The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn
by Eric Ives

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Book Reviews of The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn

Book Review: Probably the best biography of Anne Boleyn
Summary: 5 Stars

Professor E.W. Ives, the author, is an acknowledged expert in Tudor history - specialising on the Boleyns. His 1986 biography, "Anne Boleyn," became the standard work on Anne's life - and deservedly so. It provoked two historical responses - George Bernard's "The Fall of Anne Boleyn" (which was quickly discounted) and Professor Warnicke's controversial "The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn" - which challenged much of what Ives had said.

The new book is an updated version of the 1986 copy, with extra chapters elaborating on Anne's role at Court and incorporating all the new research on Anne Boleyn's life and times. Ives writes well and the book (although long) is witty, insightful and extremely well-researched.

While I don't agree with everything Ives says in this book - I tend to believe she was born around 1507, not 1501 as Ives suggests and I think his famous version of her fall from the throne is a little too "neat" - it's clear that this book is the best currently in print about Anne Boleyn's life and death.

Ives convincingly shows that Anne was one of the most important women ever to sit on the throne of England and that she was far from the wicked-witch of legend. His greatest achievement is his complex exploration of her religious views.

In the end this book got 5* because of Ives' research, writing style and well-argued case. No-one who is interested in any of the Boleyn children or the era of Henry VIII should miss this book. Carlsberg-style, it is, probably, the best biography of Anne Boleyn in the world.

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