Helene Harrison's Blog

Most people at the moment seem to be going to see Wicked: For Good but last night I instead went to see Nuremberg. When I was studying for my A Levels (age 16-18) my historical focus was on Hitler and the Nazis, specifically the Holocaust. I grew up hearing that my grandma, who died before […]

But survived to raise her son? This is the second in my series of ‘What If’ posts – the first was what if Anne Boleyn had a son in 1536 rather than a miscarriage, which you can read here. This time, I’ll be considering what if Anne Boleyn’s successor as queen, Jane Seymour, hadn’t died […]

Today I’m absolutely delighted to welcome to my blog and Substack Sophie Bacchus-Waterman, whose first book Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen’s Mother is released today (30 October 2025) in the UK. I’m halfway through and I’m enjoying it immensely so you can look out for my review in the near future! I wanted […]

Publisher: Headline Review Period: Tudors This e-novella by Alison Weir compliments her latest full-length novel, ‘The Cardinal’ – the story of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. This short story focuses on the story of Dorothy Clausey, Wolsey’s daughter, who features briefly in the full-length novel. Dorothy entered the religious life, and this is her story. This was […]

Publisher: Amberley Publishing Period: Wars of the Roses, Tudors Thanks to Amberley Publishing for giving me a copy of this for review. I was fascinated by the premise of this book – discussing the lives of Elizabeth of York and her two daughters in tandem promised some new insights into all three and perhaps how […]

Rather than a miscarriage? The question of Anne Boleyn’s pregnancy which miscarried in January 1536 has long been debated. The historian Retha Warnicke has suggested that the foetus was deformed. The Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys reported that it ‘seemed to be a male child which she had not borne 3½ months’ in a letter of […]

Today I’m delighted to welcome back to the blog Beverley Adams! Beverley has previously featured as my guest to talk about her previous books on Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth of York. This time, I asked her some questions about her new book The Race for Elizabeth I’s Throne: Rival Tudor Cousins. Hi Helene, thanks […]

Publisher: Yale University Press Period: Tudors This book is an interesting take focusing more widely on England rather than specifically on the court and people. Chapters on religion, the balance of power, invention, and Europe and the wider world, as well as on reigns of monarchs, make this a fascinating read. It was well-written and […]

One of the biggest castle sites I’ve ever visited! On my trip to Kent last month, I previously wrote about visiting Rochester Castle and Cathedral and Upnor Castle, but I also visited Dover Castle. Dover is full of history, from being a palace for Henry II, besieged by King John, visited by Henry VIII and […]

Publisher: Amberley Publishing Period: Medieval Thanks to Amberley Publishing for giving me a copy of this for review. I was intrigued by this book when I first heard about it – a compendium of 50 different items from the Medieval period that are unusual, we have questions about, aren’t entirely sure what they are or […]