29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At Last, An Accurate Portrait of Mary I, February 27, 2002
By A Customer
Too many books about Mary I, Queen of England, daughter of Henry VIII, portray her as either cruel and vindictive, or as a religious fanatic out to stifle the religious freedom of her subjects. David Loades' biography is a welcome exception.
Mr. Loades tells the story of the shy Princess of Wales who was, successively, virtually disowned by her father; hounded for her devotion to her mother and her Church; forced to compromise her beliefs; constantly threatened by her brother's regency council; almost deprived of her rightful elevation to the throne by an upstart cousin; and finally accepted as queen by most of her people; then ultimately branded as "Bloody Mary" by history.
In fact, as this book shows, Mary Tudor remained throughout her life a pious, quiet, trusting woman whose worst mistke was perhaps that she allowed herself to be too influenced by her advisers and confidantes (such as Emperor Charles V and Cardinal Pole). This "mildest and most merciful of the Tudors," when she acted harshly, did so only out of a sense of duty --- a monarch must punish wrongdoers and rebels.
As for the charge that Mary I tampered with her people's religious freedom, that is absurd. There was no such thing as religious freedom anywhere in Britain or the world in the sixteenth century. On the contrary, as Loades points out, Mary's religious views probably reflected those of most of her subjects. It was only after her death, when her sister Elizabeth took power, that Mary's reputation began to be soiled.
A good part of this book --- perhaps a bit too much of it --- is devoted to all the intrigues and "wheeling-and-dealing" involved in royal marriage arrangements. Not just involving Mary, but also Elizabeth, and their lusty father as well. Still, such details are necessary, if tedious, as marriage was an important concern of Medieval royalty.
To sum up, this is an excellent book, and should be read by all scholars and amateur historians interested in the Tudor period. I think it gives an accurate account of Mary I, without either ignoring her failures or concentrating solely on her (not deserved) reputation. If this book is still out of print, it should be reprinted. It is a necessary book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Super Awesome!, November 13, 2008
This review is from: Mary Tudor: A Life (Paperback)
As the name of my review implies, I thought this book was super awesome. I read Carolly's biography of Mary and thought it was great, and since I had spent so much time reading about her father and sister, I thought I would give Mary another go. I was not dissapointed in the least. I didn't want it to end. This book really gives a good all around picture of Mary as a person, and that's what I go for. Get it.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
David Loades can do better, May 31, 2009
This review is from: Mary Tudor: A Life (Paperback)
Mary Tudor lived in a such a fascinating swirl of people and events, I expected to be swept away by this biography, but it is mostly a dry collection of facts, such as the recounting of every marriage discussion and negotiation on Mary's behalf, which were numerous. The book doesn't deliver a well fleshed-out point of view about Mary's character, although having read his excellent Elizabeth I, I know Loades is capable of this. In his introduction, he states that Mary was a "profoundly conventional woman" (particularly when compared to her sister Elizabeth). It would've been terrific if he had expounded on his opinions in addition to the facts. A great complement to Loades' book is Carolly Erickson's Bloody Mary, a highly descriptive and psychologically riveting book (although it is 30 years old and some new facts have emerged). I am a 30-year reader of Tudor history and would recommend Loades' book only to those who are already very familiar with Mary I.
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