Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire

by Amy Licence

Anne Boleyn’s unconventional beauty inspired poets ‒ and she so entranced Henry VIII with her wit, allure and style that he was prepared to set aside his wife of over twenty years and risk his immortal soul. Her sister had already been the king’s mistress, but the other Boleyn girl followed a different path. For years the lovers waited; did they really remain chaste? Did Anne love Henry, or was she a calculating femme fatale?

Eventually replacing the long-suffering Catherine of Aragon, Anne enjoyed a magnificent coronation and gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth, but her triumph was short-lived. Why did she go from beloved consort to adulteress and traitor within a matter of weeks? What role did Thomas Cromwell and Jane Seymour of Wolf Hall play in Anne’s demise? Was her fall one of the biggest sex scandals of her era, or the result of a political coup?

With her usual eye for the telling detail, Amy Licence explores the nuances of this explosive and ultimately deadly relationship to answer an often neglected question: what choice did Anne really have? When she writes to Henry during their protracted courtship, is she addressing a suitor, or her divinely ordained king? This book follows Anne from cradle to grave and beyond. Anne is vividly brought to life amid the colour, drama and unforgiving politics of the Tudor court.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Biography, Royalty, British Literature, Historical

740 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2017

About the author

Medieval and Tudor historian, with a particular interest in women's lives and experiences, also dabble in Modernism. I write fiction and non-fiction, also journalism for The Guardian, BBC History website, The New Statesman, The Huffington Post, The English Review and The London Magazine. I appeared in TV documentaries "The Real White Queen and her Rivals" and "The Private Lives of the Tudors." Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know what you are thinking: “Another Anne Boleyn biography?!” Boleyn without a doubt is one of the most intriguing women in history due to her person, circumstances, and/or both. But yeah… do we really need another portrait of this formidable lady? YES! I assure you, we do! Especially when the piece is presented in a new light which is exactly what Amy Licence does in, “Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire”.

“Anne Boleyn” is a heavy academic and scholarly work founded in thick research, primary materials, and previously hidden documents. Licence goes in a different direction with “Anne Boleyn” rather than the typical biography. Instead of a simple chronological or event recap; Licence takes a psychological, women’s study, and social look at Anne, Henry the VIII, and their background/roles. Licence truly breaks down the ‘how and why’ of the events and possible psychological considerations. “Anne Boleyn” is the first and only Anne biography of its kind and the richness stands out.

Licence also amplifies this excellence by debunking myths and unraveling threads like a puzzle master. Even those readers who are self-declared Anne and Tudor experts (as I consider myself to be); will embark upon a journey of new discoveries of understanding. “Anne Boleyn” is truly a text to read in order to have a well-rounded view of the subject.

That all being said; Licence tends to go off on tangents making “Anne Boleyn” a bulky read and one that takes time and requires breaks as it is a lot “to take in”. Literally a few pages at a time can be tiresome so they can lead to some dissatisfaction from readers.

On a positive note, Licence doesn’t present a biased view, and again, explores the social and psychological merits of the situation resulting in a credible piece. Her writing is complex, intricate, and beautiful. Although, small note: Licence has habits of repetition such as constantly calling Anne, “A newer model” over Catherine as though the women are cars.

“Anne Boleyn” falls victim to an overabundance of details, at times, which could have been omitted in the overall viewpoint of the text such as architectural details/deeds of buildings Henry and Anne stayed at during royal progresses. Much of this feels like filler material and lends itself to be skimmed by the reader.

The concluding chapters of “Anne Boleyn” naturally focus on her downfall and execution. The text is noticeably excerpted feeling like an overview, notably in comparison to the heavy detail of the entire book leading to this end. Either Licence was rushed or lost steam, but whatever the cause, “Anne Boleyn” ends abruptly.

Licence includes an epilogue of a look at some of Anne’s bills and debts and a Notes (not annotated) section. “Anne Boleyn” is also supplemented with a grouping of photo color plates with a suitable amount of images collected.

Licence is a thorough, detailed, investigative historian lacing her work with personal passion and new facts. “Anne Boleyn” is not a ‘typical’ biography and is infused in a feminist study, sociological, and psychological mix that is sure to please all readers interested in the Tudor period even having read mountains of books on the topic, previously. “Anne Boleyn”, despite its few flaws, is heavily recommended.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

On first impression, this seemed a thoroughly researched indepth analysis of Anne Boleyn's life, her role in the pivotal events of Henry VIII's reign, and her tragic end. The first part of the book certainly gave that impression as it went into Anne's earlier years spent in foreign courts in some detail. However, it started to sag when it reached the point where Anne returned to England, although the suggestion that the letters Henry sent her actually show a kind of bullying and psychological pressure where he used his status as King to push her into a relationship with him was interesting.

One problem is that the writer tends to use people's names without making it clear which particular Catherine/Elizabeth etc she means and given the propensity for the same first names to be used in families of the time it is occasionally unclear as to who she is talking about. While reading it I was also struck by the high incidence of type setting mistakes - lots of missed words and mis-spellings - to an extent surprising in a book from a mainstream publisher. It was quite distracting.

The book was particularly disappointing in the final chapters about Anne's downfall. That part was rushed over in a surprisingly skimpy manner which contrasted to the detail in earlier sections, e.g. about Henry's and Anne's progresses around England; the places they stayed at and the people who hosted them etc.

Since reading the book I've looked at some reviews which have pointed out that there are loads of historical mistakes which completely undermines the reliance I can base on its factual content except where I can recall them from previous biographies. So all in all I found it a bit disappointing and can only award an OK 2 stars.

[Joanne, drinker of tea, reader of books, servant to cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... more like 2.5. Better than a 2 star book, but not really a 3 star book.

I usually enjoy Amy License, but this book needed much better treatment before publishing.

This book is stated to be a comprehensive biography of Anne Boleyn.

It is difficult to write a biography of someone when records of that person were either not made, or have been lost. So, not surprisingly there are a number of educated guesses and extrapolations based on what does exist. There are also quite a few "on the other hand", statements.

That was not the problem that I had with this book, as it's a common issue with historical figures, particularly with female historical figures.

I was a tad annoyed where in some places the lack of records are considered to be no reason to not believe something happened, however, in other places, this same lack of records is considered proof positive that something didn't happen. Even though the opposite remains possible, even viable.

In some places the drawn out arguments on what did, didn't, may have, or might not have happened gets so confusing, you get to the point that you no longer care if it did or didn't happen, just bloody well move on with the story.


Amy Licence goes into almost painful detail drawing out to the nth degree Anne's family history, and her early experiences in France, including descriptions of the wall hangings and other home furnishings she would have seen.

Yet, her post married life, and the 2 chapters (yes, just 2 chapters) dealing with the plans to have her removed as Queen and her subsequent execution were raced through with little to no detail. It certainly felt rushed, and was distinctly unsatisfying.

For a book that was supposedly a biography of Anne, much of it was written from Henry's perspective. So much so, that it often read as a Henry biography. While I appreciate that you can't tell the story of one without the other, even Henry should have been viewed through the Anne lens.

Lastly, the editing could have been better, and the pre-print copy should have been more closely checked.

Repetitive statements, spelling errors, and misused words abound throughout the text.

It was an interesting book. But not the comprehensive text I was expecting, and not the high quality publication that I've come to associate with Amy License.

[Tony Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the huge amount written about Anne Boleyn, for me she remains an intriguingly elusive figure. Even the well-known portraits might not be of her, and her many enemies had good reason to darken her reputation, both during her short lifetime and afterwards.

This fascinating new book from Amy Licence is possibly the most comprehensive review of the life of Anne Boleyn to date. Amy opens with the admission that Anne has always been one of her favourite heroines, and sets out to show Anne as defiant, defining and brave, and her 'career' as the culmination of the ambitions of generations of her ancestors.

Beginning with useful background on the rise of the Boleyn family, this book follows Anne's story from her birth to her sad end. Interestingly, almost everything we know about the last days of Anne Boleyn is filtered through the pen of Sir William Kingston, Constable of the Tower of London, in his detailed reports to Cromwell. He is said to have told her the execution would not hurt, as it was to be 'cleverly' done. (His wife, Lady Mary Kingston, might have been his 'spy' when she attended on Anne Boleyn during the queen's 'doleful' imprisonment in the Tower.)

I particularly liked the wealth of details of the court of Henry VIII, which show how some other writers might have over-simplified the complexity of Anne's situation. We still hope for answers to the many questions raised throughout this book, yet this epic account of Anne Boleyn's life is a perfect companion to Amy's excellent Catherine of Aragon. Highly recommended.

Tony Riches

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to Anne Boleyn and her life. Well researched and easy to read. Having read almost everything in print about Anne Boleyn, I am not sure there was anything new here for me, aside from a few little details which I enjoyed immensely. But, for the newcomer to Tudor history, this book is a must. And for those, like me, who could read about Anne Boleyn every day and never tire, you will enjoy this addition to your bookshelves!

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this biography of Anne Boleyn to anyone who doesn't know much about the ill-fated queen and who wishes for a sympathetic treatment of her life. As in her previous books, Amy Licence doesn't adopt a partisan stance as some other popular historians do; she is fair to all of the central players in Anne's story and is sympathetic to Anne without portraying her as a saint or helpless victim. Licence attempts to place Anne in her sixteenth-century context as an aristocratic woman, with the duties and choices that entailed, and presents Anne's ambition and desire for success within that framework.
For those who have read a number of academic and scholarly studies of Anne, this biography doesn't offer much in the way of anything new and it doesn't change our perceptions of Anne's eventful life or her tragic downfall. Another reviewer suggested that this book's interpretation is somewhat cool, and I can agree in the sense that it doesn't provide any real sense of who Anne was or the nature of her personality. The discussion of her downfall is rather abrupt and doesn't analyse the reasons for her rapid disgrace. Other historians - such as Ives, Warnicke and Bernard - have engaged in a great detail of debate about Anne's downfall, and this biography doesn't add anything new to what those authors suggested lay behind Anne's execution. However, Licence is to be commended for considering a range of possibilities with regards to Henry and Anne's courtship, offering a multifaceted account of their relationship rather than assuming that Anne manipulated a weak king or, alternatively, that Anne was unwillingly pushed into marriage by an obsessed monarch. She offers a range of suggestions, as she does in previous books with regards to other issues, and thus leaves it up to the reader to decide what they think the likeliest option might have been.
Finally: the referencing in the book is terrible. There's no other way to say it. Page numbers are not provided, merely the author's name. This is a major problem when three books by that author are included in the bibliography, so merely writing 'Weir' or 'Norton' as a reference is unhelpful. I also found it puzzling why so many works were included in the footnotes that were not referenced in the bibliography. Whether the publishers didn't proofread this book sufficiently, I don't know. But there are hundreds of spelling mistakes and basic errors. For example: Henry's marriage to Anne was annulled on 17 May 1536, not 14 May. Anne wore an English gable hood on the scaffold, not a French hood. Licence mentions both that Anne may have been sexually corrupted in France, leading to Henry's disillusionment with her, and that Mary Boleyn also resided in France, but both of these theories have been convincingly questioned by other historians. Likewise Licence suggests that Jane Boleyn testified against her husband in 1536, providing evidence for incest - it's very much uncertain that she did; moreover, yellow was not the national colour of mourning in Spain as the author claims in regards to Katherine of Aragon's death and the resulting celebrations at court.
It was Anne's father, not her mother, who was related to the Irish Butlers. Anne's mother's name was Elizabeth, not Margaret. Thomas Boleyn's father-in-law was Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk, not Thomas Butler. Thomas Wyatt was 23, not 25, in 1526. Henry VIII was 36, not 38, in 1527. Louis XII was married to the duchess Joan, not Anne. Katherine Carey was 4, not 14, in 1528. Margaret Pole, countess of Salisbury, was the second cousin of Henry VIII, not his aunt. It was the unknown Spanish chronicler, not Nicholas Sander, who accused Anne of having sexual relations with Thomas Wyatt in her bedchamber.
It was not the dowager countess of Oxford and the duchess of Somerset who sat at Anne's feet during her coronation banquet, it was two unnamed gentlewomen. The dowager countess of Oxford and the countess of Worcester stood before her holding a cloth for her to spit in.
The future Elizabeth I was born on a Sunday not Thursday.
So, a fair effort and a sympathetic account of Anne Boleyn with a beautiful cover design, but readers would appreciate better referencing in future books. The publishers should also be sorting out, prior to publication, the numerous spelling mistakes and basic historical errors that unfortunately cropped up too much in this otherwise detailed biography.

[Carolina Casas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire by Amy Licence is the book history buffs and Anne Boleyn fans will love. From start to finish you will be hooked.
It is a great addition to our Tudor history shelves but more importantly, to women's history and it reminds us why Anne Boleyn is still relevant, and how easy it is for her story to be misappropriated or distorted. It is a product of the ever changing times just as she was a product of hers.

Full review: https://tudorsandotherhistories.wordp...

[Gareth Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough biography of Elizabeth I’s mother. Anne Boleyn’s brilliant but tortured career is told through a wealth of detail, with a sympathetic but no means hagiographic tone. Licence’s last biography, of Boleyn’s predecessor Katherine of Aragon, was proof of her commitment to well-researched detail. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[V.E. Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book, as I enjoy anything pertaining to the Tudors, it also left me in two minds. Firstly, it is one of the most comprehensive biographies I have read when it comes to Anne's ancestry and early life, not an easy feat considering the scarcity of documentation. Licence takes us through the story of the rise of the Boleyns, a fascinating tale in itself, and then onto Anne's upbringing and career at the Burgundian and French courts. Once the action moves permanently to England though, I felt the tone of the book changed and became much more focused on feminism and fitting Anne into that category. It seems to be the way of virtually all history (and fiction too ) to follow that path but, for me, it never quite works. Anne Boleyn was a product of her times, not of ours, and we are better off trying to understand her, as far as that is possible, through that lens. Focus on one 'issue' also tends to obscure others, such as the role of class, age, and the, in my opinion, overriding issue: the psychology of Henry VIII. The author does mention the last part but only right at the end and yet it is so crucial to the eternal question of why he was prepared to risk everything for Anne only to have her killed after a few short years. Having said all that, I did genuinely like the book, it was full of good detail and flowed nicely from beginning to end.

[Lauralee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, 2.5 stars
Anne Boleyn is one of Henry VIII’s most famous queens. We think that we know her story. However, many historians are still debating who Anne was. They debate over Anne’s religious views and what may have brought her downfall. In this new biography of Anne Boleyn, Amy License chronicles Anne’s humble beginnings to her rise as Queen of England to her dramatic fall. She shows Anne as a woman with Protestant ideals.

Anne Boleyn was never meant to be a queen. Anne was raised to serve queens and not be one. She was supposed to marry a nobleman and bear him many children. Anne served in both Margaret of Austria and Queen Claude of France’s households. Both of these European courts fostered Renaissance learning. They would hold debates on their views of religion. This was what prompted Anne to have Protestant leanings. She wanted to reform the Catholic Church, as Ms. License stated her approach towards the Protestant Reformation was a moderate one.

Ms. License showed that Anne Boleyn was the one pursued by Henry. She claimed that Anne refused until she found that there was no choice. Once she accepted, she was committed to her relationship with him. Anne was ambitious to become a queen. She suggested that this was not because of her ambition or her love for Henry. Rather, like Catherine of Aragon who refused the annulment of her marriage to save Henry’s soul, Anne too thought that becoming queen of England was her calling. She saw herself as Henry’s savior. She wanted to save England by making them Protestant.

Unlike many historians who saw Anne’s downfall as a result of a political coup, Ms, License believed that it was Henry who killed Anne simply because he was tired of her. She claimed that Cromwell was Henry’s servant. This was convincing because before Anne’s trial, Henry hired an executioner from France to behead Anne. What I did not find convincing was that Ms. License suggested that Anne died a Protestant. Ms. License completely overlooked the evidence analyzed by many historians such as Weir, Bernard, and Ives that Anne had died a Catholic. This is because Anne took the last sacrament and she asked Mr. Kingston if her good deed would get her into heaven. Ms. License did not even mention these facts probably because they contradicted her belief of Anne being a Lutheran. I have to agree with most historians that while Anne did have some Protestant leanings, she still had many Catholic beliefs and did die a Catholic.

Overall, Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Hersey, Desire started out great but fell flat halfway through the biography. I was impressed with Amy License's biography of Catherine of Aragon because it was written with great detail, and I expected Anne to be just as well-written. Ms. License gave more attention to Anne’s early life than when she becomes queen. Anne’s queenship was barely examined. Instead, it focused on how Henry was tired of Anne. Ms. License did not even mention her turbulent relationship with her step-daughter, Mary. Anne’s downfall was also glossed over. She did not go into any depth with Anne’s trial. Instead of a well-written biography, I got a sloppy and disorganized biography of Anne Boleyn. This was not what I expected from a biography about Anne. There was nothing new, and the author overlooks many facts about Anne just to get her point across. If you are like me, wanting to read everything about Anne, then you should read this book. However, if you want to read a very detailed and well-written biography of Anne, I suggest that you skip it because there are better biographies of Anne out there.

[Eve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was frustrating. Extremely frustrating. What began as a well written, well structured text ended up as an error filled, repetitive book that could have really used a good editor. To name just a few clear and obvious issues; within the space of 1 page 2 different men are named as the father in law of Thomas Boleyn - when one of them was not even a relative on his wife's side of the family; the mysterious 8th woman of the Chateau Vert was named but with no source quoted; the term gender used repeatedly as though it is interchangeable with 'sex'. Historians have different opinions on every person and issue and I understand that. What I don't understand is why some 'historians' insist on writing their views (that are based on no fact at all) without even quoting a source as back up. This is a huge problem with this book - too many secondary and not enough primary sources and when any source is referenced it is done so only by author and not page number or title. I was also disappointed to see Licence following the lazy line that Jane Boleyn spoke out against her husband and contributing to his downfall, again with no evidence to back this up. Licence could have benefited from reading a few more of the current works on this matter. Sloppily written and with no new evidence to warrant this new biography of Anne Boleyn.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly detailed biography on one of the most well known figures in history. The rise and Queenship of Anne Boleyn is looked at in great detail. I would highly recommend this book to people as it offers a very fair and balanced view on Anne and the Boleyn family, highlighting their ancestry and their rise to power. Chapters of particular interest are Anne’s life at the courts of Margaret of Austria and the French court and how they impacted on the woman she became and also the love letters that Henry wrote to Anne, particularly as the question is then asked, did Anne really have a choice?

In short, this biography of Anne is jointly up there with the Eric Ives biography, which is often seen as the definitive biography on Queen Anne Boleyn.

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet again, I learned something about Anne Boleyn, especially about her life before she became Henry's crush. A life that, among other things, determined the person she was when she came to the British court.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and the mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I, is one of the unique characters of the Tudor era. She was the sister of one of the king’s mistresses, Mary Boleyn, which she could have been, but Henry wanted Anne as his queen. Unfortunately, he was married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It is Henry’s divorce to Catherine and his relationship with Anne, the rise and fall, is what many people look at, but there is more to Anne’s story than just her life with Henry. What was Anne’s life really like and what really caused her fall? These are just a few questions that Amy Licence tackles in her latest biography, “Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire.”

I would like to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to review. I haven’t read many biographies about Anne Boleyn so this was a unique experience.

In her introduction, Amy Licence explains her approach to Anne’s life and why she is such an interesting figure to study:

Anne’s is very much a Tudor story, a narrative that balances on the cusp of old and new, equally informed by both. It has been told many times before, but what this version aims to offer afresh is a sense of continuity with earlier Boleyn generations. She was born into an ambitious dynasty, with each generation taking a step forward in terms of career and martial advancements…. That she was the most successful Boleyn cannot be disentangled from her gender and class. By the definitions of her time, Anne was an overreacher in more than one sense. She was a woman, born to be a wife, but not that of the king. She was an aristocrat, descended from the influential Howards, observing but not trained in the demands of queenship. She transcended boundaries of expected behaviour on both counts, which was both her most remarkable achievement and created her two areas of greatest vulnerability. This account of Anne’s life prioritises her relationship with the defining issues of gender and class, tracing their role in her rise and fall. (Licence, 8).

Licence begins her biography by going back to the origins of the Boleyn family, with Anne’s ancestor, Geoffrey Boleyn. Geoffrey came from very humble beginnings, but he worked hard and rose to become the Lord Mayor of London, as well as a knight. His descendants continued this tradition of working hard, which Licence takes the time to explain thoroughly so that the reader can understand that they were not necessarily overreachers; they were hard workers. This background information is extremely helpful to understand the Boleyn family as a whole.

The main focus of Licence’s book is Anne’s relationship with Henry VIII, her husband. By including the letters between Anne and Henry, the reader can see how the relationship started and how their relationship ended in a dramatic fashion. Henry was the one who really took control of the relationship. Anne may have learned how to be a strong woman from working in the French court, but she was no match for Henry VIII.

Although there have been many biographies about Anne Boleyn, this one stands out because Anne is seen in more of a sympathetic light. Licence combines a plethora of details with a writing style that is easy to understand to bring Anne out of the dark side of history. I learned so much about a queen I thought I knew.“Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire” by Amy Licence was an absolute delight to read. It is a real page-turner and is a must for anyone who loves to read about the Tudors, the wives of Henry VIII, and Anne Boleyn.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of Tudor History and having read and enjoyed other work by Amy Licence, I was very excited to get my hands on a review copy of 'Anne Boleyn: Adultery, Heresy, Desire'.

Whether you've read lots of books about Anne before or you're new to the story, her story is a piece of history so rich in twists and turns, so full of questions and the intracacies of relationships - both public and private, and so utterly beautiful and yet brutal, that if you were to write it as a novel today it would be dismissed as being too unrealistic.

But Anne and Henry did happen. The question that keeps us coming back and back to their story is why? What caused the love story of the century to turn so ugly so quickly? How did Anne manage to win the heart of a King - did she play the coy Virgin to trap him and make herself Queen of England or did she simply not want to be thrown away, like so many others? As this book explains, Anne Boleyn was an extraordinary woman for her time, she was educated, sophisticated, funny, witty and clever - she took incredible risks and ultimately was betrayed by the man who gave her everything - the same man who then took it all away.

Amy Licence's account of Anne's life is vivid and detailed. Well researched and written in an easily accessible, yet authoratitive tone, this is a great book for anyone interested in the life of one of England's most fascinating Queens.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy Licence states near the start of this book that she was inspired by reading Eric Ives' account of Anne Boleyn, and that is evident throughout.

This book doesn't really offer anything new from Ives' book, except maybe more attention to the minutiae found in the records. The reason for Ives omitting this detail however is that it doesn't really make much difference to the story of Anne's rise and downfall.

For a book about Anne Boleyn there is very little sense of the woman herself. Licence explains this by citing the destruction of items related to Anne following her death, but all repeating multiple possibilities achieves is a lack of clear argument throughout.

There is obviously more information available to historians about Henry himself, and this is what Licence relies on when crafting her reconstruction of events. As a result a more apt title of this book might be "The King's Great Matter".

There is value in this book. It is after all a comprehensive account and draws the main arguments of the last twenty or so years into one book, but for me Eric Ives' account is still the one to beat.

[Tracy Powers · Rating 1 out of 5]

For someone as exciting as Anne Boleyn, the author made this a yawner. Instead of moving the story along, Licence bogs it down with unnecessary details throughout.

Some of the book just comes across as filler. In the Appendix, Licence has a list of Anne's Bills and Debts that were simply cut and pasted from a primary source. Unless this was interesting newly discovered material, why bother including it?

The author's footnotes are annoying slapdash. Some things are sourced, some not, so you're never sure what's a reference or what's an original idea from the writer. For example, Geoffrey Boleyn (Anne's ancestor) is mentioned as having married a lady named Denise or Dionise (rather than Lady Anne Hoo as commonly known). First time, I've heard of that. Where's the source for this?

At Anne's execution, she's described as wearing a 'French gable hood'. Excuse me? Gable Hoods were English, not French.

In a nutshell, I wouldn't recommend this. I'll stick to David Starkey (or even Alison Weir).

[Ida Ottesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think you know all about the second wife of Henry VIII and her way to the top (and subsequent fall?). Think again!

Okay, this book took me a long time to read, but that's because it's full of details, it tells exactly where people where at any given time (I would have loved a map of the different summer progresses) and it starts way before Anne herself was born, to really give insight to the Boleyn family.

It also makes it clear, that we don't know much about her, from her own words, and many accounts are hostile towards her, because they were written from a specific viewpoint (and some positive accounts may also have been destroyed after her death).

Anyway, this is a great and detailed account of her life, and because it focuses so much on leading up to her reign, her actual 3 years on the throne seems very brief. What I really liked was how Licence deals with Anne's fall from grace, and the quickness with which it happens. You get a real sympathy for Anne.

If you're into the Tudors, this might even be a 4 star read, but I did feel that the book sometimes strayed a little too far from the core subject, Anne herself, to give a broader overview of the time.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent work, although, perhaps not on the same level as Eric Ives’ analytical biography because of the word choice of ‘probably this happened; maybe she was here; she could have done this’. By using those conjectures, Licence diminishes her own research-- which was commendable by the way. Licence’s ability to explain the social and cultural elements of the era were outstanding, therefore, it is a pity she felt compelled to try to place Anne in scenes or guess what she was thinking. The details in many areas covered, such as the Progresses made by Henry and Anne, were ambitious enough for a volume on their own—even covering Anne’s life prior to marriage to Henry could have provided an excellent and not overwhelming text.
Licence’s coverage of the lesser-known family background and the time of Anne’s life when she was in the Courts of Margaret of Austria and the French was of particular interest as a reader can better understand the impact on her life. Licence does not venture too far into the realm of analysis giving credit to other historians, despite being painstaking in her chronology of Anne’s life. This scholarly approach could deter the more casual reader.
This reviewer appreciated the extensive use of notes—something that appeared to have gone on the wayside for non-fiction titles. It was a pity they were mostly secondary sources, rarely contained page numbers and did not always follow the quotations in the text. The inclusion of the Appendix, “Anne’s Bills and Debts” was mystifying as it had not been stressed in the text that she spent too much money nor was it tagged as never-before-seen material.
For a more extensive review visit, https://elizregina.com/book-reviews/a...

[Jayne Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched book, possibly one of the great Anne Boleyn biographies (perhaps second only to Ives), that suffers from small but consistent factual errors that unfortunately marred the overall quality of the book. There also should have been a more thorough editing job as there are several typos throughout the text.

While the conclusions are extremely reasonable and well-founded based on the available info, the poor citations in the back leave a lot to be desired as far as the ability to check the claims made by the author.

These do affect the quality of the book, however they are not so damning as to take off two stars, rather just a one.

[Andrew Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well researched and thorough biography of Anne Boleyn which not only deals with the more familiar period of her life with Henry VIII but goes into wonderful detail of her early life at the French court. Having read most of Amy Licence's work I would recommend anything written by her as she manages to hold the reader's attention and writes in an easy fluent style without over-complicating the points she tries to make.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fantastic. It's so full of detail about Anne's life and the environment surrounding her. It was a really readable biography that sometimes even read like a historical fiction novel. I also really liked that Amy Licence emphasized the importance gender and class relations in Anne's rise to power and subsequent fall and death. I would highly recommend this biography.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing new biography of Anne Boleyn that makes a large effort to put her in context of the people and events around her, making a strong effort to track her movement via letters and invoices, and, most importantly, to emphasize how much events were Henry's choice rather than any wiles on Anne's part.

[David Bisset · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very detailed study of Anne Boleyn or rather of the background of her life as Anne does not really emerge. What really motivated the king's decision to have her executed? Was it really her acting in a way which denied the assumptions of the Tudor period? We're the confessions at the scaffold really conventional and meant nothing? After 500 years we still do not know the truth.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, thorough biography of Anne Boleyn.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved learning more about Anne!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are aspects of this biography I really loved. However, I felt that a great deal of this book detracted from bringing me any closer to understanding Anne Boleyn or feeling connected to her in any way. There was quite a bit of repetition and large sections that were just way too exhaustive and unnecessary (I.e. the detailed descriptions of EVERY. SINGLE. PLACE Anne and Henry visited on progress.)I honestly felt that there wasn’t a compelling enough narrative concerning Anne personally to keep me feeling invested and wanting to read on. The overwhelming level of unnecessary information kept me from engaging with the main subject and I found myself putting the book down frequently.