The Lady in the Tower (Queens of England Series)

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Summary: Jean Plaidy was the best
Review: I've always loved Jean Plaidy's books and I'm so happy her Tudor series is being reprinted. The Lady in the Tower is the story of Anne Boleyn. It begins and ends in the Tower with Anne, tired, wiser, and almost ready to die; trying to figure out where things went wrong. Once she was a king's beloved, now that same king was so sick of her that he'd signed her death warrant. How did she fall so far and so fast? Thus, the incredible story begins.
Most biographies, fictional or not tend to skip over her years in France but this one spends quite a lot of time on them and it's to good effect. Anne's life in France helps to explain her actions in England. This is a sympathetic portrait that shows Anne as impetuous, thoughtless at times, and too ambitious but not the evil, scheming seductress that she's been painted as. Brilliant. If you've never read Jean Plaidy, this is a good one to begin with.

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Summary: The most scintillating account of Anne Boleyn's life yet!
Review: Jean Plaidy weaves a complex portrait of the fascinating Anne Boleyn, leading the reader through her childhood to her death.

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Summary: Explanation of why it's boring
Review: The first half is a lot more detailed and imaginative than the second, when it appears that the author got tired and started rushing through to the end we all know is coming. "I got pregnant, then I lost the child" is not the stuff of gripping psychological drama. Pick up Margaret George instead.

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Summary: Great record of Anne Boleyn's story with the Tudors
Review: This book right from the first page drives you in. It begins as a flash forward. And right away it lures you in. The first chapter is called "The Prisoner" and is flash forwarding to the end of the book. Hence the title The Lady in the Tower. The chapter makes you think why is Anne Boleyn in the tower and is a prisoner if she is queen of England? What did she do? Was it her fault? It keeps you coming back for more, wondering what her fate will be.
Even though you will find this book in the historical fiction section it is loaded with fact and evidence and good reasoning of this time period. This book all and all to me is more a love story then anything else. Also, it is loaded with drama which comes from every sentence. The author, Jean Plaidy, blends all the drama and love into the book with good historical interest and knowledge.
If you are a fan of romance novels this is a good book to read, actually this book touches a lot of different kinds of interests. You might be a romantic and love this book or you could be like myself and am a historical fan and really get into this book. All and all it was a well put together book the story line is good and it keeps you interested. I look forward to reading the rest of the series on Henry VIII's wives. This book is a great account for the story of Anne Boleyn's tragic fate.

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Summary: One Who Won All and Lost All. . .
Review: This is probably the best and most detailed first person account of Anne Boleyn ever written. It shows us Anne the woman, who had actual thoughts and feelings. It also untangles the web of politics in the Court of Henry VIII. If you want a wonderful account of Anne Boleyn, this is the book for you! I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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Summary: A Wonderful Example of True Historical Fiction...
Review: This is the book that introduced me to Jean Plaidy. I have since read at least 30 of her books, and none of them contain the tawdry, psuedo-historical fiction so common today. Being a dedicated anglophile, Jean Plaidy's works have become a starting point to a better understanding of English history. Her bibliographies have become useful aids in this endeavor. "The Lady in the Tower" takes the reader on a journey through the life of one of the most famous women of the Renaissance, Anne Boleyn. I personally enjoyed how she acquired her education, her sparkling wit and her unquestionable finesse at the French court under the tutelage of Marguarite, the tantalizing sister of Francis I of France. I also appreciated the lessons Anne learned early on in life by the treatment of Queen Claude, the experience of her sister Mary, and the skillful management of King Francis. This is also the story of a middle-aged man who had known limitless power for twenty years, and then sees his will thwarted for the first time by God (no sons), his first wife (by not instantly acceding to his wishes as she always had), his trusted Chancellor (Wolsey who simply could not singlehandedly change the political realities of his day) and, finally, by the first exciting woman to say him nay FOR YEARS. The reader sees how not just Anne changes, but also how Katherine of Aragon, Henry & the entire court metamorphose into the unrecognizable shells of the optimistic youths they once were. It's the story of aging, of reaping what we sow.

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Summary: Real sleeper
Review: This was one evening I will never get back. This book is definately lacking.