Bloody Mary

I had heard from a documentary that Mary was hated by her people. This book is a in-depth account of her life and has proven she was a beloved monarch. (Check the bibliography. Lots of references!) This author brought Mary to life telling of the trials and tribulations of the first English woman queen in a mans world. Excellent!

This is a factual biography. I had to keep reminding myself that while I was reading it, because it is written so well that it reads like a novel. I would actually occasionally forget that I was reading a non-fiction book because I would think, "I wonder what's gonna happen next?" even though I generally knew already the history of "Bloody Mary". And it is just as educational as it is entertaining, so if you want a book on this not-as-famous-as-Elizabeth English Queen, I would shove the book in your face as my way of recommendation.

One of the best biographies on Mary Tudor, "Bloody Mary" ever written! The authoress outdoes herself and makes a fantastic dive into the good and the horrible events that outlined Bloody Mary's reign. This books is long and a bit overly detailed in places, but it is necessary to give the voluminous background on the life of this queen who was hated bitterly by many of her subjects. You won't be disappointed in this biography, especially if you want facts, details, and emotional input. A FANTASTIC ALL-AROUND BIOGRAPHY!!

I found this book extremely interesting and absorbing to the point where I did not want to put it down. I would recommend it to anyone who, like me, wanted to find out what the foundations were of Mary Tudor's policies and also what she was really like as a person. The detail is so great that one learns even what her voice sounded like. It is as though Mary were alive again and not a figure from the 16th century. As some other reviewers have noted here somewhat critically, the book spends a lot of time discussing Mary's life before her accession to the throne. To me, this is to its' credit as an understanding of the forces, personalities and occurrences in Mary's early life are ESSENTIAL to answering questions about Mary's policies and actions as queen. I enjoyed Carolly's writing style. She is able to convey the complex interweaving of people and events in Mary's time in a manner that is easy to understand and follow along. Highly recommended, as is "Great Harry" also written by Carolly which I am reading now.

The major merit of this book -- and that merit is considerable -- is that Erickson provides a sympathetic portrait of a monarch who is usually dismissed as a Papist monster or an irrelevant prelude to the great Elizabeth I. Erickson does not pretend that Mary was a particularly competent, effective, or even ethical monarch, but she gives insight into how Mary's upbringing and her experiences as a woman of her times shaped the kinds of mistakes she made as Queen. At the very least, the book is a detailed portrait of an interesting failure.

First-rate biography of one of England's most well-known, but least-understood, monarchs. Mary comes across as frail, human, passionate and intelligent, no surprise considering her royal lineage. Erickson is obviously sympathetic to Mary, and as such, the most far-reaching impact of her reign--the burnings of Protestant heretics--seem a bit downplayed. That said, the rest of the book is marvelous.

One cannot properly learn about someone from the past without taking their surroundings into account. People often don't consider the broad spectrum of things that, trivial as they may seem, greatly influence one's behavior and needs. Erickson does a brilliant job of painting the backdrop for this misunderstood and abused Queen. Taken in her context, the vile myth of Bloody Mary is shattered to reveal the woman underneath. Emotionally engaging, highly descriptive, and wonderfully written, this book provides a wealth of knowledge in a format wholly enjoyable to read.