Why am I passionate about this?
I’m a blogger, vlogger, historian, and author of 14 history books, and have a true passion for Tudor history. Tudor history grabbed me at the age of 11, when I had to do a project on Henry VIII and his six wives, and has never let me go. Anne Boleyn is my historical heroine and area of expertise, but I love anything to do with the Tudors. I’m a complete Tudor nut and if I’m not researching and writing about Tudor history, I’m talking about it or getting lost in a good book about it. I love any book that brings my favourite character to life or transports me back to the 16th century.
Claire's book list on the Tudors that really grab you
Why did Claire love this book?
Gareth Russell can do no wrong in my eyes! He brings history to life with storytelling that many novelists could only hope to emulate. Not only that, his books are based on meticulous research
In Young and Damned and Fair Russell tells the story of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s ill-fated wife, and what I love about Russell’s narrative is the way it brings Catherine to life. Here, she’s not the wayward ‘tart’ who betrayed Henry VIII, or the victim of sexual abuse, she’s fully three-dimensional and all facets of her life are explored.
I particularly loved Russell’s examination of her queenship, which is so often neglected. A riveting read!
1 author picked Young and Damned and Fair as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2017
During one of the hottest summers on record the court of Henry VIII is embroiled, once again, in political scandal. The King's marriage to Anne of Cleves has failed, his closest adviser Thomas Cromwell is to be executed for treason and, in the countryside, an aristocratic teenager named Catherine Howard prepares to become fifth wife to the increasingly irascible, unpredictable monarch.
Her story is both a very dark fairy tale and a gripping thriller. Born into nobility and married into the royal family, Catherine was attended every waking hour by…