Catherine of Aragon

This biography of Henry VIII's first wife provides a different angle into Henry's world. It is conceivable that had Catherine been a different type person (less religious, less proud, less determined) England and therefore much of the USA could have been quite altered. Had Catherine retired meekly from the scene, Henry may not have broken with Rome. In addition, Catherine's personality manifested itself in her daughter, Mary (Bloody Mary). Mattingly handles his material well, drawing from a wide array of primary sources.

This is a nice facsimile edition of a nearly 70 year old biography (though the genealogical tables are unclear and could have usefully been redrawn). It is very well written and a joy to read, though it shows its age in its fairly stock descriptions of characters based around simple physical and personality traits. Anne Boleyn, in particular, is allowed no redeeming feature and is an archetypal scheming "other woman". Catherine is portrayed extremely sympathetically, her only drawback being a certain naïvety. So one must be aware of a certain datedness, but nevertheless a very good read, particularly in its description of Henry's increasing tyranny as the break with Rome unfolds.

I quit reading [Catherine of Aragon]. It wasn't that I didn't like the writing, or even the subject. It's just that I find I have a limited amount of "need to know" on this subject, and 146 pages filled it. I learned some interesting things about relations between countries at that time. I learned that she deserved attention, being a female ambassador before females were considered appropriate for that job, and she did her part well. She held her own in a very precarious position. I learned that Henry the Eighth may not have been all evil, at least not in his youth, and his childhood makes his later picadillos more understandable if not right. I learned that he had what seemed to be a genuine affection for Katherine (the author chose to show more spell it with a "C", but she and most documents of the time spelled her name with a "K" and then whatever letters they felt like after the "K" depending on their mood apparently). Anyway, I do recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the time and people of the Tudor dynasty. show less

Reviewed Jan 1999 Detail, Detail, Detail! What a woman she was....what it...runs through her life adventure. I thought I knew a lot about her from earlier readings but this bio really packs in the stories and details. At times the detail becomes too much and the book drags on. But if you overlook these areas the rest that is left is exciting. Even knowing her history beforehand I still found parts where I was biting my lip in anticipation. The chapter headings written in Old English was a real nice touch.

Different jacket