Leanda de Lisle

This is a brilliant account of the three Grey sisters whose proximity to the throne endangered their lives. They were all granddaughters of Henry VIII's sister Mary giving them a claim on the crown. Lady Jane Grey, the most well-known, was named by the young King Edward before he died as his successor ignoring his father's wishes. Following a general outcry, Henry's choice of successor, his daughter Mary, prevailed. Jane, her new husband, Guildford Dudley, and her father, were all beheaded show more after nine days she spent as queen.

The middle sister, Katherine Grey married secretly, infuriating Queen Elizabeth. Having borne two sons she provided a threat to the childless Elizabeth when male heirs were thin on the ground. She was held in the Tower until her death. Like her sister, Mary also married secretly but unlike Katherine, she took care to have the marriage witnessed. However, the pair were not permitted to stay together and Mary spent the rest of her days in house arrest, where she was thought to have starved herself to death.

De Lisle told an intriguing and gripping story, most of it not covered in other books I have read about the Tudors. I'm already on the lookout for more by this author. Terrific stuff! show less

A nicely done and highly readable history of the last years of Elizabeth I and the first years of James VI/I. The cast includes Elizabeth and James, both just a little odd (Elizabeth was getting cranky with age and James had the unfortunate habit of drooling all over people); various other contenders for the English throne, including Edward Seymour, Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia (illustrated by a fantastic portrait that shows her wearing a dress that makes her look like some sort of show more aberrant Christmas tree), the unlucky and anorexic Arabella Stuart, and miscellaneous other more distant claimants; an assortment of hangers-on and bystanders, such as the impetuous Robert Devereaux, the historian and tobacconist Walter Raleigh, the canny Robert Cecil, and James’ somewhat put-upon wife, Anne of Denmark; and Protestant, “secular” Catholics, and Jesuits engaged in a three-way tag team match with each other when they weren’t petitioning the Crown the have the other two parties suppressed. The whole thing reads like some sort of intrigue/romance novel (except very few of the participants were the least bit romantic but they made up for it by being consummate intriguers). Author Leanda de Lisle manages to keep everybody straight without overwhelming the reader with details. show less

An interesting book which takes the approach of going back to the earlier characters in the story of the Tudor family, starting with Owen Tudor who married the widowed Queen of France after a wild dance leap landed him in her lap! The book goes through each of the personnel, giving a good insight especially into the women who usually are background characters such as Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, and Margaret Douglas, daughter of Henry VIII's eldest sister and her second husband show more the Earl of Angus. The part played by such women in the great events of the period is examined, as well as the more usual emphasis on Henry VIII and his treatment of his wives.

There were some interesting insights such as the parallels in character between Henry VIII and his maternal grandfather, Edward IV. The examination of the life of Queen Elizabeth I was also interesting as the author doesn't romanticise her, but gives the warts and all portrayal. There is also somewhat of a rehabilitation of her elder sister Mary and an examination of how the stereotypes and prejudices against women have played a part in demonising both her and certain other royal women.

The author does however have a tendency at times to reiterate the same point about who people are, but to skim over the date so that we're told something happened in August but it's not clear which year. That and a bit of clunkiness in the prose here and there is why I am awarding this 4 stars rather than 5. show less

A very good biography of a very misunderstood Queen. This book seeks to dispel myths and bring forth truths about Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I. Raised at the court of France by her mother, the extremely powerful Marie de Medici, Henrietta Maria became a Queen herself when she married the English king.

There is much to be gleaned here about her family life, her political life, and her life in exile. Most of what we think we know about her comes from people who didn't like her. This show more book sets the record straight and helps up come to know the woman a little bit better. show less