sabrioux's review against another edition
2.0
It was an interesting book but the way it was written was inconsistent to me. Often jumping around back and forth in time.
The relationship between the siblings of the children of Henry the VIII is pretty interesting though.
The relationship between the siblings of the children of Henry the VIII is pretty interesting though.
plumrain's review against another edition
4.0
It's nice to know Tudor family drama didn't die with Henry VIII. The Seymour brothers alone seem like they'd warrant a season of Tudors-esque television. It was also really cool to learn what a little badass poor Jane Grey was.
lisaeirene's review against another edition
3.0
I really like Weir and have enjoyed most of her books. This was another one I really liked. It focused entirely on Henry's three children. She spent most of the book on James and Mary--which was nice because Elizabeth is usually the star of the show. It was cool seeing the "Behind the scenes" type stuff that was going on back then.
yggdrasil793's review against another edition
5.0
9/10 Stars. A very well written and well detailed account into the lives and primarily the ascensions of Henry VIII children (and great niece). I learned a great deal from this book and definitely recommend it to Tudor Dynasty enthusiasts.
lmhicks04's review against another edition
4.0
Still very interesting, but perhaps not quite as dramatic as the turmoil of Henry himself. I still think the best Henry book by Weir is The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
This book covers the lives and reigns of the heirs of King Henry VIII of England. This was a fairly short book, and I read it quickly. I did learn a decent amount about Jane Grey, which I found very valuable. I did not know very much about her, other than the fact that she reigned for just over a week. I think Alison Weir did a decent job on her research, and the book was not boring to read. Below is a brief synopsis of each heir to the throne.
Mary I: Her mother was Catherine of Aragon. She was born in England in 1516. She took the throne after her brother Edward died, and implemented a reign of terror. A lot of people were killed due to religious persecution and uproar during her reign. She was considered to be a ruthless ruler. She had several issues, which some think may have been some type of uterine or cervical cancer. She had problems conceiving and having periods. She also was weak, nauseous, and complained of stomach pains. She died in 1558 at age 42. Her reign lasted five years.
Henry FitzRoy: His mother was Elizabeth Blount, mistress of Henry VIII. She was a maid to Catherine of Aragon, which is seemingly how Henry liked to find his next female companion. He was born in 1519. This was the only child not born to one of his wives that he ever acknowledged, though there could have been more. FitzRoy was given his surname, which means son of the king, so that everyone would understand that he belonged to Henry VIII and he accepted him. He was given the title Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Lord High Admiral of England, Lord President of the Council of the North, Governor of Carlisle, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He died in 1536, possibly from tuberculosis, at age 17. He never achieved the throne.
Elizabeth I: She was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her mother was executed when she was a toddler. She never married and had no children. She took over from Mary I, reigning for 45 years. She died in 1603 at age 69.
Edward VI: Edward was born in 1537. This was the only surviving son Henry VIII ever had. He was younger than both of his sisters, but he was elevated to the throne first, thanks to the fact that he was a male. His mother was Jane Seymour, who died not long after giving birth. He was elevated to King when he was ten years old. He was on the throne for five years. He died at age 15 in 1553, after some type of lung illness.
Lady Jane Grey: Jane was the great granddaughter of Henry VII, and as such she had a legitimate but distant claim to the throne. Edward VI nominated her as his successor because she was a Protestant. His sister Mary I was a Catholic, which he did not appreciate. Jane reigned for nine days, before Mary I took the throne. She was charged with high treason and executed at age 16.
Mary I: Her mother was Catherine of Aragon. She was born in England in 1516. She took the throne after her brother Edward died, and implemented a reign of terror. A lot of people were killed due to religious persecution and uproar during her reign. She was considered to be a ruthless ruler. She had several issues, which some think may have been some type of uterine or cervical cancer. She had problems conceiving and having periods. She also was weak, nauseous, and complained of stomach pains. She died in 1558 at age 42. Her reign lasted five years.
Henry FitzRoy: His mother was Elizabeth Blount, mistress of Henry VIII. She was a maid to Catherine of Aragon, which is seemingly how Henry liked to find his next female companion. He was born in 1519. This was the only child not born to one of his wives that he ever acknowledged, though there could have been more. FitzRoy was given his surname, which means son of the king, so that everyone would understand that he belonged to Henry VIII and he accepted him. He was given the title Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Lord High Admiral of England, Lord President of the Council of the North, Governor of Carlisle, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He died in 1536, possibly from tuberculosis, at age 17. He never achieved the throne.
Elizabeth I: She was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her mother was executed when she was a toddler. She never married and had no children. She took over from Mary I, reigning for 45 years. She died in 1603 at age 69.
Edward VI: Edward was born in 1537. This was the only surviving son Henry VIII ever had. He was younger than both of his sisters, but he was elevated to the throne first, thanks to the fact that he was a male. His mother was Jane Seymour, who died not long after giving birth. He was elevated to King when he was ten years old. He was on the throne for five years. He died at age 15 in 1553, after some type of lung illness.
Lady Jane Grey: Jane was the great granddaughter of Henry VII, and as such she had a legitimate but distant claim to the throne. Edward VI nominated her as his successor because she was a Protestant. His sister Mary I was a Catholic, which he did not appreciate. Jane reigned for nine days, before Mary I took the throne. She was charged with high treason and executed at age 16.
lisalark's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this. Learned a lot about Edward the . . . number . . . and Mary Tudor, Jane Grey (I feel sorry for her but she also seems to have been a sycophantic religious zealot, soooo), and Elizabeth I. I knew the most about Elizabeth going in. I think I finally have the six wives straight: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr. Annulled, executed, died, annulled, executed, survived. Wheeee!
Anyway, Alison Weir does a very nice turn writing well-researched popular history. I do wish she endnoted because I just enjoy seeing sources and having the opportunity to delve deeper if I want to, but all around very strong writing and storytelling. Reading some of her other stuff now!
Anyway, Alison Weir does a very nice turn writing well-researched popular history. I do wish she endnoted because I just enjoy seeing sources and having the opportunity to delve deeper if I want to, but all around very strong writing and storytelling. Reading some of her other stuff now!
musicalpopcorn's review against another edition
4.0
This book read like historical fiction which made it very readable. I particularly enjoyed the story about the Duke of Suffolk's head being preserved. Overall, Weir gives the impression that she is knowledgeable about her subject matter, however the bibliographical information is not prominent which raises the question: how much did she embellish?
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Appeal: Renaissance History, Women in history, Bloody Mary.
Genre: Non-Fiction, History
Appeal: Renaissance History, Women in history, Bloody Mary.
hwolffshall's review against another edition
4.0
Love all of Weir's books.... she does a great narrative history. Wished there had been more on Queen Elizabeth, but then again I think she's got an entire book devoted to her, right?