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swc's review
slow-paced
0.5
I’ve read sever Penguin Monarch books and this is the worst by far. 99% was about religion. Learnt virtually nothing about Mary l. Very disappointing.
thepaige_turner's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly a little disappointed by this. There was a lot about her father, the religious figures in her life, her husband, but honestly not all that much about her which is frustrating and something I've repeatedly seen happen when books about female monarchs are written by males.
mada21's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed it. Bloody Mary's short reign is really fascinating.
helenephoebe's review
3.0
I do really like the Penguin Monarchs books that I've read so far - a really good introduction to different monarchs, though the ones I've read I have generally known quite a bit about the monarchs in question. I'm looking forward in future to reading one of these books from the point of view of not really knowing a lot about them!
I think, when it comes to Mary I, I actually knew more about her childhood and upbringing than her queenship, being the daughter of Henry VIII. Her childhood gets a good covering here, discussing her early years, the difficulties caused by the annulment of the marriage between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, her religious convictions, and her life under Edward VI and the reign of Jane Grey. When it comes to her queenship I did feel a little like I was entering quite unknown territory.
There were a couple of small errors I noticed, though one I'm not sure wasn't a deliberate one, though it makes no sense:
* Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII had a son born 1 February 1511 who died 3 weeks later - sources show that they had a son born 1 January 1511 who died 7 weeks later.
* Margaret Beaufort described as a queen consort - she was never married to a king, but was the king's mother.
A good book to add to your collection if you're interested in the Tudors, and a good introduction to England's first female monarch, who is often overlooked.
I think, when it comes to Mary I, I actually knew more about her childhood and upbringing than her queenship, being the daughter of Henry VIII. Her childhood gets a good covering here, discussing her early years, the difficulties caused by the annulment of the marriage between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, her religious convictions, and her life under Edward VI and the reign of Jane Grey. When it comes to her queenship I did feel a little like I was entering quite unknown territory.
There were a couple of small errors I noticed, though one I'm not sure wasn't a deliberate one, though it makes no sense:
* Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII had a son born 1 February 1511 who died 3 weeks later - sources show that they had a son born 1 January 1511 who died 7 weeks later.
* Margaret Beaufort described as a queen consort - she was never married to a king, but was the king's mother.
A good book to add to your collection if you're interested in the Tudors, and a good introduction to England's first female monarch, who is often overlooked.
laileanah's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.75
This is an excellent concise explanation of the times Mary lived in.
Very bare bones.
Very bare bones.