The Six Wives of Henry VIII.. What Book with that Theme is the best?

[Catherine]

I can get it over here, it's not the cheapest, so I think I may ask my uni library to see if they can order it in for me, otherwise I may just treat myself!

[Marian]

I cant get it yet as Im kinda wrapped up in other books at the moment..arnt we all..lol!I have less or around,200 pages left of "The Kings Curse" to read,and then I shall read Alison Weirs "The Marriage Game" and also finish her The Princes in the Tower.Its fun to treat yourself thou..just saying:)))

[Catherine]

Bad influence!!
I've looked on my uni library catalogue and it's not available which means they'd likely have to charge for it so I'm better if buying anyway :-)

[Marian]

So glad I could help..in my bad influence:)

[Johanna]

Catherine wrote: "Hi Johanna,
Thanks for the recommendation!
I've picked up another book yesterday in a secondhand bookstore!
Anne Boleyn by P. Friedmann. (Sorry I can't link as I'm typing on the phone app).
It's a..."

Yes, it's already on my wishlist! Have to read it, looks pretty good. That's great, it's always a little bit hard to find books like this second hand for me here in Germany :D
You have luck!

[Johanna]

Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and castles (Northumberland - about an hour and a h..."

Wow, my wish is to travel to england and see all that in person and you have it on your doorstep! Must be great.

[Catherine]

It's great.. We take it for granted!
Let me if you ever start that other book before I get to it and let me know what you think!

[Johanna]

Catherine wrote: "When I read Weir's Lady In The Tower, I was really sympathetic towards Anne.. The fact Henry had sent for her executioner swordsman from Calais before her trial etc suggested that he always knew th..."

Well the book is really a little bit old already..
The problem with sources about Anne Boleyn is that many people then were heavily biased and hated her a lot because of what happened with Katherine. Or because they thought her a heretic. And after her fall no one wanted to write something good about her too.. I wish there were more reliable sources were you can be sure to read the truth.
It's a shame that we don't even have a potrait where we can be 100 & sure that it's Anne. it's frustrating.

[Johanna]

Marian wrote: "Catherine,lhave you ever read any books of Lady Jane Grey?"

There are few nonfiction books about Lady Jane Grey,
I have to read Ives book about her too. But i heard that it
isn't as good as that of Anne Boleyn and that he talked about Jane really bad in that book. Somehow he showed a great dislike about her.

[Johanna]

Did you read other historical fiction about the tudors?
I want to read some but there are so many :D I can't decide..
until now i only read
http://www.amazon.ca/Le-Temps-Viendra...

[Catherine]

I seen that on her Facebook page but haven't read it yet..
I've only read Philippa Gregory's stuff previously, I'm slowly adding other things to my shelves!! :-)

[Catherine]

I seen that on her Facebook page but haven't read it yet..
I've only read Philippa Gregory's stuff previously, I'm slowly adding other things to my shelves!! :-)

[Johanna]

Catherine wrote: "I seen that on her Facebook page but haven't read it yet..
I've only read Philippa Gregory's stuff previously, I'm slowly adding other things to my shelves!! :-)"

If you like historical fiction in general you could try
one of Elizabeth Chadwick. I only read two of her books
but Summer queen was really good.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Catherine]

Thanks for the recommendation! Another added to my ever increasing shelves!!

[Johanna]

Catherine wrote: "Thanks for the recommendation! Another added to my ever increasing shelves!!"

:D yes, there are just too many books out there and the wishlist explodes! Mine are always growing too!
But i don't recommend the book about Anne that much..
It was infuriating :D Since she know the whole story, knows what happens and does it again ! I don't think a time traveller would be so stupid.

[Catherine]

Haha, definitely not!
Thanks for the tip!

[Marian]

Johanna wrote: "Marian wrote: "Catherine,lhave you ever read any books of Lady Jane Grey?"

There are few nonfiction books about Lady Jane Grey,
I have to read Ives book about her too. But i heard that it
isn't a..."

Thank you Johanna:)

[John]

The Children of Henry VIIIThe Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious QueenCatherine wrote: "John.. How are you getting on with the Six Wives? I've just finished the Anne Boleyn chapter 'Happiest of Women'. It good, but things are taking a turn for the worst for Anne now.
I'm enjoying the..."

I just started reading about Anne. Scarry because this personality discription fits my ex to the tee, esp. about her seductive eyes. (Maybe she should have been related and not me. lol)

There is quite abit more about Anne in the The Children of Henry VIIIbut I'm waiting to read The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen" to find out more, hopefully a non-bias look.

The Children of Henry VIII has a whole chapter and half on LJG which I found facinating.

Alison makes on feel very sympathetic about CoA but I havent read anything else on her, yet. It does seem like she got put through the wringer and not symathy from her father and Henry VII.

[John]

Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and castles (Northumberland - about an hour and a h..."

You ARE fortunate to live in such a place. I would love to one day visit England, its castles and history. Most of fathers or side came from England and Ireland and going through his ancestry is just filled with Castles the like. I was blessed to live in Germany for four years and loves seeing the history there and can only imagine the history in England. Most of the English Castles and houses are older than those of Germany.

[Johanna]

John wrote: "The Children of Henry VIIIThe Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious QueenCatherine wrote: "John.. How are you getting on with the Six Wives? ..."

The children of Henry viii is great! I liked it a lot more than the Wifes! It was very interesting that there was a lot about Jane Grey too ! You have to tell me how you liked when you come around to read it John

[Johanna]

John wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and castles (Northumberland - ab..."

Where did you live in Germany?

[John]

Johanna wrote: "John wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and castles (Northu..."

Bad Kissingen in Bavaria 19k's North of Schweinfurt From 1987-91.

[happy]

John wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and castles (Northumberland - ab..."

My family and I spent a couple of weeks in England a few yrs ago, saw a few castles - the Tower of course, plus Warwick, Kenilworth and Dover - it was fantastic!

When I retire one of my dreams is to spend a couple of months doing the English History thing

I also spent a few yrs in Germany as a teenager (Dad was in the Army). Good castles there also!

[Johanna]

John wrote: "Johanna wrote: "John wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and..."

It's beautiful there and there are a lot of castles as well!
I hope you had some time to see them.
Do you speak German too?

[Johanna]

happy wrote: "John wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old heritage houses and castles (Northu..."

Wow! I hope i can do that too some day.
A tour through england to all important historical places..
It must be amazing to go to places where so much history happened..! The castles in germany are great too,
but their history is often not very good known.

[John]

Johanna wrote: "John wrote: "Johanna wrote: "John wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Also, yes I love English history in general, I'm fortunate enough to live in England, in my region in particular we have many old herita..."

It is a beautiful place. The whole state is beautiful. I did travel a lot while there. Was always gone on weekends. Many Castles to see. Rothenberg is still one of my favorite places.

I had the privlige to travel to East Berlin in Jan 89 and again in Mar, 1990 after the wall fell.
I was able to Travel a lot of Europe while there. France, Belgium, Lichtenstein, Austria and Switzerland.

Someday I may be able to go back and visit the UK and back to Germany again. I would have to really brush up on my German again.

[Michell]

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in London with side trips to such places as Leeds, Stonehenge, Bath to name a few. My love of Tudor History took us back to England two more times so I could make my pilgrimage to the grave sites of all six wives of Henry VIII as well as Hatfield, Windsor, Hampton Court, St. Paul's We loved it all and hope one day to travel there again!!!

[happy]

John wrote: "...It is a beautiful place. The whole state is beautiful. I did travel a lot while there. Was always gone on weekends. Many Castles to see. Rothenberg is still one of my favorite places...."

I loved Rothenberg - One of the places we lived was not too far from there (Ansbach)

The German/Austrian castles that I remember most - Mad King Ludwig's (I've been to all three), Nuremberg, Saltzburg, the ruins of Bamberg (really just a ruin and not much left, but it was the first one I visited), Coberg, Heidleberg(sp) and the various castles on the Rhine. I'm sure there are many more, but the memory is starting to fade :)

Now I have to go a dig out Dad's slides :)

The retirement trip is going to have to include seeing Northern Bavaria

[John]

The cool thing about Bavaria is that no matter where you are, you can usually see a Castle, Cathedral, Monistary or the ruins of one somewhere in the distance. Germany as a whole has a dark but facinating history. I really loved Wurtzburg with the Residenz and Fortresss Marionberg.

Happy, did you ever visit Dachau when you were there?

[happy]

Yes, Twice - both on school field trips,once in 8th grade and again in 10th. I'm sorry to report that I was bored out of my mind during the 8th grade trip (callow teenager), but by the time I returned I was much more cognizant of what had happened there and was very humbled.

When I went (1971 and and again in 1973) there really wasn't much there. The HQ buildings - which had been turned into a rather small museum, one rebuilt Prisoner Barracks, the creamarotium and the gas chamber.

[John]

happy wrote: "Yes, Twice - both on school field trips,once in 8th grade and again in 10th. I'm sorry to report that I was bored out of my mind during the 8th grade trip (callow teenager), but by the time I retu..."

In REFORGER '89 my platoon was within a Kilometer of the west side of it. After REFORGER I took a trip to visit. Not sure how to discribe the feeling other than very eerie and humbleing. It is sad the atrocities that one human being can do to another much less millions.

[John]

Catherine wrote: "John.. How are you getting on with the Six Wives? I've just finished the Anne Boleyn chapter 'Happiest of Women'. It good, but things are taking a turn for the worst for Anne now.
I'm enjoying the..."

How are you doing in the book? I'm in chapter 9 (pg268). I got diatracted from work yesterday because I got caught up in reading. It's scary how love(lust) can blind someone so bad that it ruins the lives of many others.

[Catherine]

I'm up to pg 367, Jane is now Queen.

I have to say I still felt sympathetic towards Anne at the end.. I know she was no innocent but it must have been awful for her! There was no coffin provided for her body! From Henry deciding he wanted rid of her she had no chance really!
As a woman you'd hate it if he suddenly turned is attention to you, he's very fickle.

[Marian]

It makes me wonder thou,if Anne wasn't trying to get back at Wolesley for him keeping her and Percy apart.From all that I have read about her..she was very much in love with Percy?They were secretly bethrothed,were they not?And Wolesley broke them apart.Then percy married somebody else.Then Henry began his pursuit of Anne and she refused to become his mistress.

[John]

Catherine wrote: "I'm up to pg 367, Jane is now Queen.

I have to say I still felt sympathetic towards Anne at the end.. I know she was no innocent but it must have been awful for her! There was no coffin provided f..."

I have mixed feelings so far about her. It's hard to draw a conclusion when so little is known about her childhood. I have to say, she was a very conniving woman.

I'm lovin this book so far. I may have to update my subscription into ancestry.com.

[John]

Marian wrote: "It makes me wonder thou,if Anne wasn't trying to get back at Wolesley for him keeping her and Percy apart.From all that I have read about her..she was very much in love with Percy?They were secretl..."

She did have a thing for Percy throughout her life.

From what I know of her, she was one you did not cross unless you had eyes in the back of your head.

Reminds me of ex. Very seductive, conniving and never forgets.

[Catherine]

Yes indeed!

I agree I think she was mean and conniving..
Manipulative and moody!
Her treatment of Wolsey, Katherine OA and Mary was disgusting, and I think part of her execution was justice for that.
She was never tried for anything she actually did do though.. I believe that she was innocent of the actual charges but by that point had made so many enemies that no one was prepared to fight her corner.

Mind the image I'm getting of Jane so far is different to any I've previously had, she doesn't sound particularly likeable, only wishing to associate with ladies of high rank..

[Marian]

If its true that Anne did have all those affairs with the 5 accused..why wasn't there more people who came forward with there rumours?She always had ladies in waiting all around her,so how could she get away with all these "goings on"?I mean,she had ladies who were spies and would have first hand knowledge to what her Queen was up to?I mean..5?Thats a lot.

[Catherine]

Exactly! It's so far fetched.. One of the 'accounts' regarding her brother was because she spent 'some considerable length of time alone with him' according to his wife.. Who was notoriously jealous of their relationship and disliked Anne.
Smeaton was apparently the only one to 'confess' yet did so under torture, and his final speech claimed 'he deserved this death', yet it's my understanding that lots of people said similar things before execution, as they believed it showed repenting of all sins and would save their souls, opposed to being an admission of guilt of the charges.

[Marian]

I wondered how Anne felt to be tried of a jury of her peers..by Henry Percey and her Uncle..of all people.

[Catherine]

I know.. Terrifying!
I believe her father was also on the jury too but I could be wrong in that! What a horrible time..

[Marian]

Im sure Anne learned a lot from her sister(Mary)example as Mary was Henry's mistress for awhile,before Ann came along.If she could not be an earl’s wife, why not try for the crown of England?

[John]

It seems as when you're that high on the social ladder, there is no real such thing as family. Money and Nobility is your family. (I've witnessed this firsthand on the Willoughby and Taylor side of my in-law family)

Maybe though, they may have thought it better to rid of her for the sake of the whole family reputation. These are things that we will never know as to why her own blood turned against her.

[Catherine]

Well she'd totally isolated her Uncle (Norfolk) and according to various sources he still cried when passing her sentence.

Nobility does not like all the power being held by one faction and will conspire to bring them down, it's a fickle life!

[Marian]

Is it true..or does anybody know,if Henry paid off Ann Bonelyn gambling debts?

[Catherine]

That's a good question.. I'm not sure, I've certainly not read about that occurring but I've only read a select few books.

[Marian]

Thank you Catherine..I cannot seem to remember where I read that,and for some reason it stuck in my head..lol!

[John]

I'm sure he did indeed cry at her sentence. She was his niece and I would probably feel the same way. It wasa a different time though. It's hard to imagine the separation of family the way they did then. I absolutly hate being separated from my own children. I don't know how they were so insensitive to the fact.

I have never read anything about Henry paying any of her debts. Yes it would be interesting to know.

[Marian]

Since I am reading "The Marriage game" by Alison Weir,it was interesting to go through Elizabeth R..the TV series from 1976..the second episode is called "The Marriage Game":)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSvPN...

[Catherine]

Thanks Marian, I have a day off tomorrow so might give it a watch..
I might do some digging to see if Henry did pay Anne's debt off!