Tag: nonfiction

Five Years of Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

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adventures of a tudor nerdI appreciate all the love and support you have all given me over the past five years. I started Adventures of a Tudor Nerd after writing a guest article for Tudors Dynasty. I have always been nervous about sharing my writing with others, but I have always loved history and wanted to share my passion. I took a chance, and I am so glad that I did.

We have gone on so many adventures in the past together. At first, I wanted this blog to focus solely on the Tudor dynasty and the Wars of the Roses, but I wanted to explore more stories of the past. Now, we discuss centuries of stories, both historical fiction and non-fiction, from the Anglo-Saxons to the modern monarchy.

I want to thank all the publishers and authors I have enjoyed working with over the last five years. Thank you for allowing me to read these historical fiction and nonfiction works and share my opinions about these books. I wouldn’t have been able to go on so many historical adventures without your generosity. I look forward to working with you all more in the future.

To my readers and followers, thank you for allowing me to share my passion for the past with you these five years. This has been a wild adventure, and you all have made it so much fun with your recommendations of books and your comments on my posts. I hope you all have had as much fun as I have and will continue to enjoy this historical journey.

When I started this epic adventure, I did not know how much I would grow as a reader, writer, and person. Thank you for making the last five years so much fun and for allowing me to share my passion for history and books with all of you wonderful people.

Here’s to more history adventures!

Heidi

Book Review: “Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History” by Tracy Borman

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Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth IThe year is 1536. A young woman climbs the scaffold for her execution while her three-year-old daughter is miles away, not knowing what will happen to her mother. Never speaking about her mother in public for decades, it would seem that the bond between mother and daughter broke that fateful day. Still, Elizabeth I kept the memory of her influential mother, Anne Boleyn, close to her heart. How did Anne prepare her beloved daughter for the complex nature of the Tudor court, and how did Elizabeth keep the memory of her mother alive? This bond is explored in depth in Tracy Borman’s latest book, “Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History.”

I want to thank Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for a new approach to telling these two women’s life stories, so when I heard about this book, I was fascinated to see what Borman would bring to the table.

Borman specifies that this differs from your typical joint biography of Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. We get information about the lives of Anne Boleyn and her only daughter Elizabeth I, but the focus is on their relationship. It may be hard to imagine any relationship being established between this mother-daughter duo when Anne Boleyn died when Elizabeth was only three years old.

Borman begins her book by examing this dynamic between a mother and a daughter separated by death with a single ring, the Chequers Ring. This stunning ring is essential to understanding how Elizabeth I felt about her mother, even if she couldn’t speak about it publicly. The first portion of this book focuses on Anne Boleyn, her life, her religious affiliations, and how she prepared for Elizabeth to succeed in life even after she was gone. After Anne’s death, we see Elizabeth as a young princess trying to navigate the treacherous world of the Tudor court while keeping her mother’s memory close to her heart. The little tributes, declarations, who she put in her household, her love of fashion and music, and tokens dedicated to Anne that Elizabeth created when she became queen show how much she loved her mother.

I have read many books about Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, but this book breathed new life into this topic for me. I have always wondered what this relationship between mother and daughter was like, how Elizabeth dealt with her mother’s death, how she felt about her father, and how her mother’s influence affected Elizabeth’s reign.

Borman delivered an exquisitely heart-wrenching account of the mother and daughter duo who radically changed England forever. Some parts were so emotional to read that I had to take breaks and reflect on the impact of Anne and Elizabeth. This is one of my top books so far for 2023. If you want a book that packs a punch and breaths new life into the story of Anne and Elizabeth, “Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History” by Tracy Borman is a must-read.

Book Review: “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England” by Tracy Borman

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MatildaOne of the most critical years in English history was 1066, when William Duke of Normandy invaded England in the Norman Conquest. Known as William the Conqueror, his strength and ruthlessness made him a legend, but William would not have been the Duke or King of England without his equally formidable wife. Matilda of Flanders stood her ground, became the Duchess of Normandy, had a large family with William, and would become the first crowned Queen of England. Although much has been written about William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest, Matilda of Flanders has not received the same attention until now. Tracy Borman has written the first biography dedicated to this remarkable woman entitled, “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England.”

I enjoyed reading her previous book about Henry VIII and the men who made him, and I wanted to read more books by Tracy Borman. When I heard about this book, it drew me in because I did not know much about Matilda of Flanders and her time, so I wanted to learn more.

Matilda of Flanders, the daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders and his wife, Adela, was one of the prominent women in 9th-century Europe. Borman shows how Flanders grew from a lawless society to a significant court that drew the attention of the dukedom of Normandy. Normandy was the home of William, the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I and his mistress Herleva. William shocked Europe when he became his father’s heir as Duke of Normandy and chose Matilda as his wife. To say they had a rocky start was an understatement, but Matilda and William had a large family and solidified Normandy as a powerhouse of Europe.

With the death of Edward the Confessor, William and Matilda saw their opportunity to take a bigger prize, the crown of England. While William had the military know-how to win the crown, it was Matilda who was able to help William with his conquest financially and took care of Normandy while he was taking care of his new kingdom. In return, William had Matilda crowned Queen of England.

However, not everything was perfect for William and Matilda. When their eldest son, Robert Curthose, was fed up with not getting the chance to become the Duke of Normandy as was his birthright, he rebelled, and Matilda decided to support her son over her husband. Matilda was not afraid to speak her mind, even if it felt like she was going beyond what was expected of a woman during that time. Matilda’s death in 1083 impacted the rest of William’s reign as King of England as the king mourned for the woman who could stand toe to toe with the great conqueror.

Borman has taken on the arduous task of telling the tale of Matilda of Flanders, and she absolutely smashes it. This biography is engaging and thought-provoking, revealing who Matilda was when you remove the myths surrounding her life. If you want a delightful biography about the first crowned Queen of England, I highly suggest reading “Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England” by Tracy Borman.

Book Review: “Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII’s Queen” by Roland Hui

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Anne Boleyn IllustratedThe wives of King Henry VIII have been discussed for centuries in length through novels and nonfiction books. Katherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr are all very popular queens, but there is one that you have all been waiting for, the most famous Tudor queen, Anne Boleyn. Her story has been told so many different ways by historians and historical fiction authors for centuries, and now it is time for another historian to write their spin on her story. In his latest book, “Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII’s Queen,” Roland Hui paints a picture of the tumultuous life, love life, and death of Anne Boleyn.

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for a new approach to the lives of the Tudors in books, and when I heard about this title, it caught my eye.

Like so many books about Anne Boleyn, this biography covers Anne’s childhood, her reign and rocky relationship with Henry VIII, her tragic downfall, and her gruesome execution. Hui begins with the origins of the Boleyn family and Anne Boleyn’s childhood. I am glad Hui decided to focus on Anne’s upbringing in the court of Margaret of Austria because this is the aspect that I was always curious about when it came to Anne. We often talk about how the French court shaped Anne’s upbringing, but Hui shows his readers that the Burgundian court was just as transformative and impacted her life.

This book focuses on the relationship between Anne and Henry VIII and how she helped influence his reign, especially regarding religious matters. With the Great Matter and the creation of the Church of England alongside the rise of the English Reformation, we see Anne Boleyn’s opinions on religious matters. Anne had books written by humanists and reformers like Jacques Lefevre d’Etaples, Johannes Brenz, Simon Fish, and William Tyndale. She also surrounded herself with men like Nicholas Bourbon, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Shaxton, William Betts, William Latymer, and John Skip. Finally, Hui discusses how Anne Boleyn fell from her husband’s good favor and was executed.

This is an excellent book to introduce people to the story of Anne Boleyn, as you can easily read it in one sitting. I found some of the material in this book repetitive compared to other books about Anne Boleyn, but Hui does lift it with new facts and the images he includes in this book. Overall, I did enjoy the new information Hui had in his nonfiction book. If you are a fan of Anne Boleyn and want to learn new facts about her life, I suggest you check “Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII’s Queen” by Roland Hui.

Book Review: “Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381” by Dan Jones

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Summer of BloodThe year was 1381, and England was engulfed in chaos. A band of ruffians and revolters descended on London to achieve political change and a fair chance for the lower classes who suffered greatly from war and plague. The young King Richard II watched as men like Wat Tyler and the preacher John Ball led this ragtag army to his doorstep, fighting against his advisors, like John of Gaunt, to end a poll tax that was their last straw. Why did this ragtag army march on London? How did men like Ball and Tyler convince the masses to march against their sovereign and his government? How did this revolt end, and did the people get what they wanted due to their revolution? Dan Jones brings the bloody story of the first significant revolution by the English people to life in his book, “Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.”

I have been reading books by Dan Jones for a few years now, but I have just read this particular title. The Peasants’ Revolt has always been a footnote or maybe a paragraph in books that I have read about the Plantagenets, John of Gaunt, and Richard II. I wanted a deeper dive into this momentous event in medieval English history, which is precisely what this book provides Jones’ audience.

The Peasants’ Revolt lasted from May to August 1381, sweeping across England, and was one of the most defining moments in English history. The Black Death had ravaged the English countryside, and the ones left had to pick up the pieces. Adding to the stress from the plague, England was at war with their bitter enemy France in the Hundred Years’ War, which the former King Edward III started, and the government was running out of funds. The English government under King Richard II had already created two poll taxes targeting the more affluent members of society. Still, they did not raise enough funds, so they came up with a brilliant idea in 1380 to create a third poll tax targeting the ordinary people of England.

To say the introduction of the third poll tax did not go over well with the people would be an understatement. The people were pissed off at their government, especially men like John of Gaunt, who they considered a tyrant and someone who did not care about the people. The revolt started in the town of Brentwood but soon spread like wildfire throughout Essex; men and women joined the cause to protest against the poll tax and corrupt politicians.

The angry mob would eventually adopt leaders like Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and John Ball, adding fuel to the fire. They would march on London during the festival of Corpus Christi, looting, damaging homes, and killing those they deemed an enemy of the state. Richard II and his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke were in the Tower of London while the city was on fire and heads were rolling. Jones explains how matters came to a head when the ragtag army faced off against King Richard II’s army at Smithfield, where Wat Tyler fell, and the terror of Richard II rose to prominence.

Dan Jones does a superb job telling the story of the Peasants’ Revolt from the perspective of the ordinary people who marched for a better life and a bit of chaos. This little book contains fascinating facts, anger, blood, and gore that will entice anyone interested in medieval England. If you want a book about the early days of Richard II’s reign and the revolt that caused him to grow up quickly, I would highly recommend you read “Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381” by Dan Jones.

Book Review: “Henry VIII and Charles V: Rival Monarchs, Uneasy Allies” by Richard Heath

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75418858._SX318_Two kings, two rivals from different countries defined the 16th century. One was the spare to his father’s crown, but when his eldest brother suddenly passed away, he became the next Tudor king. The other was the sole heir to his parent’s large kingdom and would become the Holy Roman Emperor. Wars, the Reformation, and family drama kept these two men, Henry VIII and Charles V, busy and at each other’s throats. They would sometimes join and fight for one another’s causes, showing the importance of international politics. With each new scenario, their relationship would shift, either for the best or the worst. Richard Heath has combined the stories of these two monarchs, these “frenemies,” into one joint biography, “Henry VIII and Charles V: Rival Monarchs, Uneasy Allies.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I have read many books about Henry VIII, but Charles V was a side character in many of these books. When I saw this book, learning more about Charles V intrigued me.

Heath begins his book with Henry VIII, the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was never destined to become king, but when his eldest brother, Arthur, died unexpectantly, he became the next King of England. In contrast, Charles V was destined to become King of Spain as he was the only son of King Philip I, King of Castile, and Queen Juana of Castile and Aragon. Henry VIII had multiple wives and one legitimate son who would not live long as king. In contrast, Charles V had one wife, Isabella of Portugal, and numerous children, including the next King of Spain, Philip II.

Henry VIII and Charles V had similar ideals and were raised to be devout Christians, even if the way they fought for their faith was different. Charles V’s aunt, Catherine of Aragon, was Henry VIII’s first wife. The two monarchs and their respective countries, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and England, enjoyed close relationships. However, the 16th century was notorious for its ever-shifting political landscape, especially concerning the wars in France, and Italy, that involved King Francis I, the Pope, and Suleiman the Magnificient.

To untangle the messy political dilemma of the 16th century in a dual biography is quite a feat, which Heath does well. I wish he had included a chart to break down the different treaties and wars he chose to highlight in this book because I needed help figuring out which war was which and what each treaty agreed to do. Overall, I think if you want a decent introduction to the life of Charles V and how his relationship with Henry VIII changed over time, I would recommend you read “Henry VIII and Charles V: Rival Monarchs, Uneasy Allies” by Richard Heath.

Book Review: “The Granddaughters of Edward III” by Kathryn Warner

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Granddaughters of Edward IIIWhen we think about the legacy of Edward III, we often think about a warrior king who became king after his father, Edward II’s disastrous fall from grace. We know about his sons that he had with his beloved wife, Philippa of Hainault: Edward the Black Prince, Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester. Famously, we get the 15th-century conflict known as the Wars of the Roses through the descendants of Edward III. However, the male descendants only tell half the story of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault’s legacy in England and throughout Europe. In her latest book, “The Granddaughters of Edward III,” Kathryn Warner examines the lives of Edward III’s female descendants to better appreciate the strength of this group of branches of the Plantagenet family tree.

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I am always looking for more books about the Plantagenets, and I know a bit about Edward III’s sons but not much about his granddaughters.

Warner has chosen to take a joint biography approach to this book by focusing on nine out of eleven of Edward III’s granddaughters. These eleven granddaughters were the daughters of Lionel Antwerp, John of Gaunt, Isabella Woodstock, Edmund of Langley, and Thomas of Woodstock. The eleven granddaughters of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault were: Philippa of Clarence, Philippa of Lancaster, Elizabeth of Lancaster, Marie de Coucy, Philippa de Coucy, Catalina of Lancaster, Constance of York, Joan Beaufort, Anne of Gloucester, Joan of Gloucester, and Isabel of Gloucester.

These women were not just great ladies in England, but in the case of Philippa of Lancaster and Catalina of Lancaster, they were Queens of Portugal and Castile, respectively. Philippa of Lancaster ushered in the Illustrious Generation in the history of the royal family of Portugal. Catalina married her mother’s mortal enemy to create a stronger connection between England and Castile. Back in England, the remaining granddaughters had to deal with rebellions against King Henry IV, resulting in husbands and sons being beheaded. One had married her former brother-in-law when her husband died, and another had an affair with the king’s half-brother, resulting in the birth of an illegitimate daughter. A granddaughter had her marriage annulled when her husband decided to marry a lady-in-waiting. One began her life as an illegitimate child and would end up being the grandmother to two Kings of England.

Warner has been able to take the stories of these eleven women who shared a grandfather and show how their tales transformed England, Castile, and Portugal forever. The amount of love and attention she dedicated to this book is admirable. I appreciate how Warner could give readers who only understood the English side of these tales a better understanding of the political situations in Castile and Portugal. If you want a book with brand new medieval heroines with a connection to the Plantagenet dynasty, I highly recommend you read “The Granddaughters of Edward III” by Kathryn Warner.

Book Review: “Gloriana: Elizabeth I and the Art of Queenship” by Linda Collins and Siobhan Clarke

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glorianaA queen locked in a struggle of being a single woman and the sole ruler of her kingdom must create the image that would help lead her divided country to a golden age. This image must comfort her people while showing strength and perseverance to her enemies who would try to take the throne from her. Elizabeth I worked hard with artists, poets, playwrights, and musicians to create the almost mythological image of “Gloriana,” the virgin goddess. Linda Collins and Siobhan Clarke explore how this image was created throughout Elizabeth’s reign in their latest book, “Gloriana: Elizabeth I and the Art of Queenship.”

When you first see the title of this book, you would assume that it will be yet another biography with art sprinkled in. You would be wrong. This book focuses solely on the different forms of artwork that built the Gloriana persona over the decades of Elizabeth I’s reign and how we perceive the pieces of art centuries later. Each section of this book discusses a particular aspect of Elizabeth’s reign while examining how art changed with a different artist or courtier highlighted, alongside portraits and miniatures thoroughly inspected for the symbolism hidden in plain sight.

I love examining Tudor-era artwork on my own to try and crack the code behind the symbols they chose to use, especially Elizabethan portraits, particularly The Rainbow Portrait. Collins and Clarke’s examination of the symbolism in each portrait and miniature, including dendrochronology to determine when paintings might have been painted, was captivating and enlightening. It reminded me of a history class I took in college about art history, which I have fond memories of learning about how art changed up to the Renaissance. I found it equally fascinating that they chose to highlight the life of Nicholas Hilliard, who does not get enough attention as a Tudor artist compared to Hans Holbein the Younger.

However, Collins and Clarke examine more than just the typical portraits, paintings, and miniatures. The myth of Gloriana would not have survived without poets, musicians, and playwrights, like Edmund Spenser, Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, and William Shakespeare. It was a multi-faceted effort to promote the Elizabethan propaganda that allowed Elizabeth not only to survive but for England to thrive.

“Gloriana: Elizabeth I and the Art of Queenship” by Linda Collins and Siobhan Clarke is a delightful book for any Tudor or art nerd in your life; informative, educational, and easy to read. Each page will give you a better understanding of Elizabeth I’s reign, her propaganda, and the myth of Gloriana.

Book Review: “The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women” by Amy Licence

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16th century womenWhen we think of the phrase “16th-century women,” we often consider those from royal or noble houses throughout Europe. We tend to think of women like the six wives of Henry VIII, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Catherine de Medici, Mary Queen of Scots, and others associated who made an impact during the Renaissance and the Reformation. However, the 16th century did not stop at the borders of Europe; it extended all over the globe. There are many stories of women from all over the world and from different social classes that can help us understand how the world changed in the 16th century. Amy Licence took this concept and decided to write her latest book about a variety of women from around the world who lived in the 16th century, “The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. When I heard that Licence was writing this book, it intrigued me. I wanted to know more stories from the 16th century from all around the world.

“The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women” is a collection of 100 mini-biographies of women from every walk of life and every corner of the globe. Licence has decided to organize this particular book in chronological order, with the date emphasis on the significant events of their lives. Staying true to her word, she writes about women from different countries, like Japan, Nigeria, Russia, Mexico, Poland, Chile, Morocco, and Burma, to name a few.

What I loved the most about this book is the diversity of figures that Licence chose to include in this journey from 1500 to 1600. They were not just queens, princesses, and noblewomen. Licence included women who would have been seen as outsiders in everyday society, such as prostitutes during the Banquet of Chestnuts, Margaret Drummond, Ellen Sadler, and La Malinche. There were those whose appearance made them outsiders, like Aura Soltana, Elena/Eleno de Cespedes, and Tognina Gonsalvus. Some women stood up for what they believed was right, such as Cecily Bodenham, abbess of Wilton Abbey, Lady Nata of Japan, Margaret Cheney, Sayyida al-Hurra, and Beatriz de Luna.

Some women suffered horrendous tragedies beyond their control, like Suphankanlaya, whose husband was killed in an angry rage, Amy Robsart, and an unknown woman who dealt with a tsunami in Chile. Others were women who had nasty reputations associated with their lives, such as Elizabeth Bathory, Mary Frith, and the Irish pirate Grace O’Malley. We also see female artists, authors, fictional figures, and those who sat for portraits.

Licence has painted a colorful picture of the 16th century with the 100 miniature biographies she chose to include in this book. This book may highlight only a select few stories of the century, but they were new and enthralling tales of women I had never heard of, which broadened my understanding of the era. An informative, refreshing, and unique approach to the 16th century, “The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women” by Amy Licence is a breath of fresh air for anyone who wants to discover new tales from the past.

Book Review: “Educating the Tudors” by Amy McElroy

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63112680._SX318_ (1)When we think of the word “education,” images of sitting in school rooms for hours, listening to lectures, and doing endless homework pop into our minds. Our modern education system tends to focus on math, science, language arts, and history as the core subjects we study, with music and physical education as something that we in America call an “elective.” But have you ever wondered what education looked like in the past? How did the Tudors pass on their knowledge to future generations? What subjects did the Tudors consider essential, and how did the amount of education you received change depending on your class? Amy McElroy explores these questions in her book, “Educating the Tudors.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. When I heard about this book, it grabbed my attention because although many books about the Tudors have talked about elements of education, I have yet to see a book about Tudor education. I was curious to see how the rise of humanism would affect Tudor education throughout the 16th- century.

Before we dive into the differences in classes regarding education, McElroy gives her readers a breakdown of the different types of schools and what subjects each school teaches, including the trivium and quadrivium. She then dives into the Tudor monarchs and their education, starting with King Henry VIII, the first monarch in England to receive a humanist education. With royal children and their education, we are introduced to their royal tutors, like Giles Duwes, Bernard Andre, John Palsgrave, Roger Ascham, Desiderius Erasmus, and John Picton.

McElroy takes her readers on an educational journey through the different social classes, like nobility, gentry, and knights, to the common people. As she points out, the lower you get on the social ladder, the less critical education is to have a career. With the introduction of the printing press and the Reformation, the way students were taught and discussed religious issues changed throughout the 16th century. I loved learning about the popular books of the time, the different instruments and dances that were enjoyed, and what games were played during down times.

For McElroy’s first book, I found it very educational, informative, and easy to read. Her passion for humanism and the evolution of Tudor education exudes on each page. I took pages of notes about this book, and I learned so much from this debut. I cannot wait to see what Amy McElroy will write about next. To learn more about how the Tudors approached education and humanism, you should check out “Educating the Tudors” by Amy McElroy.