Tag: Helene Harrison

Book Review: “Henry VIII’s Quest for an Heir: The King’s Great Matter” by Helene Harrison

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The Tudor period in English history was marked by significant change for England and Europe as a whole. Yet, there was one moment that defined the dynasty. For centuries, the Great Matter has been viewed as Henry VIII’s desire to divorce his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, to marry Anne Boleyn. Of course, to get what he wanted, Henry had to fight against the Pope and change England’s religious landscape to do it. But if he just wanted a divorce, why go through so much trouble? The answer has to do with his desire for a son. What if the Great Matter lasted much longer than what is normally told? Helene Harrison explores this topic in great depth in her latest book, “Henry VIII’s Quest for an Heir: The King’s Great Matter.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Helene Harrison’s previous books, so when I heard she was writing about Henry VIII’s quest for an heir, I wanted to see what new information she would bring to this topic.

When we think of the Great Matter, the period we tend to think about is when Henry VIII asks for a divorce from Katherine of Aragon in 1526, until he finally marries Anne Boleyn in 1533. However, Harrison argues that the Great Matter lasted much longer. She believes that the Great Matter extended from the birth of Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, in 1519, to the birth of his legitimate son Edward VI in 1536. In other words, the Great Matter was the quest for a legitimate male heir for King Henry VIII to continue the Tudor dynasty.

So, where does that leave the men and, more importantly, the women who had their lives upended by Henry’s quest for an heir? While the Great Matter was detrimental for men like Thomas Wolsey, it helped elevate men like Thomas Cromwell. Then there are the women who were caught in the middle: Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary, Anne Boleyn, Princess Elizabeth, and Jane Seymour. The psychological toll that this must have taken on these women was immense, especially when you consider that Henry did not count either marriage to Katherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn as legitimate. Which in turn, meant that Mary and Elizabeth were declared illegitimate. It’s not how things normally work, but Henry was on a mission, and he didn’t care who got hurt. 

This was another brilliant book by Helene Harrison. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the women who were caught in the middle of Henry’s hunt for an heir. I have always thought that the Great Matter ended after Henry married Anne, but the matter was much deeper than that. If you want a book that explores the Great Matter, I highly recommend you read “Henry VIII’s Quest for an Heir: The King’s Great Matter” by Helene Harrison.

Book Review: “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception” by Helen Harrison

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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.

Book Review: “Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block” by Helene Harrison

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Tudor ExecutionsTreason is the crime of betraying one’s country or monarch by trying to overthrow the government or kill a sovereign. While many English dynasties dealt with treason in their ways, the most infamous were the Tudors and how they dealt with the nobility. By the end of 1572, there were no more dukes in England, until 1623 when George Villiers became the Duke of Buckingham. What was classified as treason during the Tudor dynasty and why did the members of the nobility have to die? Helene Harrison hopes to answer these questions in her latest book, “Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed Harrison’s previous book about Elizabethan Rebellions, so when I heard that she was writing a new book about Tudor executions, I knew I wanted to read it.

Harrison begins by giving her readers a quick overview of what treason meant during the time of the Tudors through the numerous Treason Acts, the significance of the Act of Attainders and scaffold speeches. She also explains that this book explores the lives and ultimate deaths of nine men and five women and that each chapter can be read separately as an essay. The 14 figures that are featured in this book are: Edward Plantagenet 17th Earl of Warwick, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, Queen Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn Viscount Rochford, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, Queen Katherine Howard, Jane Boleyn Viscountess Rochford, Henry Howard Earl of Surrey, Thomas Seymour 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset, John Dudley 1st Duke of Northumberland, Queen Jane Grey, Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk, and Robert Devereux 2nd Earl of Essex.

With each case, Harrison explores their origins, how they gained fame, their ultimate falls from grace, and their fate on the execution block. The main focus of each chapter is to show what each monarch considered treasonous behavior, which varied from case to case. We see charges range from treason for having royal blood to being too ambitious, adultery to down right rebellious acts. The Tudors did not hold back when it came to noble women as two queens, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, were executed which was a first for England.

I think Harrison does a decent job in sharing the stories about these nobles and their unfortunate ends. Though there were no real surprises in this book, but the way Harrison presented the information was easy to follow. She shows that the closer one is to the throne, the more likely they would fall victim to power, greed and paranoia. If you are a Tudor nerd who is interested in the more gruesome side of the glamorous Tudor court, I would suggest you read, “Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block” by Helene Harrison.

Book Review: “Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue, and Treason” by Helene Harrison

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63193745 (1)The struggle to be a king or queen in any country during Europe’s medieval or early modern era was only the beginning. They are either the next in line to the throne and inherit the crown, or they sometimes fight to the death to wear it. After the king or queen settles into ruling their respective countries, the real challenge emerges as they have to deal with rebellions and those who commit treason against their monarch. Take, for example, what happened during the reign of Elizabeth I. We consider her reign the “Golden Age” in English history. Still, she had to deal with numerous rebellions and conspiracies surrounding her viewpoints on religion and how she dealt with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots. In her first book, “Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue, and Treason,” Helene Harrison takes an in-depth look at each rebellion and how they left a mark on Elizabeth I’s reign.

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. When I heard about this title online, I was intrigued since many of these rebellions have been covered in books about Mary Queen of Scots or biographies about Elizabeth I. Still, this is the first time I have seen a book about Elizabethan conspiracies.

Harrison begins by showing how early Tudor rebellions shaped the reigns of Elizabeth’s family and how the early uprisings affected her time as Queen of England. Beginning with her grandfather, King Henry VII, and the pretenders’ rebellions of Lambert Simnel and Perkins Warbeck, we see how important it was to take action against those who threatened to overthrow the Tudors before they even began their rule in earnest. Under Henry VIII, we see the Pilgrimage of Grace, protesting against Protestantism and for the return of Catholicism after the break from Rome. Elizabeth is considered one of the main actors behind the Wyatt Rebellion of 1554 under her sister Queen Mary I.

These previous events would help shape how Elizabeth I dealt with the five significant rebellions during her reign. These five rebellions were: the Northern Rising, Ridolfi Plot, Throckmorton Plot, Babington Plot, and the Essex Rebellion. Four of the five rebellions had something to do with Mary Queen of Scots and the battle between Protestantism versus Catholicism. In contrast, the Essex Rebellion, the final rebellion Elizabeth I dealt with, was more about a spoiled courtier not getting his way in life and blaming it on Elizabeth.

Harrison does not do a typical overview of each rebellion. Instead, she takes a deep dive into the timeline of each event, who was involved, and how they came crashing down. Each rebellion had a unique signature, from espionage and intrigue to acts of treason and secret codes. Every experience taught Elizabeth a different lesson about what it meant to be a ruler of England. I found this book informative and well-written. I learned new elements of each rebellion, which I thought I knew pretty well. For her first book, Helene Harrison does a great job sharing her points and showing how these rebellions shaped Elizabeth I’s reign. Suppose you want a book that explains the different power struggles Elizabeth I had to deal with during her reign. In that case, I recommend reading “Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue, and Treason” by Helene Harrison.