 Trade In this Item for up to £7.00
Trade in Anne Boleyn: In Her Own Words & the Words of Those Who Knew Her for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £7.00, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Plus, get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The complete letters, dispatches and chronicles that tell the real story of Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, caused comment wherever she went. Through the chronicles, letters and dispatches written by both Anne and her contemporaries, it is possible to see her life and thoughts as she struggled to become queen of England, ultimately ending her life on the scaffold. Only through the original sources is it truly possible to evaluate the real Anne. George Wyatt's Life of Queen Anne provided the first detailed account of the queen, based on the testimony of those that knew her. The poems of Anne's supposed lover, Thomas Wyatt, as well as accounts such as Cavendish's Life of Wolsey also give details of her life, as do the hostile dispatches of the Imperial Ambassador, Eustace Chapuys and the later works of the slanderous Nicholas Slander and Nicholas Harpsfield. Henry VIII's love letters and many of Anne's own letters survive, providing an insight into the love affair that changed England forever. The reports on Anne's conduct in the Tower of London show the queen's shock and despair when she realised that she was to die. Collected together for the first time, these and other sources make it possible to view the real Anne Boleyn through her own words and those of her contemporaries.
About the Author
Elizabeth Norton gained her first degree from the University of Cambridge, and her Masters from the University of Oxford. Her other books include ANNE BOLEYN: HENRY VIII'S OBSESSION, JANE SEYMOUR: HENRY VIII'S TRUE LOVE ('Meticulously researched and a great read' THEANNEBOLEYNFILES.COM), CATHERINE PARR ('Scintillating' THE FINANCIAL TIMES; 'Norton cuts an admirably clear path through tangled Tudor intrigues' JENNY UGLOW, 'Wonderful - a joy to read' HERSTORIA), MARGARET BEAUFORT: MOTHER OF THE TUDOR DYNASTY, ANNE OF CLEVES: HENRY VIII'S DISCARDED BRIDE, ENGLAND'S QUEENS: THE BIOGRAPHY (all published by Amberley Publishing) and SHE WOLVES: THE NOTORIOUS QUEENS OF ENGLAND. Her next book will be the first ever biography of Bessie Blount, mistress of Henry VIII and mother to his first child which will also be published by Amberley. She lives in Kingston Upon Thames.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I found this to be a highly refreshing way of presenting contemporary source information about Anne in a compelling and impartial manner.
Contrary to many modern day biographies which adopt a particular stance on any given event and propel the arguments for and against their viewpoints using samples of source quotations to support their debate which can in itself sometimes appear somewhat misleading, Norton presents the reader with a selection of largely secondary contemporary sources accompanied with explanatory paragraphs which adopt a very common-sense and impartial approach to the sources.
The source material is segregated into four or five key periods in Anne's life being information relating to her early life and education at the Mechelen and French courts to her advent at the English court and as Henry's "queen in waiting", to eventually her accession as queen consort, thus ending with her downfall and death.
The accounts of Eustace Chapuys which are presented chronologically here demonstrate entirely the difficulty which modern day historians have had of deciphering her personality and character and the reader in a sense gets to appreciate this for the first time. Sometimes not only appearing hostile, Chapuys' accounts even appear a little ridiculous at times, and seem like Tudor tabloid journalism. His despatches also reveal that he was near the forefront of Anne's fall and may have given Cromwell a helping hand, in contravention of Charles' commands to prepare to acknowledge her as queen if it were to cement an alliance and help Mary's cause.
Similarly, the accounts of Sir George Wyatt and Alexander Ales present the same difficulty but for different reasons!
This is a highly informative, original and thoroughly interesting way of presenting information about Anne. As readers, we are able to deduce our own conclusions and the sources in parts are highly fascinating, particularly on the political situation surrounding Anne's fall and her own accounts whilst imprisoned in the Tower, ironically enough, the only period of her life with which we have an abundance of original source material directly from Anne herself.
Highly enjoyable and thoroughly recommended.
Contrary to many modern day biographies which adopt a particular stance on any given event and propel the arguments for and against their viewpoints using samples of source quotations to support their debate which can in itself sometimes appear somewhat misleading, Norton presents the reader with a selection of largely secondary contemporary sources accompanied with explanatory paragraphs which adopt a very common-sense and impartial approach to the sources.
The source material is segregated into four or five key periods in Anne's life being information relating to her early life and education at the Mechelen and French courts to her advent at the English court and as Henry's "queen in waiting", to eventually her accession as queen consort, thus ending with her downfall and death.
The accounts of Eustace Chapuys which are presented chronologically here demonstrate entirely the difficulty which modern day historians have had of deciphering her personality and character and the reader in a sense gets to appreciate this for the first time. Sometimes not only appearing hostile, Chapuys' accounts even appear a little ridiculous at times, and seem like Tudor tabloid journalism. His despatches also reveal that he was near the forefront of Anne's fall and may have given Cromwell a helping hand, in contravention of Charles' commands to prepare to acknowledge her as queen if it were to cement an alliance and help Mary's cause.
Similarly, the accounts of Sir George Wyatt and Alexander Ales present the same difficulty but for different reasons!
This is a highly informative, original and thoroughly interesting way of presenting information about Anne. As readers, we are able to deduce our own conclusions and the sources in parts are highly fascinating, particularly on the political situation surrounding Anne's fall and her own accounts whilst imprisoned in the Tower, ironically enough, the only period of her life with which we have an abundance of original source material directly from Anne herself.
Highly enjoyable and thoroughly recommended.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Some of these reviews appear to relate to Elizabeth Norton's earlier biography of Anne Boleyn, and I would agree with several criticisms, especially those related to the errors and assumptions in her books. What concerns me about Norton's work is that she, a young historian, has published, or will have published, no less than nine books in less than three years, and inevitably they are short, superficial studies that add little of value to our understanding of their subjects. I should like to see her devote her undoubted knowledge and passion for history to an in-depth, more serious work researched over a longer period, which would showcase her talent properly.
This, I think, is Norton's best book, a very useful compilation of source material on Anne Boleyn. There are a few errors in the illustrations section, and I would take issue with a few of the sweeping statements in the commentary, although I am glad to see that she presents a very balanced view of Lady Rochford. It's a well produced book, but it's also a shame that the jacket image is of an unknown woman who is now accepted by most authorities on Tudor portraiture not to be Anne Boleyn.
This, I think, is Norton's best book, a very useful compilation of source material on Anne Boleyn. There are a few errors in the illustrations section, and I would take issue with a few of the sweeping statements in the commentary, although I am glad to see that she presents a very balanced view of Lady Rochford. It's a well produced book, but it's also a shame that the jacket image is of an unknown woman who is now accepted by most authorities on Tudor portraiture not to be Anne Boleyn.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I read this book recently and enjoyed it hugely. This is a collection of source material, not a new take on Anne Boleyn, on which Norton is quite clear, and do not understand why it has been critisised in this manner.
Having the chance to read the original sources in full(for example Chapuys) which we have all seen quoted in other works, was fascinating and allows the reader a very detailed picture, not just a snapshop quote.
I also found much rich material amongst the dispatches about Princess Mary and her mother, Queen Catherine of Aragon, which I had not seen in any other works, even the biography of Mary. Of course as the spanish ambassador you have to consider the material with a deal of bias (as Norton points out), however it is still a rich source of information.
Norton has written a great deal of books and yes, they can be somewhat superficial. But this is a different book entirely.
I would also pointed out the Bernard work on Anne was a complete and utter dissapointment, I hardly think Anne sat by for 7 years and let the men sort things out, and incredibly he also argued that Henry's need for a son was unimportant. So to praise him to the detriment of Norton is wrong.
You'd be much better sticking with this book of source material.
Having the chance to read the original sources in full(for example Chapuys) which we have all seen quoted in other works, was fascinating and allows the reader a very detailed picture, not just a snapshop quote.
I also found much rich material amongst the dispatches about Princess Mary and her mother, Queen Catherine of Aragon, which I had not seen in any other works, even the biography of Mary. Of course as the spanish ambassador you have to consider the material with a deal of bias (as Norton points out), however it is still a rich source of information.
Norton has written a great deal of books and yes, they can be somewhat superficial. But this is a different book entirely.
I would also pointed out the Bernard work on Anne was a complete and utter dissapointment, I hardly think Anne sat by for 7 years and let the men sort things out, and incredibly he also argued that Henry's need for a son was unimportant. So to praise him to the detriment of Norton is wrong.
You'd be much better sticking with this book of source material.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > British Royalty
- Books > Biography > Historical > 1501-1700
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Military
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Tudors & Stuarts: 1501-1700
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > Biography > Historical > Royalty
- Books > Biography > Political > Britain
- Books > Biography > Women
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Ireland
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
