Catherine of Aragon: An Intimate Life of Henry VIII's True Wife

I'm only 1/4 into this thick book, but am thoroughly fascinated with the story. I first became interested in Henry VIII's queens after seeing the PBS series "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". I now have books on all 6 queens and have started with his first queen, Catherine. It is filled with details. The book came in perfect, brand-new condition.

A-One condition!!!! The book was pristine!!!

I was happy to finally get a book that focused on Catherine of Aragon's entire life, not just her time as a banished ex-queen. I found this book to be informative and a pleasure to read, although at some points there seemed to be too much detail and at some points entire years are glossed over. The book truly comes alive when we are given entire excerpts of Catherine's writings, as you come to know her as a woman and not just a historical figure. Overall, I would recommend to anyone interested in this fascinating period in English history.

You know how when you start reading a book you are able to tell if it's going to draw you in? The author's style has everything to do with that. I am only on page 86 but already am completely drawn into this story. I know a lot about Catherine of Aragon, but the information contained in this book is much more than what happened to her after her marriage to Henry VIII. Her childhood, and her family are explored, and in a very interesting way. New facts. I love a well written book about a subject I enjoy, this is that book.

It is a very interesting story. It is written as a factual retelling of events in a poetic and descriptive way. If you like that style of writing you will enjoy this book but if you like sweeping romantic novels with some fictional aspects and events told from each character’s point of view, it may not be your cup of tea.

Very insightful, interesting and intriguing book. What a woman.

This book was already shipped within 2 hours of ordering and came days before two other books I bought. It is in beautiful condition, was well packaged, and I will absolutely buy from this seller again.

Another outstanding book beautiful cover it’s very thick which I love !!! The gorgeous colored photos added about the Queen was so breath taking !! Absolutely love can’t wait to purchase another book ! Amazon always got the good stuff !!

This is a wonderful new biography of a much misunderstood and maligned Queen. As Henry VIII's first Queen she is too often judged and condemned by the fact she would not grant her husband a divorce so that he could marry his mistress the brazen and deeply unpopular Anne Boleyn. Catherine had been born a princess of Spain and came to England in 1501 to marry the sickly Arthur prince of wales. Theirs was a tumultuous marriage celebrated with great pomp and pageantry. However, their union was brief as Arthur died suddenly in 1502. Catherine's position remained tenuous for many years and she struggled with a eating disorder. However, after great personal sacrifices she married Arthur's younger brother now King Henry VIII in 1509. She was a popular and much loved Queen and for many years she and Henry were happy although he was always unfaithful to her. Their union seemed complete with the birth of their son Henry in 1511. But he died within weeks of his birth and Catherine despite several pregnancies could only produce one daughter Mary born in 1516. Gradually, Henry's frustration at a lack of a male heir decide upon taking another wife and divorcing Catherine. this she vehemently opposed over several years and saw a hardening of the heart from a vindictive and spiteful Henry. He exiled Catherine and cruelly denied her access to their daughter Mary. she died in 1536 still confessing her undying love for her husband Henry and believed she was his one true wife. Amy License's book explores this tempestuous life and shows Catherine to be a remarkably learned and gifted woman beloved of the English people who, in the main, remained loyal and adored her to the very end. She was a woman of great influence through her Spanish relations and was a consummate politician. Amy believes as I do that this amazing woman is deserving of greater respect and appreciation then is often given her by most historians of the period. Its a very long and exhaustively researched book that I thoroughly recommend to both the academic and general historian, buy it now!

Molto bello

I am so addicted to reading this!!! I became interested in Catherine’s story after watching ‘The Spanish Princess’ and ‘The Tudors.’ I really connected and empathised with her on screen presence so was eager to learn more about her as a real person. I purchased the book with an interest to learn what was historically accurate and what life was like for her as a young Princess, widow and Queen. I can’t put the book down! I’m really fascinated with her story. I would highly recommend the buy; with the book including information about maps, renaissance art and other findings going on at the same time across different Countries. The only negative comment I can give is that when the author describes the different paintings of Catherine, Arthur and Henry; I would have loved to see these paintings as images alongside her descriptions. But other than that, I am very happy with this purchase.

Catherine of Aragon: the words themselves have a grandeur and dignity. This biography captures these elements of the character of Henry the Eight's first wife (his true wife, as she always believed herself to be) and also does not shrink from her other personality traits of stubborn adherence to her faith and her total inability to compromise. This clever book takes us right back through the history of her family, the political and personal elements of the marriage of her parents, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, whose profound religiosity saw them expel both Moors and Jews from Spain and sponsor the Spanish Inquisition: they also supported Christopher Columbus in his search for the new world. So clearly, from the outset, this Spanish princess knew about power, its uses and abuses and in the person of her formidable mother, had a role model like no other. Her destiny, of which she was aware from her earliest days, was to be Princess of Wales and eventually Queen of England through her marriage to Prince Arthur. Henry the Seventh and his queen Elizabeth of York negotiated for years to bring this about and her arrival in England was greeted with relief and enthusiasm. So far, so dynastic. However, mere months after her gorgeous Westminster wedding, at Ludlow Castle, in the depths of Wales, disease and disaster struck. Her young bridegroom died with no conclusive evidence that he had been a husband in the fullest sense: this event shattered his parents and pitched his young widow into years of uncertainty about her future and would come back to haunt her. Negotiations were reopened to secure a revised Spanish alliance through a second betrothal to Arthur's younger brother. As Henry was some years from his maturity, Catherine had to play a waiting game as political landscapes changed, both her mother and mother-in-law died and she was caught between Henry the Seventh and King Ferdinand, who argued endlessly about dowry payments, alliances with the French and who would maintain the young woman until her future was decided. Neither king comes out of this situation looking good, despite both professing love and support: the poor girl was reduced at times to selling her possessions in order to eat, her staff never got paid and her poverty was very real. We know the next bit in great detail: Henry the Eighth inherits, marries the lonely princess, and a life of riches, glamour, diplomatic influence, love and happiness beckons. However, the expected nursery full of heirs and spares did not materialise and their one surviving daughter was not a sufficient safeguard for the Tudor dynasty. Henry's always wandering eye alighted on a lady of the court, Anne Boleyn who held out for marriage and promised precious sons: the rest as they say is history. To divorce the devoted Catherine was no small undertaking and the upheavals both religious and political, not to mention personal, went on for years. There is a real sense that if Catherine had been more flexible, more willing to compromise - not so much her mother's daughter perhaps - then much misery could be been avoided. As a result, Henry's love turned to exasperation and eventually to hatred: her life once again became one of poverty, in draughty castles far from the comfort of the court, and in her final hours she reaffirmed that the only person she wanted to see was the man to whom she had given her life, her love, her fertility and her absolute trust. It was a genuine tragedy and Amy Licence has explained the circumstances in immense detail in this big and beautiful book, which at times reads like a novel. The illustrations are very good, although a few more portraits of Catherine in her early years would have been good to see, but that is a minor quibble. Highly recommended

This is the first book by this author I have read and absolutely loved it. I read a lot of none fiction and there aren't a lot of authors who can combine fact from reliable sources with an entertaining discussion of what might only be gossip or hearsay. The pages describing what might or might not have happened on Catherine's wedding night with Arthur was very well written: not deliberately salacious, nor titillating, but genuinely exploring the topic and ultimately saying 'we'll never know'. I enjoyed her voice throughout, and felt like I got a very clear picture of Catherine's personality. This is an excellent biography for anyone who wants to know more about the queen, or even the Tudor period as the evocation of the time is so clear. I can't wait to read more!