Tudor History Lovers discussion

What book about the Tudors or Tudor England would you like to have as our Group Read in September?

If it's in a series, can it be easily read as a stand-alone? If not, you might want to nominate the first book in the series, or the most recent book in it the group has not read together.

Can't remember what we've already read as a group? (Sometimes I can't, either.) There's a "group-reads" shelf on the group's Bookshelf.

Two nominations to a person, please.

The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy.
At least I'm consistent, Susanna.

The Tudor Bride by Joanna Hickson and My Lady Viper by E. Knight.

Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford

Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses

These are my two:)

Skye wrote: "The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy.
At least I'm consistent, Susanna."

Consistency is good! Nothing wrong with consistency.

:)
I am trying to see if there is another book; it takes so long for me to order one and get it in time to read.

I would like to change once of my books Susanna..if that is ok?

Thomas Wyatt: The Heart's Forest

Sure. Which do you want to replace?

oops sorry Susanna..I would like to replace Bloodsisters.Thank you!

I will nominate and .

My nomination is The colours of our petals

Thomas Cromwell by Tracy Borman

The Raven's Widow: A Novel of Jane Boleyn by Adrienne Dillard
I know she is a member of this group, so I don't know if there is any problem with that. I have been wanting to read this for awhile.

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "What book about the Tudors or Tudor England would you like to have as our Group Read in September?

If it's in a series, can it be easily read as a stand-alone? If not, you might want to nominate t..."

I would like to nominate:
`The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor' by Elizabeth Norton
`The Private Lives of Tudors' by Tracey Borman

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "What book about the Tudors or Tudor England would you like to have as our Group Read in September?

If it's in a series, can it be easily read as a stand-alone? If not, you might want to nominate t..."
My two nominations are
1/The Lady In The Tower by Jean Plaidy
2/ Queen Of This Realm by Jean Plaidy
Skye...reinforcements !!!!! ;)

I would love to have group feedback on The Witchfinder's Well.The Witchfinder's Well

I have a second nomination, Susanna!Queen of This Realm by Jean Plaidy.
Geez, I am SO glad someone sweet reminded me.

Skye and Sabrina - you each still have a nomination left. (Seconds are not necessary.)

I listed two. Susanna; some of the entries are splendid, and seriously, after reading Michell's comments, I am so very interested in Gareth Russell's book about Katherine. I am just terribly pokey.

I'd like to nominate John Dudley: The Life of Lady Jane Grey's Father-in-Law and Houses of Power: The Places That Shaped The Tudor World.

I'd like to nominate Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's Fifth Queen

Heather wrote: "The Raven's Widow: A Novel of Jane Boleyn by Adrienne Dillard
I know she is a member of this group, so I don't know if there is any problem with that. I have been wanting to read this for awhile."

Thank you, Heather! :)

May I nominate David Starkey' s Henry: Virtuous Prince

Skye wrote: "I listed two. Susanna; some of the entries are splendid, and seriously, after reading Michell's comments, I am so very interested in Gareth Russell's book about Katherine. I am just terribly pokey."

It's just that you made a nomination for something already nominated - if you think of another one you want to nominate, feel free to.

OHHH, thank you so much!!!!

I'll probably be opening the poll later today, so if you have any last minute-nominations, now is a good time to make them.

Great nomination, Matt. (The easy way of adding a book title, btw, is to use "add book/author" at the top of the reply form.)

Wow, that's annoying that it doesn't have that feature.

Well, I will nominate The Last Armada - Queen Elizabeth, Juan del Águila, and Hugh O`Neill: The Story of the 100-Day Spanish Invasion by Des Ekin.

And nominations are closed.

The poll is now open. You'll find it on the front page of the group (at the bottom, just over the Photographs section), or at the top of the Polls page. Or through this link: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1... .

Thanks, Susanna!

Susanna, so many fabulous books, this time.

Current leader: The Lady in the Tower, by Jean Plaidy.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Susanna: I am going to see if I can get or in audio and hard copy through inter-library loan.

I tried to read The Lady in the Tower years ago and just could not get into it. Hopefully I will be able to this time.

Do you think that the fact that it's written in the first person had anything to do with it ? That's what kind of turned me off at the beginning - but once I got used to it, I started to really enjoy the novel.

I just finished a novel, time to start this one.

Skye, did you ever manage to read "Young, Damned and Fair" by
Gareth Russell ? Just asking, because I finished it yesterday.

Maybe. I may have also been too young. I'm pretty positive it was early in high school.

Well, I hope you'll enjoy it this time around,anyway.

Sabrina wrote: "Skye, did you ever manage to read "Young, Damned and Fair" by
Gareth Russell ? Just asking, because I finished it yesterday."

I wanted to buy the book, but I realized by the time it arrived, I wouldn't have time to read it. Michell adored it! What did you think?

Well, I liked it a lot and gave it a 4/5. The writing is very exciting for a historical non-fiction work. It's (as was to be expected) impeccably researched and as Michel has noted, Russell refrains from speculation. However, I wish he would have speculated just a tiny bit concerning Catherine's real character and personality. I thought very little came through that hadn't already been said, time and again. But maybe there really is nothing else to say at this point that wouldn't be pure speculation and fantasy. We get to know a lot about Catherine's household and who she was surrounded by. The political situation is very neatly interwoven with Catherine's personal history and it all comes through very clearly and competently. So everything considered, an absorbing and rich work of history. I was just disappointed that it really isn't possible to fathom Catherine's motives - we can only question them and/or guess at them. That gave me the strange impression of being both very close to her (because of the details) yet so far away too. Something else that I found very positive to note, is that Russell debunks some of the more preposterous contemporary theories that have recently been put forward concerning her conduct and love affairs and he does this by neatly explaining how and why these speculative theories are way off track and purely sensationalist. So, he's quite balanced in his assessments. He's also very thorough in his use of contemporary sources. He rightly points out that Henry, in ridding himself of this fifth wife, made sure everything was written down, all accusations proved, witnesses, confessions, trials and so on - in order to avoid the charge of having wrongly accused his wife (as was the case with Anne Boleyn). He did not leave anything to chance, and wanted to make it clear to posterity that he was most definitely the wronged party. Yet despite the mine of information concerning Catherine's trial, as a woman - she emerges as a mere shadowy figure. A terrific read though.

&

The nominations have been closed several days, Athena - nominate those next month!

The winner for September is indeed The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy.

Sabrina wrote: "Well, I liked it a lot and gave it a 4/5. The writing is very exciting for a historical non-fiction work. It's (as was to be expected) impeccably researched and as Michel has noted, Russell refrain..."
Sabrina; you have articulated the essence of this book so well, and I truly regret not having bought this book, but I may still order it and read it a my own pace. Marian, who has been reading Tudor historical books for years, created my interest in Catherine and meeting you and Michell, and of course, our dear Moderator, Susanna, I truly have a widening curiosity. However, I also admit that non fiction books present a different reading commitment for me, and so I am still plodding along with Antonia Frasier. I think you make some valid remarks, however, speculative writing, despite our desire to grasp knowledge to appease our own queries, does cross the line of historical, non-fiction, so you do make perfect sense. How can we ever possibly know how Catherine felt or Anne of Catherine of Aragon? We put ourselves into their roles and imagine how we might view the situation; many of these ladies were trained to behave in a courtly manner from birth; therefore, it is nearly impossible to garnish how it was experienced internally. The Royal family is still living in that motif, which is why Princess Diana was so very different and why there is so much interest generated in her, to this very day. As each book unfolds, Henry becomes less enigmatic and more devious and perilous to me.

Skye and Marian your comments are so well put...historical non-fiction does leave out the speculative which is what I like. It allows me to then enjoy a fictional book even more because I then know what is speculation and what is fact. I really wish we could know Catherine's feelings and thoughts but since we don't we have to wonder and a good writer can provide a very imaginative theory. In fact hiding their true feeling was I am sure what allowed some queens to stay out of the intrigue of a court something if Catherine Howard had been able to do would have kept her alive. And I totally agree it is what makes Diana so beloved even today. Hopefully William learned from his parents' marriage and he and Kate will break the tradition and have a truly happy marriage and partnership. Catherine Howard therefore will as you say still remain a shadowy figure but at least this book has scraped away some of the unflattering personality traits people have come to believe about her.

Lovely, lovely, Michell! In historical topics, especially about specific personalities, the need to embellish traits and emotions take precedence because we wonder and try to understand things that will remain secretive and elusive. However, the beloved Princess Diana is in our minds and hearts and so very transparent via technology; photos, videos, and her words and those who actually knew her. I will make every effort to attain the Gareth Russell book as you have increased my interest.

That's a good idea Skye. I'm sure you won't regret it !

I have only heard good things about the book.