Young and damned and fair : the life of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry VIII Cover Image

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Young and damned and fair : the life of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry VIII / Gareth Russell.

Summary:

"Written with narrative flair and historical authority, this biography of the tragic life of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, breaks new ground in our understanding of the young, doomed woman who became queen at a time of unprecedented social and political tension. On the morning of July 28, 1540, as King Henry VIII's former confidant Thomas Cromwell was being led to his execution, a teenager named Catherine Howard began her reign as queen of a country simmering with rebellion and terrifying uncertainty. Nineteen months later, she was on the scaffold, accused of adultery and high treason. Until now, Catherine 's story has been incomplete. Unlike previous accounts of her life, which portray her as a naive victim of an ambitious family, this compelling and authoritative biography reexamines her motives and social milieu, including both fellow aristocrats and the servants who eventually conspired against her. By illuminating Catherine's entwined upstairs/downstairs worlds and societal tensions beyond the palace walls, Gareth Russell offers a fascinating portrait of court life and the forces that led to Catherine 's execution--from diplomatic pressure and international politics to the long-festering resentments against the queen's household at court. Including a forgotten text of Catherine 's confession, Young and Damned and Fair changes our understanding of one of history's most famous women while telling the compelling and very human story of complex individuals attempting to survive in a dangerous age."--Jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 9781501108631
ISBN: 1501108638
ISBN: 9781501108648 (trade pbk.)
ISBN: 1501108646 (trade pbk.)
Physical Description: xxiv, 436 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), map ; 25 cm
Edition: First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
Publisher: New York, NY : Simon & Schuster, 2017.
Copyright: ©2016

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-415) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

The hour of our death -- "Our fathers in their generation" -- Lord Edmund's daughter -- The Howards of Horsham -- "Mad wenches" -- "The King's highness did cast a fantasy" -- "The charms of Catherine Howard" -- "The Queen of Britain will not forget" -- "All these ladies and my whole kingdom" -- The Queen's brothers -- The return of Francis Dereham -- Jewels -- Lent -- "For they will look upon you" -- The errands of Morris and Webb -- The girl in the silver dress -- The chase -- Waiting for the King of Scots -- "Being examined by my lord of Canterbury" -- A greater abomination -- The King has changed his love into hatred -- Ars moriendi -- The shade of Persephone.