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Sisters to the King
by
Maria Perry
Everyone knows that Henry VIII had six wives. Few people realize, however, that he had two sisters who became queens of Scotland and France, scandalizing their brother and most of Europe in the process. In The Sisters of Henry VIII: The Tumultuous Lives of Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France, Maria Perry presents a history of the frequently overlooked Queens Margaret ...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
March 5th 2007
by Andre Deutsch Ltd
(first published 1998)
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When I picked up this book, even though I've read a lot about Henry VIII and his wives and children, I had no idea his sisters' lives had been so interesting. Margaret and Mary were both strong, confident, self-sufficient women, sometimes a little out of place in the sixteenth-century world.
The research that Maria Perry did for this book is amazing, and she tells the story of both sisters going from one to the other in an interesting and easy to comprehend way.
Only two ...more
The research that Maria Perry did for this book is amazing, and she tells the story of both sisters going from one to the other in an interesting and easy to comprehend way.
Only two ...more
This could have been an interesting read. However, I had to stop reading it a couple of chapters in. The writing was all over the place, it had no flow or chronology, and the main character so far is Henry VIII.
Perhaps the publishers received the author's notes for a book and mistakenly printed those? Because at the moment what we appear to have is a book about the cost of clothes, what Henry VIII's childhood was like, Margaret Beaufort and her struggle for the throne, a few things a...more
Perhaps the publishers received the author's notes for a book and mistakenly printed those? Because at the moment what we appear to have is a book about the cost of clothes, what Henry VIII's childhood was like, Margaret Beaufort and her struggle for the throne, a few things a...more
A very enjoyable look at the lives of two Tudor women many people forget existed. Yes, there's a lot of talk about what they wore and what it cost - that's because sometimes these are the only details we have, and it's up to the historian to use these bits of information to draw a bigger picture. There's plenty more research here to balance out all that cloth of gold. I do agree that at the end there's too much focus on the Anne Boleyn drama; it's interesting to compare the situation with Margar...more
Perry pens an enlightening historical account of Henry VIII's sisters, Margaret and Mary, that gives the reader a broader perspective of the Tudors.
The novel starts off with Perry taking a look at their father, Henry VII. He brought stability to the throne, but despite his attempts to secure his male progeny, only three of his seven children lived to adulthood – Henry VIII, Margaret, Queen of Scots, and Mary, Queen of France. Knowing this, Henry VII muses to his councilors, "Sup...more
The novel starts off with Perry taking a look at their father, Henry VII. He brought stability to the throne, but despite his attempts to secure his male progeny, only three of his seven children lived to adulthood – Henry VIII, Margaret, Queen of Scots, and Mary, Queen of France. Knowing this, Henry VII muses to his councilors, "Sup...more
“I gave it 3★'s. I was much more interested in Margaret's story as I didn't know much about her life and story prior to reading this. I found the descriptions of court life and dress rather tedious in places and got bored. The end was a lot of Henry and his divorce which I wasn't interested in and didn't see how it was relevant to a story on Margaret and Mary. I'm glad I read this book as I learned a lot about Margaret's life but I don't think I will be reading anymore from this author unless it...more
I bought this book at the tower of London, and read the parts about the marriage of Mary to the king of France at Versailles. It's really an interesting read. The Tudors were kind of...different. They all had very strong personalities, which makes them fun to read about.
Kind of dry but the detail is fantastic. She goes into who spent what amount of money for what amount of clothes or education.
It really goes into detail about what everyday family life was like for the Henry VII his queen Elizabeth of York and their children.
I am surprised by what she has uncovered vs what other historical authors have written.
It really goes into detail about what everyday family life was like for the Henry VII his queen Elizabeth of York and their children.
I am surprised by what she has uncovered vs what other historical authors have written.
The book is mistitled. In many chapters, the sisters were sidelined. In the last couple of chapters, they faded away. It appears the author didn't have sufficient material for a biography of Margaret and Mary Tudor. I would have liked to learn more about these strong women.
Fascinating history of two strong women.
I think I'll stick to "historical fiction" as this was informative, but lacking the flow that fiction provides.
I couldn't figure out how this book was arranged. It wasn't chronological. It wasn't topical. *shrugs*
Disorganization aside, I found it boring. I prefer a more narrative approach to biographies. This had lots of lists of facts. (So much was spent on this occasion. These people attended this event. etc.) Quite often it felt like the author was writing a paper and trying to impress me with all the research she did. (For the record, I wasn't impressed.)
Disorganization aside, I found it boring. I prefer a more narrative approach to biographies. This had lots of lists of facts. (So much was spent on this occasion. These people attended this event. etc.) Quite often it felt like the author was writing a paper and trying to impress me with all the research she did. (For the record, I wasn't impressed.)
I did learn more about Mary Queen of France and Margaret Queen of Scots than I had previously known, but the latter half of this so-called story of Henry's sisters' lives was mainly about Henry VIII's struggle to divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Occasionally the author would digress from Henry and Anne's affair and discuss what Mary and Margaret were doing at the time. Their stories seemed secondary to his, though.
This book was just OK. It wasn't spectacular, but it was well-researched. I just feel it was a bit dry.
Learn more information than the usual about Henry VIII's relationship with his sisters, and a new perspective into his character that, just from the facts listed, shows him in his early years as a better man than normally thought(something that makes his later behaviour that much more bizarre). Oh, and a better understanding of Mary and Margaret, of course. ;-)
It was neat to learn a little bit about Henry's sisters, but there was more Henry than the sisters. It is obvious Margret's story could fill a huge book--and I will be looking for bio. Mary's story was bland. She sounded fascinating and brilliant in way of court behavior and intrigue. Yet we only get the surface and are told repeatedly how pretty she was.
Okay, I've been fascinated by the Tudors since childhood. This book illumined the lives of Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France a bit more. I especially liked the info on Mary who managed to outwit her brother and outlive the King of France to have a life of her own. I did enjoy this book. An easy read.
Probably one of the most comprehenive works on the sisters of Henry VIII, who were fascinating in their own right. Both became Queen Consorts and led somewhat scandalous lives. Great read since material on either Margaret or Mary Tudor is rare.
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It was ok but it didn't really offer anything new and it had too much about Henry VIII. Especially the later part was mainly focused on Henry's divorce from Katherine of Aragon.
This was slow reading as it was very much like reading a text book. It was very interesting to learn how spoiled his sisters were and more about their lives.
Ugh. Not enough information about what they were doing, entirely too much about what they were wearing, and how much it cost.
Boring and pointless.
Boring and pointless.
Mary and Margaret had such interesting lives. Sadly, this biography couldn't convey that at all. Dull in the extreme.
Can't remember whether I ever finished this one or not. I might own it too, but I'm not sure.
Tudors! Need I say more?
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Actress and writer Maria Perry was brought up in Cheshire by a grandmother who liked good diamonds and believed women's education harmed the complexion. Sent to Manchaster High School and a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, she has had some narrow escapes.
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