The youngest child of the legendary monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536) was born to marry for dynastic gain....
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Jun 19, 2011
Jerry
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I started this biography with a very clear notion of what I did not want: merely another rehearsal of the same events and anecdotes of "the King's Great Matter" that has been recounted or fictionalized countless times. Too often, Catherine of Aragon in these accounts is treated--that infamous wedding night with Prince Arthur aside--as if she quite simply sprang into existence the moment Henry VIII decided their marriage was over. The backstory--where this woman came from, how she came
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Jun 23, 2011
Chris
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This is an excellent historical portrait of a most interesting woman. I learned a lot about her personality, her character and the really insulting way she was treated by Henry, once he had his eye on Anne Boleyn.
Catherine was stubborn, no doubt, but she had principles. She maintained her legitimacy to her death (by natural causes) at the age of 50. Her management of a difficult and painful situation changed the course of English (indeed European) history. Her response to Henry's pursuit o More...
Catherine was stubborn, no doubt, but she had principles. She maintained her legitimacy to her death (by natural causes) at the age of 50. Her management of a difficult and painful situation changed the course of English (indeed European) history. Her response to Henry's pursuit o More...
Jan 03, 2011
Jodi
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Whew, glad I wasn't so far off of the other reviewers on this one--was a bit nervous that I would be. This book is excellent, truly, for the general readership of the Tudor era. It is clearly written, provides enough background without being overwhelming and presents the “King’s Great Matter” in a straight forward way. For anyone more familiar with this time period, you will not learn anything new. Goodness, that sounds pompous but I don’t mean to be—just that I have read a great from the Tud
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Mar 25, 2011
Snail in Danger (Sid)
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This is an interesting and useful examination of a pivotal moment in European and English history. It goes into more detail than I recall from Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII or Henry VIII: The King and His Court. (Though I'd say that these books are useful background.) Tremlett also consults Spanish sources which (as I recall) Weir did not.
More like 3.5 stars. The things that stopped me from giving it four stars are some instances of word confusion (mother instead of f More...
More like 3.5 stars. The things that stopped me from giving it four stars are some instances of word confusion (mother instead of f More...
Oct 10, 2011
Claire
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This is a brilliantly well researched book. Starting from Katherine's early life in Spain, being brought up by her two formidable parents Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, it is easy to see where she inherited her determined and strong personality.
From her first marriage to Henry VIII's elder brother Arthur, and what actually happened during that short time (the sources are very conflicted depending on whose side the writer was on) to her years stuck in England before she cou More...
From her first marriage to Henry VIII's elder brother Arthur, and what actually happened during that short time (the sources are very conflicted depending on whose side the writer was on) to her years stuck in England before she cou More...
Jan 09, 2011
Melody
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I'm a Tudor history junkie. My mom started me on Jean Plaidy practically in the crib, and I've never looked back.
This is the first truly sympathetic, in depth portrait of Catherine that I've read. It was so interesting to read the other side of the glamorous, scandalous Great Matter of the King. Because Elisabeth I was so beloved and ruled so wisely and long, the world tends to focus on her doomed, tragic, pathetic mother, and Bloody Mary's mom gets relegated to the dowdy impediment More...
This is the first truly sympathetic, in depth portrait of Catherine that I've read. It was so interesting to read the other side of the glamorous, scandalous Great Matter of the King. Because Elisabeth I was so beloved and ruled so wisely and long, the world tends to focus on her doomed, tragic, pathetic mother, and Bloody Mary's mom gets relegated to the dowdy impediment More...
May 03, 2011
I bought this book at Heathrow looking for something to while some time away during a 24 hour flight. And I was hooked – the normal inflight entertainment didn’t stand a chance.
The book is well written and very readable. It provides a lot of background information on Catherine’s parents and the situation in Spain and her early years in England, all of which shaped her character. The passages about Catherine’s youth in Spain and the descriptions of the scenery and palaces, especial More...
The book is well written and very readable. It provides a lot of background information on Catherine’s parents and the situation in Spain and her early years in England, all of which shaped her character. The passages about Catherine’s youth in Spain and the descriptions of the scenery and palaces, especial More...
Nov 18, 2011
Joan
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I found the new documentation of what Spanish witnesses said in the Spanish held trial of the "King's great matter" interesting since it is new info. However, it certainly isn't surprising that the Spaniards supported Catherine's side of the argument and the English supported Henry's side. I would say it adds a little weight to believing Catherine as opposed to Henry. Otherwise, I didn't find much new info in this book on Catherine. It was interesting the connection made between her st
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Nov 26, 2010
Bettie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 22, 2011
Kate
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A sympathetic biography of Henry's first queen, a stranger in a strange land who had to navigate not only the perils of the sea but the politics of a court and newly established dynasty whilst balancing the expectations of her parents and the realities of her new life. Not previously much enamoured of Catherine, I was by the end of it a convert - how she held out against the threats, blandishments and bribes of Henry's henchmen can only have happened at huge personal cost to her peace of mind -
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Feb 22, 2011
Cwelshhans
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I would bump this book up to three stars for someone who hasn't read much about the Tudors and is looking for an introduction into Catherine of Aragon. Otherwise, it really does not add much of anything new until the Afterward (when the author appears to have stumbled on a theory of Catherine's pacifism by accident, which would have been much more interesting as a thesis throughout the book). The writing is fine for the most part, but I had higher hopes given that there had not been a stand-al
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Dec 17, 2010
Donna Jo
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After reading this book, one has to wonder that any Renaissance Queen ended up sane (or later ones, either). The responsibilities and duties laid upon them certainly made any chance at personal happiness unlikely. Add to that any individual personality quirks of Queen AND her spouse and you've got Trouble right here in River City.
Of course, I as a reader am looking at Catherine's situation through layers of history and changing times. Giles Tremlett has opened up the world of Catherine' More...
Of course, I as a reader am looking at Catherine's situation through layers of history and changing times. Giles Tremlett has opened up the world of Catherine' More...
Oct 21, 2011
Melisende
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I really enjoyed this interpretation of the life of Catherine of Aragon. We get an insight into her childhood and how the influence of her parents was stamped upon her from an early age - and in the midst of Henry's "Great Matter" we see the re-emergence of this parental influence in her stubborness and her new found political acumen.
I found this to be not overly biased in Catherine's favour - we see her both at her best and her worst. We see how, like her own childhood, Ca More...
I found this to be not overly biased in Catherine's favour - we see her both at her best and her worst. We see how, like her own childhood, Ca More...
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Mar 06, 2011
Kathleen
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This is a nice biography to introduce someone to the realities of Henry VIII's first wife -please read if you think the TV Tudors are the real thing! I thought it was a well-balanced biography but nothing startling new, even though the author makes a bit of a fuss about using long lost documents found in spanish archives.
Feb 10, 2012
Tina
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An excellent unbiased view of Catherine of Aragon. Tremlett leaves the reader to conclude their own opinion. Incredibly researched, even to include her parents relationship prior to birth, the author gives a very clear picture of Catherine's upbringing, environment and influences that attributed to Catherine's disposition. It has definitely, changed my perspective on Catherine of Aragon. Neither a good or bad opinion, just the realization that she was an incredibly intelligent, strong and pa
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Sep 24, 2011
Mary
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I highly enjoyed this look into the life of Henry VIII's first wife. I felt sorry for her later in the book seeing as how her life crumbled after Henry took on his next love interest. She could have been a great ruler herself if given the chance.
Sep 26, 2011
Caroline
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Nov 26, 2010
Carey
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Very disappointed in this book. It added nothing more than what I knew already from general history . Badly written for example, "She knew she had been good while England had been bad to her" - ehhh. Uncompelling, unsympathetic and generally poor. What a shame.
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Jul 06, 2011
Stacey
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Pretty good biography, in my opinion.
Facts are accurate (to my knowledge), author's opinions are acceptably many and aren't said as facts, and it kind of reads like a novel. With chapters for each different phase of her life.
Facts are accurate (to my knowledge), author's opinions are acceptably many and aren't said as facts, and it kind of reads like a novel. With chapters for each different phase of her life.
Mar 14, 2011
Margaret
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Well written, interesting and insightful. I have always felt sorry for Catherine but GT presents her - accurately - as a stubborn, religious woman whose attitudes in no small way contributed to much misery in England and of course the Reformation. Would history have been different if she had simply retired to a convent?
Nov 29, 2010
Susan
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Well written and informative, especially about Catherine's childhood in Spain. My one quibble is that the British edition, unlike the American edition, lacks end notes, but the publisher has made them available online. So you might be better off buying the American edition!
Nov 17, 2010
4cats
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Fabulous re evaluation of Catherine of Aragon, much wronged Queen of Henry VIII. Well written, easy to read, would recommend it to anyone interested in this period of history, or anyone looking for a great history book per se.
Sep 04, 2011
John
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This was a wonderful story about an incredibly strong character. Her impact on world history is dramatic. One of the more interesting tidbits from the book is that Anne Boleyn only lived 19 weeks longer than Catherine; another is that Catherine was Henry's wife longer than all of his other 5 wives put together.
Apr 25, 2011
Gail
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I liked the way the author wrote this from Catherine's point of view, but once you've read one about her, you won't learn anything new from this.Still, I enjoyed it.
Dec 17, 2010
Laura
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(Radio 4 "Book of the Week" Nov.22-Nov.26, 2010)
I listened to an abridged version, so I may not be the fairest judge. I already knew most of this about Katherine (she always spelt it with a "K"). The writing was nothing out the ordinary, but still it is an interesting piece of history.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w5ctv...
I listened to an abridged version, so I may not be the fairest judge. I already knew most of this about Katherine (she always spelt it with a "K"). The writing was nothing out the ordinary, but still it is an interesting piece of history.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w5ctv...
Jan 02, 2011
Nancy
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Bought this with birthday money. I really like reading about the Tudors. I can't imagine what women went through back then. Catherine was quite a woman.
Nov 11, 2011
Jim
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This book was surprisingly interesting at first, but tended to drag near the end, which made it difficult to finish.
Aug 14, 2011
Annie
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I'm enjoying this read, and grateful to my friend for the gifting of this lovely book.
The text feels unusual at times, as if English isn't the author's first language, but that doesn't detract from the book at all.
The text feels unusual at times, as if English isn't the author's first language, but that doesn't detract from the book at all.
Nov 21, 2010
Read the Literary Review article on this and its got my attention. Sounds worth reading and its on my list !!
Oct 26, 2011
Tom
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For straight-forward history, not half bad! I actually read cover to cover.
