns of the Tudor dynasty, Edward VI and Mary I. Edward was the long sought after son of Henry VIII. He was the first English monarch to be protestant, and expected his people to follow suit. He introduced the first English Book of Common Prayer in 1549. Mary was Henry VIII’s eldest surviving child whose mother was discarded and she bastardized. She quickly changed all her father and brother had done by attempting to bring her country back to Rome and restore the Catholic Church. Many protestants were executed giving her the nickname “Bloody Mary.”

Here are some interesting books focusing on these two reigns which had some of the most violent and rapid change in the dynasty.

1) The Mid-Tudors: Edward VI and Mary, 1547-1558 (Questions and Analysis in History) by Stephan “examines all the key issues debated by historians, including the question as to whether there was a mid-Tudor crisis…Lee also looks at the Reformation and the Counter Reformation, as well as discussing government and foreign policy.”

Here’s the amazon link. It lets you peek inside! And here’s the link to a short review for this book.

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2) Edward VI and Mary: A Mid-Tudor Crisis?, 1540-58 by Roger Turvey and Nigel Heard ”analyses the idea that there was a crisis in mid-Tudor England through a detailed examination of the domestic, foreign and religious policies of period as well as the economic issues of the time.”

Here’s the amazon link.

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3) The Mid Tudor Crisis by David Loades “argues for the surprising stability of government during the period between 1545 and 1565. There were crises - a confused royal succession, economic problems, the search for Church settlement - but there was not a fundamental threat to the state or society. Mary and Northumberland’s achievements in particular have been under-rated, originally, to magnify by comparison, those of Elizabeth and, in a sense, the “mid-Tudor crises” was the creation of Elizabethan propaganda.”

Here’s the amazon link.

The Lisle Letters are a composition of 3,000 letters written to and from Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle (an illegitimate son of Edward IV), his family and household, while he was lord deputy of Calais from 1533 to 1540. In 1540 several members of the Plantagenet household in Calais were arrested on suspicion of treason, on the charge of plotting to betray the town to the French. Suspicion unavoidably fell upon Arthur as well, and he was recalled to England and arrested on May 19 1540. The actual conspirators were executed, but there was no evidence connecting Arthur with the plot. Nevertheless he languished in the Tower of London for two years until the king decided to release him. However, upon receiving news that he was to be released Arthur suffered a heart attack and died two days later. The 18th-century historian Francis Sanford commented “[Henry VIII's] Mercy was as fatal as his Judgments.”

King Edward IV, father of Arthur Plantagenet

Lady Lisle, Wife of Arthur Plantagenet

However, many of his letters still survive and have been bound together to form the Lisle Letters. This composition is available at many libraries, as well as through ILL—I would recommend that since it costs about 500 dollars online! :

Here’s the amazon link for more on the book, such as page numbers,

And here’s a nice post on the book.

In this post, the author states, “It was in the so-called Lisle Letters, edited by Muriel St Clare Bryne, that I first found about the existence of the correspondence and the family. You can find more information in the excellent abridged version. The letters are dense and reveal far more than a partial description of the participants’ world; at times you can almost catch a shape, a scent, a sensation, as though someone out of that world is stepping across the field of vision.”

Here’s a link to the abridged version as well. (It’s available in full text on Google Books here!)

One of my professors told me about these great books that I am highlighting this week. Here is what she says about them:

“Tudor Cookery: Recipes and History”, by Peter Brears. This is a small
book by English Heritage, aimed at the museum gift shop audience. It is
well illustrated and the recipes are clear and straightforward. You
don’t have to be a gourmet chef to make them! The book is more focused
on the food than the history.

Here’s the amazon link.

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“Shakespear’s Kitchen: Renaissance Recipes for the Contemporary Cook”
by Francine Segan. I don’t own this one—yet. I am trying to
restrict my purchase of historical food and cookbooks because my
shelves are overflowing. I expect that there is a lot of Italian
influencein the recipes because there was a lot of cultural contact
with the Mediterranean through trade in early modern Europe.

Here’s the amazon link.

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“British Food: an Extraordinary Thousand Years of History” by Colin
Spencer. This is a history book about food. No recipes, but a great
book that covers the whole panorama of British foods and cooking in
different eras.

Here’s the amazon link.

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“Feast: A History of Grand Eating” by Roy Strong has some infromation
on the Tudor era, and is a genearlly a fact filled, fun book aboul
how food has been used to reflect wealth and power.

Here’s the amazon link.

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I know that I love food! I find these books and reading about cooking in Tudor times really interesting. I didn’t care much about it until I visited the gorgeous kitchens at Hampton Court Palace. After that, I found I wanted to start researching more and more! When I created the Hampton Court Photo Tour, I found that the kitchens was one of my favorite parts to create! If you want to take the tour through the kitchens (or the rest of the palace for that matter!) Here’s the link. There I have added a lot more information on cooking practices and the evolution of the kitchens at the palace.

Because Halloween is this week (yay! costumes and candy!) I have decided to highlight books focusing on Spooky Tudor Stories.

The Tower of London:

There are many many ghost stories related to the Tower of London (ha…can’t imagine why!). Many of these originate from Tudor times. Ghosts of the Tower of London by G. Abbott attempts to bring all of these spooky stories together and explain where they have come from. I have read and enjoyed this book (well…as much as one can enjoy a book telling stories of murder, torture, and ghosts!)

Here’s the amazon link.

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Gather.com has posted an article titled Witches: A Legislative History in Tudor England. Here’s what it says:

When I was searching around online for new Tudor books, I ran across a series I hadn’t hear of before called “My Story.” It seems similar to the Royal Diaries Series (of which I am a huge fan! ). In the series there are several Tudor books:

The Bloody Tower

The Bloody Tower is the diary of a young girl named Tilly who lives at the Tower of London with her father, who is the Tower physician. She witnesses some famous Tudor events, such as the arrest and execution of Lady Jane Grey and the imprisonment of Princess Elizabeth. The book also gives insight into daily Tudor life, as Tilly describes her daily life.

To Kill a Queen

To Kill a Queen is another of the My Story series which focuses on Tilly’s daughter Kitty, whose brother becomes entangled with conspirators who wish to put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. The book is Kitty’s diary where she describes her fears and what she finds out about her brother and his friend’s plot against Elizabeth I.

My Tudor Queen

My Tudor Queen follows the story of Eva De Puebla, lady-in-waiting to Princess Catalina of Aragon (later Katherine of Aragon). She follows her mistress through her marriage to Prince Arthur, his death, and life under Henry VII.

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The Royal Diary Series is another great “diary” type series with each book focusing on the younger lives of their subjects.

Here are some of the Tudor-related Diaries:

Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor

This diary focuses on young Elizabeth Tudor in the last few years of her father, King Henry VIII’s reign, and his marriage to Catherine Parr. Elizabeth and childhood friend Robery Dudley get into many adventures, such as hunting for the ghost of Katheryn Howard and keeping Catherine Parr from getting arrested.

Side note: There is also a great tv-movie inspired by this book!

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Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country, France, 1553

This book follows the young life of Mary Queen of Scots when she lived at the Royal French Court. She introduces the reader to characters such as Catherine de Medici, Diane de Poitier, the four Mary’s, and even Nostradamus.

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Isabel: Jewel of Castilla

This diary follows the early life of Isabel, future Queen of Castilla who married Ferdinand and mothered Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII and mother of Mary I. The book focuses on Isabel’s marriage prospects and the civil war between her two brothers over the crown of Castille.

Side note: There is also a tv-movie version of this book, but in my opinion it’s not as good as the Elizabeth one.

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There are many more Tudor books for kids, but above are some of my favorites and definitely worth checking out. Remember, these aren’t just for kids! I’m 22, and still love them!!!

Since Hilary Mantel has won the prestigious Man Booker Prize, I have decided to highlight Wolf Hall this week.

Wolf Hall follows the earlier life of Thomas Cromwell. He rose from obscure origins to become Henry VIII’s Chief Minister. The story begins with Cromwell’s early life, marriage, and fatherhood. Eventually he serves under the powerful Cardinal Wolsey. Once Wolsey failes to get Henry VIII a divorce from Katherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn, Wolsey falls from power. Cromwell is right there to take his place. He aides the King in gaining his divorce by breaking from the Catholic Church to form the Church of England. However, Cromwell soon comes to blows with Anne Boleyn over the distribution of wealth taken from the monasteries. He then orchestrates a brilliant plot to get rid of her. It is even easier when Anne is unable to produce a son for Henry and he tires of her. This is where the novel ends: the beginning of the fall of Anne with Cromwell, Henry, and Jane Seymour looking to the future at Wolf Hall.

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Here are some links:

A nice article on Cromwell, including recent modern portrayals (like Mantel’s novel and “The Tudors”)

Here’s an article I have posted before which talks a bit about Mantel’s writing style.

An article on Mantel from The Guardian

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Here are some videos/audio:

And a great video and interview with Mantel.

A podcast of Mantel discussing her book

A video of David Starkey and Mantel discussing the Tudors

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Here are some Reviews:

Here’s a review from USA Today.

Here’s a new review I have found from IANS book reviews.

Review from the NY Time

Well, Halloween is fast approaching and it is the only time of the year I can dress up and not get quite as many wierd looks! Last year I went as Marie Anotinette (see below picture) but this year (sticking with the beaheaded Queen theme) I am going as Anne Boleyn! I have about three weeks to finish (well, start and finish) my costume. So far I have the fabric and pattern, so I’m off to a good start! Luckily I know a bit about sewing and have an priceless asset, my semestress grandmother!

Me as Marie Antoinette

My hair...consisting of mini-birds, flowers, feathers, and...yes...hair!

To get me more into the costume making theme, I have decided to devote this week’s Book of the Week to one of the coolest books I have ever read: The Tudor Tailor.

The Tudor Tailor is written by Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcolm-Davies, and is a wealth of knowledge about Tudor Clothing, from peasant to King. The book also offers patterns for making various garments and accessories (from a simple shift to an Elizabethan Court Gown) and step-by-step instructions.

The Tudor Tailor has a website which offers the latest in Tudor Tailor news, research, events, and even offers a few step-by-step instructions from the book! Here’s the link.

There is also a Tudor Tailor Group Forum (though not officially connect to the book). Some of the Tudor Tailors frequent the site and can offer some help for those interested in costuming. Here’s the link.

And of course, here is the amazon link which has some nice reviews.

I am using The Tudor Tailor as a guide for my Anne Boleyn Costume. I am going to finish cutting out the pattern and start sewing tomorrow, so hopefully I will be done by Halloween (if I work really hard!) To follow my costume making, check out the Tudor Costume Blog.

Since I am presently reading The Mistresses of Henry VIII, I have decided to highlight them this week, and books related to them.

In my research, I have come across several mistresses of Henry VIII often left out of the spotlight, overshadowed by Henry’s wives.

1) The earliest rumor of a mistress was Jane Popyncourt, a French tutor to Mary and Margaret Tudor. There is absolutely no evidence of this relationship, just court gossip. A new novel, Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace uses Jane as its central character. However, she is not portrayed as Henry’s mistress, rather as his spy. Here’s the amazon link for more info.

2) Anne Hastings, sister of the powerful and ill-fated Duke of Buckingham, is the first mistress to really receive some attention, mainly because of the scandal the relationship caused! Henry was a very private man, and liked to keep his mistresses out of the eyes of the court. However, when Lady Hasting’s husband found out he had her shipped to a nunnery! After her relationship with the King ended, she began a relationship with one of Henry’s men, William Compton. He even left her some money in his will. Either way, the Duke was not pleased and had a public rowel about it, causing him to be temporarily banished from court.

Above is a portrait of Anne painted in later life.

3) Elizabeth “Bessie” Blount is one of Henry’s well known mistresses because she bore him a son, Henry Fitzroy, whom he claimed as his own. There was even rumor that Henry would attempt to instate his illegitimate son as heir, though this did not happen (besides the fact that he died at a relatively early age-18 I believe-and Jane Seymour bore him a legitimate son). There are no surviving portraits of Bessie, though she was reported to have been extremely beautiful. She was married off after her affair with the king (which lasted longer than most of his affairs) and lived comfortably until her death in 1539.

There are presently no biographies on Bessie, but there are a few on her son, Henry Fitzroy, such as Bastard Prince: Henry VIII’s Lost Son by Beverley Murphy . Here’s the amazon link.

4) The next mistress is Mary Boleyn. Historians now do not doubt her relationship with the king, as there is documented proof of it (from a dispensation presented to the Pope when Henry wanted to marry Mary’s sister Anne, stating that the marriage would still be valid even if he had had relations with a sibling of Anne’s). It is uncertain how long their relationship lasted, or if Mary’s two children were fathered by the King. He never publicly acknowledged them.

The fictional portrayal of The Other Boleyn Girl has made Mary quite famous in the last few years. There is also a new biography of Mary out now, written by Josephine Wilkinson, titled Mary Boleyn: The True Story of Henry VIII’s Mistress. Here’s the amazon link for more info.

5) Madge/Mary Shelton, a cousin of Anne and Mary Boleyn, was rumored to have been a short term mistress to the King during his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Historians still debate not only if the affair took place, but with which sister (Margaret “Madge” or Mary Shelton).

6) The King was also rumored to have had an affair (and possibly even though of marriage as either wife number 4 or, later, number 6) with Anne Basset. The King reportedly gave her presents, though nothing ever came of the flirtation.

There are surely others that are unknown (such as Chapuy’s “handsome” lady). I haven’t finished The Mistresses of Henry VIII, but when I do I will write a review and possibly post more about these fascinating ladies!

This week’s Book of the Week is special. I have had the pleasure of corresponding with author Carlyn Beccia. She has written one of my favorite books The Raucous Royals. It investigates the truth behind some of history’s most famous rulers, such as Napoleon’s real height and the real number of Anne Boleyn’s fingers (and breasts :0). Though Carlyn goes beyond the Tudors, a good section of her book is devoted to them. She explores some of the most famous “myths” behind Richard III, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, and more. 

Carlyn describes her book as “‘history lesson meets tabloid magazine.’ Beccia explains, ‘we think that Hollywood stars are the only ones that are abused by untrue rumors and gossip. History’s most famous royals faced the same challenges. They didn’t get maligned by tabloid magazines but pamphlets, caricatures, silly rhymes and simple word of mouth caused just as much damage to their image.’” 

Carlyn is also an exceptional artist who illustrates her books. Here is one of my favorite illustrations of Mary Queen of Scots and Cousin Elizabeth I:

For more on her art (such as her methods and some more examples go here).

Now, for some (more) links!

Carlyn has a wonderful website for her book which features information of some of the most Raucous Royals, as well as pictures, and games (I must admit, the “Mary Queen of Scots in Executioner’s Hangman”-where you must guess right or he swings-made me giggle). Here is the link to the main site where you can find all of these fun things.

Carlyn also has a blog where she writes witty posts about famous royals. Here is the link for it. It is one of my favorites!

And finally, a favorite of mine: The link to the “book video” for The Raucous Royals.

And finally finally, Carlyn has graciously offered me a copy of her book for a free give away!!! It is the first give away I have done on the site, so I want to do something special and exciting…hum…more to come very soon, so keep posted!!!