Divorce of Catherine of Aragon

by James Anthony Froude

The story of Catherine of Aragon=s divorce as told by the imperial ambassadors resident at the court of Henry VIII.James Anthony Froude (1818-1894) was Late Regius Professor of Modern History in The University of Oxford. He was a renowned writer and historian, and a close friend and disciple of Thomas Carlyle. He was a controversial figure during his lifetime, and brought down upon himself the wrath of the high church; this did not stop the crowds from attending his lectures, as he was a compelling speaker. As a writer of English prose he has few equals in the nineteenth century.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, Tudor Period

482 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1891

Reviews

[Joanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting take on the so-called divorce between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and its subsequent impact on history. What made it interesting is that Froude expresses a number of views that run contrary to the conventional views held by most historians. Never have I read an author who placed so much blame on Catherine and to an extent, their daughter Mary. He's also the first I've read that viewed the execution of Thomas More as justifiable and is one of the few to suggest that Anne Bolyn, and those implicated along with her, were likely guilty (again, to an extent) of the crimes of which they were accused.

I didn't feel that Froude made the most compelling case in Henry's favor, but that may have been due to the fact that based on other readings, I tend to agree with more conventional interpretations of that episode in history. It was also hard to ignore the author's obvious hatred of Catholics, which likely colored his interpretation of the facts, and, perhaps owing to the time period in which the book was written, there are strong currents of nationalism that likely also affected his interpretation of the facts.

It was still a great read, and it was intriguing to approach one of the most famous events in history from a different angle.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sifted through for the parts that interested me. Another book that shows the relationship between these two...but not much of the before the "ready to move on" state of Henry. At 900 some pages...phew, lots and lots of detail...

[Therese]

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