The events which led to the execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second queen, in 1536 have traditionally been explained by historians in terms of a factional conspiracy masterminded by Henry's minister Thomas Cromwell. Retha Warnicke's fascinating and controversial reinterpretation focuses instead on the sexual intrigues and family politics pervading the court, offering a new explanation of Anne's fall. The picture which emerges - placing Anne's life in the context of social and religious values, and superstitions about witches and the birth of deformed children - changes our perception of her role within the court, and suggests that her execution (occurring only four months after a miscarriage) was the tragic consequence of Henry's profound concern about the continuation of the Tudor dynasty.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Preface; Introduction: Queen Anne; 1. Boleyn origins; 2. Family alliances; 3. Henry's challenge; 4. Papal response; 5. Anne's turn; 6. Queen's patronage 7. Harem politics; 8. Sexual heresy; 9. Royal legacy; Appendix A. The legacy of Nicholas Sander; Appendix B. The choirbook of Anne Boleyn; Appendix C. Two poems of Sir Thomas Wyatt; Notes; Index.

Reviews

Thanks to the events surrounding her courtship with and ultimate marriage to Henry VIII, the tempestuous nature of that union, and the sordid yet mysterious circumstances of her excution, Anne Boleyn has always been a fascinating figure. Both popular and scholarly biographies of her have come along with some regularity. Quite simply though, this one transcends all previous efforts. Thanks to painstaking research and shrewd analytical skills, Warnicke (history, Arizona State Univ.) gives us substantial new insight on both the woman and her times. Her central thesis, that the execution derived in large measure from Henry's concern with perpetuating his dynasty, is a convincing one, and she shows clearly that previous biographers have been all too ready to accept distorted evidence at face value. Essential for academic libraries and recommended for public ones as well.-- James A. Casada, Winthrop Coll., Rock Hill, S.C.

'... succeeds triumphantly ... this is an intriguing thesis, and Warnicke develops it with erudition.' The Observer 'The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn ... an excellent book, clears away various misapprehensions.' The Times Higher Education Supplement