The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn has been written about extensively, even by Alison Weir herself. Her lastest offering, The Lady in the Tower, is a comprehensive look at the final months of Anne Boleyn, the factors that played into her downfall, the participants in her doom, and a moment-to-moment recreation of her execution (including what she was probably wearing and her final words). It reads more like a novel, and is packed with historical information. Weir gives us the viewpoint from several different original sources and then draws her own conclusions or, where the outcome is more vague, leaves the matter open to interpretation. Weir provides interesting footnotes and even includes an appendix titled "Legends" recounting some of the myths about Anne over the centuries and tales of her ghost haunting various locations. I loved this book and raced through it. It is an easy read, and does not quote so heavily from sources that every other phrase is quotemarked, which is a blessing. The prepublication version I read contains no picture insert, so I can't comment on that, but the information does indicate one will be included in the finaal version. Weir says that Anne's greatest legacy to England is her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, and provides the many clues that tell us how the Virgin Queen felt about her mother, executed for treason and adultery when Elizabeth was only a toddler, that she never openly acknowledged. The most poignant of these is the gold ring Eliabeth wore for most of her adult life, engraved with "ER" and containing miniature portraits of herself and her mother and only removed upon her death, to be given to James I as proof of her death. One is left to imagine what England would have been like, and Elizabeth's life and reign as well, had Anne been allowed to live and influence her strong-minded and greatly loved daughter.

Alison Weir gets right down to business, starting this biography of Anne Boleyn with the last time Anne and her husband, King Henry VIII appeared in public together. In fact, it was the last time Anne would ever see Henry again, and it was only four months before she would be executed for adultery and treason. On that day though, the Queen of England had no idea what lay in store for her. By beginning with the most interesting and historically important part of Anne Boleyn's life, rather than bogging us down with irrelevant facts about her birth and childhood, her upbringing and family, Weir draws us into the story and doesn't give us a chance to get bored. With only four months to deal with, the pace is quick. While most people who might be expected to read a book about Anne Boleyn already know the main events leading to Anne's downfall, The Lady in the Tower fills in the behind-the-scenes scheming and plotting. Relying on primary sources such as diaries and letters, as well as modern research, Weir examines the evidence, weighs motives, considers probabilities. Anne Boleyn has not been a traditionally sympathetic figure in history, usually seen as the scheming Other Woman to Henry's first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Weir doesn't dispute this, but doesn't let Anne's many faults get in the way of finding the truth. Anne may have been calculating and unpleasant, but according to the evidence Weir finds, she was most likely innocent of the charges against her. This squares with most modern historians' findings. The big question, Weir finds, may actually be whether Henry believed that Anne was guilty as charged. Or was he simply looking to get rid of a wife he no longer wanted? Or more likely, was he a master self-deceiver, willing to be convinced that the wife who couldn't bear him a son was guilty of other unforgivable sins as well? His experience of the difficulties of having a living ex-wife may have influenced his thinking, too. A warning: The two days leading up to Anne's execution slow to an agonizing crawl, which gives the reader a taste of what it might have been like for Anne, both dreading the inevitable and wishing for it to be over. Weir's discussion of the biological consequences of the separation of the head from the body leaves nothing to the imagination. It's not for the squeamish. The bibliography and notes are satisfyingly thorough, and Weir's running commentary on how other Tudor historians, past and present, interpreted the events in question, gives us a fascinating insight into how history changes - even after five and a half centuries, the jury is still out on Anne Boleyn.

Alison Weir does an incredible job of putting the reader in the scene for the last four months of Anne Boleyn's life. This is the most detailed account of the time period I have ever read. Ms. Weir examines not only the lives, but the personalities of those involved so the reader gets a better feel for their behavior. Anne Boleyn had enemies. She was too involved in the affairs of state, had too much influence over Henry to suit those who didn't share her views, and she mistreated Henry's first wife Kathryn and Kathryn's daughter. She even went so far as to try to convince Henry to have them executed. But Anne wasn't all bad. She supported the causes of help and education for the poor and she was generous to her friends and family. She was intelligent, quick-witted, and fun loving. But when Anne miscarried a male fetus in January 1536, Master Secretary Thomas Cromwell saw his chance to get rid of her. He also had to get rid of her supporters to strengthen his position at court. Ms. Weir, throughout the book, presents both sides of the story by quoting from accounts of those who supported Anne and those who hated her. In the end the outcome of the questioning of the "witnesses" and the trial itself were foregone conclusions. Anne was framed for adultery and treason along with her brother, Lord Rochford, and four other innocent men. Henry VIII, still bitter over Anne's failure to produce a male heir, and apparently already lusting after Jane Seymour, allowed himself to be convinced of Anne's guilt. Those who might have believed in her innocence or who had evidence in her favor dared not speak lest they lose their own heads. The description of Anne's execution is gripping and vivid. The author does such a masterful job of putting the reader in the picture that when I read the scene I actually felt Anne's fear as she waited for the sword to strike. Brave to the end, she asked forgiveness of those she'd wronged in her life, but did not confess guilt for crimes she had not committed. Ms. Weir finishes the book by telling how each person involved ends up. Apparently, what goes around, comes around. Thomas Cromwell was executed a few years later. In fact, several others who played a part in Anne's downfall were later executed. I highly recommend this book.

Alison Weir is, of course, a household name among Tudor aficionados. Although it hardly seems possible that anything new can be said about the Tudor monarchs "Lady in the Tower" is rich in details that may not be generally known. Weir discusses at length, for instance, the personalities of Anne Boleyn's supposed five lovers. Anne's brother, Rochford, may have been a homosexual, a fact that was squelched at Anne's trial. Poor Mark Smeaton, the son of a carpenter and not a gentleman, gave himself airs and resented the fact he could not enter into courtly love dalliances with the Queen. William Brereton was almost fifty, a ruthless individual and a lecher who had caused the death of at least one innocent man and who apparently considered himself above the law. Francis Weston was an attractive young man of twenty five who routinely beat the king at cards. And poor Norris, Groom of the Stool, who may have been Henry's only true friend, was nevertheless discarded. All of these men were loyal to the King and he destroyed them to get rid of Anne, destroyed them without turning a hair. There are many personality portraits of Anne's contemporaries revealed in the book. The peculiar character of Jane Rochford, Anne's sister -in-law, who was probably the most instrumental voice in bringing Anne down, is analyzed in detail. I've always thought Henry Percy, who was prevented from marrying Anne by Cardinal Wolsey on orders of the king had staggered away from her trial, distraught with grief. He staggered away, all right, but he was terminally ill with a malady that had nothing to do with Anne, and had in fact spread rumors among the aristocracy that Anne had tried to poison Princess Mary. You'll see the Duke of Norfolk, Anne's nasty Uncle, you'll see the Earl of Wilshire, her ambitious and unloving father, who attempted to climb the greasy pole right back to favor following Anne's execution. You'll see the Duke of Suffolk and his wife Mary, Henry's sister, both of whom hated Anne. You'll see poor Princess Mary, who suffered profoundly at the hands of Anne as well as her father. (Anne however, regretted her treatment of Mary and tried to make amends from the Tower).You'll see Thomas Cromwell, the butcher's son, capable, ruthless and motivated to bring Anne down to save his own skin. And of course you'll see Anne herself, the courageous religious reformer, the black eyed enchantress, the center of an avalanche of enemies. But Anne left a great legacy in her daughter Elizabeth. Alison Weir won't let you forget Anne. A fine read and a fine addition to the Boleyn saga.

I always eagerly await the release of any book written by Alison Weir - both her fictional works as well as her historical, always well researched, books never fail to please. I am happy to be able to say that "The Lady In The Tower" has been no exception! I began to read it as soon as I got my hands on it and enjoyed this book all of the way through. I have long believed that Henry VIII was a narcissistic megalomaniac - especially in the way that he treated Anne Boleyn. Despite whatever faults Anne may have had, Henry quite literally,changed the course of history in order to make Anne his Queen. In this very well researched book, Ms. Weir postulates that it was, in fact, Thomas Cromwell, not King Henry himself, who was behind the allegations made against Anne that resulted in her death. This books covers a very small window in time - 1536- and it has been Ms. Weir's task to sift through voluminous, and sometimes very conflicting, historical accounts, reports & letters to formulate her opinion that Thomas Cromwell was the cause of Anne's meteoric fall from Henry's good graces. In referencing Anne Boleyn's inability to carry a second child, the longed for son & heir, to full term, Ms. Weir postulates a very likely theory that Anne's pregnancies were complicated by the RH negative antibody. There would have been no treatment let alone understanding for this sort of complication at this time and the theory goes a long way as an explanation for the still born son who, in effect, sealed Anne's fate. Ms. Wier has managed to make what really amounts to 19 days - from sham trial to execution - an engrossing read that will appeal to history lovers in general and, most especially, to those of us of thrive on Tudor and Elizabethan history. The wait for this book was worth it. I do highly recommend this book!