Tag: Anna of Cleves

Book Review: “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I” by Alison Weir

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The Passionate TudorA king’s eldest child is usually the next in line to inherit the throne and become the next ruler. At least that is how the line of succession is supposed to work if the heir is male. Mary I knew this better than anyone. As the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, she knew that once her mother Katherine of Aragon had a son, Mary would become a pawn in the marriage game. She was willing to accept this fate until her father fell in love with Anne Boleyn. Mary is declared a bastard and must fight for her inheritance and the crown of England while maintaining her Catholic faith. Alison Weir tells the tale of this remarkable woman, from her tumultuous childhood to her short reign that marked her legacy, in her latest novel, “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed the previous novels in The Tudor Rose trilogy by Alison Weir about Elizabeth of York and King Henry VIII, so when I heard she was writing a book about Mary I, I knew I wanted to read it. Mary I is one of those figures who shows how devastating it can be to be close to the throne and the hard decisions one makes when king or queen of a country.

Weir began her novel with Mary at the age of nine in 1525. She is her parent’s pride and joy as she is their only child. Her mother Katherine of Aragon is arranging an advantageous marriage for Mary that would create a strong alliance for England. Not even the birth of her half-brother Henry Fitzroy could dampen Mary Tudor’s spirits. However, that all changed when Anne Boleyn entered the picture and the Great Matter was made public. Katherine of Aragon is no longer queen, Anne Boleyn is Mary’s stepmother, and Mary is now declared a bastard in favor of her half-sister Elizabeth Tudor.

Mary’s life after the birth of Elizabeth Tudor begins to become even more tragic. Her mother Katherine of Aragon dies before she can see her daughter again and Anne Boleyn is executed for treason soon afterwards. Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, has his desired male heir Edward VI, before Jane tragically dies quickly. As the Supreme Head of the Church of England, Henry wants his daughter Mary, a devout Catholic, to submit to his will, which she ultimately does. We also get to see how Mary interacted with her other stepmothers, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr, until the death of her father Henry VIII. Before he died, Henry VIII revised his Act of Succession, making Mary Edward’s heir if he did not have children. However, Edward VI has his idea for who will succeed him after he dies and he names Lady Jane Grey as his heir, although that plan does not last long and Mary is proclaimed the first queen of England to rule on her own.

Weir shows Mary’s life and reign in a very sympathetic way. Even though she does still give her the nickname “Bloody Mary”, we can see a woman who is concerned about the faith of her kingdom and the well-being of her family, especially Edward, Prince Philip her husband, and Elizabeth, who she argues with on matters that matter to her. It is such a tragedy that Mary never had a child that she desperately wanted to have as she suffered through phantom pregnancies. At the end of the day, whether it was matters of faith or family, Mary was someone who was passionate and someone who desired to be loved.

This is a delightful novel about a woman who has often been vilified but maybe we should have sympathy for everything she had to endure starting at a young age. I enjoyed this novel very much and I look forward to the next novel by Weir. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the Tudor Rose trilogy or you just want a different take on Mary I’s story, I highly suggest you read, “The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “The King’s Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII” by Alison Weir

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The King's PleasureWhen we think about the Tudor dynasty, we often focus on the women in King Henry VIII’s life and his children, at least when it comes to novels. Writing about this larger-than-life figure, this notorious king and controversial figure in English history, are usually considered ambitious. Few have attempted to write a book about the king’s entire reign, but Alison Weir has embarked on this endeavor in her latest novel, “The King’s Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII.”

I want to thank Ballantine Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have not read many books about the reign of King Henry VIII, except for “The Autobiography of King Henry VIII” by Margaret George, so when I heard that Alison Weir was writing a novel about the titular king, I knew I had to read it.

Weir begins her novel with a moment that must have been difficult for young Prince Henry or Harry as he is referred to in this book. His brother died recently, and his beloved mother, Elizabeth of York, just died, leaving Henry as King Henry VII’s only heir. Henry does not have the best relationship with his father, but he now must fill the void as the heir apparent after Arthur died, leaving his young wife, Katherine of Aragon, a widow. When King Henry VII died, Henry became King Henry VIII and selected a woman he had fallen for to become his queen, Katherine of Aragon.

The bulk of this novel revolves around the relationships between Henry and his first two wives, Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Weir is sympathetic toward Katherine of Aragon’s struggles, whereas her portrayal of Anne Boleyn may come across as a bit harsh. Jane Seymour is portrayed as a quiet and obedient queen, and Anna of Cleves’ focus is more on her looks and how Henry treated her more as a sister than a wife. Katherine Howard is someone Henry falls for hard and is devastated by her downfall, and Katherine Parr is the firebrand reformer who wants to heal Henry’s family at the end of his life.

Weir also touches on the complex political web that Henry was involved in, not just in England but European politics of the 16th century. We also see how Henry interacted with his children and how the emotional weight of all of his decisions weighed on him.

I think for how much of a challenge it is to write a novel about King Henry VIII, Alison Weir has done an admirable job in the king’s portrayal. I don’t necessarily agree with how some of the queens were portrayed, but I did enjoy this novel as a whole. I would suggest reading this novel before the Six Tudor Queens series to understand Henry’s perspective before his wives’ stories. If you have enjoyed the latest books about Henry VIII’s wives and his mother, Elizabeth of York, you should read “The King’s Pleasure: A Novel of Henry VIII” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “The Private Life of Thomas Cromwell” by Caroline Angus

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cover260114-mediumWhen we think about the men who surrounded King Henry VIII, a few names come to mind. Cranmer, More, Wolsey, and Wroithesley are just a few, but the man who is synonymous with the infamous king’s reign is Thomas Cromwell. The man who helped Henry get his divorce from Katherine of Aragon saw both the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. He also assisted in the dissolution of the monasteries and brought reform to England with the break from the Roman Catholic Church. To modern audiences, it feels as if we know everything that there was to know about Thomas Cromwell’s public life, but what was he like in his private life when his friends and family surrounded him? Caroline Angus gives her readers an insight into Cromwell’s personal life in her latest book, “The Private Life of Thomas Cromwell.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I love finding new perspectives about historical figures, like Thomas Cromwell, so when I heard that Caroline Angus was writing this book, I was delighted. I wanted to see what new information this book could provide about Thomas Cromwell’s life.

Angus begins her new nonfiction book on Cromwell by showing the origins of the Cromwell family and how Thomas went from the son of a blacksmith to his journeys in Italy, especially in Florence. It is impressive to see how Thomas’ influential friends from Florence would help shape how he conducted business later on in life as one of King Henry VIII’s top counselors. Thomas must have been a polymath to achieve the astronomical rise to power that we see him go through that landed him in the workforce of Thomas Wolsey.

Under Thomas Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell’s private and public life became insanely busy as he gained the king’s respect. He would be the principal architect for the dissolution of monasteries and helped Henry VIII gain his divorce from Katherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. As Cromwell became a player in Tudor politics, he married Elizabeth Williams and had several children. As Cromwell’s family grew, so did Thomas’ roles at the court of Henry VIII. He was the king’s number one advisor and was asked to perform the most difficult tasks, like bringing the downfall of Anne Boleyn and breaking England from the Roman Catholic Church. In a way, Thomas Cromwell was the Tudor equivalent of Alexander Hamilton.

I enjoyed this book because we see Cromwell as a human being, not just some lofty historical figure. He was a man who climbed the social ladder with his talents and his connections throughout England and Europe. With every title and every bill passed, Cromwell gained new enemies, who would lead to Thomas Cromwell’s downfall after the disastrous marriage between Henry VIII and Anna of Cleves. His fall was so dramatically quick that even Henry VIII regretted killing Thomas Cromwell.

Angus’s passion for comprehensively telling Cromwell’s story for scholars and students of Tudor history shines through this book. Her research is meticulous as she balances Thomas’ public life and private life to tell the whole story of the legendary man. If you are interested in understanding the life of Henry VIII’s most faithful servant and trusted advisor, I recommend reading “The Private Life of Thomas Cromwell” by Caroline Angus.

Book Review: “Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life” by Diarmaid MacCulloch

On By hmalagisiIn Biographies, Book ReviewsLeave a comment

38390462The stories of King Henry VIII and the men around him have fascinated generations of historians, but there was one man who has received a negative reputation for his actions. He was the supposed son of a butcher who rose to be Henry VIII’s right-hand man, until his dramatic fall in July 1540. Thomas Cromwell was credited for helping Henry with his Great Matter, the fall of Anne Boleyn, the establishment of the Church of England, and the disastrous marriage between Henry and Anna of Cleves. Diarmaid MacCulloch has taken on the challenge to figure out who Thomas Cromwell really was by sifting through all remaining archival records that we have from this extraordinary man. It is in this book, “Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life” that MacCulloch masterfully explores the story of this man who changed English and European history forever.

Personally, I have never read a book about Thomas Cromwell, but I did want to learn more about his role in Henry VIII’s government. I had heard great things about this particular book and I wanted to read a definitive biography about Cromwell. Although at first, I was a bit intimidated reading something so academically written, I am really glad that I embarked on this journey to discover the truth of this much-maligned historical figure.

MacCulloch dives into the life of Cromwell by trying to piece together his early years and his Italian connections in the clothing trade. Cromwell did not receive a normal education of the day as he almost taught himself, which made him appreciate books and literature even more. It was these connections and his hard work which allowed Cromwell to rise to a position where he was working under Thomas Wosley. The lessons that Cromwell learned from Wosley would be beneficial as he took over as the King’s right- hand man after Wolsey’s fall from grace.

It is the decade that Cromwell served as Henry’s administrative polymath that is MacCulloch’s main focus. This part might trip up casual history students as it is very academic. My suggestion, if you are a casual history student, is to take your time to fully understand the steps that Cromwell took to change the political and religious landscape of England to make sure Henry was happy. It was not always an easy task, but with great risks came great rewards, such as the title of Vice-Gerent in Spirituals. Cromwell’s fingerprints could be seen all over the establishment of the Church of England, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the expanding powers of Parliament. There were those who were not exactly thrilled with all of these changes, however, the only opinion that truly mattered was the one that belonged to Henry VIII, and he was happy with Cromwell’s work.

Cromwell was not just a politician, he was a father to a son named Gregory Cromwell. It was interesting to learn that even after his wife died, Thomas Cromwell never remarried and raised Gregory as a single father. It was when Cromwell got involved in Henry’s personal life that matters got tricky for Cromwell. Obviously, many people are familiar with Cromwell’s role with Anne Boleyn’s fall from grace. However, it was the marriage between Henry and Anna of Cleves that would be the incident that brought Cromwell from the pinnacle of power to death’s door.

MacCulloch’s biography is truly a triumph. It is academic, both in its meticulously researched contents and its writing style, yet it remains engaging and thought-provoking. Although at times, this book was challenging, it was one of those books that you feel proud to read. If you want a fabulous book about the life of Thomas Cromwell as well as the changes that he helped create in the Tudor government and the establishment of the Church of England, “Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life” by Diarmaid MacCulloch should be included in your collection.