- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: The History Press Ltd; 1st ed. edition (15 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 075244591X
- ISBN-13: 978-0752445915
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.4 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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- #94 in Books > Biography > British Royalty > Henry VIII
Catherine Parr: Henry VIII's Last Love
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
This title presents the turbulent life and loves of Henry VIII's sixth wife. Romantic, chaotic and terrifying, Catherine Parr's life unfolds like a romance novel. Wed at 17 to the grandson of a confirmed lunatic, widowed at 20, Catherine chose a Yorkshire lord twice her age as her second husband. Caught up in the turbulent terrors of the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, she was captured by northern rebels, held hostage and suffered violence at their hands. Fleeing to the south shortly afterward, Catherine took refuge in the household of the Princess Mary and in the arms of the king's brother-in-law Sir Thomas Seymour. Her employment in Mary's household brought her to the attention of Mary's father, the unpredictable, often-wed Henry VIII. Desperately in love with Seymour, Catherine was forced into marriage with a king whose passion for her could not be hidden and who was determined to make her his queen.
About the Author
Susan James received her doctorate from Cambridge University and studied under the late Sir Geoffrey Elton, the father of modern Tudor history. She has spent twenty years researching Catherine for this biography during which time she uncovered that the National Portrait Gallery painting previously identified as Lady Jane Grey by Sir Roy Strong was in fact of Catherine. The NPG subsequently relabelled the portrait. She is the chief contributor on Catherine Parr to the major 2009 Hampton Court exhibition on Henry VIII ('Henry the Magnificent'). She has written numerous articles on the Parr family including Catherine's entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Her other books include Women in Tudor Art. She lives in California.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
For a long time this is the first proper biography on Katherine Parr. Of course she features in all of the works on Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth but very often it only covers the parts of her life after she had become a member of the Royal Family.
Susan James's work on Queen Katherine gives a full picture of Katherine's life. The parts related to the life before her marriage to the King are most interesting and already shed a lot of light on Katherine Parr. Her relationship with her mother Maud and her mother's example how to manage as a widow her own life, her family and her estate and her valuing education for females is quite revealing. The same applies to her relationship with her sister and brother. Susan James corrects the strangely often repeated notion that Katherine married the 2nd Baron Borough of Gainsborough while in reality she was married to his son and heir who happened to carry the same first name. Her second marriage to the 3rd Baron Latimer seems to be a dry run for the marriage with the king: she married an older, sickly man of higher social standing and got two step children which were becoming quite close to her. The marriage to the king seems to be a repeat of this situation. But Katherine as Queen managed to fulfil her role in an excellent way. She was made even regent during the King's absence. She seemed to have liked the power.
Susan James puts Katherine in perspective of the role of woman at the time, deals with aspects of education for females, covers Katherine's role to foster these, her own achievements and of course with her political and religious importance. She is not blind to her faults and describes her own misjudging of the situation and relationship with the King leading and causing the crisis of 1546 which nearly cost Katherine her position and properly her life. However, it is prove of her flexibility, intelligence and calm how she solved the situation.
Most interesting are the descriptions how she hoped to become regent for young Edward VI.
Her last marriage after the King's death to Thomas Seymour might have been a love match, but cost Katherine her reputation. Susan James tries to do justice to Thomas Seymour, tries to paint him in a better light as historic reputation has it, but even she has to give finally in.
All in all a book I enjoyed as covers all aspects of Katherine's life, not just her few years as Queen Consort. It shows one of the many remarkable Tudor women. She was much more than simply wife No. 6.
My only regret is that the book itself is quite badly printed. Parts of the descriptions of the photos are missing. The publisher could have done a much better job, however that does not undermine the value of Susan James's work.
Susan James's work on Queen Katherine gives a full picture of Katherine's life. The parts related to the life before her marriage to the King are most interesting and already shed a lot of light on Katherine Parr. Her relationship with her mother Maud and her mother's example how to manage as a widow her own life, her family and her estate and her valuing education for females is quite revealing. The same applies to her relationship with her sister and brother. Susan James corrects the strangely often repeated notion that Katherine married the 2nd Baron Borough of Gainsborough while in reality she was married to his son and heir who happened to carry the same first name. Her second marriage to the 3rd Baron Latimer seems to be a dry run for the marriage with the king: she married an older, sickly man of higher social standing and got two step children which were becoming quite close to her. The marriage to the king seems to be a repeat of this situation. But Katherine as Queen managed to fulfil her role in an excellent way. She was made even regent during the King's absence. She seemed to have liked the power.
Susan James puts Katherine in perspective of the role of woman at the time, deals with aspects of education for females, covers Katherine's role to foster these, her own achievements and of course with her political and religious importance. She is not blind to her faults and describes her own misjudging of the situation and relationship with the King leading and causing the crisis of 1546 which nearly cost Katherine her position and properly her life. However, it is prove of her flexibility, intelligence and calm how she solved the situation.
Most interesting are the descriptions how she hoped to become regent for young Edward VI.
Her last marriage after the King's death to Thomas Seymour might have been a love match, but cost Katherine her reputation. Susan James tries to do justice to Thomas Seymour, tries to paint him in a better light as historic reputation has it, but even she has to give finally in.
All in all a book I enjoyed as covers all aspects of Katherine's life, not just her few years as Queen Consort. It shows one of the many remarkable Tudor women. She was much more than simply wife No. 6.
My only regret is that the book itself is quite badly printed. Parts of the descriptions of the photos are missing. The publisher could have done a much better job, however that does not undermine the value of Susan James's work.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an interesting book. Catherine Parr reminds me a bit of Anne Boleyn, but there hasn't been much written about her. Martienssen's book on her is good too, but this is more up to date. I read the first version of this, which I think is called Kateryn Parr. It was good, but had as much about Catherine's brother and sister-in-law as about Catherine. I liked that because I'm interested in Edward VI's reign, and the Marquess and Marchioness of Northampton were interesting. However, this is a much tighter story, focusing fully on the queen. If you're interested in Henry VIII's wives, or independent and intelligent sixteenth-century women, I'd recommend this.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There is one frustrating thing about this book about which any prospective purchaser should be aware.
It is printed in a font size so small that you literally need a magnifying glass to read the print comfortably.
This makes for an uncomfortable and irritating experience no matter how good the content.
It is printed in a font size so small that you literally need a magnifying glass to read the print comfortably.
This makes for an uncomfortable and irritating experience no matter how good the content.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The last Queen of Henry VIII & an excellent biography
This is an impressive biography of Catherine Parr that really rewrites a lot of what is written about her in older "six wives" books. Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2010 by K. Maxwell
Very Detailed
I did like this book: it is definitely very scholarly. I just felt that the author sometimes became bogged down in the detail and forgot that she was also meant to be telling a... Read more
Published on 20 May 2009 by Alice Penworthy
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