I especially enjoy a well-researched book, and this clearly is. It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve read such thorough work from a historian. The book ends with Mary’s death and Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne.Īs I found out in the Henry VIII book, Weir quotes from source material like letters and diaries and meticulously annotates throughout the book. Despite Mary ordering the death of hundreds of Protestants who were deemed threats to her throne and her push to bring England back to Catholicism, she didn’t take her half-sister’s life. Her antagonistic relationship with Elizabeth is detailed, including Elizabeth’s time in the Tower of London. Mary’s phantom pregnancies are fascinating, heartbreaking, and downright befuddling. Mary had “no choice” but to put her to death. I know they were scared of the Catholic Mary, but come on! As often seen during Tudor England, indeed, in many parts of history, innocent people were killed because they were deemed a “threat”.

I just can’t imagine the nobles who pushed for Jane to sit on the throne actually thought they could get away with it. I found the section on Lady Jane Grey fascinating because of my viewing of the aforementioned movie many years ago. Rather, Weir tries to relate what the children and niece of Henry VIII were like as people. But most of the machinations for power were ignored in the book. He trusted his advisors, who were all scheming behind his back about various political matters.

He was taught from birth to never show his playing hand and keep no counsel. Besides, anyone that has studied the subject knows Elizabeth’s story well but may not know her brother, sister, and cousin’s since they had such short reigns.Įdward kept a diary, but kept it mostly business-like and didn’t pour out his emotions like you’d expect in a typical diary. Knowing that Weir followed up this book with The Life of Elizabeth I, it is partly understandable. What I found most interesting is that as I listened to the book, I noticed a lack of coverage about Elizabeth. While Weir keeps the book in chronological order, she intertwines events that occurred to each person highlighted in their lives at the same time. After the passing of old Henry, the succession passed to his nine-year old son, Edward. This book picks up where The Six Wives of Henry VIII left off. Then, not too long ago, I was offered an ARC of the last book in the historical fiction series by Weir of the Six Wives of Henry VIII, Katherine Parr ( read my review here).

I mostly watched one hour documentaries about Henry VIII and Elizabeth I or watched movies like Anne of the Thousand Days starring Richard Burton ( Amazon Prime) and Lady Jane starring Helena Bonham-Carter ( Stream for free with Amazon Prime). I’m rather new to reading or listening to Tudor history.

Children of England by Alison Weir