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sarahbryson's review
5.0
When I first heard that this book was going to be written I have to admit that I became rather excited. To my knowledge there has not been another book written which looks at the places that Anne Boleyn visited within her lifetime. I was eager for this book as while I know about the more well-known places such as Hever Castle where she lived as a young child and the Tower of London where she spent her final days, I did not know about the lesser known places such as palaces within France that she would have visited during her time as a Lady in Waiting to Queen Claude of France or about the manors and houses that Anne visited during royal progresses.
I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint! There is such a wealth of information within this book that once I picked it up I honestly had a hard time putting it down! Sarah and Natalie give a slightly different layout of Anne Boleyn’s life. Rather than writing about her life according to the different events that happened to her, the authors chart her life in regards to the different places that Anne would have lived in or visited during her years. The first part of the book starts at Blickling Hall in Norfolk where it is believed Anne was born and then moves through the difference places in England that Anne would have known as a child. The authors then move to the Low Countries and France where Anne Boleyn spent her teenage years first serving in Margaret of Austria’s court and then as a lady in waiting to the French Queen Claude.
The second part of the book looks at the years Anne Boleyn was in England, between the time she returned from France to when she married Henry VIII. This is a packed section which looks at many often overlooked locations which Anne visited. Other books about Anne Boleyn will often give details about the more common places that Anne Boleyn visited such as Hampton Court or the Tower of London, but these lesser known places are also just as interesting and contain a wealth of Tudor history in them. The authors have clearly spent a great deal of time and effort in researching these locations.
Part three of the book looks at the locations Anne Boleyn visited as Queen and on a personal note this was my favourite section. I absolutely adored the information given about Anne Boleyn’s Coronation Procession. I have read a great deal about this in other books but Sarah and Natalie go through each location, mapping it out, detailing where each pageant was held and how we can follow this route in modern day London. This is fantastic and a most useful piece of information which people can use to walk in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn.
The fourth part of the book details Henry VIII’s 1535 Summer Progress which Anne Boleyn was part of. Again this section of the book gives information about often overlooked places that Anne visited throughout England. There is a lot of information in this section and I would advise the reader to take their time so that they don’t miss anything!
The fifth and final section of the book is entitled Boleyn Treasures and details were several items once belonging or pertaining to Anne Boleyn are located. Unfortunately most of these items are not available for public viewing but the authors do give information about where they are held and possible means to be able to view some of the items, such as letters written by Anne Boleyn or books made for her.
What I truly love about this book is the amount of information and detail that is given about each place. The reader is able to gain a wonderful insight into what the houses, places, manors etc. would have looked like in Anne Boleyn’s day, where she would have slept, eaten and her happenings at each place. The authors explain why Anne Boleyn would have been at each location and approximately how long she stayed or how many visits she made. They then move on to talk about what the location looks like in modern times, if it survives, or what part of the building still stands. At the end of each location the authors provide a fantastic addition called ‘Visitors Information’ which outlines addresses, contact details, visitor information and any other little bits and pieces vistors may need to know. This is a wonderful addition as it gives the reader valuable information if they wish to visit the site.
I also loved the maps that were included at the beginning of the book. While I have travelled to England I have not been to many parts of the country and the maps provide a wonderful addition as they help the reader plot out where each location was in both England and in Europe. There is also a Boleyn family tree included in the front of the book which allows the reader to see the other members of Anne’s family.
One of my favourite additions to the book are the multitude of high quality photos, paintings, manor layouts and images of the different places that are described and detailed within the book. These are a fantastic edition as they allow the reader to not only read about each location but to also look at a picture or painting and gain an idea of what it looks like in today’s times or even better what it would have looked like during Anne’s life. These are fantastic images, clear and very beautiful and I have to say I spent a great deal of time studying each image and imagining Anne Boleyn walking through the gardens or halls of each location.
I believe this book is a celebration of Anne Boleyn’s Life. Often books about Anne Boleyn focus on her downfall and the tragic events of her death which although important, can also be quite heavy. Sarah and Natalie’s book however felt like they were celebrating Anne’s life, giving the reader an insight as to what her life would have been like and the places that she would have known and visited. The wonderful thing about this book is that it gives people the information that if they wish they can follow in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn and visit places Anne would have known. The only thing that really separates the reader from Anne is the expanse of time.
I adored this book and found it a wonderful and refreshing look not only at the places Anne Boleyn visited and lived but also at her life. The only thing I think that would make this book any better is if it came in a paperback version, which would be lighter to carry around in a backpack as you are retracting the footsteps of Anne Boleyn! This book is certainly a must have for any lover of Anne Boleyn or in fact anyone interested in Tudor history.
I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint! There is such a wealth of information within this book that once I picked it up I honestly had a hard time putting it down! Sarah and Natalie give a slightly different layout of Anne Boleyn’s life. Rather than writing about her life according to the different events that happened to her, the authors chart her life in regards to the different places that Anne would have lived in or visited during her years. The first part of the book starts at Blickling Hall in Norfolk where it is believed Anne was born and then moves through the difference places in England that Anne would have known as a child. The authors then move to the Low Countries and France where Anne Boleyn spent her teenage years first serving in Margaret of Austria’s court and then as a lady in waiting to the French Queen Claude.
The second part of the book looks at the years Anne Boleyn was in England, between the time she returned from France to when she married Henry VIII. This is a packed section which looks at many often overlooked locations which Anne visited. Other books about Anne Boleyn will often give details about the more common places that Anne Boleyn visited such as Hampton Court or the Tower of London, but these lesser known places are also just as interesting and contain a wealth of Tudor history in them. The authors have clearly spent a great deal of time and effort in researching these locations.
Part three of the book looks at the locations Anne Boleyn visited as Queen and on a personal note this was my favourite section. I absolutely adored the information given about Anne Boleyn’s Coronation Procession. I have read a great deal about this in other books but Sarah and Natalie go through each location, mapping it out, detailing where each pageant was held and how we can follow this route in modern day London. This is fantastic and a most useful piece of information which people can use to walk in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn.
The fourth part of the book details Henry VIII’s 1535 Summer Progress which Anne Boleyn was part of. Again this section of the book gives information about often overlooked places that Anne visited throughout England. There is a lot of information in this section and I would advise the reader to take their time so that they don’t miss anything!
The fifth and final section of the book is entitled Boleyn Treasures and details were several items once belonging or pertaining to Anne Boleyn are located. Unfortunately most of these items are not available for public viewing but the authors do give information about where they are held and possible means to be able to view some of the items, such as letters written by Anne Boleyn or books made for her.
What I truly love about this book is the amount of information and detail that is given about each place. The reader is able to gain a wonderful insight into what the houses, places, manors etc. would have looked like in Anne Boleyn’s day, where she would have slept, eaten and her happenings at each place. The authors explain why Anne Boleyn would have been at each location and approximately how long she stayed or how many visits she made. They then move on to talk about what the location looks like in modern times, if it survives, or what part of the building still stands. At the end of each location the authors provide a fantastic addition called ‘Visitors Information’ which outlines addresses, contact details, visitor information and any other little bits and pieces vistors may need to know. This is a wonderful addition as it gives the reader valuable information if they wish to visit the site.
I also loved the maps that were included at the beginning of the book. While I have travelled to England I have not been to many parts of the country and the maps provide a wonderful addition as they help the reader plot out where each location was in both England and in Europe. There is also a Boleyn family tree included in the front of the book which allows the reader to see the other members of Anne’s family.
One of my favourite additions to the book are the multitude of high quality photos, paintings, manor layouts and images of the different places that are described and detailed within the book. These are a fantastic edition as they allow the reader to not only read about each location but to also look at a picture or painting and gain an idea of what it looks like in today’s times or even better what it would have looked like during Anne’s life. These are fantastic images, clear and very beautiful and I have to say I spent a great deal of time studying each image and imagining Anne Boleyn walking through the gardens or halls of each location.
I believe this book is a celebration of Anne Boleyn’s Life. Often books about Anne Boleyn focus on her downfall and the tragic events of her death which although important, can also be quite heavy. Sarah and Natalie’s book however felt like they were celebrating Anne’s life, giving the reader an insight as to what her life would have been like and the places that she would have known and visited. The wonderful thing about this book is that it gives people the information that if they wish they can follow in the footsteps of Anne Boleyn and visit places Anne would have known. The only thing that really separates the reader from Anne is the expanse of time.
I adored this book and found it a wonderful and refreshing look not only at the places Anne Boleyn visited and lived but also at her life. The only thing I think that would make this book any better is if it came in a paperback version, which would be lighter to carry around in a backpack as you are retracting the footsteps of Anne Boleyn! This book is certainly a must have for any lover of Anne Boleyn or in fact anyone interested in Tudor history.
nzoeller's review
5.0
As someone who has read hundreds of books about the Tudor period, I was thrilled to see how much new (or forgotten) information surfaced in this book. I'm ready to go to England right now and check all these places out!
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