Catherine of Aragon:The Spanish Queen of HenryVIII

[HM]

For anyone interested in the Tudor Era, this is a fantastic book. It details the life of Catherine of Aragon, from birth through her death. The beginning of the book (about her toddler to early teens) is not as detailed as the rest, so I felt that part was lacking. The book offers great insight into Catherine's personality, including speculation that she used illness to gain sympathy in times of stress.

If you want to learn more about the wife who had to deal with Henry for 24 years, this is a great book.

[Fran]

For anyone interested in the Tudor Era, this is a fantastic book. It details the life of Catherine of Aragon, from birth through her death. The beginning of the book (about her toddler to early teens) is not as detailed as the rest, so I felt that part was lacking. The book offers great insight into Catherine's personality, including speculation that she used illness to gain sympathy in times of stress.

If you want to learn more about the wife who had to deal with Henry for 24 years, this is a great book.

She was indeed a fascinating character. I've been watching the series The Tudors recently & IMO the adult Catherine is superbly depicted by Irish Actress Maria Doyle Kennedy ... hard not to feel sorry for all the women in the series manipulated as they are by Church, family & of course, good old Henry!

Philippa Gregory's The Constant Princess is also a great read if you're interested in Catherine ... that was the first I'd heard that Catherine was married to Henry's older brother before she married Henry, which of course, led to all the 'agro' when Henry wanted the marriage annulled. The book gives a great insight into her early life and the influences that moulded her & also I think into why she could not possibly countenance an annulment or divorce later on.