2014 saw the publication of George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat, the first full length biography of George, and I’m proud to have co-written it with Clare Cherry.
To introduce the George we discovered in the primary sources to the world was very exciting and now 2014 has ended on a high for us, and George, with our book appearing in two “Top 10 Books of 2014” lists – those of historical blogger Sarah Bryson (Anne Boleyn: From Queen to History) and Gareth Russell, historian and author of The Emperors: How Europe’s Rulers Were Destroyed by the First World War and An Illustrated Introduction to the Tudors.
Clare and I are over the moon about our book being picked by Sarah and Gareth – and to be in such good company too! – but we’re even happier about the fact that readers have really “got” what we were trying to do with our biography. Yes, we were trying to bring him out of the shadows of his more famous sisters, but we also wanted to present him ‘warts and all’, to flesh him out as completely as we could.
In his list, Gareth writes of our book:
“One of three of Henry VIII’s brothers-in-law to end his life beneath the headsman’s axe, George Boleyn was no saint and no prude, either. But he emerges from the pages of Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway’s biography as a committed and talented young man with a sincere passion for the Protestant faith. Cherry and Ridgway know their subject and his world, and they use that knowledge to lift him from the shadow thrown by his famous sister, rehabilitating him while never failing to remind us of the grizzly world in which he lived and died.”
And Sarah writes:
“George has been overshadowed by his more famous sister throughout the centuries and because of this many myths and misbeliefs have been built up around him. Claire and Clare break down these myths and shine a light onto the real Goerge Boleyn, who he was, what he was like and the accomplishments that he achieved throughout his life. Yes there were times when Geoge Boleyn came across as an arrogant young man filled with pride, but for a man in his twenties he achieved a great deal and became close to the King. For all his pride and arrogance there were still many that lamented his death and believed that an innocent man had been executed.
This was a fascinating, eye opening look at George Boleyn and I would strongly recommend that anyone who has ever read about the Tudors or Anne Boleyn get a copy of this book and read it as soon as possible. George Boleyn was quite a remarkable man and it is wonderful to have a book that brings his life to the forefront.”
Thank you Sarah and Gareth!
This book would never have seen the light of day without the encouragement Clare and I received from the Tudor history community and historians and authors – thank you!
You can read Sarah’s Top 10 at queentohistory.com/2014/12/30/top-10-books-of-2015/ and Gareth’s list at garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com.es/2014/12/my-top-10-books-of-2014.html
Here are the book details:
Paperback: 386 pages
Publisher: MadeGlobal Publishing (April 26, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 8493746452
ISBN-13: 978-8493746452
Available as an ebook and paperback from Amazon.com, Amazon UK and your usual bookstore.
George Boleyn has gone down in history as being the brother of the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, and for being executed for treason, after being found guilty of incest and of conspiring to kill the King.
This biography allows George to step out of the shadows and brings him to life as a court poet, royal favourite, keen sportsman, talented diplomat and loyal brother. Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway chart his life from his spectacular rise in the 1520s to his dramatic fall and tragic end in 1536.
George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat is divided into three sections – Beginnings, Career and Influence, and End of an Era – and topics include:
- George Boleyn’s poetry
- Personal attributes and social pursuits
- Religion
- George’s marriage to Jane Parker
- The Reformation Parliament and the League of Schmalkalden
- George the Diplomat
- The fall of the Boleyns, arrests and trials
- The aftermath of their fall
- George Boleyn, Dean of Lichfield, and the Clonony Castle Boleyns
The biography is fully referenced and includes chapter notes, bibliography and useful appendices.
On this day in history…
In other news, today is the day in 1546 when Henry VIII signed his last will and testament – click here to read more about Henry VIII’s will.
