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Review
"Duffy makes a convincing and strongly argued case for a reexamination of the burnings... [A] scrupulous and searching book." --Diane Purkiss, The Independent, 19th June 2009
"Duffy offers a masterly demolition of [the commonly held] view, emphasising the consistency of Pole's principles." --Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph, 14th June 2009
"...a short, evidence-packed book, exceptionally well provided with illustrations and maps...a just and equal light on the English church." --Lucy Beckett, The Spectator, 20th June 2009
"...serves an important purpose...brings us much closer to an elusive goal: a rounded history of the Marian church."
--Jon Wright, BBC History Magazine, 1st June 2009
"...this is must-read material. Thanks to Duffy's style and scholarship, it is interesting and pleasurable." --Anke Bernau, THES, 23rd July 2009
`Powerful and interesting.'
--Hilary Mantel, London Review of Books, 24th September 2009
'A bold and often convincing corrective to received opinion.'
--Colin Burrow, Evening Standard Books of the Year, 19th November 2009
"A brilliant reassessment of England's `Bloody Mary'."
--John Guy, Sunday Herald, 29th November 2009
`This is an outstanding and confident work, as one would expect... Duffy's book is very timely.'
--Ashley Beck, The Pastoral Review, Jan/Feb 2010
`...the individual stories of religious persecution and suffering, which pepper the book...leave the deepest impression on the reader.'
--Anna French, Theology, 1st May 2010
`In this confident and persuasive work...Duffy [brings] the reader within sniffing distance of the blazing stakes.'
--CH, The Independent, 17th September 2010
"Duffy offers a masterly demolition of [the commonly held] view, emphasising the consistency of Pole's principles." --Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph, 14th June 2009
"...a short, evidence-packed book, exceptionally well provided with illustrations and maps...a just and equal light on the English church." --Lucy Beckett, The Spectator, 20th June 2009
"...serves an important purpose...brings us much closer to an elusive goal: a rounded history of the Marian church."
--Jon Wright, BBC History Magazine, 1st June 2009
"...this is must-read material. Thanks to Duffy's style and scholarship, it is interesting and pleasurable." --Anke Bernau, THES, 23rd July 2009
`Powerful and interesting.'
--Hilary Mantel, London Review of Books, 24th September 2009
'A bold and often convincing corrective to received opinion.'
--Colin Burrow, Evening Standard Books of the Year, 19th November 2009
"A brilliant reassessment of England's `Bloody Mary'."
--John Guy, Sunday Herald, 29th November 2009
`This is an outstanding and confident work, as one would expect... Duffy's book is very timely.'
--Ashley Beck, The Pastoral Review, Jan/Feb 2010
`...the individual stories of religious persecution and suffering, which pepper the book...leave the deepest impression on the reader.'
--Anna French, Theology, 1st May 2010
`In this confident and persuasive work...Duffy [brings] the reader within sniffing distance of the blazing stakes.'
--CH, The Independent, 17th September 2010
Review
"... a skilled and convincing piece of historical polemic ... an important book... [which] argues a pivotal case... a gripping read."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I chose this because of a lingering interest in Tudor history from my student days, and the fact that I had recently read another book (Faith of our Fathers) by Eamon Duffy. So, coming to this book as a general reader, how was it? Very interesting! Not only did it reawaken long-dead knowledge, it made me very much aware of prevailing "fashions" in history and the need to be open to new perspectives on the past. I remembered again what drew me to study history all those years ago!
From a student's perspective, I would think that this text is a valuable contribution when reassessing the impact of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation in England. It is, I feel, a balanced account. He is not trying to excuse the inexcusable, and it is definitely not a pro-Mary rant! Eamon Duffy has painted a picture of aspects of the Catholic revival in the reign of Mary which goes some way to expose several of the sweeping generalisations and overwhelmingly negative appraisals of the past, while pointing his readers towards a number of historians who, like him, are currently engaged in re-evaluating the evidence soberly and justly.
From a student's perspective, I would think that this text is a valuable contribution when reassessing the impact of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation in England. It is, I feel, a balanced account. He is not trying to excuse the inexcusable, and it is definitely not a pro-Mary rant! Eamon Duffy has painted a picture of aspects of the Catholic revival in the reign of Mary which goes some way to expose several of the sweeping generalisations and overwhelmingly negative appraisals of the past, while pointing his readers towards a number of historians who, like him, are currently engaged in re-evaluating the evidence soberly and justly.
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an excellent book and one that needed to be written. With exhaustive research and an unbiased appraisal of the facts the author has succeeded in producing a book with a wide-ranging appeal.
The book confronts many unpalatable facts about the Marian renewal of Catholicism in England (some 300 people killed for their refusal to renounce their faith) but 16th century England is not today. The fear of harbouring enemies within our midst still exists. When Mary came to the throne in 1553 England was, despite Edward`s actions, still predominantly a Catholic country. The battle between the old and the new faith was real-man`s soul was at (often literally) stake. However, Mr Duffy carefully examines the role and importance of `the word`. Whether in the pulpit or the pamphlet argument is demonstrably seen to have been a vital weapon.
This is a book to be read for its historical interest of a formative period in England and for the legacy which reaches down to us to today
The book confronts many unpalatable facts about the Marian renewal of Catholicism in England (some 300 people killed for their refusal to renounce their faith) but 16th century England is not today. The fear of harbouring enemies within our midst still exists. When Mary came to the throne in 1553 England was, despite Edward`s actions, still predominantly a Catholic country. The battle between the old and the new faith was real-man`s soul was at (often literally) stake. However, Mr Duffy carefully examines the role and importance of `the word`. Whether in the pulpit or the pamphlet argument is demonstrably seen to have been a vital weapon.
This is a book to be read for its historical interest of a formative period in England and for the legacy which reaches down to us to today
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
`The imposition of religious conformity by lethal force is deeply repellent to modern sensibilities.'
13 Feb 2011
Format:Hardcover
Mary I can be considered England's first undisputed female sovereign. In her five years as Queen (1553-1558), Mary repealed Edward VI's religious laws, re-established Catholicism, and burned 283 (or 284) Protestant martyrs, earning herself the name `Bloody Mary'. Her reign is often seem simply as a cruel and ultimately futile attempt to return England to Catholicism (for which an heir was required) or, at least, to arrest England's progress towards becoming a Protestant nation (which was inevitable once her half-sister Elizabeth was definitely her only heir). But is this a fair assessment of Mary I's reign?
In this book, Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, argues that the management of the return to Catholicism was not ineptly handled. Instead, Professor Duffy puts forward a case that the process (largely driven by Reginald Pole, Cardinal and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury) was well planned, and the arrangements put in place were both sensible and practical. Unfortunately, for Mary I's place in history, five years was not sufficient time to bed down these reforms and the pall cast by the burnings overshadows the fact that the Protestantism installed during Edward VI's reign was opportunistic, confused and destructive. The widely held view of Mary is also a consequence of the ultimate victory of Protestantism in England: history is written by the victors.
But looking beyond the fact of the Reformation to the possible causes of it (did the Roman Catholic Church need reforming, or did Henry VIII break with Rome simply to marry Anne Boleyn?) introduces some different possibilities for looking at Mary I's reign. Cardinal Pole was very much involved in the Roman Catholic Church's response to the theological and ethical issues posed by the Reformation, and was arguably well placed to lead a program of Roman Catholic restoration in England. And perhaps, given more time, such a campaign would have been successful.
I found this an interesting book, but it has left me with more questions than answers. I can accept that Mary I was motivated by her own beliefs and values and that, had she lived longer or had a Roman Catholic heir, her reign would undoubtedly be viewed differently. Reading this book is a reminder that historical fact and modern sensibilities are not always compatible. Professor Duffy's book has made me curious: I don't have a more favourable view of Mary I as a consequence, but I'm keen to read some other accounts of her reign.
'No 16th-century European state could easily imagine the peaceful existence of differing religious confessions.'
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this book, Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, argues that the management of the return to Catholicism was not ineptly handled. Instead, Professor Duffy puts forward a case that the process (largely driven by Reginald Pole, Cardinal and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury) was well planned, and the arrangements put in place were both sensible and practical. Unfortunately, for Mary I's place in history, five years was not sufficient time to bed down these reforms and the pall cast by the burnings overshadows the fact that the Protestantism installed during Edward VI's reign was opportunistic, confused and destructive. The widely held view of Mary is also a consequence of the ultimate victory of Protestantism in England: history is written by the victors.
But looking beyond the fact of the Reformation to the possible causes of it (did the Roman Catholic Church need reforming, or did Henry VIII break with Rome simply to marry Anne Boleyn?) introduces some different possibilities for looking at Mary I's reign. Cardinal Pole was very much involved in the Roman Catholic Church's response to the theological and ethical issues posed by the Reformation, and was arguably well placed to lead a program of Roman Catholic restoration in England. And perhaps, given more time, such a campaign would have been successful.
I found this an interesting book, but it has left me with more questions than answers. I can accept that Mary I was motivated by her own beliefs and values and that, had she lived longer or had a Roman Catholic heir, her reign would undoubtedly be viewed differently. Reading this book is a reminder that historical fact and modern sensibilities are not always compatible. Professor Duffy's book has made me curious: I don't have a more favourable view of Mary I as a consequence, but I'm keen to read some other accounts of her reign.
'No 16th-century European state could easily imagine the peaceful existence of differing religious confessions.'
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A superb work
I write as a layman, not a scholar; but so far as I can judge this is a serious, substantial, and balanced reappraisal of the notorious events of the reign of Mary Tudor, which... Read more
Published 20 months ago by ECD
Interesting if a little polemical
I am no expert of any sort on the period or the issues but bought this because it seemed an interesting subject and I was well rewarded. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. Adrian Mcmenamin
Another engaging and informative work by Eamon Duffy
As always, exceptionally informative and engaging [Eamon Duffy writes very well:] look at the Reformation from the Catholic side. Read more
Published 24 months ago by I. Holder
Excellent study
This is an excellent and very well researched study of the religious situation in Mary's reign; it challenges some popular conceptions and misconceptions about the attitudes and... Read more
Published on 28 May 2010 by Mr. Michael Peter Moloney
Eamon Duffy - A Catholic Apologia
Well Eamon Duffy purports to be a historian. A revisionist more likely. He could just as well justify Hitler's murder of Jews, Stalin's murders of Russians in exactly the same way... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2010 by Mr. B. R. Phillips
A Question of Momentum
Duffy has a flowing rhetorical style which can easily carry the reader along but Foxe is not the only one to write with 'partisan artistry' and perhaps some caution is called... Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by P. Mangnall
a disgraceful book
This book is essentially an apologia for the Catholic inquisition. Its a despicable thesis dressed up with appropriate research and taking an unabashidly Roman Catholic world... Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2009 by Tim Smith
bloody mary,no less bloody.
Duffy"s new book is a superb interpretation and explanation of a very controversial period in English history. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2009 by Malcolm Sinclair
Fires of Faith
This book is a must read for anyone interested in taking a fresh look at the reign of Queen Mary. Written in an accessible and clear, yet factually rich style, Fires of Faith... Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2009 by gd
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