the last wife of henry viii by carolly erickson

Eric Ives is considered the pre-eminent historian in Tudor history, but he hadn’t even written a text at that point, and so the secondary sources used are older and more debateable. Sources: The variety of sources is not brilliant, as it is confined to older texts, but the date of publication makes this obvious. These glaring inaccuracies make it impossible to take some of Erickson’s ideas seriously.

Erickson also harks back to the popular myths surrounding Anne Boleyn which were almost certainly false, like the fact that she had six fingers or a wen under her chin. It is deceptive in places because some of the information that was debatable then is more or less established now. Nevertheless it is clear and concisely written. However, its inaccuracies do make it an inadvisable first read for someone interested in Anne Boleyn.Ĭoncepts: Because the book was first published in 1984, several parts of Anne Boleyn’s important childhood and time in the Netherlands were left out. It is narrative rather than analysis, which means that it is aimed at a general history audience, rather than a specifically intellectual audience. Genre/Audience: This history book is more a popular history than a scholarly history. A downside is that it doesn’t tell you where the quotes come from (who said them, where they are written, and who to). There is a comprehensive bibliography, but it isn’t listed as to which are actually used within the text itself, and which is further reading.Ĭontents: The chapter titles are all sixteenth century quotes that explain what will be discussed in the chapters. The preface also explains the title as a term Anne was commonly known as in her own time.Ĭitations: Not brilliant – there must be more direct references that haven’t been listed. Preface: The preface mainly explains why changes had to be made in the reissue of this book to account for more modern scholarship. Apparently it comes from a letter where Anne is addressed as ‘Mistress Anne’, and it is what she was popularly known as before she was crowned as Henry’s queen. Title: The title of this particular book is a little vague, not specifically about Anne Boleyn – could do with some clarification as it doesn’t specify which Anne through history.

‘Mistress Anne’ by Carolly Erickson (1984)Ĭarolly Erickson, ‘Mistress Anne’ (London: Simon & Schuster, 1984) Paperback, ISBN 978-7-7

The last wife of henry viii by carolly erickson