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Anne Boleyn: Henry VIII's Obsession
Alluring but not beautiful, Anne's wit and poise won her numerous admirers at the English court, and caught the roving eye of King Henry. Anne was determined to shape her own destiny, first through a secret engagement to Henry Percy, the heir of the Earl of Northumberland, and later through her insistence on marriage with the king, after a long and tempestuous relationship as his mistress. Their love affair was as extreme as it was deadly, from Henry's 'mine own sweetheart' to 'cursed and poisoning whore' her fall from grace was total.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2008
21 people are currently reading
3996 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Norton
44 books339 followersElizabeth Norton is a British historian specialising in the queens of England and the Tudor period. She obtained an Master of Arts in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in 2003 and a masters degree in European Archaeology from the University of Oxford in 2004.
Elizabeth Norton is the author of five non-fiction works: She Wolves, The Notorious Queens of England (The History Press, 2008), Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's Obsession (Amberley, 2008), Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's True Love (Amberley, 2009), Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's Discarded Bride (Amberley, 2009) and Catherine Parr (Amberley, 2010).[2]' She is also the author of two articles: Anne of Cleves and Richmond Palace (Surrey History, 2009) [3] and Scandinavian Influences in the Late Anglo-Saxon Sculpture of Sussex (Sussex Archaeological Collections, 2009)
Elizabeth Norton is the author of five non-fiction works: She Wolves, The Notorious Queens of England (The History Press, 2008), Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's Obsession (Amberley, 2008), Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's True Love (Amberley, 2009), Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's Discarded Bride (Amberley, 2009) and Catherine Parr (Amberley, 2010).[2]' She is also the author of two articles: Anne of Cleves and Richmond Palace (Surrey History, 2009) [3] and Scandinavian Influences in the Late Anglo-Saxon Sculpture of Sussex (Sussex Archaeological Collections, 2009)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 27, 2010
A pretty good non-fiction read on Anne Boleyn. My one gripe (and this is for all the non-fiction that does this) is when the author writes things like, "Anne must have felt.." and "This was a night Anne would always remember." Really? Were you there? How do you know?
Other than that, it was a decent read.
Other than that, it was a decent read.
September 5, 2009
Commissioned by me at Amberley Publishing, the most accessible biography of Anne available. Author is near to completing biographies of all Henry's six wives and is also working on a major illustrated history the the lives of the Queens of England.
August 7, 2017
This book needed better editing. To use the same cliched phrases in adjacent paragraphs is sloppy and to have no one fix it is lazy.
Things I didn't remember reading elsewhere: the rumour that Anne was secretly Henry's child from his affair with her mother (what?), Anne's "subservient" letter to Lady Wingfield before she was queen, and the specifics of the accusations by Lady Worcester.
I liked having the original source material in its original spelling but the references were a nightmare to parse out.
Great image section.
Things I didn't remember reading elsewhere: the rumour that Anne was secretly Henry's child from his affair with her mother (what?), Anne's "subservient" letter to Lady Wingfield before she was queen, and the specifics of the accusations by Lady Worcester.
I liked having the original source material in its original spelling but the references were a nightmare to parse out.
Great image section.
July 22, 2022
Found it repetitive. The exact same sentences and expressions were written over and over again.
I enjoyed the overall book, as I do with anything Anne related.
"Anne Boleyn was the most vibrant and exceptional woman of her generation and she had the personality and drive to change history. She was no saint but neither was she a villain. Anne was simply very human."
I enjoyed the overall book, as I do with anything Anne related.
"Anne Boleyn was the most vibrant and exceptional woman of her generation and she had the personality and drive to change history. She was no saint but neither was she a villain. Anne was simply very human."
November 1, 2014
I was going to give this 2 stars originally, but it improved noticeably from about half way through.
To begin with, I only persevered with this book as I am so interested in the subject matter and because it is short. It has in it's favour that it is quite easy to read. On the downside, it was full of the writer's assumptions about how Anne felt, basically stating them as fact. The descriptions were generally unoriginal (although that didn't bother me that much), and they were extremely repetitive (which did).
The assumption level decreased as the book went along, but seemed to be replaced by ever growing numbers of direct quotes. These can be very interesting and useful, but it just felt lazy, as though they were put in to pad the text out, and to save the author having to write in her own words. The method of referencing was poor too - I'm surprised the publishers got that through.
Anyway, I haven't published a book, so what do I know?!
To begin with, I only persevered with this book as I am so interested in the subject matter and because it is short. It has in it's favour that it is quite easy to read. On the downside, it was full of the writer's assumptions about how Anne felt, basically stating them as fact. The descriptions were generally unoriginal (although that didn't bother me that much), and they were extremely repetitive (which did).
The assumption level decreased as the book went along, but seemed to be replaced by ever growing numbers of direct quotes. These can be very interesting and useful, but it just felt lazy, as though they were put in to pad the text out, and to save the author having to write in her own words. The method of referencing was poor too - I'm surprised the publishers got that through.
Anyway, I haven't published a book, so what do I know?!
July 20, 2014
For all the sound scholarship to be found in this book, the author doesn't seem at all confident with expressing herself. Stock phrases are used again and again and the direct repetition, especially in chapter conclusions, is absolutely infuriating. How it made it past the editing room in this sorry state I will never know. I can think of no greater irony than an account of such a lively and charismatic woman (and wordsmith) as Anne Boleyn, being told by a writer completely devoid of these faculties. What a shame!
April 30, 2024
A succinct insight into the life of Henry VIII's second Queen. Not much more to it than that really! At only 191 pages, this book guides you through the major events of Anne's life with very few frills, but with enough detail to allow the reader to immerse themselves in her world without becoming overwhelmed.
There is plenty of primary source material quoted within, which does add some sense of grounding in reality to this well known story. However, I was a little confused by the choice to present some of the quotes as they appear in the original sources, completed with barely-legible sixteenth century spelling, and yet others appear to have had their spelling modernised. There doesn't appear to have been any particular logic to which items were updated, and so I found it quite difficult to keep having to adjust my expectations. In particular, where the quotes form part of the narrative (as opposed to being set out as a proper extract), it's very jarring to go from modern English to Tudor English and back again in the space of a few words. Where this book feels like it should be an 'introduction' to the topic, in my opinion all of the sources should have been modernised for ease of understanding.
I also found the writing to be quite dry. Given that Anne Boleyn is one of my favourite people to read about, and the fact this book is so short, I found it incredibly difficult to get through more than 40 pages at a time without feeling like I was about to fall asleep. Yes, Anne is the subject of innumerable books and her story has been told countless times, but in most cases the authors still manage to find a way to bring her to life in their pages, or find some angle of exploration that brings a new sense of her to the reader. In this case though, it felt like more of a straight regurgitation of facts and I felt so far removed from the 'character' at the centre of it all that there was just nothing to cling onto.
Coupled with that was the increasing frustration I felt at the continual repetition. There are many cases throughout the book where the author will set out a point or a turn of phrase, and then within a few sentences will repeat the same sentiment almost verbatim. For example, on page 141 she states "... she cannot have foreseen the rapidity of her fall...". Then, on page 143, only a couple of paragraphs later you find the phrase "... she can never have imagined the speed with which she would fall." I'm not sure whether it's a case of the author trying to hit a word count by padding out the writing, or if it just needs a really thorough edit.
Strangely, I also found the layout of this book off-putting. Although it was published in 2009, the font and general format of the text feels incredibly old fashioned. The text size is very small, which made it harder to concentrate on, the top and bottom margins are very tight to the page, and the line spacing is also very tight, so at a glance you are presented with quite the wall of text on each page. It's not something that normally bothers me, but in this case it compounded the other issues I was having.
There is nothing wrong with the information contained in here, but there are many, many better alternative reads to obtain it. One for the book swap pile, I'm afraid.
There is plenty of primary source material quoted within, which does add some sense of grounding in reality to this well known story. However, I was a little confused by the choice to present some of the quotes as they appear in the original sources, completed with barely-legible sixteenth century spelling, and yet others appear to have had their spelling modernised. There doesn't appear to have been any particular logic to which items were updated, and so I found it quite difficult to keep having to adjust my expectations. In particular, where the quotes form part of the narrative (as opposed to being set out as a proper extract), it's very jarring to go from modern English to Tudor English and back again in the space of a few words. Where this book feels like it should be an 'introduction' to the topic, in my opinion all of the sources should have been modernised for ease of understanding.
I also found the writing to be quite dry. Given that Anne Boleyn is one of my favourite people to read about, and the fact this book is so short, I found it incredibly difficult to get through more than 40 pages at a time without feeling like I was about to fall asleep. Yes, Anne is the subject of innumerable books and her story has been told countless times, but in most cases the authors still manage to find a way to bring her to life in their pages, or find some angle of exploration that brings a new sense of her to the reader. In this case though, it felt like more of a straight regurgitation of facts and I felt so far removed from the 'character' at the centre of it all that there was just nothing to cling onto.
Coupled with that was the increasing frustration I felt at the continual repetition. There are many cases throughout the book where the author will set out a point or a turn of phrase, and then within a few sentences will repeat the same sentiment almost verbatim. For example, on page 141 she states "... she cannot have foreseen the rapidity of her fall...". Then, on page 143, only a couple of paragraphs later you find the phrase "... she can never have imagined the speed with which she would fall." I'm not sure whether it's a case of the author trying to hit a word count by padding out the writing, or if it just needs a really thorough edit.
Strangely, I also found the layout of this book off-putting. Although it was published in 2009, the font and general format of the text feels incredibly old fashioned. The text size is very small, which made it harder to concentrate on, the top and bottom margins are very tight to the page, and the line spacing is also very tight, so at a glance you are presented with quite the wall of text on each page. It's not something that normally bothers me, but in this case it compounded the other issues I was having.
There is nothing wrong with the information contained in here, but there are many, many better alternative reads to obtain it. One for the book swap pile, I'm afraid.
April 3, 2022
Critique of Anne's flaws tempered with empathy in regards to the stress and censure she was under and endured. One of the few drawbacks I can really speak to is the over-reliance on Chapuys' dispatches, who Norton herself admits is "a useful, if hardly impartial, source". Also as a reader, it is my personal bugbear when sources are listed at the end but not footnoted by numbers. Sometimes there's an 'according to Chapuys' but there really was a vast reliance on his dispatches primarily with few comments as to the source and likelihood of each scenario unfolding exactly as he reported. I am not of the opinion that Chapuys is a source entirely without credibility when it comes to Anne Boleyn. However, I hope in the future to find some biographies that take more of a middle ground approach when it comes to the veracity of Chapuys' dispatches-- somewhere in between Warnicke and, say, Weir.
January 27, 2021
A good biography of Anne Boleyn - I especially liked how much Norton used contemporary quotes from primary sources, as well as examining what biases various reports carried. Norton does a good job of showing Anne Boleyn was neither saint nor devil, but a flesh and blood human with both good and bad characteristics.
December 12, 2022
Although this was a worthwhile read, I was slightly irritated by numerous repetitions and certain phrases being re-used. It was a good biography but added little to what I already knew of Anne Boleyn's life. I have read much of Elizabeth Norton's work and this is the first time that I have felt disappointment.
January 8, 2024
Did not finish, resigned to the Shame Shelf after two chapters. This isn't a history, it's Elizabeth Norton dictating the internal thoughts and feelings of historical figures. So many "would haves" and stating motives and actions that can't be known. Always beware a history book without in line citations.
January 14, 2021
I'm a basic Tudor fan, Anne is my favourite, what a shock.
The book is actually an easy read and gave a nice insight. The author did make a lot of assumptions about how Anne was possibly feeling and her thoughts which is probably not very accurate but made the book feel more easy to read.
The book is actually an easy read and gave a nice insight. The author did make a lot of assumptions about how Anne was possibly feeling and her thoughts which is probably not very accurate but made the book feel more easy to read.
August 18, 2018
Always a fascinating topic for me. This book was well written and interesting.
July 14, 2019
Balanced and readable biography. Credible supposition where historical evidence no longer exists.
August 16, 2021
cada vez q leo mas sobre este hombre cada vez mas me desagrado pero es q es TAN interesante
September 28, 2019
Definatley worth a read !
Good points : a comprehensive and balanced account of Anne.
Bad points : the constant use of 'Anne must have felt '..... if it wasn't for this I would have given 5 *
Good points : a comprehensive and balanced account of Anne.
Bad points : the constant use of 'Anne must have felt '..... if it wasn't for this I would have given 5 *
October 17, 2009
From Amazon.com
Doomed queen of Henry VIII, mother to Elizabeth I, the epic story of Anne Boleyn from an exceptional new writer. Anne Boleyn was the most controversial and scandalous woman ever to sit on the throne of England. From her early days at the imposing Hever Castle in Kent, to the glittering courts of Paris and London, Anne caused a stir wherever she went. Alluring but not beautiful, Anne's wit and poise won her numerous admirers at the English court, and caught the roving eye of King Henry.
Anne was determined to shape her own destiny, first through a secret engagement to Henry Percy, the heir of the Earl of Northumberland, and later through her insistence on marriage with the king, after a long and tempestuous relationship as his mistress. Their love affair was as extreme as it was deadly, from Henry's 'mine own sweetheart' to 'cursed and poisoning whore' her fall from grace was total.
I received this book from my daughter as a gift and have not finished it yet. So far so good. It appears that a lot of research went into it and it may not be accurate as a few reviewers claimed. But so far I am finding it interesting, I like the use of letters, notes, quotes. There are also nice pictures in the book of castles, statues. Amazing picture of the King Henry VIII bedroom at Hever Castle.
I am not a historian and do not claim to be but I find that it is interesting to read different variations on the same story. Anne Boleyn was a woman who knew what she wanted and how to go about it. Henry had a very high opinion of Anne and when she could not live up to his expectations , mostly not giving him the son he wanted, he found a way to bring her to her death, so he could move on to the next wife. Although the child they did have, Queen Elizabeth I was a very exceptional woman of her time, but that is for another review..
Doomed queen of Henry VIII, mother to Elizabeth I, the epic story of Anne Boleyn from an exceptional new writer. Anne Boleyn was the most controversial and scandalous woman ever to sit on the throne of England. From her early days at the imposing Hever Castle in Kent, to the glittering courts of Paris and London, Anne caused a stir wherever she went. Alluring but not beautiful, Anne's wit and poise won her numerous admirers at the English court, and caught the roving eye of King Henry.
Anne was determined to shape her own destiny, first through a secret engagement to Henry Percy, the heir of the Earl of Northumberland, and later through her insistence on marriage with the king, after a long and tempestuous relationship as his mistress. Their love affair was as extreme as it was deadly, from Henry's 'mine own sweetheart' to 'cursed and poisoning whore' her fall from grace was total.
I received this book from my daughter as a gift and have not finished it yet. So far so good. It appears that a lot of research went into it and it may not be accurate as a few reviewers claimed. But so far I am finding it interesting, I like the use of letters, notes, quotes. There are also nice pictures in the book of castles, statues. Amazing picture of the King Henry VIII bedroom at Hever Castle.
I am not a historian and do not claim to be but I find that it is interesting to read different variations on the same story. Anne Boleyn was a woman who knew what she wanted and how to go about it. Henry had a very high opinion of Anne and when she could not live up to his expectations , mostly not giving him the son he wanted, he found a way to bring her to her death, so he could move on to the next wife. Although the child they did have, Queen Elizabeth I was a very exceptional woman of her time, but that is for another review..
June 13, 2014
A fairly easy read - I finished it in less than a day and I have an 11 month old baby (hello, naptime!)
Overall it's not a bad text, but the author repeated several phrases and words, often in close proximity. I found this to very rather annoying, as though a thesaurus wasn't available?
I've stated in other reviews that one of my greatest pet peeves is when authors claim to know what their subject is thinking or feeling about a given situation. Just stop, please, thanks.
I still side with those who dislike Anne, and she's certainly not someone to be pitied. While she quite truly couldn't have been guilty of the charges against her, she deserved a downfall as humiliating as what Catherine and Mary were subjected to those long years.
The real victim here is Elizabeth, losing her mother at such a young age. Anne may have been a lot of terrible things, but 'mother' doesn't fall into that category. On the contrary, from information we do have it seems Anne was a very loving and devoted mother. It saddens me when I read of Elizabeth being neglected or ignored, she was a child who had done nothing wrong. Lucky for her, she would end up doing alright for herself...
Easy read, interesting subject, what's not to love?
Overall it's not a bad text, but the author repeated several phrases and words, often in close proximity. I found this to very rather annoying, as though a thesaurus wasn't available?
I've stated in other reviews that one of my greatest pet peeves is when authors claim to know what their subject is thinking or feeling about a given situation. Just stop, please, thanks.
I still side with those who dislike Anne, and she's certainly not someone to be pitied. While she quite truly couldn't have been guilty of the charges against her, she deserved a downfall as humiliating as what Catherine and Mary were subjected to those long years.
The real victim here is Elizabeth, losing her mother at such a young age. Anne may have been a lot of terrible things, but 'mother' doesn't fall into that category. On the contrary, from information we do have it seems Anne was a very loving and devoted mother. It saddens me when I read of Elizabeth being neglected or ignored, she was a child who had done nothing wrong. Lucky for her, she would end up doing alright for herself...
Easy read, interesting subject, what's not to love?
November 4, 2018
Elizabeth Norton's "Anne Boleyn" was a short but well-written biography of Anne Boleyn. Despite the brevity of the chapters, Norton goes into great detail about the different life events of Anne, such as describing the Field of the Cloth of Gold in such a way that pointed out the interesting first meetings of Anne with people who would later play a huge role in her life. I liked how the book wasn't overly focused on detail and how the events were structured in such a logical way. However, I found it somewhat ironic how, after Norton assures the reader of the biases of Chapuys' reports, she then takes his reports to heart, despite the fact that numerous other reports of his have been found to be inconsistent and, occasionally, outright lies (especially for someone who never even met Anne until a few months before her death). She also claims that Joanna Denny's interpretations were unrealistic and idealised Anne, however after reading Denny's and Bordo's analyses, I find myself agreeing more with their interpretation of Anne than with those of Norton or Weir. While I did enjoy this book, and admittedly I did get a bit emotional reading the final chapter, I would only recommend this book to Anne Boleyn readers who are already familiar with the works of Denny and Bordo.
July 6, 2015
As far as accounts of Anne Boleyn go, this is very informative and well researched. The style, however, reads more like scientific research than historical analysis. There is so much repetition of words and phrases, sometimes in adjacent paragraphs, that I found it to be distracting from the actual facts/story. I enjoyed reading tidbits of actual letters written at the time, however a modern translation of the old/Middle English spellings would have been helpful in a lot of places. I found there were some words I just couldn't puzzle out and gave up. I am a bit of Tudor history enthusiast, so this book didn't present any new information for me, aside from showcasing just how well researched the scripts/dialogue of Showtime's The Tudors really were. Much of it was pulled from letters/chronicles/personal accounts of the period!
If you are really interested in a great Tudor read, I would more likely recommend anything by Alison Weir. Her style is far more engaging.
If you are really interested in a great Tudor read, I would more likely recommend anything by Alison Weir. Her style is far more engaging.
July 23, 2012
ISBN? - 9781848685147
General Subject/s? - History / Tudors / Anne Boleyn
Title? - Henry VIII was obsessed by Anne Boleyn for seven years before he married her - never again did he spend so much time wooing a woman.
General Analysis? - I like Elizabeth Norton's writing style, but some of her information was incorrect. For example, that Mark Smeaton was hung, drawn and quartered, when in fact he was beheaded like the rest. Aside from these tiny errors, I really really enjoyed Norton's book. It was easy to read and offered a lot of information taken from primary sources. Her opinions weren't really original, but a lot of historians agree with the same things. She phrased them really well, and I actually wrote in my undergraduate dissertation her final conclusion, that Elizabeth I was Anne Boleyn's greatest legacy.
Recommend? - Well worth a read for any fan of the Tudor era.
General Subject/s? - History / Tudors / Anne Boleyn
Title? - Henry VIII was obsessed by Anne Boleyn for seven years before he married her - never again did he spend so much time wooing a woman.
General Analysis? - I like Elizabeth Norton's writing style, but some of her information was incorrect. For example, that Mark Smeaton was hung, drawn and quartered, when in fact he was beheaded like the rest. Aside from these tiny errors, I really really enjoyed Norton's book. It was easy to read and offered a lot of information taken from primary sources. Her opinions weren't really original, but a lot of historians agree with the same things. She phrased them really well, and I actually wrote in my undergraduate dissertation her final conclusion, that Elizabeth I was Anne Boleyn's greatest legacy.
Recommend? - Well worth a read for any fan of the Tudor era.
December 18, 2016
A nuanced portrait . A bit short
March 7, 2015
This was a well written bio on Anne Boleyn, it's the first one I read and while I didn't learn anything new, it was written well and concise. Anne Boleyn, one of my favourite English Queens is explored, looking at her childhood right through to her adulthood, her relationships with her family and her true and very expressive emotions.
Like many bios on less documented royals, it assumes quite a bit, some which are blatantly obvious and some, rather educated and potentially controversial, guesses. However, it wasn't overly used.
It was a good read, and the focus remains Anne and not the other powerful men in her life, such as Henry VIII. A little bit repetitive in places but good, overall.
Like many bios on less documented royals, it assumes quite a bit, some which are blatantly obvious and some, rather educated and potentially controversial, guesses. However, it wasn't overly used.
It was a good read, and the focus remains Anne and not the other powerful men in her life, such as Henry VIII. A little bit repetitive in places but good, overall.
May 2, 2012
An easy to read biography of Anne Boleyn which takes into account a lot of contemporary sources on this fascinating woman and 2nd queen to Henry the VIII.
The reason why it only receives 4 stars is this: Although the author mentions that the sources on Anne Boleyn may be partial and/or tainted by personal and/or political reasons, she nevertheless cites them as if they were almost neutral statements. IOt would have been nice to know more about the backgrounds of the sources, so: its only 4 stars.
The reason why it only receives 4 stars is this: Although the author mentions that the sources on Anne Boleyn may be partial and/or tainted by personal and/or political reasons, she nevertheless cites them as if they were almost neutral statements. IOt would have been nice to know more about the backgrounds of the sources, so: its only 4 stars.
October 23, 2013
tragis sekali nasib anne boleyn.
berawal dari hasrat & intrik ingin menjadi bagian dari kerajaan inggris membawa drama kelam & kepedihan dalam takdirnya.siapa bilang hidup dalam kerajaan itu aman & tentram?
lewat buku ini,pandangan kamu para readers akan berbalik total melihat kemewahan hidup para raja & ratu,karena dibalik setiap keindahan ada keburukan yang sempurna untuk ditutupi.saling sikut adalah kata yg tepat untuk dinasti ke dinasti para kerajaan & isinya.
berawal dari hasrat & intrik ingin menjadi bagian dari kerajaan inggris membawa drama kelam & kepedihan dalam takdirnya.siapa bilang hidup dalam kerajaan itu aman & tentram?
lewat buku ini,pandangan kamu para readers akan berbalik total melihat kemewahan hidup para raja & ratu,karena dibalik setiap keindahan ada keburukan yang sempurna untuk ditutupi.saling sikut adalah kata yg tepat untuk dinasti ke dinasti para kerajaan & isinya.
June 28, 2012
I loved this bio of Anne, it was incredibly heart felt and I did feel myself really empathizing with Anne's plight. I have to be honest and admit that I shed a tear towards the end with the description of the execution and Cromwell's reaction to it.
July 2, 2009
Interesting and insightful. This book provided a lot of "food for thought" relating to Anne's complex relationship with Henry.
September 5, 2012
Fabulous book! Loved it and couldn't put it down til it was finished. This was up there with some of the best books on Anne Boleyn and i have now read quite a few.
October 30, 2012
This was totally biased against Anne.
February 8, 2013
This book proved to be a very helpful source of information when completing my history project.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews