I like this somewhat modern view of Mary.
I still see Mary as a somewhat tragic and limited queen-but this biography truly brings her into the light ( )

I can't say that I have any sympathy for Mary after reading this book, but I still enjoyed it. It tells how Mary was betrayed by her father, not defended by her mother, and essentially abandoned by her husband. It gives a good look into what she was thinking and her mind set when she burned hundreds of people to get the name "Bloody Mary." It also tells how Mary was not just a naive woman who accidentally inherited the throne. She took what was rightfully her's when her brother, Edward VI, tried to exclude her. And she was not just manipulated by her council. She had her own voice and was not afraid to use it. ( )

Stuck between Henry VIII and Elizabeth, Mary Tudor had little change to make a mark on history, but make a mark she did. "The First Queen of England: The Myth of 'Bloody Mary" is a fascinating book about a shy, retiring woman who, against all odds, became the first woman to rule England on her own.

Linda Porter's story turns historical scholarship into fast-paced adventure. The various members of the Tudor privy-counsel come alive on the page with all their self-serving agendas and duplicitous double-dealing. With protecting religious reform as the stated purpose, these men manipulate the dying Edward VI into an attempt to remove Mary from the succession. When they fail, she has no choice but to retain some of them as her own counselors. Whether one agrees with what she did or not, the fact that she managed to marry the man of her choice, undo a number of Henry VIII’s religious reforms and fend-off multiple challenges to her throne, is a tribute to her character and abilities. Abilities, according to the historical records referenced in the text that were constantly demeaned and disregarded by the very counsels and ambassadors assigned to serve her.

When I finished this book I felt that I knew the person of Mary Tudor. I would recommend it to anyone interested in English history, the Tudors in general, or women who manage to overcome the odds. ( )