July Book Recommendation: The Life and death of Anne Boleyn by Sir Eric Ives
The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn
By Sir Eric Ives
This book was published in the 1980s. So it has been around for a long time, but it is such a good book, for me, this is the holy grail when it comes to reading about Anne Boleyn, there is much more up-to-date research and books about Anne, but I always refer to this.
Eric Ives has gone into such detail, but it is not a hard read, it feels very much like he is having a conversation with you. It does not feel like a lecture, because sometimes non-fiction feels like someone throwing so much information at you and you are not actually learning anything.
I only bought this book last year as I have always thought maybe it was overhyped because it was the first of its kind regarding Anne Boleyn, but as usual, I was very wrong, and it was very much worth the hype, I finished this in three days, which for me is very unusual because it takes me a good few weeks to process the information I am reading and try to enjoy it at the same time.
Eric Ives shows a very nuanced, human portrayal of Anne, that yes, she was not perfect and had flaws but she could also be brilliant, witty and charismatic. Up until the mid-20th century, there was a very black-and-white view of Anne, she was either the brilliant reformer or the 'other woman'.
I heartily recommend this book if you are looking to read a more in-depth book about Anne, it is brilliant yet heartbreaking when reading the facts.
Go buy this book now!
Apologies for being inactive, life has been hectic! I shall be uploading more in the upcoming weeks.
Until next time, Unholytudor 🌹
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