European History : The Lady in the Tower The Fall of Anne Boleyn
The Children of Henry VIII | 
 | 80% Recommended by our customers.
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Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
Release Date: 2010-01-05
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List Price: $28.00
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- ISBN13: 9780345453211
- Condition: New
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 In an all or nothing homework assignment, Alison Weir took all
I read a review for "Contested Will" where the critic said that it was difficult to think of a better piece of scholarly work than the book he was reviewing. Out came the claws, from all angles. Poor guy got the works from all walks of Stratfordian professors. So at the risk of sounding ignorant about King Henry VIII's regin, I think "The Lady in the Tower" is a really great book.
It's dense. It's obvious Alison Weir did her homework. She fills in missing gaps however she sees appropriate, giving a fair share to each likely scenario. It's just a little sad to see how the high court of England invested more time and energy into bringing down a queen that they didn't like rather take care of their own citizens. But, that's history for you.
"The Lady in the Tower" is an excellent piece of scholarly work. Do with me what you will.
In Depth and Thorough
The Lady In The Tower, by Alison Weir, demonstrates her singular position as the popularizer of the Tudor Era.
This book delves into the personalities, plots and milieu surrounding the short, tragic life of Anne Boleyn. For readers who have enjoyed Weir's "Six Wives of Henry VII" or "Elizabeth" they will find a familiar style and pacing. As this is a narrow subject, Weir delves into a much more detailed telling of this story than she did in the two aforementioned and broader books.
Weir also plays sleuth on issues that remain concerning who exactly plotted Anne Boleyn's downfall as well as her status of chastity before experiencing her King. In Weir's hands, Anne is shown to be a devotee and advocate of religious reform. Not just a telling of the intrigue that brought Anne to her fate, this book seeks to explain some of the mysteries of her story through an examination of what evidence there is as well as reasoned speculation.
This is a tragic story well told. Although Weir's positions regarding facets of Anne's story are well built cases, they remain speculative and will add, I'm sure, fodder to the debate about this intriguing lady of Henry's court.
 Big disappointment
I heard the author on NPR a few weeks ago, and liked her presentation very much. Bought this book based on Ms. Weir's comments about her research, etc.
Blech.
First: the book is highly repetitive, as though Weir was told x-number of words, no fewer. It would be half as many pages if she cut out the duplication. Which means you end up wading through it all.
Second: the book repeatedly contradicts itself: first Weir says that Anne was rightly convicted based on the laws of the land during her time, then two pages later gives you all the reasons why Anne's conviction was based on nothing more than a bunch of trumped up, false charges. When the charges are false, toots, that means that the conviction is *not* right or just. Get it? (Many, many pages spent on this meme.)
Third: "Well researched" in this case means incredibly bogged down with tedium that few care about other than the author. Do you care whether Anne's petticoat was taffeta or some other material? Do you care if Anne went to the Tower in the early morning or early mid-morning (and let's spend a few pages debating this, shall we)? Honestly, the tedium becomes so remarkably boring that I ended up skipping through it. Her former lover's multiple poems about their failed love? WHO CARES???
Finally, the last chapter cites a bunch of Anne Boleyn ghost sightings through the ages. Good lord. From well-researched to garbage about ghosts and shades?
Don't buy this book, you'll just waste your time and make your eyes sore from all your eye rolling. Very disappointed, won't bother with Weir's other stuff.
The ultimate Anne Boleyn fanatic book
I am the ultimate Tudor researcher, and there is no one like Anne Boleyn. I loved this book and it was both immensely researched and easy to read. The author brought in numerous sources from other writers and scholars, witnesses and theorists. Having opinions on both sides of the border, the reader can develop their own opinion of the notorious queen. How could you not find her innocent and feel sympathetic to her? Also, I must say this, that there is no other book that has disturbed me more, when Miss Weir got to the beheading of the queen. She brought up the theory, based on witness testimony, that the queen survived for a brief moment after her head left her body, for people said that they saw the movement of her eyes and lips. To back this up, Miss Weir cited experiments and other incidents from the past, in which decapitated heads were able to blink, respond to their name being called, move their lips, and form facial expressions. Enthralled, I looked up these experiments on the internet and read about them. I couldn't help but be disturbed, and felt even more sympathetic to Queen Anne, whom may have felt pain in her last moments, when her death by the sword was supposed to be quick and painless. That sucks big time, and totally changes my original opinion of beheading. My husband told me that people could briefly live through a beheading; I didn't believe him, but now I do. Tudor lovers must read this book, particularly if you love Anne Boleyn. This book is informative times a million when it comes to the Queens demise, death and aftermath.
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A great approach to history and an interesting subject. Weir did a great job on this and as long as you care about Anne Boelyn you should enjoy this; even if you hate history or nonfiction topics.
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