Eric Ives (1931–2012)

This is the second biography of Anne Boleyn I have read, and certainly not the first time I've seen works about her, fiction or not. There's a reason why Anne Boleyn is such a fascinating figure in history, and this book really illustrates that. When I was a teenager, I read Mistress Anne and enjoyed it but now I am more critical of the history books I read, and I found this one to be more definitive and less filled with opinion and speculation than Erickson's book.

This book has more about show more Anne's early life and more about the politics and society that Anne lived in, so while I am not going to call myself an expert in Tudor history, I found this biography to be an excellent one and I would definitely recommend it to those who want to learn more about Anne Boleyn. show less

This is an excellently written and very thorough account of Anne Boleyn's life. The focus is only on her, not like in other biographies which also tell the story of the decline and fall of Catherine of Aragon. The author reaches some surprising conclusions, but backs them up with sensible and persuasive arguments. I would give it five stars but for the fact that it's a little TOO detailed. The middle section, which goes on and on and on and on about the details of Anne's coronation, and her show more artsy possessions, was very boring. show less

An exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) look at the Queen who changed the course of English and world history. What this book does very well is examine all the minutiae we have of the Anne Boleyn period, from inventories of plate and bed hangings, to portraits and jewelry. And it dissects and analyzes all the accounts we have of this happening and that, judging why this account based on rumor is likely to be true, and why the other may not.

Where it failed for me is conveying an emotional show more connection to Anne Boleyn herself. It feels a bit cold, and detached, and parts are tedious - pages upon pages about each cup and prayer book, though if you're fascinated by such things, you'll be in antique heaven.

Still, there are many, many details here I've not found in other books about Anne or this period, so it's invaluable as a reference. It takes the point of view that Anne's downfall was due more to Cromwell seeing her as a threat and taking her and her "party" out of the way, than by the King seeking to dispose of her in order to marry Jane Seymour (not that he wasted any time doing so). Definitely belongs on the shelf of all Tudor-philes. show less

An exhaustively researched but generally very readable biography. In a few places (esp. the chapters on image, art and costume) the level of detail does get a little too much, but this is a testament to the author's endeavours. It is difficult to see how this can be bettered as a biography of this subject, absent the discovery of some significant new primary source.