Anne Boleyn, a queen whose story has lived on for centuries. She was the woman who stood between Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, was her greatest legacy and her pride and joy. It was her untimely death due to charges that many believe were unfounded. We all have our image of the infamous queen, but how does that change when we switch the type of media we consume? Helen Harrison explores how our idea of Anne Boleyn changed over time in her latest book, “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception.”
I would like to thank Pen & Sword Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Helen Harrison’s previous books on Tudor Executions and Elizabethan Rebellions. When I heard that she was writing a book about Anne Boleyn, I was curious to see what new information she would add to Tudor studies, specifically Anne Boleyn.
So, how do you approach a book like this that is not a biography but tells how Anne Boleyn has been perceived throughout the centuries? Harrison has decided that the best way to show her readers how Anne has been portrayed throughout history is by breaking this book into sections, focusing on one source of media. We get to see Anne through portraiture/images, letters/poems, through foreign dignitaries, her views on religion, on stage and screen, both the movie and television screen, as well as historical fiction.
Harrison also includes a brief biography of Anne’s life so that we can refamiliarize ourselves with her tragic tale before taking the deep dive, which is important when it comes to understanding her legacy. My favorite part of this book is seeing the different takes historians and authors have taken towards it, including everyone’s favorite, the Victorians. It gives an overview of how different historians and authors interpret a single figure and gives us a unique take on the historiography of Anne Boleyn, including G.W. Bernard, who believed that Anne was guilty of some of the charges. The fact that Harrison decided to keep her feelings towards Anne relatively neutral allows the recent research about Anne to shine.
This book is unlike any other book about Anne Boleyn that I have read. It is a comprehensive deep dive into the research around the life of Anne Boleyn that any Tudor nerd will find a fascinating resource. If you are a Tudor nerd or a fan of Anne Boleyn, “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception” by Helen Harrison is a must-read.
In each era throughout history, we see how men and women adapt to the struggles and triumphs of the age. Take, for example, the 16th century, primarily in Tudor England. It was a time of great religious changes and dynamic rulers who would change the course of European history forever. While men had the most power, except for a handful of women, the majority of women struggled to survive each stage of life. So, what was life truly like for Tudor women? Elizabeth Norton explores this topic in her book, “The Lives of Tudor Women.”
The 16th century was dominated by powerful women who left their indelible mark on European history. Take, for example, the aunt of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. No, not Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. I am talking about a woman who was the daughter of Emperor Maximilian I, was married three times, had no children, and helped raise her nephew Charles V, was an essential part of the Ladies’ Peace, taught Anne Boleyn how to live at court, and was a patroness of the arts and literature. Of course, I am talking about Margaret of Austria, the Governor of the Netherlands. A formidable woman who saw much change and chose to be part of politics, even though she was a woman. Her remarkable story is told in Rozsa Gaston’s novel, “Margaret of Austria: Governor of the Netherlands and Early 16th-Century Europe’s Greatest Diplomat.”
When we think about how we study history, we often consider documents and chronicles that can provide us with dates and the stories of historical figures. However, this is only half the story. We can learn a great deal from the artifacts left behind. Each era left behind its treasure trove of trinkets for archaeologists and historians to discover and interpret their meanings and purposes. One of the most fascinating periods of history was medieval Europe, full of war, religious struggles, artwork, plagues, and technological advances. What types of artifacts were left behind from medieval Europe? Lorris Chevalier explores the trinkets and artifacts left behind in his book, “A Medieval Cabinet of Curiosities.”
When we think about the most impactful women authors, we often think about writers like Agatha Christie, Mary Shelley, and Jane Austen. However, when it comes to religious texts, we have to go back in time centuries. We think about nuns like Bridget of Sweden and a mother of 14 children named Margery Kempe. Yet, we must include an anchorite who stayed in her cell for almost thirty years. Her book, Revelations of Divine Love, is considered the first great work of English prose, but many people are not familiar with the author until now. Janina Ramirez tells the story of Julian of Norwich and how impactful her book was in her book, “Julian of Norwich: A Very Brief History.”
We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet. Two crazy kids in love, whose families hated each other they decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and die for each other. One of the greatest tragic love stories of all time. But what if it didn’t end in tragedy? What if Romeo and Juliet had their happy ending and had a large family? In this version of Verona, Romeo and Juliet have a large family, and their eldest daughter Rosaline is the most beautiful, headstrong girl in all of Verona. Unfortunately, Rosaline (Rosie) has got herself in quite a mess with an unwanted prince fiancé, a ghost who only she can see, and a murder investigation. Can Rosie solve the case and figure out her love life before things go horribly wrong? This is the premise of the second book of the Daughter of Montague series by Christina Dodd called “Thus with a Kiss I Die.”
Have you ever read about a historical mystery that captivated you so much that you spent your available free time trying to solve the case? Who was the man in the iron mask? Were the casket letters real? Who built Stonehenge and why? And yet, one of the greatest mysteries in all of history revolves around two missing princes who were last seen in the Tower of London. Nearly five hundred years later, an inspector from Scotland Yard named Alan Grant decides to take on the case. Can the inspector solve the ultimate cold case? Josephine Tey tells the tale of the detective and the mystery of the Princes in the Tower in her most famous novel, “The Daughter of Time.”
The year is 1485, and the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, is dead. The young man whose army defeated the king is Henry Tudor, and he is about to start a dynasty that will reshape world history forever. Henry Tudor, now King Henry VII, married the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York. Their marriage and their children would lay the foundation for the Tudor dynasty, but what was life like for the children who were the first generation of this remarkable dynasty? Aimee Fleming explores the lives of these royal siblings in her latest book, “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.”
Throughout history, women have had one major job: giving birth and raising future generations. Each new generation had different ways of dealing with childbirth and raising children, and the Tudors were no exception. While the Tudors lived in the 16th century, the joys and fears of being a mother were similar to those of the modern age. However, the way women approached different stages of life in the 16th century is unique compared to the ways of modern women. So, how did Tudor women approach motherhood? Stephanie Kline hopes to answer this question in her latest book, “Raising the Tudors: Motherhood in Sixteenth-Century England.”
The Plantagenets, a dynasty that ruled England for over three hundred years. At least that is if you include the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings. Otherwise, the reign of the Plantagenets ended with Richard II being overthrown. So, how did the Plantagenets fall? How did wars, favoritism, and the plague factor into the fall? Helen Carr examines these questions and the rule of three kings over the fourteenth century in her latest book, “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century.”
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 