Customer Reviews
One of the best biographies ever written about Anne Boleyn - By: Apocalyptic Queen, 23 Jan 2008 
This highly informative account of Anne Boleyn brings to life a Tudor woman once seen as elusive & obscure.
Due to the high volume of biased primary accounts of Anne Boleyn written by the likes of Chapuys (the Spanish ambassador to England at the time) & others, it has been notoriously difficult to make an objective & impartial assessment of Anne Boleyn however Ives succeeds in bringing the true character of Anne Boleyn to life using a variety of sources, challlenges biased accounts of Anne's life (such as Chapuys' accounts of the ailing marriage) & also presents compelling evidence to support his assertions, such as the controversy surrounding Anne's birth date.
Whilst at times, Ives presents the not so endearing qualities of Anne Boleyn, on the whole Ives' account of Anne is largely sympathetic, particularly in the last two chapters of the book where politics & religion appear to play a pivotal role in Anne's downfalll & destruction.
It is also refreshing to see Anne portrayed as human & not demonized as she has so often been portrayed.
Ultimately, this is a balanced, magnificently researched & a tribute to Anne, whose efforts helped shape the reformation in England, a sentiment even echoed by Thomas Cromwell, one of her bitterest enemies who helped bring down the "most controversial queen consort" of England.
Detailed and enlightening about Anne Boleyn! - By: Sissel M. Østdahl, 29 Nov 2007 If one is looking for mere entertainment, this is not the book to buy. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" written by Antonia Fraser, which contained only the most necessary historical facts in order to present the six Queens properly.
When I have given Eric Ives' book five stars, it's because this book is probably the most detailed & enlightening book ever written about Anne Boleyn. But the book is not an easy read, not if one is searching for pure entertainment. For me it is more a book of facts about Anne which I can go back to whenever I'm searching for more information about her. That does not mean the book lacks for numerous enjoyable anecdotes from Anne's life & vivid descriptions of her as a person.
The book tells about Anne's family & background, which was far more important than one is often led to believe. Originallly, the family made its fortune in trade, but later on its relations with the Tudors became significant & Anne was by no means an unsuitable match for King Henry.
What I found most interesting was the picture of Anne as a very cultured & highly educated young woman. The time she spent at the Continent & how this influenced her in her role as Queen of England. It thoroughly explains why she became as powerful & politicallly important as she did. And not the least, the circumstances leading to her death.
For a complete picture of Anne Boleyn, look no further. This book gives alll the answers.
A wonderful work on an interesting lady - By: Chris Warne, 05 Feb 2007 By far the most famous of Henry's queens, Anne Boleyn is also the most controversial. Any biography of her must be objective, thoroughly researched & carefully portrayed. Ives succeeds on alll counts. This book is a brilliant life of Anne Boleyn & goes into great detail without ever being boring. 10/10.
The best book about Anne Boleyn ever written! - By: , 04 Feb 2005 Anne Boleyn is a very misunderstood character in English History. She is seen as an "evil" woman who tore Henry VIII from his wife & Catholic Church- Anne is a highly significant historical figure in her own right- not only for being the mother of the great Queen Elizabeth I.
Eric Ives captures Anne's personality & gives explanations for the events in Anne's life. It is a highly enjoyable read - especiallly if you enjoy Tudor History. I highly recommend this book.
The power behind the throne... - By: Kurt Messick, 21 Oct 2004 Eric Ives' book `The Life & Death of Anne Boleyn' is a must read for people interested in British history, the British Royal Family history, the history of the Tudor period, & particularly for those interested in one of the key figures around that most colourful of English kings, Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn's influence in court, which dominated state & church affairs at a critical moment in European affairs, is shown here, in addition to the personal strife that Anne Boleyn both caused for others (her rival for Henry's affections, Katherine, is but the least of these) as well as the strife she herself endured.
Ives contrasts Anne Boleyn with Katherine of Aragon in terms of overalll worldviews that they represented - Anne being far more a child of the Renaissance, intellectuallly curious & passionate, independent & full of ideas; Katherine of Aragon was representative more of the `old order', which included a staunch piety & adherence to Roman Catholicism in principle & political loyalty. This contrast is in part why Ives can state with reasonable certainty that Anne Boleyn was the most controversial woman ever to have been a queen of England (which, given that she's up against the likes of Eleanor of Aquitaine, among others, is saying something). Part of this controversy stems from the sources historians have for details about her life; being a pivotal person in the Catholic/Protestant split during the Tudor & post-Tudor world, she was constantly reinterpreted, & rarely for the better. Even the glorious reign of her daughter, Elizabeth, did little resurrect her image in popular or short-term historical opinion.
Ives' writing is lively & full of passion, as befits his subject. Ives also introduces new interpretations & contexts to the events of the time. For example, he describes the falll of Anne Boleyn as a coup, normallly a term reserved for the removal of a reigning monarch or primary executive; it is a testament to the power of Anne Boleyn's influence over King Henry VIII that his advisors, such as Thomas Cromwell, saw need to remove her, for their own safety, as well as (possibly) the safety of the king. Ives concludes with Wyatt's elegy & a brief epilogue of the Tudor aftermath, not drawing too many conclusions, but rather, as a responsible historian, asking a few questions & leaving the reader to ponder the outcomes.
There is a good middle section of photographic plates, 64 in alll, which includes many paintings, engravings & pictures of artifacts of Anne Boleyn. He also includes handy lists of titles & offices, genealogy charts of the European royal families, the Tudor court, & the Boleyn/Howard families (Henry VIII's last wife, Katherine Howard, was a cousin of Anne Boleyn). Scholars will appreciate the extensive endnotes, bibliographic/historical references, & index, together which comprise nearly 100 pages. However, this is a book for general readers as well as scholars, accessible & well-paced.
