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Young and Damned and Fair

The Life and Tragedy of Catherine Howard at the Court of Henry VIII

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Young and Damned and Fair

By: Gareth Russell
Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2017

Born into nobility and married into the royal family, Catherine Howard was attended every waking hour – secrets were impossible to keep. In this thrilling reappraisal of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Gareth Russell’s history unfurls as if in real time to explain how the queen’s career ended with one of the great scandals of Henry’s reign. This is a grand tale of the Henrician court in its twilight, a glittering but pernicious sunset during which the king’s unstable behaviour and his courtiers’ labyrinthine deceptions proved fatal to many, not just to Catherine Howard.

 Europe Great Britain Historical Politics & Activism Renaissance Royalty Marriage England Thought-Provoking Middle Ages Tudor
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Critic reviews

A Daily Mail Book of the Week
‘A stunning reappraisal of the tragic life of Henry VIII’S fifth wife’ The Times
‘A timely and powerful re-examination of Henry's fifth queen … Gareth Russell has done some beautiful new research to indicate that Catherine was not as foolish as some historians have suggested, and that her death was managed and manipulated by her offended husband, purely for his own revenge … I love it when historians take the women who have been neglected by history seriously and study their lives rather than accepting stereotypes’ Philippa Gregory
‘“Young and Damned and Fair” is everything a historical biography should be’ Kathryn Warner, author of "Edward II: The Unconventional King"
‘Russell marries slick storytelling with a great wealth of learning about sixteenth-century personalities and politics. The result is a book that leads us deep into the nightmarish final years of Henry VIII's reign, wrenching open the intrigues of a poisonous court in a realm seething with discontent. At the heart of it all is the fragile, tragic figure of Catherine Howard, whose awful fate is almost unbearable to watch as it unfolds. This is authoritative Tudor history written with a novelist's lightness of touch. A terrific achievement’ Dan Jones
‘A magnificent account of the rise and fall of Henry VIII's tragic fifth queen – compelling, thought-provoking and above all real. In Russell's meticulously researched narrative Catherine Howard and her household are brought to life as never before. Hugely enjoyable’ Adrian Tinniswood
‘This fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking account of Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife brings to life the cruel, gossip-fuelled, back-stabbing world of the court in which Catherine Howard rose and fell. The uncommonly talented Gareth Russell has produced a masterly work of Tudor history that is engrossing, sympathetic, suspenseful, and illuminating’ Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws
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Kathryn Howard is probably the the most intriguing of Henry VIII wife's seeing as we know so little about her and what we think we know is most likely wrong and her story has so greatly been distorted by time. But Russel a historian attempts here to shine a new light on her the woman who broke my dear Henry's heart.

Note on the narrator she reads quite fast so listen at slower pace.

Interesting

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A few questionable pronunciations of words by the narrator but otherwise a compelling and comprehensive enough history of the ill-fated Katherine Howard.

Compelling history of Henry VIII’s teenage bride

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Loved this book so many Interesting details about Tudor court life . Thoroughly recommend book

Brilliant !

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It is rare to find an Historian so carefully conscientious in the accuracy of their written words and one who has such an easy flowing straight manner. The only other I know of, is Alison Weir. There are many historians who write marvellous stuff but their style and convoluted round and round are good at putting you to sleep! And by the end of the paragraph or paragraphs you have forgotten the point or the episode that it was all about.
After giving you well research content he leaves you to your own opinions of which you will have many!

Having said all that, she (Catherine) must have been insane!!! Or to have had a libido out of all proportion, and totally unmanageable.

Thank you Gareth Russell welcome to the world of history.

I shall read all by this author.

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You can listen to this book like it’s a story but knowing how well researched it is and the facts presented make it worth the listen. The narrator does an amazing job too.

10/10

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