Co-written by Emma Holbrook, Sira Barbeito and Ellie Webster.
(Cover image – © Unknown Artist – Pinterest)
So, a few of you readers have asked us what are some of the history books we have been enjoying this year and what some of our recommendations would be for someone searching for their latest obsession–and we have listened!
Below, myself, Sira and Ellie talk about our favourite reads of 2023 and why we highly recommend you give them all a read!
Emma's pick - Fatal Throne by M. T. Anderson, Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill,
Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnelly, Linda Sue Park and Deborah Hopkinson
This is a YA retelling of the history of Henry VIII and his six Queens but it can be enjoyed by anyone who loves Tudor history!
What I loved about Fatal Throne is how the entire book is separated into different sections to allow each of Henry VIII’s Queens to tell their story and for Henry VIII to ‘defend’ himself (as that is how it read) for how he treated those wives. Each section was written in a different style; Catherine of Aragon’s flashes between the present, just shortly before Henry’s six year long divorce trial takes place, and different points between their marriage; Anne Boleyn’s section takes place during her trial and execution; Jane Seymour’s from the years of 1525 to her death in 1537; Anne of Cleves’ recounts her marriage to Henry whilst on her deathbed in 1557, Katherine Howard’s section begins with her preparing to die and takes us through entering Henry’s court and their marriage until her execution; and finally Katheryn Parr’s perspective is her short marriage to Henry VIII, ending with his death. There is a small, one-page chapter given to Elizabeth I but this is told in third person whilst the rest are written in first person.
Here are the authors and which section they are responsible for:
M. T. Anderson – Henry VIII (and Elizabeth I)
Candace Fleming – Catharine of Aragon
Stephanie Hemphill – Anne Boleyn
Lisa Ann Sandell – Jane Seymour
Jennifer Donnelly – Anna of Cleves
Linda Sue Park – Katherine Howard
Deborah Hopkinson – Katheryn Parr
I’ll start off with how much I loved Catherine of Aragon’s section; you really get a sense that this was a woman who gave her all into her marriage, accepted the ‘failure’ of her marriage was as a result of her own faults (which in reality, she was not to blame) and loved her husband and King with everything she had in her. The level of detail and research that the author had put into truly bringing Catherine’s thoughts and fears to life is truly astonishing, especially when it came to her religion (which is usually overplayed in modern culture), her pregnancies (which were heart-breaking to read) as well as her coming to grips with the fact that her husband was cheating on her and wanted rid of her. Her section is so beautiful that, even if someone was not aware of her story, you could feel a connection with her. And Henry’s section just made you want to snort, it doesn’t matter how much you could try and justify your actions Henry, you were a horrible husband!
Anne Boleyn is most probably the trickiest wife to write, out of all of Henry’s wives because there is still so much that we don’t know about her. Whilst I always love seeing how Anne might have reacted and prepared for her execution, I felt her section was a bit underwhelming and I was left wanting more. Unfortunately, fans of Anne Boleyn and people who have researched her in depth might not quite like this portrayal of her as she was not painted in the most flattering light, a.k.a. she was painted as more of a mean girl in comparison to her true personality, and we don’t get to see much to her relationship with Henry as the section is mainly told through flashbacks and her protesting her innocence the whole way through. Jane Seymour’s section truly tries to bring life to the wife who is referred to as ‘bland’ and ‘obedient’, we really get to see Jane’s sweetness, her love for Henry and her desire to be a good wife and Queen by providing Henry with the heir he desires more than anything. At the end of the chapter, you find yourself wanting to hug Jane for all of the pain she suffered in her short marriage.
Personally, my favourite section was Anne of Cleves; Jennifer Donnelly takes the ‘ugly’ wife and shows her fearless, clever and don’t-mess-with-me attitude in such a brilliant, captivating way. You really could see how Anne was able to make the most out of a quite frankly frightening situation and come out on top—she was the survivor in my opinion, she survived Henry and emerged out of the marriage happier and wealthier! Now—Katherine Howard’s section irked me a little as she is portrayed in a lively, vivacious, naïve way (all of which would be correct) but I hated how it showed her to be sex crazy. I believe that the real Katherine Howard was not obsessed with sex but had been groomed and abused sexually from a young age and brought up to believe that the way she was treated was the norm. It’s tragic to see her story again as she was just a child when she died, used and abused throughout her life. And with Katheryn Parr’s section, you just felt sorry for her, she did not love Henry but had no choice but to marry him and lived in fear of ending up like the wife before her. Whilst she survived Henry, her end was still tragic.
Whilst this book does take some historical liberties, all of Henry’s wives are given the limelight as they deserve and we get to see Henry’s transformation from a teenage heartthrob to a tyrannical monster at the end of his reign. Overall, it was still very enjoyable and I recommend this to any history lover!
You can purchase this item from many retailers including Amazon, we have provided the link here: https://amzn.eu/d/gNoMnKF.
Sira's pick - In Her Own Right: A Novel of Lady Mary Tudor by Amanda Schiavo
Have you ever wished to be a fly on the wall on Henry VIII’s court during the Great Matter’s years? Well, Amanda Schiavo stuns in her debut novel playing with that idea.
Even though it’s clearly well researched, don’t go in as if you’re reading a history book, because it’s a novel. As much as it has true facts it also gifts us with fictional parts as the encounter between Mary and Queen Katherine before the latter dies, which sadly, didn’t take place in reality.
The book talks about Mary I’s hard life since her birth all the way up until her coronation, sparing us the last few years of her life. This makes it an awesome work of art that talks about faith, believing in ourselves, survival, fate, not giving up on our dreams, family ties, trauma and so much more.
It might scratch that stubborn and curious part of your brain that’s always left hungry for more after every documentary or book about Mary. It definitely brings us closer to her, humanizing her character and making it almost impossible not to relate to her after all she endured. You’ll feel fulfilled when reading how she gathered her people to take over the throne after her little brother’s death. You’ll meet a sweeter side to Henry VIII and how Mary finds it difficult to blame him for all her suffering, including her burning desire to marry and have children.
All in all, it’s a melodic writing, full of what ifs and sadness and a little bit of inspirational faith sprinkled all around.
One of my favourites for sure.
Expected date of publication: 20th of July, 2023. You can pre-order the book from Amazon using this link: https://amzn.eu/d/gNoMnKF.
Ellie's pick - Black Tudors: The Unknown Story by Miranda Kaufmann Review
Written by Miranda Kaufmann in 2017, Black Tudors: The Unknown Story provides a fresh and enlightening work amassed together by precise research and detail; bringing previously neglected characters of Tudor England to life with human warmth. Throughout the book, Kaufmann entices the reader with an aspect of Tudor society which is both fascinating and largely unheard of. Alongside her meticulous research into the contextual background of the period itself, Kaufmann carefully selects the lives of ten Africans and their experience under the Tudors, such as John Blanke. Blanke, who served as a trumpeter under the court of Henry VIII, can also be seen depicted in the Westminster Tournament Roll – indicating that the previous assumption that Africans throughout British history were ‘powerless’ and ‘enslaved’ must be imperatively challenged.
Rather, the Tudor age oversaw the beginnings of a multi-cultural society that can be observed today. Black Tudors conveys a facet of everyday life in which these individuals were free to contribute to societal functions. A prime example of such can be seen through the story of Cattelena of Almondsbury, the final figure whom Kaufmann concludes the book with. Cattelena earned her own wages; living self-sufficiently by making and selling milk, cheese and butter, presenting a wholly independent woman, contrary to Tudor ‘norms’. Rather than the casual misconceptions typically levied at independent women during the Tudor period, there is no evidence to indicate Cattelena was a prostitute in a world which worried that all single women were prostitutes, especially if they ‘lived alone.’
Throughout Black Tudors, Kaufmann presents her own theories to indicate the heritage and beliefs of these individuals. For instance, the turban worn by Blanke in the Westminster Tournament Roll would suggest an Islamic background. However, Henry VIII may have chosen to dress Blanke this way himself, deriving from his enjoyment of Turkish fashion. Other figures who contributed to the most significant of Tudor events are also explored, in particular Jaques Francis, the ‘Salvage Diver’ who was part of an eight-man team to attempt to salvage the Mary Rose. Since most Englishmen during this period were unable to dive at deeper depths, many sought to capitalise on African expertise to retrieve objects from the seafloor, of worth estimated to be about £2,000,000 today.
Kaufmann’s thorough and in-depth study was a pleasure to read. Often an aspect of Tudor society that is almost forgotten in it’s entirety, a new, revolutionary lens has been added to our understanding of Tudor society. However, to gather a fuller understanding of the Tudor age itself through the lens for these black individuals, it may be recommended for a reader whom is just started reading on the Tudor age to gather a wider contextual understanding before delving into this book. Albeit the reader and historian may never be able to decipher how these select individuals ended up in England, nor be able to accumulate a clearer picture of their day-to-day lives and beliefs like their white counterparts, Black Tudors certainly encourages the reader to consider a far wider context of both he world and a multicultural Tudor society. After taking in Kaufmann’s innovative work, it is impossible to look at sixteenth-century society through the same lens.
You can buy Black Tudors: The Unknown Story by Miranda Kaufmann at:
Waterstones: Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann | Waterstones
Until next time...
- Have a ‘Tudor-fic’ week!
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