Gender, Family, and Politics: The Howard Women, 1485-1558

by Nicola Clark

Gender, Family, and Politics is the first full-length, gender-inclusive study of the Howard family, one of the pre-eminent families of early-modern Britain. Most of the existing scholarship on this aristocratic dynasty's political operation during the first half of the sixteenth-century centres on the male family members, and studies of the women of the early-modern period tends to focus on class or geographical location. Nicola Clark, however, places women and the question of kinship in centre-stage, arguing that this is necessary to understand the complexity of the early modern dynasty. A nuanced understanding of women's agency, dynastic identity, and politics allows us to more fully understand the political, social, religious, and cultural history of early-modern Britain.

Genres: Tudor Period, Nonfiction

222 pages, Hardcover

Published October 21, 2018

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Clark speak about this topic on several Tudor-themed podcasts and immediately started looking for a used copy online. Given that this is an academic work it is a little more on the expensive side, but I think if you have an interest in Tudor-related history, particularly the women of the period this is a good investment.

I really loved this book overall. I read a lot of Tudor-themed books and I know so little about the Howard family let alone the family's women. The family dynamics concerning titles, land, religion, and relationships were captivating to read about. I am now desperate to learn more about Mary Howard/Fitzroy, Duchess of Richmond because Clark really made her come alive on the page. I also really liked how Clark discussed the Boleyns within the context of the Howard family. I have to admit that I had the preconceived notion that the Boleyns were simply rolled into the Howard family once Anne began to rise and the information detailed in the book really changed my perspective.

The reason that I did not give this book a five-star rating is that there were several places where this book was very dry, which I understand is not entirely fair as this was written as an academic text and is a personal preference. After the first few chapters, however, the book really gripped my attention and lost much of the academic lingo. I do wish that in the quotes from letters and documents that there could have been a translation of the sentence into modern language. There were several instances where I found it very difficult to figure out what the person was trying to convey.

This is a fascinating read and I would highly recommend it!