Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 1,015 ratings · 51 reviews

No English queen has enjoyed such notoriety as Anne Boleyn, and none has been so persistently vilified. Even after her execution in May 1536, on trumped-up charges of adultery, her reputation has been pursued beyond the grave, subjected to all manner of accusation. The unsavory account of her life that has come down through history is one shaped by her enemies. Joanna Denn...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published March 6th 2006 by Da Capo Press (first published 2004)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Life & Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives

The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser

Best Books about Anne Boleyn

15th out of 34 books — 43 voters

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

7th out of 46 books — 22 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,002)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 11, 2009 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-tudors, history-english

This is a readable book, and a quick read at that. If you are looking for a good biography of Anne Boleyn, however, this isn' t it. The first thing that any reader should know is that Denny has a very anti-Catholic bias. Every Catholic in this book is evil. Every non-Catholic is a wonderful person.

It's not so much Denny's bias that is disturbing (look at the Church at that time), it's her opinions that she passes off as facts. Denny will state that "Anne was appalled" or "thought" something, b...more This is a readable book, and a quick read at that. If you are looking for a good biography of Anne Boleyn, however, this isn' t it. The first thing that any reader should know is that Denny has a very anti-Catholic bias. Every Catholic in this book is evil. Every non-Catholic is a wonderful person.

It's not so much Denny's bias that is disturbing (look at the Church at that time), it's her opinions that she passes off as facts. Denny will state that "Anne was appalled" or "thought" something, but how does Denny know? Such statements are not footnoted, so they are conclusions that Denny is reaching. They might be logical conclusions, but they are Denny's conclusions and not Anne's.

While Denny does defend Anne, she does so at the expense of every other woman in Tudor England, with the exception of Elizabeth I. All other women were either liars, tramps, idiots, schemers, or impious (or all of these combined). Anne was the only good woman in Tudor England. Denny implies that Mary Boleyn gave Henry VIII syphilis; she implies that Mary Tudor's (Henry VIII's sister) dislike of Anne came from Anne's disapproval of Mary Tudor's behavior in France. Worst of all, Denny states that stories about Anne poisoning people should be disregarded, but then just two pages later, relates a story about Catherine de Medici poisoning Jeanne d'Albert that the reader is suppose to take as fact.

Additionally, at times Denny changes her position. For instance, Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII only have one living child, and that is Catherine's fault, according to Denny. When Henry and Anne, however, have trouble producing children, it's Henry's fault because he might have syphilis (which might have been given to him by Mary Boleyn, so I guess it is really her fault). When Anne acts against tradition, she is being independent and standing for her rights; when another woman does so, the woman is being a shrew. When the common people support a Catholic, they are being misled; when the common people support Anne, they know what they are doing.

What is even worse is that it is hard to form a picture of Anne Boleyn from this book. Denny looks at Anne in terms of religion and how Anne should be seen as a martyr for reform (a Protestant martyr), and compares Anne to Queen Esther from the Bible. This is an interesting idea (and the reason why I gave the book two stars and not one); however, for most of the book Anne seems absent. There is no clear picture of Anne that emerges from this biography. In fact, Anne seems to be cipher, a caricature at best, a shadow at worst, of what Denny wishes Anne to be; instead of who Anne herself was.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

view all 5 comments

Ortnmom Chris, I signed on to add a review but honestly you have said it so thoroughly I did not need to! The characterization of Anne as an avid Protestant r...more
Mar 08, 2010 10:27am

Xenia I'm still early in this book but I must admit I'm a little thrown by some of the conclusions the author makes. I was interested in her opinions about...more
Apr 09, 2013 09:26pm

Jul 17, 2008 Elaina OKeefe rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: pepole who like bios, women's studies, English history

This is a revisioninst biography of Anne Boleyn that attempts to debunk the common myths about the tragic English queen. Although most of her arguments rely on the fact that many common beliefs about her (that she was a witch, that she seduced Henry 8 though sexual means, that she had 6 fingers) were written by her enemies, her assertions often ring true. The author paints a vivid, believable, and much more balanced portrait of Ann Bolelyn...and even if some of her assertions are just wishful th...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2010 Krista Ashe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-110-of-2010-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So, I'm total Tudor history nerd, and I love anything about Henry VIII and his wife, especially Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I. I found this book at the library and was immediately smitten b/c I loved seeing a new take on Anne's life. The more I got into it the more I was amazed. Instead of the scheming, conniving, seducer of a king, here was a woman educated in the French court who was really more interested in her faith(moving along Lutheranism) than she was becoming queen. In this book, An...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Justine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I probably enjoyed this biography for the same reason many others did not: Denny's very obvious anti-Catholic bias and almost saintlike portrayal of Anne Boleyn. Most authors (at least until the past decade or two) either tend to pity or revile Anne, so it was interesting to have someone argue that she was a strong political player whose Protestant beliefs did actually give her a moral edge. While Denny's evidence of this tends to be based more on speculation, the fact is that most of what we kn...more

like · see review

Mar 02, 2010 Brigid rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: current-interest, biographies-of-famous-women, read-in-2010, those-crazy-tudors

From reading this biography, I know almost as much about Anne Boleyn as I do about author Joanna Denny's hatred of Catholicism. Denny does raise some interesting discussion points about the source of Catherine of Aragon's fertility problems and the origin of Henry VIII's desire to annul his marriage to his first wife. However, what sticks in my mind is her vitriolic, venomous portrayal of everyone who was not a Boleyn supporter. I was especially disturbed and unconvinced by her version of Cather...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 21, 2012 Monique rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: studied, non-fiction

I found this book to be an easy and enjoyable read. For a historical biography it was markedly conversational and carries along at a relaxed pace. However, when it comes to historical accuracy I have my doubts. Denny carries an obvious anti-Catholic bias and almost refuses to hear any negativity towards Anne

Denny paints a sympathetic picture of Anne, as a highly intelligent and educated woman, and completely discounts theories defiling her character. Her views of Anne, paint a portrait of a brig...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 24, 2011 Justine Kelly rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

I'm a bit shocked that this book has such a high rating on Goodreads. It's one of the worst biographies I've ever read. I have always admired Anne Boleyn as a historical figure, but even I can admit that this book is terribly biased in favor of Anne. It has a clear pro-Protestant, anti-Catholic agenda which Denny promotes throughout, which ultimately results in her worshipping Anne and criticizing Katherine of Aragon at every chance. I wouldn't be surprised if Denny had had a shrine in her house...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2009 Simon added it · review of another edition

This history is a riveting read, perhaps not great history, but a good read. Written by a novelist, one whose ancestors worked for Henry VIII, it is a hagiography of Anne Boleyn. If she were still alive, the author would be disgusted with the use of the term, since she was an ardent Protestant for whom Anne Boleyn was a martyr to the cause against the evils of “papism”. Boleyn’s main opposition was in the form of the Catholic Katherine of Aragon, treated here as queen bitch. The heavy-handed bia...more

like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read a great deal about both Elizabeth I and her mother, the infamous Anne Boleyn. Most books focus on how evil and manipulative that Anne Boleyn was. However, many of these books pull information from somewhat biased sources.

This book presents Anne not as this evil woman who changed all of England for her whim, but as a victim. Joanna Denny does a good job of presenting her view but her view is also somewhat biased.

Reading this book does provide the reader with a new view into who Anne B...more

like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Caroline rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Apr 29, 2010 Maureen rated it 1 of 5 stars

My main reason for reviewing this book is to warn anyone who is planning to use it for a classroom assignment. Be careful -- this book is full of factual errors. For example, right after page 246 the portrait of Mary is misdated -- the portrait itself clearly identifies both the sitter and her age at the time the portrait was painted! Instead use the Ives bio. of Anne Boleyn. I attempted to check some other citations and was not able to do so. Ives offers better scholarship, his writing is clear...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Sylwia Zupanec rated it 1 of 5 stars

Although this book is bad, I don't regret I bought it - at least I saw with my own eyes that some authors are biased in Anne Boleyn's favor to the limits of absurd.
Denny's peculiar biography is full of praise for Anne Boleyn - Anne comes across as religious, chaste and oh-so-wonderful young woman who was caught into the eye of political and religious turmoil.
Denny's Anne is flawless - every source that depicts her in an unsympathetic light is quickly dismissed by author as unreliable or biased....more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2009 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, february

This is classified as a biography but actually reads more like historical fiction. My middle-school daughter made the mistake of trying to use this book as a primary reference for a term paper this year. The structure of the biography, the sparsity of reference dates, and Denny's penchant for stating a "fact" about Anne Boleyn then recanting it several pages later, made it a miserable reference book. So much so, that I had to step in and read the book too in order to help her sort it all out. Ho...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Ting rated it 4 of 5 stars

All my life I've felt that Anne Boleyn was undeserved of her fate, that history had somehow cheated her. I've read many books on the Tudors and the wives of Henry VIII and none have ever appealed to me as much as Anne Boleyn. This book is a pretty good read if not a totally scholarly work. It is a good introduction to an historic figure who has been much maligned since her trial and execution for treason. This biography portrays her not as the scheming and power-hungry pawn and adulteress but as...more

like · see review

Jan 10, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was so disappointed in this biography. I am a huge Anne Boleyn fan but this was so biased towards her it was almost annoying. The author needed to include more footnotes or other type of credit to her sources as I found it hard to believe she knew how Anne or Katherine of Aragon or Henry VIII was actually feeling; yet she stated these "feelings" as though they were fact. She repeated information and what seemed like entire paragraphs through the book which was annoying. This book felt and read...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 Helene Harrison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, setting-tudor, non-fiction, author-female, 2000s-publication, format-paperback, genre-biography, genre-historical

Joanna Denny puts forward arguments that don't have any basis in fact: for example, that Anne Boleyn was a popular Queen and the people loved her. There is no evidence for this claim whatsoever; in fact, all the evidence points against the claim. However, her writing is lively and she makes Anne's life exciting, unlike Antonia Fraser, who is much more scholarly. Denny's writing is concise and, largley, she sticks to the facts, making it clear where there is conjecture. This style is good for sch...more

like · see review

Mar 22, 2013 Conor Byrne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Denny has been widely attacked - or alternatively praised - for her version of Anne Boleyn and the nature of her life. This book is definitely more opinionated and controversial than her follow-up, "Katherine Howard", published in 2005.

I think this book can be commended in paying great attention to Anne's religious beliefs, something often ignored or criticised by historians - Antonia Fraser, for instance, believes Anne wasn't a genuine religious radical, and only showed an interest in religion...more Denny has been widely attacked - or alternatively praised - for her version of Anne Boleyn and the nature of her life. This book is definitely more opinionated and controversial than her follow-up, "Katherine Howard", published in 2005.

I think this book can be commended in paying great attention to Anne's religious beliefs, something often ignored or criticised by historians - Antonia Fraser, for instance, believes Anne wasn't a genuine religious radical, and only showed an interest in religion in order to appear 'chic' and gain support. While I strongly disagree with Denny's portrayal of Anne as being a Protestant - such a term is anachronistic in early 16th century England, and Anne's acts show her to have embraced aspects of Catholicism, such as her use of the sacrament in the Tower, 1536 - it's refreshing to see a historian make it the centre of their study of Anne Boleyn, rather than politics and culture (such as Ives) or sexuality/folklore (Warnicke) - although I enjoyed both those scholars' works a lot.

However, the failings of this book largely outweigh its positives. Denny makes some incredible statements which cannot be substantiated by contemporary evidence. Her portrayal of Katherine of Aragon, for instance, as being cruel, bloodthirsty, selfish and a liar is very unfair, in my opinion - there is no need to trash Anne's rivals to make her look better, something which Ives, Warnicke and other respectable historians do not do. Denny's depiction of Henry VIII is also very incorrect, depicting him as a 'modern day stalker' and violent towards Anne, something I don't agree with. Her portrayals of Jane Seymour and Princess Mary are also very negative. Furthermore, Denny's suggestion that the Boleyn family were 'naturally' opposed to Cardinal Wolsey because of their evangelical religious beliefs is widely far off the mark. Thomas Boleyn's religious sympathies are not known for certain and there is little evidence that great hostility existed between him and Wolsey, and if it did, it was probably more politics/faction based.

Unfortunately, a series of myths are also propagated in this book - Denny suggests that Anne's mother Elizabeth died in 1512, while Anne was a child, when evidence confirms she actually died two years after Anne's execution. The reasons for Anne's downfall are also very vague and difficult to follow: Denny seems to suggest that it was the result of Henry's paranoia about the succession, but then indicates that it was a Catholic conspiracy to destroy the reformers at court, led by the queen. The greatest problem, perhaps, is Denny's presentation of Anne herself. While promising, weirdly enough like Retha Warnicke, to offer a new portrayal of Anne which dismisses all negative myths about her, Anne herself never really comes to life.

In short, the focus on religion is commendable, and it's not a hard book to read in terms of its writing style. But its spite towards Catholic figures and its concern with propagating myths renders this work limited, overall. I'd recommend Eric Ives above all other historians, followed by Starkey and Fraser. But if you want an alternative - but very dubious - counter-approach, try Warnicke. (less)

like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit that when I first picked up this book I was a little sceptical. I have heard many things about Denny’s book on Anne Boleyn, some positive and some negative. I was not sure what to think but was determined to go into this book with an open and positive mind. I wanted to take the book for what it was and see what Denny had to say about the life of Anne Boleyn. Unfortunately when I came to the end of the book I found myself feeling quite disappointed.

Overall when reading this book...more I have to admit that when I first picked up this book I was a little sceptical. I have heard many things about Denny’s book on Anne Boleyn, some positive and some negative. I was not sure what to think but was determined to go into this book with an open and positive mind. I wanted to take the book for what it was and see what Denny had to say about the life of Anne Boleyn. Unfortunately when I came to the end of the book I found myself feeling quite disappointed.

Overall when reading this book I felt as though there was a great deal of negativity towards many of the people that had been part of Anne Boleyn’s life. It is not hard to see that Denny holds little regard for Katherine of Aragon, claiming that she lied that she was a virgin. Denny believed that Katherine of Aragon did sleep with Prince Arthur and therefore the marriage was consummated. She goes on to say that Katherine of Aragon continued on with the lie of her virginity so that she could marry Henry VIII. I found that Denny repeated this idea many times throughout the book, continuously suggesting that Katherine of Aragon was a liar and also a manipulator.

It read to me as though the breakdown of Henry VIII’s relationship with his wife and Queen was all Katherine of Aragon’s fault. That it was her fault she could not give Henry any living male heirs and that certainly she was lying about having never slept with Prince Arthur. Denny also suggests that Katherine of Aragon deceived those around her and also openly humiliated Henry VIII. I find this very hard to swallow and do not for a minute think that Katherine of Aragon lied about being a virgin when she remarried. Katherine of Aragon was an extraordinarily devout Catholic and lying was a sin. To lie over and over again would certainly be damaging to one’s salvation. Denny gives Katherine of Aragon so little credit for her dedication to her faith and paints a very dark picture of a woman who was certainly a devoted and loving wife.

Denny also alludes to the fact that there was no love at all between Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York, and that in fact Henry VII despised his wife and her Yorkist heritage. In fact history tells us that husband and wife had strong feelings for one another and that they consoled each other deeply upon the death of their oldest son Arthur. Certainly if Henry VII hated his wife he would not want to console her and hold her as she wept over the death of their son.

Denny also shows a strong dislike for Mary Tudor, even referring to her as a spoiled brat. How she can make this statement I am unsure. She also speaks very negative words of Mary Tudor’s second husband Charles Brandon. At one point she accuses Brandon of abducting a woman named Anne Brown and having two daughters with her. History tells us that Charles Brandon was a bit of a womanizer and did have a marriage annulled, but abduction and possible rape? Where Denny got any of this information from I am unsure. Certainly Brandon did defy the King and marry Henry VIII’s sister, but he and Mary were forgiven, although made to pay a heavy fine. Charles was eventually restored to favour and was one of Henry VIII’s most treasured and beloved friends. Upon Charles Brandon’s death Henry is reported to have said that “after the king heard the stunning news, he told his courtiers that Brandon has been the best of friends, generous and loyal as well as truly magnanimous towards his political enemies. Glaring, he pointed out that few of his Council could boast the same about themselves” (Hutchinson 2005, p. 119). Certainly Charles must have had something about him to be seen in death as a good and loyal friend a clear contrast to the picture that Denny painted of Charles Brandon.

I was also quite disgusted at the way Denny wrote about Mary Boleyn. Personally I am quite fascinated by Mary Boleyn and have read and researched extensively about her life. Denny suggests that Mary was the mistress of King Francis I during her time in France and then goes on to say that she was passed on from one man to another and that she was sexually notorious. This I find to be absolute rubbish! It is certainly possible that Mary was the mistress of Francis I, for what length of time we certainly do know. But there is no proof at all to suggest that Mary was passed from one man to another, nor that she was sexually notorious! There is not a single piece of evidence to provide this, in fact the only evidence that we have that Mary had any sexual relationship while in France was a letter written by a Bishop twenty one years after Mary Boleyn was in France!

Denny also goes on to suggest that Henry VIII had taken Mary Boleyn for his mistress before Mary married William Carey. Once again there is no evidence to suggest this at all. In fact evidence would suggest that Mary married her husband in 1520 and then became Henry VIII’s mistress sometime during 1522. The suggestion that Henry VIII married Mary off to cover the affair is ridiculous! I find Denny’s blatant statements clearly shows the little research she has done on the life of Mary Boleyn and certainly for me that cast a doubt on how much research was done for the rest of this book.

I was also confused by Denny’s statement that Anne Boleyn had a stepmother. Anne did not have a step mother, in fact her mother, Elizabeth Howard, outlived Anne and died in 1538. I am confused as to where Denny got the idea that Anne’s mother died and that her father Thomas Boleyn remarried.
Overall I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. It appeared as though Denny was trying to paint Anne Boleyn as a saint and that everything that went wrong during her life was everyone else’s fault bar Anne’s. Certainly Anne was no saint; she was just as flawed as every other human being. She had a temper, she was prone to rages and bouts of jealousy, in short she was human.
Although Denny provided a lot of quite detailed information about Anne and her life I felt it was overshadowed by the negative attitude towards people such as Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. I have to say that I would only recommend this book to someone who already has a strong knowledge about Henry VIII’s first marriage and all the players involved with the King’s ‘Great Matter’.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 17, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-famous, my-fav-books, my-fav-authors, nonfiction

Intelligent, articulate women are viewed as a threat in patriarchal cultures. Add organized religion to the mix and the physical well-being of female members of that culture are very much at risk.

Joanna Denny exposes the dark underbelly of the Catholic church in this book about Anne Boleyn--the second wife of King Henry VIII in England during the 16th century. Catholicism held sway over the civilized world for over a thousand years. When Martin Luther attempted to reveal the "sins" of this reli...more Intelligent, articulate women are viewed as a threat in patriarchal cultures. Add organized religion to the mix and the physical well-being of female members of that culture are very much at risk.

Joanna Denny exposes the dark underbelly of the Catholic church in this book about Anne Boleyn--the second wife of King Henry VIII in England during the 16th century. Catholicism held sway over the civilized world for over a thousand years. When Martin Luther attempted to reveal the "sins" of this religion, the resulting strife threatened the power of the Vatican. And it wasn't going to relinquish control easily.

Into this violent mix comes Anne Boleyn. An educated English woman from an up and coming family, she is appalled by the debauched behaviors of royal courts. While in France, she has been exposed to parts of the Bible translated into English, along with new ideas pushed by those seeking reform of the Catholic faith.

As a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of England, she comes to the attention of King Henry (who is seeking his next female conquest). Anne spurns his advances and will not capitulate unless she is married. So the King's "Great Matter" drags on for years as he tries to prove that his marriage to his current wife (Queen Catherine) is invalid because she was married first to his deceased brother. In order to marry again, he must receive a dispensation from the Pope in Rome. But the Pope fears the conquering army of Queen Catherine's nephew--Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Anne and the Boleyn family are supporters of the new Protestant reform movement. King Henry was named the "Defender of the (Catholic) Faith" by the Pope himself. A religious clash looms and people will lose both their reputations and even their lives in the turmoil.

The author tries to prove that Anne Boleyn's blackened reputation was an act of revenge by the Catholic church for introducing and promoting the new Protestant faith. She was labeled a whore and a witch when she was nothing of the kind. She dared to criticize a religion ruled by men at a time when women were instructed to submit to both their church and their husband. They were considered to be brainless, immoral creatures who caused the downfall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. And they were not expected (or even allowed) to form or vocalize an opinion of their own. Anne Boleyn did both and was destroyed in the end by the men in power. But her daughter, Elizabeth, would eventually restore the Protestant faith to England and go on to become a strong and fiercely independent Queen in her own right.

Joanna Denny shows a definite bias against Catholicism in this book, but I also believe she's attempting to right a wrong that history has allowed to continue against Anne Boleyn. By scraping away the hype she has attempted to show us a new side to this tragic figure. (less)

like · see review

Jun 17, 2008 Michael Borowski rated it 4 of 5 stars

At last, a truly sympathetic look at the much-maligned Anne Boleyn -- one of the most fascinating figures in the history of English royalty. The book consistently and thoughtfully debunks the many myths surrounding England's beheaded queen, making this a fascinating read. So far, the only problem is that author Denny can be naive in her supposition, or jumps to conclusions that might sound accurate, but are something of a leap. (She seems very eager to prove her point without necessarily having...more

like · see review

Mar 04, 2008 Joanna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: eh...

Shelves: the-tudors, historical-nonfiction

As I read this book, it was very difficult to refrain from comparing it to Warnicke's biography of Anne Boleyn, which is still very fresh in my memory. Joanna Denny's biography is less scholarly, and poorly edited. In her favor, though, Denny has written a popular history that is easy to comprehend and doesn't require as much prior knowledge of Tudor politics as Warnicke's. Some scholars disdain popular history, but I firmly support any book that makes history accessible to the widest audience p...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 09, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of all let me say that I love reading anything about Tudor England and I thought I could gain a new perspective on Anne Boleyn by reading this book. Wrong!! Joanna Denny tries to portray Anne as a Saint who was wronged and who tried to do nothing but good for England. I think anyone who really knows Tudor England would tell you that she's anything but a Saint. So all-in-all I guess I did gain a new perspective on Anne Boleyn and I'd have to say she seems lower to me now than before.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 09, 2011 Hnasman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

Joanna debunks hundreds of years of character assassination from biased anti-Protestant, anti-reformation sources to paint a picture of Anne that is highly sympathetic. This is not the grasping, ruthless woman we've seen in The Other Boleyn Girl and the Tudors, but rather a highly ethical, principled woman dealing with the insanity of a vain tyrant the only way she knew how. Excellent book.

like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Charlotte Bird rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a fantastic book. it shakes off the outdated view of anne boleyn as an ugly immoral witch, and uses fact and logic to present a very different version of the ill fated queen; an intelligent, religious woman who became the victim of propaganda and a petulant king wanting only an heir.

like · see review

Aug 28, 2010 Lesley rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: those-wacky-tudors

Denny has familial connections to the Boleyns and her bias is clear and unapologetic. Boleyn was obviously a complicated, brilliant and polarizing figure, but Denny's hagiography ludicrously ignores or minimizes anything remotely unflattering in contemporary accounts.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 06, 2009 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-tudors

Even knowing a lot about the period I found this impossible to follow. The author seems more interested in stringing together the material she found no matter how much the stretch, than in providing a "New Life."

like · see review

Feb 05, 2010 Jennifer Wiltsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great Book. it is filled with information that has been completly over looked, and changes the perception of Anne Bolyen. This book is only for people who are Anne supporters,completely bias.

like · see review

Apr 14, 2011 Lisa Bergin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I will read pretty much anything fiction or non fiction about Anne Boleyn, she just fascinates me. This is a non-fiction biography taking a much different view on Anne.

like · see review

Mar 05, 2011 Susan marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I bought this one against my better judgment since it was cheap at our closing Borders. Even-handedness doesn't appear to be this author's strong point.

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2008 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although it took me many months to read this book, I learned a great deal and enjoyed learning it. Denny presented many facts and documents to support her theories. Sometimes, though, she put Boleyn in too heroic of light. But all historical literature should always be taken as not absolute truth. She also seemed to focus more on King Henry and his advisors, as well as Boleyn's enemies, more than Boleyn herself. This may be because most documents regarding Boleyn were destroyed.
I took alot away...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 66 67 next »

Non Fiction

31 users

Biography

25 users

European Literature > British Literature

5 users

Biography Memoir

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Joanna Denny

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Anne Boleyn: A Ne...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Anne Boleyn: A New Lif...

“The past is a reality that exists just beyond our reach.” — 7 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen
avg rating	preview: Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen Goodreads rating: 3.95 (1015 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/31085.Anne_Boleyn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1168197948l/31085.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/31085.Anne_Boleyn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen by Joanna Denny[/url]

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (7)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Joanna Denny

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Anne Boleyn: A Ne...

Quotes from Anne Boleyn: A New Lif...