Wicked Women of Tudor England Queens, Aristocrats, Commoners

by Warnicke, Retha M.

• ISBN13: 9780230391925
• ISBN10: 0230391923
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-03-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

This fascinating and occasionally salacious historical study delves into the lives of six Tudor women celebrated for their reputed wickedness. Collected here are illuminating accounts of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, the two consorts of Henry VIII who were executed for adultery; Anne Seymour, duchess of Somerset, and Lettice Dudley, countess of Essex and Leicester, two defamed noblewomen; and Jane and Alice More, the two wives of Sir Thomas More who were charged with contrariness and shrewishness. In the process, author Retha M. Warnicke rescues these women from historical misrepresentations and helps us to rediscover the complex world of Tudor society.

Author Biography

Retha M. Warnicke is a history professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. She is the author of numerous books on Tudor England, including The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn.

Table of Contents

'This book is a fascinating window into the social and cultural world of the early modern women and a model of rigorous and impeccable research. Warnicke does not leave a stone unturned in her attention to previous scholarship from the early modern period to the present; she examines every bit of relevant evidence that bears on the specific subject at hand; and she consistently contextualizes the evidence for the readers who may be less familiar with early modern social, cultural, and political practices. Moreover, Warnicke makes her methodology clear throughout so the book additionally serves as an example of how history should be done: without prejudice or preconceived notions, with great attention to accuracy, and with an understanding of historical context.'—Jo Carney, associate professor, Department of English, The College of New Jersey

'This book's insights into the lives of interesting women, some of whom remain on the periphery of knowledge, is a definite strength. Another of the book's many strengths is the impressive amount of archival work, examining governmental records, legal documents, and diplomatic dispatches, supplemented by an extensive review of biographies and literary works to investigate how the reputations of these women have developed and evolved over a period of time. The quality of the research pulls together information not readily available while serving as a corrective for misinformation that has been treated as accurate and repeated again and again as such.'— Debra Barrett-Graves, professor, Department of English, California State University, East Bay