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Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn entered Henry's life just as he was seeking to discard his wife, Catherine of Aragon, for failing to give him a son. Henry courted Anne, but she refused to yield to his advances until he promised her marriage. At that moment, Anne was his. Driven by his love for a woman who refused her sexual favors unless she was certain of becoming queen, Henry took on the might of the Catholic Church, challenging papal authority as he strove to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. The process, urged on by Anne and her increasingly powerful family and supporters, cost the lives of many great and powerful men as, one by one, Wolsey, Fisher and More, went to their deaths. While Henry became the head of the church in England, supported by ambitious ministers and a pliant archbishop, his country faced invasion as the pope, King Francis and the Emperor Charles in their turn threatened the king who now stood isolated in Europe. Friedmann charts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, from her origins as the daughter of a gifted and ambitious courtier, her elevation to the greatest heights a woman could reach, to her tragic fall and execution, the victim of the man who had once loved her, and who had altered the course of his country's history forever in order to have her.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1884
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 19, 2020
This book is a swizz. I don't know why it's publisher presents it as a biography of Anne Boleyn. She is mentioned very little -and , even then, just as an object of other people's actions. She rarely appears as an agent in her own right. There's very little analysis of her position, very little narration of her life.
It's more a political, legal and diplomatic history of Henry's attempts to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry her. Interminably dull and dry accounts of the dealings, double dealings and triple dealings of Henry, Francis and the Emperor Charles and their ambassadors and courtiers. The technicalities and jargon of the legal and papal system are alienating-- the legates, the bulls, the nuncios, the decretals, preconising, proroging, praemunire, consistory, bla bla bla. The deceitful twists and turns are told in quite unnecessary, complex and over detailed terms. It's really NOT a biography of Anne Boleyn.
I should have gathered this from the chapter headings-only 3 of the 19 actually include Anne's name. Other chapter headings include The Legatine Court; The Death of Wolsey; Thomas Cromwell; Marcus Meyer; Fisher & More; The Death of Catherine; Jane Seymour etc etc. Say no more. This book is not about Anne Boleyn.
Where are the details of her early family life and education? Where are the details of her time at the French court? Where is the analysis of her personality/ character? Her thoughts? Opinions? Reactions? How does she compare to other women of similar class and time? The little biographical information is in AN APPENDIX!!! Why is the biographical information in an alleged biography in an appendix???
She may have been a mere woman and bit-part player in English history of the time... but she should be a lot more prominent in her own putative biography. It's a meticulously researched history of events but , as a biography, it's an insult.
The author himself ends the book writing that "the history... of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn has still to be written."
It's more a political, legal and diplomatic history of Henry's attempts to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry her. Interminably dull and dry accounts of the dealings, double dealings and triple dealings of Henry, Francis and the Emperor Charles and their ambassadors and courtiers. The technicalities and jargon of the legal and papal system are alienating-- the legates, the bulls, the nuncios, the decretals, preconising, proroging, praemunire, consistory, bla bla bla. The deceitful twists and turns are told in quite unnecessary, complex and over detailed terms. It's really NOT a biography of Anne Boleyn.
I should have gathered this from the chapter headings-only 3 of the 19 actually include Anne's name. Other chapter headings include The Legatine Court; The Death of Wolsey; Thomas Cromwell; Marcus Meyer; Fisher & More; The Death of Catherine; Jane Seymour etc etc. Say no more. This book is not about Anne Boleyn.
Where are the details of her early family life and education? Where are the details of her time at the French court? Where is the analysis of her personality/ character? Her thoughts? Opinions? Reactions? How does she compare to other women of similar class and time? The little biographical information is in AN APPENDIX!!! Why is the biographical information in an alleged biography in an appendix???
She may have been a mere woman and bit-part player in English history of the time... but she should be a lot more prominent in her own putative biography. It's a meticulously researched history of events but , as a biography, it's an insult.
The author himself ends the book writing that "the history... of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn has still to be written."
December 15, 2020
Title is misleading
Anne Boleyn is more about Henry VIII than Anne. Very tedious read. Some chapters only mention her name, and nothing about her.
Anne Boleyn is more about Henry VIII than Anne. Very tedious read. Some chapters only mention her name, and nothing about her.
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September 29, 2022DNF - Sorry, I rarely DNF, but...
August 19, 2013
ISBN? - 9781848688278
General Subject/s? - History / Tudors / Anne Boleyn / Biography
Title? - A simple and straightforward title, as was normal in the nineteenth century when this was first published.
General Analysis? - It isn't the most up-to-date book on Anne Boleyn with some outdated ideas. However, it is still worth a read for anyone interested in older views on Anne in comparison with new ones, particularly for scholars of Anne. His footnoting is exemplary and his index is very well done. Easy to track down the large variety of sources used.
Recommend? - Not as a general overview of Anne Boleyn, but for scholars yes.
General Subject/s? - History / Tudors / Anne Boleyn / Biography
Title? - A simple and straightforward title, as was normal in the nineteenth century when this was first published.
General Analysis? - It isn't the most up-to-date book on Anne Boleyn with some outdated ideas. However, it is still worth a read for anyone interested in older views on Anne in comparison with new ones, particularly for scholars of Anne. His footnoting is exemplary and his index is very well done. Easy to track down the large variety of sources used.
Recommend? - Not as a general overview of Anne Boleyn, but for scholars yes.
August 9, 2011
I think this book on Anne Boleyn by Paul Friedmann is amazing. Very informative and some information on Anne I did not know about. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about Anne Boleyn.
September 8, 2014
This is an excellent read if you are researching the Tudor era. I found the introduction and editing by Josephine Wilkinson to be nothing short of superb! She 'refreshed' a book which was originally written in 1884.
August 8, 2012
The beginning
July 8, 2016
Impressive study for its time - not very sympathetic to Anne, but highlights some interesting possibilities surrounding the circumstances of her life and death.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews