‘The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty’ by Carol Ann Lloyd

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction – History

Published: 2023

Format: Hardback

Rating: ★★★★★

I absolutely loved this fresh new look on the Tudors. So much has been written about them as a dynasty and this is a new look through the numbers, like the fact that only 1 Tudor monarch left a diary, there were 7 Tudor coronations, and 42% of the Tudor dynasty was ruled by a Queen.

These facts and many others are explored by Carol Ann Lloyd in this new book. It’s well-written and researched, going back to the primary sources, and discussing different historian’s views. It’s divided down within each chapter into different sections discussing different numbers from the dynasty.

The biography is really well managed and very comprehensive, and the index is also well done and comprehensive. Images are people-focused with a few other ones thrown in. The only thing I can think of to criticise, and it’s not really a criticism but possibly a thought for a future follow-up book, is that it’s focused very much on the monarchs. It would be nice to find out more numbers about the people – like the number of people involved in rebellions, the numbers of priest holes in houses, or the numbers of people working as goldsmiths or blacksmiths.

It’s a really enjoyable book and a great addition to any Tudor lover’s bookshelves. There certainly is always some kind of new perspective or something new to learn about the Tudors, especially given how many new discoveries are still being made!

‘Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown’ by Alison Weir

Genre: Adult Fiction – Historical

Published: 2023

Format: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

Thanks to Headline Publishing for sending me a copy for review.

An interesting addition for sure to the Six Wives series. Hearing the stories told in more detail by the six wives now told by Henry VIII was interesting. Weir presents a view of Henry where he is attempting what is probably an impossible task by the end of the novel – to balance the conservative faction against the reformers in preparation for the minority rule of his son.

However, the book started incredibly slowly, and it took ages to get into the story. Too long, perhaps spent on the reign of Katherine of Aragon and then Anne Boleyn, and less time on Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr. The last 3 wives were covered in about 100 pages of the 600 pages in the book. The pace could have been better balanced had the years of Henry’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon been condensed a little, and more space was given to Katherine Parr who had quite an eventful reign.

It was a very positive part that Alison Weir made use of so many primary sources and confirmed speeches from letters and such like. She always seems to do her research and make use of the surviving sources in her novels as well as her non-fiction works, which is a definite positive in her writing, though she sometimes takes a few too many liberties I feel in her novels, probably for the sake of drama. This was an interesting take on Henry VIII, though, and how he might have been feeling at various points.

Often this reads more like a biography which perhaps is why sometimes the novel seems to get stuck. There are so many characters that unless you were familiar with the period, it would be easy to get confused. But towards the end the novel becomes a very engaging and fast-paced read.

‘Kindred Spirits: Regal Retribution’ by Jennifer C. Wilson

Genre: Adult Fiction – Historical / Paranormal

Published: 2022

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★★★★

Another triumph in the Kindred Spirits series – I adore this series, and I think this may have been the best one yet, but definitely on par with ‘Kindred Spirits: Tower of London’ which has been up to now my favourite of the series. These books make me laugh so much and I wish that these communities of ghosts living at the likes of the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Windsor Castle were real.

It was hinted at in the last in the series, ‘Kindred Spirits: Ephemera’ that this book would feature that most famous King Henry VIII, and it doesn’t disappoint, as those ghosts who were closest to Henry VIII in life come together – the likes of Henry VII, Elizabeth of York, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Richard III again takes centre stage as he struggles with his relationship with Henry VII and the haunting of ghosts he cares for.

The story pushes on, with every chapter adding something to the storyline, and nothing wasted. We see more and more of these characters from history – potential vulnerabilities and how they adjust to the changing modern world and confront difficult decisions and relationships.

It’s a different way of looking at figures from the past and I really enjoy it. This book seems to bring together the communities at the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey as the previous books haven’t so it’s interesting to see ghosts intermingling in a way we haven’t in the series before. I absolutely adore these books and cannot wait for more ghostly adventures!

‘The Pocket Guide to Royal Scandals’ by Andy K. Hughes

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction – History

Published: 2011

Format: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

A fun romp through royal history, looking at some of the most scandalous royals and what they did. There is very much a focus on English history, with just some of the more famous foreign rulers thrown in like Catherine the Great and Vlad the Impaler. The focus is also largely on the modern period, with nearly half of the book covering just the 20th century. There is only one Roman Emperor discussed, when they must have had enough scandals to fill most of the book!

It is a fun read, but with a couple of errors that I spotted including the Pilgrimage of Grace as happening in 1541 when it was 5 years earlier, and one of Anne Boleyn’s ‘lovers’ Mark Smeaton being hanged and quartered when he was actually beheaded. There are also a few grammatical errors where it doesn’t read as well as it could.

A fun short book to dip in and out of but seemed to gloss over some of the scandals of history to focus on the modern royals, which was a little disappointing for me, being a history buff. However, the sections on the modern royals were also very interesting, reading back on things that I heard on and off in the news growing up, but reading about them now as an adult puts a bit of a different spin on things.

‘Katheryn Howard: The Tainted Queen’ by Alison Weir

Genre: Adult Fiction – Historical

Published: 2020

Format: Hardback

Rating: ★★★★

This was a very interesting take on the life of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Katherine Howard, particularly her early life. Alison Weir’s writing always engages me; more so when she writes novels than her non-fiction works actually. It was quite mesmerising to read and once I got engaged in it, I did find it very difficult to put down.

Katherine’s relationship with her sister, Lady Baynton, was especially poignant for me. It was amazing to see a different side to Katherine, even a fictional take, and there isn’t very much written about her relations with her family. It was lovely to see that possible family dynamic and imagine what her life might have been like in those early years as her life seemed to crumble around her. I think in many biographies of Katherine her family is kind of pushed to the side – focuses very much on the Duke of Norfolk and the dowager duchess.

The relationships Katherine had with Manox, Dereham and Culpeper were portrayed in very contrasting ways, so it was interesting to see how they were juxtaposed against each other. They all in a way seem to be portrayed almost as child abuse, particularly those with Manox and Dereham, as older men took advantage of a vulnerable child. Katherine was portrayed as being quite naïve in the way she thought about things, even while at court.

It is a fascinating and intriguing account, well-written with tiny details, great description, and one of the best fictional accounts of Katherine Howard’s life that I’ve read. The entire series is a great arc of the wives of Henry VIII throughout his life, and it’s interesting to see Henry through their eyes.

I would thoroughly recommend this series, because it’s very well-written and offers a slightly different perspective to other works, both fictional and non-fiction, particularly on the lesser-known queens I’ve found like Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.

Also published on my sister blog tudorblogger.wordpress.com

Monthly Reading Summary – July 2020

At the beginning of every month I’m going to recap what I’ve read the previous month – not a full review but a summary.

July was a slow reading month for me. There has been a lot going on that has needed my attention or has distracted me. I had expected at the beginning of the lockdown in the UK to be reading more, but that hasn’t been the case at all.

Books Read This Month:

• Conor Byrne – Katherine Howard: Henry VIII’s Slandered Queen ★★★
  Hardback, 2019, The History Press
  Non-Fiction, Historical Biography

• Edward Dennison – 30-Second London: The 50 Key Visions, Events and Architects That Shaped the City ★★★
  eBook, 2017, Ivy Press
  Non-Fiction, General History

• Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zander – The Art of Possibility ★★★★★
  Paperback, 2000, Penguin Books
  Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing

• Kevin Kwan – Crazy Rich Asians ★★★
  eBook, 2013, Corvus Publishing
  Adult Fiction, Chic Lit

Books Bought This Month:

• Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zander – The Art of Possibility
• Kevin Kwan – Crazy Rich Asians
• Alex Johnson – A Book of Book Lists
• Eric Berne – Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships
• Viktor Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning

Statistics:

Books Read – 4
Currently Reading – 3
TBR – 101

Fiction – 1 (25%)
Non-Fiction – 3 (75%)

Male Author – 3 (75%)
Female Author – 0 (0%)
Multiple Authors – 1 (25%)

Paperback – 1 (25%)
Hardback – 1 (25%)
eBook – 2 (50%)
Audiobook – 0 (0%)

Total Pages Read – 1139
Average Pages Per Book – 285

Average Star Rating – 3.5

‘Kindred Spirits: Ephemera’ by Jennifer C. Wilson

Genre: Adult Fiction – Historical

Published: 2020

Format: E-Book

Rating: ★★★★

“The afterlife is alive with possibility”

I have loved Jennifer Wilson’s writing since I discovered her books while working at my local library. When I found out that this was a collection of short stories, I was a little disappointed – I really wanted a story set at Windsor Castle with Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville and Henry VIII, but hopefully that will come in the future.

There are characters both old and new including Richard III, John of Gaunt, and Charles Brandon. The variation of characters from so many different periods is one of the things that I love about this series, and this short story collection is brilliant in that respect.  It was interesting to see how the different personalities interacted, particularly the likes of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, who hadn’t seen each other since Katherine left court in 1531, as well as Edward IV and Richard III, who hadn’t seen each other since Edward IV died in 1483.

Locations include York, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, and St Paul’s Cathedral. There are so many important historical locations in Britain, and what I really liked about this collection was that we got to visit so many of them.

My favourite story in the collection is the one at Hampton Court where the six wives of Henry VIII get together. I really wanted the story to be longer actually, but I don’t think it would have been as good had it been longer. It was brilliantly done the way it was. There is a great cliff-hanger at the end, which I really hope lays the foundation for the next book in the series.

Also published on my sister blog https://tudorblogger.wordpress.com/

Discussion Questions – ‘The Boleyn Inheritance’ by Philippa Gregory

1. What reasons do Jane Boleyn, Katherine Howard, and Anne of Cleves each have for seeking a place in Henry VIII’s court? Do any of them believe it might be dangerous to be a part of the royal circle, or is it a risk they’re willing to take? Does your opinion of each woman change over the course of the novel?

• I don’t think Anne of Cleves had much of a choice in the end. She was a pawn in the arena of international politics. I don’t think she sought it; so much as it was thrust on her by her father and brother. No doubt she was excited about the prospect of becoming queen, but she must have also heard the stories about Henry VIII’s treatment of his previous wives, which no doubt made her a bit nervous.
• I think that Katherine Howard sought a place at court because it was expected of her. She was brought up to know that, as a Howard, she was important. I think she wanted the pretty dresses and jewels and the male attention. I don’t believe she had any deigns on being the king’s wife.
• Jane Boleyn was more complicated. She had been at court in the years when Henry VIII was still a golden prince with his whole reign ahead of him. She saw the divorce and the break with Rome – she was at court because it was expected for a noble lady.
• I think Katherine and Anne must have known that it was dangerous to be around the king from the start, but I don’t think Jane truly knew it until Henry VIII executed her sister-in-law and husband. After that point, I think Jane saw it as a risk she was willing to take.
• I actually grew to like Jane less and less over the course of the novel. She made her own fate.I liked Anne more and more, as she survived and came out of her marriage well-off. My opinion of Katherine didn’t really change – she was silly and naive but ultimately a victim. For me, she was the character that didn’t really come fully to life – she was a shadow compared to Jane and Anne.

 

2. Why does Anne of Cleves believe it is a matter of need for her to escape the house of her brother and mother? How does the advice Anne’s mother gives her-to be demure, to wear chaste clothing-actually work against Anne in her relationship with Henry?

• I think Anne felt like she was being kept under lock and key by her mother and brother. The German court, from all accounts, was a very strict and formal place, with little in the way of entertainments. No doubt it was quite a dull life.
• Perhaps Anne felt the need to gain some freedom, where she could have her own household and choose how she wanted to spend her own leisure time. I think she was stifled, and couldn’t do what she wanted to do, which is why the prospect of queenship was possibly so appealing to her.
• Henry VIII liked beautiful and bold women – Katherine of Aragon was intelligent, could hold a conversation and was also passionate. Anne Boleyn was perhaps too vibrant and passionate, witty and intelligent. In the end it was her undoing. Jane Seymour was a foil for Anne Boleyn, though doesn’t appear to have been particularly witty or pretty.
• Anne of Cleves didn’t seem to have anything special about her. She could have been anyone at all, and Henry didn’t like that. English fashions were very revealing with the bust and very tailored, whereas German fashions in comparison were lumpen and covered the woman from head to toe.
• I also think that Henry was perhaps too tired to put so much effort into sex and pursuing women by the time he married Anne – perhaps he hoped she would do the work for him, but her mother had told her to be demure and not encourage him. Anne’s upbringing turned Henry VIII against her because Henry liked his women to be forward and have opinions, and Anne was brought up in a very different way, to believe different things.

 

3. When Anne arrives in England, the courtiers “judge her harshly for her shyness and her lack of speech. They blame her for her clothes and they laugh at her for not being able to dance or sing” (75). Why do the members of the court refuse to give Anne a chance? How significant are the language and cultural barriers that hinder Anne when she first comes to England?

• I think the courtiers by 1540 were used to having accomplished women on the throne, English or nearly so. Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour were born and bred in England. Katherine of Aragon was Spanish, but she had been in England since the age of 15 to marry Henry’s brother, Arthur. She had time to adjust to the ways of the English pretty much in privacy after Arthur’s death in 1502. Spain was also an accomplished country, and was becoming one of the foremost powers in the world.
• In comparison, Germany was divided into several duchies, of which Cleves was just one minor one. There was little to be gained by an alliance with Cleves, and I think that their fashions and manners and lack of accomplishments made the Germans a bit of a laughing stock at the English court.
• People in England generally spoke English, possibly French, Spanish or Latin, but German wasn’t one of the popular languages in the 16^th Anne and her servants would have been the only ones who spoke German, and she didn’t speak English or even Latin.
• Her lack of education or accomplishments also gave her no way to share something with her English ladies, no way of forming a link with her new country.

‘Fatal Throne’ by Candace Fleming

He was King Henry VIII, a charismatic and extravagant ruler obsessed with both his power as king and with siring a male heir. They were his queens–six ill-fated women, each bound for divorce, or beheading, or death. Watch spellbound as each of Henry’s wives attempts to survive their un-predictable king and his power-hungry court. See the sword flash as fiery Anne Boleyn is beheaded for adultery. Follow Jane Seymour as she rises from bullied court maiden to beloved queen, only to die after giving birth. Feel Catherine Howard’s terror as old lovers resurface and whisper vicious rumours to Henry’s influential advisors. Experience the heartache of mothers as they lose son after son, heir after heir. Told in stirring first-person accounts, Fatal Throne is at once provocative and heart-breaking, an epic tale that is also an intimate look at the royalty of the most perilous times in English history. [Description from Amazon UK]

Co-written by several authors – Candace Fleming, M.T. Anderson, Stephanie Hemphill, Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnelly, Linda Sue Park, and Deborah Hopkinson – and received as a Christmas present.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened this book as, when I have previously read novels co-written with different authors, there is sometimes a jarring effect where the different voices don’t go together and it doesn’t sound like the same story, but that didn’t happen here. I actually really enjoyed it, and I thought that the emotions of each woman in particular came across very strongly, and gave the story an emotional centre – these were real women who got involved with one of the most notorious of British monarchs, Henry VIII.

I did wonder whether, because the book was quite short to be covering the lives of six women who had quite full lives it might be a bit sparse, but the authors were very clever in the way that they covered the events of the period – it was only revealed what each individual woman would have known, and not what was going on more generally, because it was written from the point of view of each of the women.

What did let the book down for me slightly was, perhaps because I know the stories of these women so well, there were sections of their lives that I was hoping to see that didn’t make the cut, and little details that added to the story but that didn’t quite ring true. However, generally it was a very enjoyable story, and well-handled. I particularly enjoyed the section told from the point of view of Anne of Cleves, as I think she is often overlooked as she was only queen for 6 months, and replaced by a younger woman.

I liked the fact that, between each wife we get a short section from the viewpoint of Henry VIII, and it’s clever how much manages to come across in that short section to contrast with the views of the women. I also liked the final page from the point of view of Elizabeth I as she was really Henry VIII’s success story, though he considered her his biggest disappointment.

This is also published on my other blog https://tudorblogger.wordpress.com/.