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50th out of 353 books
—
922 voters
Bloody Mary: The Life of Mary Tudor
Mary I was the first queen to rule England (1553-58) in her own right. She was known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants in a vain attempt to restore Roman Catholicism in England. The daughter of King Henry VIII and the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon, Mary as a child was a pawn in England's bitter rivalry with more powerful nations, and was later regula...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
2001
by Robson Books Ltd
(first published 1978)
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The book is very interesting because objectively demonstrates how the adjective "Bloody" misrepresented the truth about Mary's government, showing instead her uncommon knowledge and political skills for a 16th-Century woman.
Well-written and full of details, the book does not give any room to gossiping or myths that were mostly inherited from a sexist society which struggled to accept the first Queen of England, not just a mere queen consort or regent.
The scope is wider than the title would sugg...more
Well-written and full of details, the book does not give any room to gossiping or myths that were mostly inherited from a sexist society which struggled to accept the first Queen of England, not just a mere queen consort or regent.
The scope is wider than the title would sugg...more
Mary started as a delicate little girl who overcame many hurdles and became Ruler of England. Carolly Erickson brilliantly illustrates Mary’s life in Bloody Mary.
The life of Mary, daughter to King Henry and Katherine of Argon, was filled with backstabbing, power hungry people and danger around every corner. Throughout her “charmed” childhood Mary was taught to be a “slave” to men. Her tutor, Vives, taught her that all women are inferior to men and that women are “inherently the devils instrument...more
The life of Mary, daughter to King Henry and Katherine of Argon, was filled with backstabbing, power hungry people and danger around every corner. Throughout her “charmed” childhood Mary was taught to be a “slave” to men. Her tutor, Vives, taught her that all women are inferior to men and that women are “inherently the devils instrument...more
This book took me over 3 months to read as I could only take so much at a time. It was well researched and easy to read but I guess I missed converstation and so I would read a bit and then reach for a mystery. It was upsetting to see how women were treated during this time and era and to see how they were able to rise above it.
I liked this book because I liked learning about Queen Mary, however the writting was a bit dull and some of it a snoozer. It was intresting to learn about Mary and where the term "Bloody Mary" comes from. This term bloody mary has lasted for centuries.
However, I support Mary and don't think that she deserviced the term bloody. Mary was just killing traitors who were trying to throw her off the throne. Every Queen and King in the past has doen that. I have great respect for the Kings and Queens...more
However, I support Mary and don't think that she deserviced the term bloody. Mary was just killing traitors who were trying to throw her off the throne. Every Queen and King in the past has doen that. I have great respect for the Kings and Queens...more
Before reading this book, I read Erickson's "Great Harry". Mary is very much a part of that story and "Great Harry" provided background to Mary's life in the context of her being her father's daughter.
In "Bloody Mary" the story is of the person Mary came to be and the forces that formed her. Her faith is the mainstay of her existence. It defined her person and directed her life as a woman and as a queen. Sadly, the moniker Bloody Mary is derived from her belief that Roman Catholicism must be res...more
In "Bloody Mary" the story is of the person Mary came to be and the forces that formed her. Her faith is the mainstay of her existence. It defined her person and directed her life as a woman and as a queen. Sadly, the moniker Bloody Mary is derived from her belief that Roman Catholicism must be res...more
A clear and concise fictional novel. It goes into Mary's personality in depth, you forget it is actually fiction, based on facts from her correspondences and from people around her.
She was a pious woman,who had strong religious convictions, which she needed ,to stand up to her father, during the years of her bastardy. She was also well educated for a woman of that time. Her father insisted she learn Latin and Greek. She was the first female to ascend to the throne of England. She was not deficit...more
She was a pious woman,who had strong religious convictions, which she needed ,to stand up to her father, during the years of her bastardy. She was also well educated for a woman of that time. Her father insisted she learn Latin and Greek. She was the first female to ascend to the throne of England. She was not deficit...more
Despite the sensationalist title, this is a reasoned, well pieced together biography of Henry VIII's eldest child. Most of the book is set during Henry's reign, and Erickson provides far too much detail therein. I don't really need to know the mechanics of battles fought by Mary's father, particularly when Mary's own reign takes up only ~100 pages. Erickson focuses on odd details (she documents pretty much every uprising ever, no matter how small) while ignoring others (Mary's presence in the fa...more
As a lover of all Tudor non fiction, I was greatly disappointed with this book. In reading it I felt that Erickson wanted to write about about the Tudor reign but felt it too much so she just picked one subject. But for much of the book the information she gives is about other Tudor people instead of telling Mary's stories. She is not very critical of her sources, many of the facts she tells the readers have been disproved by many credible historians. I will never read another of her books.
Elizabeth I's predecessor finally gets her own book. History hasn't been kind to Mary, usally regarding her as wicked or inept, but in this book you see that she dealt with the troubles of her time as well as anybody could. Though she made mistakes, she had less blood on her hands than her contemporaries did; and it was her ability to get England out of the mess that her brother's court had made which allowed Elizabeth a more favorable start.
This book is about the life and times of Mary Tudor, first crowned queen of England. Whenever I read of Tudor times, Mary seemed to be in the background and briefly mentioned, being overshadowed by her father and brother before her and the Golden Age reign of her sister Elizabeth. I was curious to find out more about her than besides her false pregnancies and the burning of Protestant "heretics". This book really helped me more to understand the very troubled and sad life of this queen. Against...more
Well, I've never really read much non-fiction before, but I picked this up and it was amazing! I loved the way the author used every element of Mary's surroundings to explain how and why she was the way she was. Not only did Erickson take Mary's education into account, but also the divorce of her parents (and more importantly the way each of her parents acted during it), the religious climate of England over the years, and the changing economic situation.
I thought it was a wonderful book, altho...more
I thought it was a wonderful book, altho...more
Well documented and well written biography of England's first sovereign queen. It is also rather depressing to read since Mary's reign can not be viewed as anything but a great failure, failure to restore the Roman Catholic Church to power, failure to produce a royal heir, failure to hold the last English territory (Calais) in France.
Most of my Tudor reading in the past has focused on Henry VIII or Elizabeth I, and skipped over the sad and bloody reign of Queen Mary. Not anymore! This sympathetic portrait of a woman who survived the vilification of her mother and her religion, an on-again off-again place in the succession, and an unpopular marriage to the younger and uninterested Philip of Spain, is definitely worth reading if you are interested in the Tudor dynasty. Well researched and extremely readable.
I had read two books (from totally different angles) about the life of Mary before picking up this one and I was eager for the more accurate historical account. However, by the end it waned a bit and I was just wanting to "get it over with"....
I do like reading about this period in history. Carolly Erickson does a terrific job bringing it to life and give Mary Tudor more humanity and providing me with more understanding of this much aligned monarch.
Sep 14, 2008
Lois Clark-Johnston
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
all-things-tudor
Very interesting look into the life of Queen Mary I-she was an odd balance between a very charitable personality and heart-she made an issue of giving to the poor and even went in disguise among her peasants to be sure they were being treated fairly-and her ruthless burning of the protestants. In the end her mental instability was her true downfall. She is creature of pity and also fear for her brutal acts.
I am not a Christian and therefore do not believe in heaven or hell-but I often wonder if...more
I am not a Christian and therefore do not believe in heaven or hell-but I often wonder if...more
Letto sull'onda di Le sei mogli di Enrico VIII però un po' troppo noioso e prolisso.
Di sicuro Maria ha avuto una vita difficile e travagliata e questo spiega molte delle sue turbe e dei suoi problemi. Non sempre nascere principessa rende la vita facile.
Di sicuro Maria ha avuto una vita difficile e travagliata e questo spiega molte delle sue turbe e dei suoi problemi. Non sempre nascere principessa rende la vita facile.
Excellent book on Mary Tudor and very revealing on some of the social practices of the day which make me happy that I'm living now and not then.
Here is the tragic, stormy life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Her story is a chronicle of courage and faith, betrayal and treachery-set amidst the splendor, pageantry, squalor, and intrigue of sixteenth-century Europe.
The history of Mary Tudor is an improbable blend of triumph, humiliation, heartbreak, and devotion-and Ms. Erickson recounts it all against the turbulent background of European politics, war, and religious strife of the mid-1500s. The result is a ra...more
The history of Mary Tudor is an improbable blend of triumph, humiliation, heartbreak, and devotion-and Ms. Erickson recounts it all against the turbulent background of European politics, war, and religious strife of the mid-1500s. The result is a ra...more
This is very well written history book. This author really made the story and times come alive. I knew very little about Mary Tudor before I read it, and she was a fascinating woman.
Most of the time I listen to books on my IPod rather than read them on paper, but this was an exception. As a result, it took me an exceptionally long time to get through it,because it's a very long book.
That said, I thought that this was a TERRIFIC biography. Erickson has two types of books: straight bios and bios with which she takes liberty with facts for the sake of plot. This was the former, and still was enthralling. Lots of political background, placing Queen Mary in context.
That said, I thought that this was a TERRIFIC biography. Erickson has two types of books: straight bios and bios with which she takes liberty with facts for the sake of plot. This was the former, and still was enthralling. Lots of political background, placing Queen Mary in context.
A fascinating and well-documented biography on a complicated and frequently dismissed royal. Plus the author (one of my favorite popular medievalists) has such a dry witty way of writing it makes it fun to read. I appreciate her ironic humor and insightful perspective on what life was like for people (both individually and collectively) during that period and in that place.
A detailed well-written history of Mary Tudor, who is frequently portrayed as a stereotype.
Well worth the time it took to read, a little dry in places, but a good book.
Have read many of her books now and it wasn't the writing that was off it was just the subjects story that took a long long time before it offered anything to get into. I would highly recommend a number of other books from this author, this was purely a subject interest for me and now I know not to be so interested.
Jun 30, 2010
Nic Runyan
added it
A very sad ending to a lady that had a ton of potential. She certainly had the deck stacked against her.
Aug 19, 2008
Mariah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
European History Buffs
Recommended to Mariah by:
happen to see it in the discount bin at the UW Bookstore
I have an obsession with this time period and this family! This book fuels the fire. Carolly Erickson is exceptional! She does a phenomenal job writing biographical history. I loved it! One to the First Elizabeth!!!
This is probably the best researched biography I've ever read. It does take a long time to get through but I'm enjoying it. The details about the clothing and the festivals are very good.
An even-handed, well-researched biography of a woman who was a product of her time and upbringing, and, in her own way, as morally upright and true to her values as her more-lauded sister.
A biography of Mary Tudor I picked up during my Tudor-obsession. Sympathetic toward Mary without apologizing, also gives a good picture of her father Henry VIII.
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Distinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Hawaii.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...
More about Carolly Erickson...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...
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