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2nd out of 17 books
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19 voters
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Life & Death of Anne Boleyn: The Most Happy
by
Eric Ives
This definitive full biography of Anne Boleyn, based on the latest scholarly research, focusses on Anne’s life and legacy and establishes Anne as a figure of considerable importance and influence in her own right.
Adulteress or innocent victim? Looks afresh at the issues at the heart of Anne's downfall.
Pays attention to her importance as a patron of the arts, ...more
Adulteress or innocent victim? Looks afresh at the issues at the heart of Anne's downfall.
Pays attention to her importance as a patron of the arts, ...more
Paperback, 458 pages
Published
July 29th 2005
by Blackwell Publishers
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This is the bible of Anne Boleyn. It is the first book I ever read completely dedicated to Anne and even today it is the first book that I refer back to when I am researching or learning about Anne. My poor copy is dog eared and tattered but to me that only gives it more character and life. If you want to know about Anne Boleyn, want to learn who the woman was who rose to be the jewel in Henry VIII’s eye and then fell shattering into history then this is the book to read. I would recommend this ...more
I think it's fair to say that I've read a lot of books about Tudor history and Anne Boleyn specifically. This is one of the best, most well-researched, and most well-written that I have come across.
Eric Ives goes far deeper than the trite "Henry fell in/out of love with Anne and thus had her killed"--and instead looks at the life of one of the most intriguing (and briefest) lives to affect the crown. Instead of dismissing old arguments, he looks at the facts and goes through ...more
Eric Ives goes far deeper than the trite "Henry fell in/out of love with Anne and thus had her killed"--and instead looks at the life of one of the most intriguing (and briefest) lives to affect the crown. Instead of dismissing old arguments, he looks at the facts and goes through ...more
Ives feels like the best of both worlds: his credentials as a legal historian make him detailed an analytical enough that he's a authoritative source on Anne Boleyn, while his well-supported admiration for her makes the sometimes dry, dense writing style worth it for anyone more accustomed to "popular" historians like Alison Weir and Joanna Denny. Considering the lack of solid historical documents or artifacts from Anne herself (even trying to establish her birth year causes controver...more
Brigid
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in British history, feminists, fans of "The Tudors"
Overall, this is a thoroughly researched, well-reasoned approach to the life of Anne Boleyn. Ives presents the reader with a cornucopia of information from a variety of sources, while simultaneously making judgments on who is more reliable than others. He quotes extensively from original source material and isn't afraid of analyzing the implications. He also gives excellent background on the period, the convention of courtly love, and the status of England with regard to the rest of Europe at th...more
Mei-Lu McGonigle
rated it
Recommends it for:
any one interested in a deeper understanding of Anne Boleyn
Of the recent biographies of Anne Boleyn, I'd say this is the best and for that reason, I've held on to as a reference. I particularly like the fact that Ives is careful to note his attributions, or at the very least the texts on which he is basing his ideas. There are assertions made by the author that I don't entirely agree with -the available evidence on Anne Boleyn's early life is quite slim and as a result almost all biographies on her are largely extrapolated. Overall a well-researched b...more
This is the most analytical and best documented biography I've read on Anne Boleyn. It's text book dry but if you are looking for someone who will present all sides of the story, address rumors and myth, chronicle her life and separate her political, religious and romantic endeavors, this is the book for you. After everything I've read on her, that's exactly what I was looking for. It took a while to read, but it holds many golden nuggets of information.
After reading this text, my...more
After reading this text, my...more
This captivating account of the life and death of Anne Boleyn is immensely detailed and has the feeling of a historical textbook. That being said, this is the most interesting textbook-like book you will ever read in that Ives gives his readers a plentiful amount of relatively unknown facts regarding this illusive woman. I found this biography of Anne Boleyn to be different than those written by Alison Weir in that Ives describes Anne in more of a historical, factual sense, rather than discussin...more
Claimed to be the best bio on Anne Boleyn to date, and I agree!
I think I like Anne best portrayed as she really was, not based upon all the myths and, let's face it, downright lies that surrounded her rise and ultimate destruction.
Everything is well researched and the supporting evidence is facinating, ranging from letters, artwork and the royal accounts, to songs and poetry.
Ives gives an amazing insight into life as it was in the Tudor Court and the major pe...more
I think I like Anne best portrayed as she really was, not based upon all the myths and, let's face it, downright lies that surrounded her rise and ultimate destruction.
Everything is well researched and the supporting evidence is facinating, ranging from letters, artwork and the royal accounts, to songs and poetry.
Ives gives an amazing insight into life as it was in the Tudor Court and the major pe...more
If you read only one book about Henry VIII or his infamous marriage in serial, make it this book. It's a rare thing to find a book written by a historian who A) knows his subject backwards and forwards, B) can write a compelling narrative but without being too dry or lacking in substance, C) challenge the historical reputation of even somebody written about to the extent that Anne Boleyn has and offer a new and nuianced perception of the person and the culture they came from. While most modern p...more
Eric Ives' biography of Anne Boleyn's life is a very thorough and accurate fact-filled account of her life. While it reads more like a text book, it really provides the reader with an intimate look at the person she was, and follows her from childhood through her rise, then fall from greatness in Henry the VIII's court. After reading many historical novels surrounding Anne Boleyn and Henry the VIII's court, I was curious about how much I read in the novels' was actually fact vs fiction ~ this b...more
This is an excellently written and very thorough account of Anne Boleyn's life. The focus is only on her, not like in other biographies which also tell the story of the decline and fall of Catherine of Aragon. The author reaches some surprising conclusions, but backs them up with sensible and persuasive arguments. I would give it five stars but for the fact that it's a little TOO detailed. The middle section, which goes on and on and on and on about the details of Anne's coronation, and her arts...more
I think I made a great choice in choosing this biography to read about Anne. Ives seems to write about Anne in both in a factual-based, non-biased way, although he does paint her in good light. I especially liked the section "Anne the Queen." I felt like in this section, I was closest to actually knowing the person Anne was. I learned loads, especially that many of the scenes in the television series The Tudors actually took place.
I think I would have enjoying this book had the i...more
I think I would have enjoying this book had the i...more
This is the most in depth book on Anne Boleyn that I've read so far. Ives often presents several interpretations of events. He then gives his own interpretations and backs up his interpretations with a lot of facts. When Ives is speculating about ideas, he tells the reader that he is speculating, which is also admirable. The book is very scholarly in that aspect, but I did not feel that it was hard to follow in light of this fact. The attention to detail is fantastic; at the end Ives breaks down...more
A very thoroughly researched book on Anne Boleyn. The author references letters and notes that were written in her time by those who knew her. He also takes into account the opinions of those who loved and hated her, while keeping in mind that their writings were most likely biased and forms an logical opinion based on these notes. Very well researched, though a bit dry to read at times. But if you're looking for a true biography of Anne Boleyn, this would definitely be a book to read.
Excellent. This historian carefully examines the life of Anne, placing her firmly within the context of Tudor politics and religion. He's the first I can recall illustrates how Anne's fervent devotion to the cause of religious reforms made her a target. Along with her sharp tongue, opinionated nature. But she was a force to be reckoned with at court. Ives carefully examines what is known about Anne so that we get a more accurate picture of the woman behind the tragedy.
I read this book concurrently with "The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn" and watching the first two seasons of Showtime's production of "The Tudors." The book is the documentary basis of Anne's rise and fall, and a lot of fascinating information about the life of the times in that segment of society and its effect on politics.
Well worth the time if you want to know what REALLY happened. It can be used as an excellent reference.
Well worth the time if you want to know what REALLY happened. It can be used as an excellent reference.
Not all scholastic volumes are as hard to take as this one was -- I know, I read a lot of biography & history -- but Ives makes it hard to remember why you are reading the book in the first place. In fact he deliberately makes things abstruse when they could be otherwise. I know there are both fashions and coteries in academic writing and must presume this is an extreme of a kind I cannot find, as the French say, convenable.
A good biographer must first be a superb researcher and investigator -- and Eric Ives is both. This is an extremely well-researched and thought out biography of Ann Boleyn. The author takes no historical legend at face value without first examining all available evidence. The problem with the book, as with many well-researched biographies, is that the author got so caught up with presenting his evidence and explaining his reasoning that he forgot to tell the story of his subject's life. He f...more
I found this extremely informative and very entertaining. I love Eric Ive's scathing remarks about some of the stupider ideas found in historical fiction and his obvious dislike of Jane Seymour - almost as strong as my own! I found the book very useful in the writing and planning of my own novel and would highly recommend it. Ives obviously admires Anne and explores her story with such compassion and admiration that I fear no-one else could do her more justice.
Much made from nothing. The authour manages quite a brick considering there is so little information about Anne Boleyn though descriptions of jewelry and other gifts was a bit tedious. I commend the author on the resourceful research and I appreciated that he was often careful to weight the written observances of various persons (the spanish ammbassador, for example, as a source). The authour is careful to explain what was happening around Anne, who and what her influences were, and what she ...more
Brittany
added it
Extremely well researched. One of the best books on Anne Boleyn as it changes your opinion of her, you see her as courageous, bold and spiritual. I would highly recommend this book as it disproofs many of the rumours and stories surrounding her.
Not really a book that I would choose to read for pleasure, but if you are looking for a very strong academic view of Henry VIII's second and most dramatic queen, this is definitely one I would recommend.
Very complete, in terms of all known research on Anne Boleyn. Only flaw is that the writing is TERRIBLY dry. I read lots of biographies and this is one of the least "lively" I've come across.
It's THE biography on Anne Boleyn. Extremely well researched and well written. Even for those who don't know much about Anne, it's a look into a fascinating life from the 1500's.
A scholarly yet enthralling look at the life of one of history's most fascinating characters. Author convincingly chronicles Cromwell's leadership in her downfall.
Too much focus on source material and evaluating its accuracy. Not enough biography to draw the reader in. Disappointing.
Probably the definitive book on Anne . Erudite, scholarly and readable .
Really the best biography about Anne that is out there!
Great for the history-obsessed!
I have read a decent amount on Henry VIII so a lot of this was familiar to me, but this book goes into more depth on most parts of her life. Some of it was a little dry, like reading about people I wasn't entirely familiar with. Since the book is based on existing evidence, some areas were richer and more informative where sources existed, while other parts were a little thin. It was great to learn what was actually fact and what was fiction, since there are so many stories about Anne Boleyn.
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“Captivating to men, Anne was also sharp, assertive, subtle, calculating, vindictive, a power dresser and a power player, perhaps a figure to be more admired than liked.”
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