I recently read Rivals in the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan. It was the story of Thomas Howard, the infamous Uncle of Anne & Kitty, the Duke of Norfolk. While the book was fiction, I do like to believe that some research went into it. If even half of it is true it certainly explains what made Thomas Howard the monster he was. It doesn't excuse his behavior, however it does show that the man was not a monster born….but a monster made, by a set of seemingly insurmountable tragedies the likes of which I could never imagine facing. It was a fascinating book and it was also, for me, a great opportunity to learn a bit about a man who up until now just seemed to be a dark shadowy puppet master.

Kimberly