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| #traitorsofthetower |
As always, Alison Weir's work is very readable. She sticks to the known facts and doesn't add a bunch of her own twists but in these seven cases, the facts are interesting enough without embellishment to provide an hour of enjoyment.
The book begins with Lord Hastings who was beheaded in the Tower of London by Richard of Gloucester on the eve of his seizing the throne in 1483. Her explanation is one of the best I have ever read and it has shaken my faith in the innocence of King Richard III.
Next comes Queen Anne Boleyn who was as much a victim of her own ambition and ill temper as anyone who was ever executed in the Tower.
Margaret Pole, Duchess of Salisbury is about as saintly a victim as the tower has ever seen except perhaps for Thomas More. She was King Henry VIII cousin and it was her royal blood and unruly sons that caused her demise. She is the Maggie of the White Princess if you were a fan of that series.
Queen Katherine Howard was probably the stupidest person ever beheaded on Tower Green but it never is a smart thing to cheat on an old and jealous husband who has already beheaded a wife for adultery.
Lady Jane Rochford is probably the most deserving of the victims in this book, not much good can be said about her.
The most innocent and heartbreaking traitor is Lady Jane Grey, she never wanted to be queen, never wanted to threaten her cousin Queen Mary and as the pawn of her parents and in-laws lost her head.
The last traitor truly was a traitor, Robert Devereaux did plot against Queen Elizabeth I but his big sin was seeing her as the old aged woman that she had become.
These are the seven people that we meet in this book and it is so worth a read. I bought it from Abe Books and I recommend, if you are looking for a short and sweet read, you give this one a try.
