Contemporary Authors

• 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII Lion (Oxford, England), 2009
• A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England Ebury Press (London, England), 2012
• Henry VIII and the Court: Art, Politics and Performance Ashgate (Burlington, VT), 2013
• The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII Head of Zeus (London, England), 2015

1. The king is dead : the last will and testament of Henry VIII LCCN 2015514444 Type of material Book Personal name Lipscomb, Suzannah, author. Main title The king is dead : the last will and testament of Henry VIII / Suzannah Lipscomb. Published/Produced London : Head of Zeus, 2015. ©2015 Description 238 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 20 cm ISBN 9781784081928 (hbk.) 1784081922 (hbk.) (ePub ebook) Shelf Location FLS2016 044368 CALL NUMBER DA332 .L53 2015 OVERFLOWJ34 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms (FLS2) 2. Henry VIII and the court : art, politics and performance LCCN 2012026019 Type of material Book Main title Henry VIII and the court : art, politics and performance / edited by Thomas Betteridge and Suzannah Lipscomb. Published/Created Farnham, Surrey ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate, 2013. Description xviii, 327 p. [20] p. of plates ; 24 cm. ISBN 9781409411857 (hardcover : alk. paper) Shelf Location FLM2014 008251 CALL NUMBER DA332 .H465 2012 OVERFLOWA5S Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms (FLM1) 3. A journey through Tudor England LCCN 2013474178 Type of material Book Personal name Lipscomb, Suzannah, author. Uniform title Visitor's companion to Tudor England Main title A journey through Tudor England / Suzannah Lipscomb. Edition First Pegasus Books edition. Published/Produced New York ; London : Pegasus Books, 2013. New York : W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Description 326 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm ISBN 9781605984605 1605984604 Shelf Location FLS2014 016025 CALL NUMBER DA315 .L54 2013 OVERFLOWA5S Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms (FLS1) 4. 1536 : the year that changed Henry VIII LCCN 2010549091 Type of material Book Personal name Lipscomb, Suzannah. Main title 1536 : the year that changed Henry VIII / Suzannah Lipscomb. Edition 1st ed. Published/Created Oxford : Lion, 2009. Description 240 p., 8 p. of plates : ill. ; 22 cm. ISBN 9780745953656 (UK : hbk.) 0745953654 (UK : hbk.) 9780825479380 (US : hbk.) 082547938X (US : hbk.) 0745953328 (UK : pbk.) 0825479223 (US : pbk.) 9780745953328 (UK pbk.) 9780825479229 (US pbk.) CALL NUMBER DA339 .L57 2009 Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms

• Suzannah Lipscomb - http://suzannahlipscomb.com/about/

  About

  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb MA, MSt, DPhil (Oxon), F.R.Hist.S. is an historian, author, broadcaster, and award-winning academic.

  Suzannah is Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History and Fellow of the New College of the Humanities, London, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

  Her research focuses on the sixteenth century, both on English and French history. She works on Henry VIII and the early Tudor court, and is especially interested in the intersection of religious, gender, political, social, and psychological history. This has led her to write about Henry VIII’s annus horribilis, 1536; Anne Boleyn’s fall; and the creation of Henry VIII’s last will and testament. She is also interested in religion, gender, and sexuality in sixteenth-century France, on which she is currently writing, and has additionally published on heritage and public history, writing a regular column for History Today that explores the role of history outside the academy.

  Academic Career

  Suzannah was educated at Epsom College (where she is now a Governor) and Lincoln College, Oxford. After taking a double first in Modern History and a distinction in her Masters in Historical Research, she won the Jowett Senior Scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford, to read her D.Phil. in history, which she was awarded in 2009.

  In 2006-7, Suzannah was a Royal Historical Society Marshall Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research. From 2007 to 2010, Suzannah was Research Curator at Hampton Court Palace (Historic Royal Palaces), and was one of the lead curators responsible for creating a new visitor experience in the Tudor Palace to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne in 2009. Her post was funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. For her achievements during this time, Suzannah won the AHRC 2011 ‘Humanities in the Creative Economy’ Award.

  In 2009, Suzannah also organised a series of high profile events, including ‘The Henry VIII Talks at Hampton Court Palace’ in association with History Today, and a major three-day international academic conference on Henry VIII and the Tudor Court. Suzannah was subsequently a consultant to Historic Royal Palaces and an External Advisory Member on their Research Strategy Board.

  In September 2010, Suzannah was appointed Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia. In 2011, she was awarded a public engagement grant (People Award) from the Wellcome Trust to fund ‘All the King’s Fools’, a performance project in which actors with learning disabilities played the Tudor period’s ‘natural fools’ at Hampton Court Palace, which won a 2012 Museums + Heritage Award for Excellence.

  From September 2011-2016, she was Head of the Faculty of History at New College of the Humanities (NCH), and a member of the Academic Board, responsible for the academic governance of NCH. As one of the first two academics at NCH, she established and recruited the founding history faculty, developed College policies and procedures, and was responsible for overseeing the design and validation of the NCH BA in History with a minor subject, and NCH MA in Historical Research and Public History. In her last year of managing the Faculty, more than 50% of graduating students obtained a First Class degree (externally marked). After five years, Suzannah decided to step down from the headship in 2016 in order to concentrate on her research and teaching. Her teaching comprises lectures and tutorials on British history 1450-1689, European history 1500-1800, and public history; she designed, teaches, and examines BA and MA modules on Sixteenth-Century England, Public History, Cross-Cultural Encounters in the Early Modern World, Britain and the Wider World, and History, Heritage, and Memory (the latter two co-designed, and team-taught and examined).

  In 2012, she was awarded the Nancy Roelker Prize by the Sixteenth Century Society for her journal article, ‘Crossing Boundaries: Women’s Gossip, Insults and Violence in Sixteenth-Century France’ in French History (Vol 25, No. 4), and was made a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

  Broadcasting

  Suzannah’s most recent documentary was a three-part new series on Elizabeth I with Dan Jones in May 2017 on Channel Five.

  Other TV work includes:

  Hidden Killers of the Post-War Home, Suzannah wrote and presented, this and it aired on BBC Four in May 2016.

  Insert Name Here - Suzannah appeared on both series of this comedy panel show on BBC Two, in 2016 and 2017.

  Henry VIII and His Six Wives, a four-part series that she co-wrote and co-presented with Dan Jones, which aired on Channel Five in April and May 2016.

  Witch Hunt: A Century of Murder, a two-part series that she wrote and presented, which aired on Channel Five on 13 and 20 October 2015.

  Hidden Killers of the Tudor Home, which she wrote and presented, and which aired on BBC Four on 20 January 2015 as part of the Wolf Hall season. Also, as part of the Wolf Hall season, The Last Days of Anne Boleyn (in which Suzannah was interviewed) was repeated on BBC Two.

  Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History was a two-part series for Channel Five(which aired in February-March 2014) that Suzannah wrote and presented.

  I Never Knew that About Britain was an eight-part series for ITV that Suzannah co-presented with Paul Martin and Steve Mould (which aired March-April 2014 and was repeated in January-February 2015)

  New Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home and Hidden Killers of the Edwardian Home, a two-part series for BBC Four which Suzannah wrote and presented, aired in December 2013.

  The first Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home, which she wrote and presented, and which aired on BBC Four, in April 2013.

  Bloody Tales of Europe and Bloody Tales of the Tower, co-presented with Joe Crowley, which aired on National Geographic Channel in 2013 and 2014.

  Her list of credits also includes presenting on The Book Show (Sky Arts), Secret Life Of… (Yesterday, UK and History, Canada) and Inside the World of Henry VIII (History, UK), and appearances on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (BBC Two), The One Show (BBC One), BBC Breakfast (BBC One), Newsnight (BBC Two), The Great British Weather Show (BBC One), The Last Days of Anne Boleyn (BBC 2), GMTV (ITV), Sky News, Museum Secrets (Yesterday, UK and History, Canada), BBC News, ITV London etc. She regularly appeared on Time Team’s Season 20, (2013, Channel 4). As a royal historian, she commentated live from a studio at Buckingham Palace on the Royal Wedding for CTV, and on the birth of HRH Prince George of Cambridge for BBC News, BBC World, NBS, Sky News, LBC and BBC Radio 5 Live.

  Her most recent radio work was talking about the value of apologies for historic wrongs on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on 17 January 2017, and her choice for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives, C.S. Lewis, with Matthew Parris and Malcolm Guite, which aired on 3 January 2017. Other radio broadcasts include further appearances on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Free Thinking on Radio 3 in October 2015, presenting BBC Radio 3′s The Essay, presenter’s friend on BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC, and appearances on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, Front Row, Making History and the Six O’Clock News, BBC Radio 5 Live, LBC, NPR and many local radio stations.

• Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzannah_Lipscomb

  Suzannah Lipscomb
  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Suzannah Lipscomb
  Suzannah Lipscomb 2013.jpg
  Lipscomb speaking in 2013
  Born 1978 (age 38–39)
  Residence Shepherd's Bush, London, England
  Nationality British
  Fields History
  Institutions
  University of East Anglia
  New College of the Humanities
  Alma mater
  Lincoln College, Oxford, MA (Oxon)
  Balliol College, Oxford, D.Phil
  Website
  suzannahlipscomb.com
  Suzannah Rebecca Gabriella Lipscomb[1][2] (born 1978[3]) is a British historian, academic and television presenter who has written and appeared in a number of television and radio programmes about British history.

  Contents [hide]
  1 Early life and education
  2 Personal life
  3 Career
  4 Bibliography
  5 References
  6 External links
  Early life and education
  Lipscomb grew up in Surrey near Hampton Court Palace which she credits for sowing "the seeds of a lifelong fascination with the Tudors".[4] She was educated at Nonsuch High School for Girls, Epsom College, and Lincoln and Balliol colleges of the University of Oxford.[5][6][7][8] She was awarded her Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford in 2009 with a dissertation entitled Maids, Wives, and Mistresses: Disciplined Women in Reformation Languedoc.[9]

  While completing her dissertation she also worked as a curator at Hampton Court Palace where she was responsible for organising a series of exhibitions held throughout the spring and summer of 2009 to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII of England's accession to the throne.[8] The programme won the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) sponsored KTP Award for Humanities for the Creative Economy. See page 20 of.[10][11] She is a consultant to Historic Royal Palaces and is an external member of their research strategy board.[12]

  Personal life
  In May 2016, Lipscomb was one of 300 prominent historians, including Simon Schama and Niall Ferguson, who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian warning voters that if they chose to leave the European Union on 23 June they would be condemning Britain to irrelevance.[13][14]

  Career
  Lipscomb was a lecturer in history at the University of East Anglia.[15] In 2011 Lipscomb was awarded an Arts and Humanities Research Council-sponsored KTP Award, "Humanities for the Creative Economy".[16]

  In 2011 Lipscomb was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.[17]

  From September 2011 she was Head of the Faculty of History at the New College of the Humanities, stepping down in September 2016 to concentrate on research and teaching. She remains a Senior Lecturer and Fellow in Early Modern History at NCH.[18][19] Lipscomb also serves as a governor at Epsom College.[20]

  In 2012 Lipscomb was awarded the Nancy Lyman Roelker Prize by the Sixteenth Century Society for her journal article "Crossing Boundaries: Women’s Gossip, Insults and Violence in Sixteenth-Century France" in French History (Vol 25, No. 4).[21][22]

  She contributed to five episodes of The Secret Life Of: for the Yesterday Channel.[23] The series was designed to give "tabloid treatment of historical icons"[24] and includes an episode where Lipscomb and co-host Lucy Worsley "revel in these raunchy titbits" about Henry VIII's love life.[25] Lipscomb also contributed to Time Team, Series 20, for Channel 4.[26]

  With Joe Crowley she presented Bloody Tales of Europe and Bloody Tales of the Tower for the National Geographic Channel.[27][28]

  In May 2013 Lipscomb appeared in The Last Days of Anne Boleyn on BBC Two with other historians and historical novelists, including David Starkey, Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel.[29]

  Lipscomb co-presented I Never Knew That About Britain, for ITV (2014). The series was described by The Independent's critic Ellen Jones as "too busy adorning the obvious with bunting to uncover anything truly fascinating".[30]

  She wrote and presented a two-part documentary Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History[31] for Channel 5. The Daily Telegraph critic Jake Wallis Simons called it "dumbed-down tommyrot".[32][33] However, the Radio Times said "Dr Suzannah Lipscomb can manage the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn perfectly well all by herself [without "ropey reconstructions"]".[34]

  She wrote and presented Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home for BBC Four,[35] as well as the follow up shows New Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home,[36] Hidden Killers of the Edwardian Home,[37][38] and Hidden Killers of the Tudor Home.[39] Clive James writing in the Daily Telegraph gave Hidden Killers of the Edwardian Home a positive review, "principally because Ms Lipscomb was almost as fascinating as her subject".[37] In May 2016, she wrote and presented Hidden Killers of the Post-War Home, again for BBC Four.[40]

  In October 2015 Lipscomb wrote and presented Witch Hunt: A Century of Murder, a two-part documentary for Channel 5.[41][42]

  In January 2016 she appeared on the BBC Two comedy panel game show Insert Name Here, and again in January 2017 she appeared in two episodes of Insert Name Here.[43]

  In April 2016, she co-wrote and co-presented, with Dan Jones, Henry VIII and His Six Wives,[44] which was shown on Channel 5.[45][46]

  On 13 December 2016 she appeared as a contestant on Series 6 of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip,[47] partnered with David Harper, against Kate Williams and Catherine Southon.[48]

  In January 2017 Lipscomb spoke about how C.S. Lewis had inspired her life on BBC Radio 4's Great Lives Series,[49] together with Malcolm Guite.

  In January 2017 Lipscomb appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme[50] to discuss the Archbishop of Canterbury's expected apology for the violence that followed the Protestant Reformation to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.[51]

  In May 2017, she co-wrote and co-presented a three-part docu-drama, with Dan Jones, Elizabeth I, for Channel 5.[52]

  For three consecutive evenings in May and June 2017 Lipscomb, with Dan Jones and engineer, Rob Bell presented, The Great Fire, for Channel 5, a series in which the three presenters walked the actual route the Great Fire of London took across the city.[53][54][55]

• Kyra Kramer - http://www.kyrackramer.com/2013/06/02/please-leave-dr-suzannah-lipscombs-hair-out-of-it/

  Home2013June2Please leave Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb’s hair out of it
  PLEASE LEAVE DR. SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB’S HAIR OUT OF IT

  Posted on June 2, 2013Author kyra 8 Comments on Please leave Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb’s hair out of it
  The Daily Mail has run an article interviewing Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb and I am torn equally between happiness and tears about it. Dr. Lipscomb is a renown historian and the author of several books, including one I found to be extremely valuable during my research, 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII. It is an excellent book and Dr. Lipscomb deserved every sentence every written or said in praise of her scholarship.

  So in light of her many accomplishments why in the name of all that is Holy did the reporter ask her about HAIR PRODUCTS and then print it as though it were germane to the interview??

  “One minute Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is discussing the bloody foibles of the Tudors, the next she is offering sage advice on the best product for curly hair. ‘Twisted Sista, spelt with an A,’ she says, twiddling her leonine locks while her nose stud twinkles in the sunlight. ‘You can get it at Superdrug, it’s brilliant and it’s really cheap.’ “

  Really? That’s your starting point, reporter Elizabeth Sanderson of Daily Mail??

  The article also goes out of the way to inform/remind the reader that not only is Dr. Lipscomb brilliant … she is pretty! You know, because that makes it okay for her to be smart and on TV? She is called “striking” only once, but the article features three very attractive pictures of her … all of them highlighting the fact she is young and thin with flowing blond locks and a lovely face.

  dr suzannah lipscomb

  It is being made clear via unspoken sociocultural messaging that it is “okay” that Dr. Lipscomb is fighting back against sexism is because she cannot be accused of being “ugly”. She is a comely woman and therefore cannot be charged with being a de facto “man-hating” and bitter feminist. These vexing circumstances are not her fault, of course. It’s just aggravating in the wider feminist context that a woman’s pulchritude (or lack of it) is continually signified to be incredibly important and relevant to what she is saying/thinking/doing.

  Moreover, I think Dr. Lipscomb would agree that this emphasis on her charms is annoying, considering that she specifically attacks the attitude that only women must look “right” (i.e. a foxy babe) to be seen in a larger medium:

  “In terms of television history, we haven’t got there [gender neutrality] yet. Instead, we live in a time where the critic A. A. Gill can claim the classicist, Mary Beard, is too ugly to appear on our screens. Suzannah says: ‘I think that was shameful. It would never happen if you were a man. You would never see them telling a slightly overweight man with white hair to shape up. I’m not saying she’s overweight, by the way – I’m thinking of the male historians who appear on television who may be, you know, not that prepossessing. ‘Yet there is very little comment in terms of their appearance because people are engaging with their ideas.’ And it is that engaging with ideas that matters most.”

  Obviously, I am happy that Dr. Lipscomb is receiving mass recognition for her contributions to history. I am thrilled a female historian is breaking into the traditional boy’s club of historical documentaries. I am ecstatic that in the article that she calls Dr. David Starkey out for sexism, and politicians such as former Prime Minister Tony Blair and current Prime Minister David Cameron out for basically lying about historical facts in their stump speeches. Frankly, Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb seems awesome and is someone I would really like to hang out with.

  I simply wish her visage wasn’t treated as something of such significant value.

  Just as irksome is the likelihood that her charms will be used against her, as well as for her. Someone, somewhere, sometime will imply or state outright that her visibility on TV is due as much to her countenance as her merits. (This happens to men as well, but not to the same extent or with the same frequency.) Her work will be partially or fully negated in favor of acclaiming her “cuteness”, and that sucks.

  As a small measure of proof that my discontent doesn’t stem solely from the over-analyzing semi-hysteria of an anthropologist who was trained to look for “messaging”, contrast the way the Daily Mail presents internationally famous author Hilary Mantel with the way it represented Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb. Mantel is almost always in a headshot photo. The only time the Daily Mail has shown a full length picture of Hilary Mantel was in a article about her weight.

  British author Hilary Mantel says that she has 'dreamed' of being thin again, and says she has struggled to accept her weight gain

  That article is also exasperating because although Mantel rails against the cultural construction that fat people are gluttonous “slobs” with lesser morals, the reader is reminded more than once that Mantel was “previously trim” woman who became overweight for sound medical reasons (unlike the rest of us rotund humans who have no “excuse” for our adipose tissue) and now “dreams of being thin again” and feels like she is in an “alien’s body”.

  Seriously, as long as there is the endless emphasis on a woman’s appearance then gender equality is going to remain elusive. Oh, and someone please tell the advertising industry that holding men up to the same ridiculous cultural mirror and making them insecure about their looks is NOT what feminists mean by equality!

• Independant - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/dr-suzannah-lipscomb-interview-the-historian-on-why-liszt-was-the-first-beatle-and-the-accident-that-a6827741.html

  QUOTE:
  "[B]ut there are good reasons for its popularity," Lipscomb noted. "It's the first period where we really know what people look like, thanks to Renaissance portraiture; we can all instantly bring to mind that extraordinary picture of Henry VIII. And so much of what has defined our country dates from that time: Shakespeare, the Church of England, the way we use Parliament, the beginning of empire."
  NewsPeopleProfiles
  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb interview: The historian on why Liszt was the first Beatle, and how Henry VIII became a tyrant
  Lipscomb is a historian and TV presenter best known for presenting shows such as 'Hidden Killers of the Tudor Home' and writing books including '1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII'

  Adam Jacques @adamjacques88 Sunday 24 January 2016 00:38 GMT3 comments

  851

  Click to follow
  The Independent Online
  SuzannahLipscomb-NewCollege.jpg
  Lipscomb says: 'There's nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure; we are supposed to manifest the glory of God that is in us' New College of the Humanities
  Sixteenth-century England has been totally overstudied It's what I thought when I first considered working on Henry VIII's court – but there are good reasons for its popularity. It's the first period where we really know what people look like, thanks to Renaissance portraiture; we can all instantly bring to mind that extraordinary picture of Henry VIII. And so much of what has defined our country dates from that time: Shakespeare, the Church of England, the way we use Parliament, the beginning of empire…

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  It seems possible that Henry VIII suffered brain damage In 1536, Henry VIII went from being athletic, accomplished, charismatic and good-looking – everyone liked him – to being fickle, irritable and ruthless. There was a crucial series of events that year, one being when he fell from his horse while jousting: he was unconscious for two hours. I can't prove brain damage, but it's possible. He never jousted again – it was the end of his active life and the beginning of his obesity.

  READ MORE
  The jousting accident that turned Henry VIII into a tyrant
  People say Anne of Cleves was lucky to keep her head, but she must have had a terrible time She was written off as the ugly wife, who went quietly and was sensible about it. She was 24 when she came to England with great hopes about being Queen of England and what basically happened was that Henry groped her a bit, decided she wasn't a virgin and was fat and smelly – a clear case of transference – then dumped her. It must have been really demeaning for her. She was too humiliated to go home.

  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us It's part of my favourite Nelson Mandela speech, in which he also said, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate… our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." There's nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure; we are supposed to manifest the glory of God that is in us. And when we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

  I probably drink too much I've decided to take it in hand, and for the first time I'm doing a dry January. It'll reduce my capacity for drinking, and then I've got another 11 months to work it back up to the previous point!

  READ MORE
  Tests obsession wrecks education, says historian
  Cambridge staff demand university drop David Starkey from campaign
  King Henry VIII crowned worst monarch in history while Queen Elizabeth
  The woman who nearly married Henry VIII: Book claims the king almost
  It would have been extraordinary to meet Mozart He was a nightmare by all accounts and very naughty. But he was also a genius. While we're talking composers, I'd like to have met Liszt, too: he played the piano very well and was good-looking: women would scream and faint like they did later with the Beatles.

  People in India break all our rules about not staring I'm drawn to India – I've been seven times – and I love the Himalayan foothills. It's an incredibly beautiful landscape and there's something about the "otherness" there – just like the otherness of the past. But you have to learn to deal with the staring: If you are tall, female, blonde and travelling in India and someone stares at you, don't look back!

  I'm addicted to buying books I can't go into a bookshop without buying one. I've had two floor-to-ceiling bookcases installed – one for the sitting room and one for the study – and they are full. I've got books piling up all over the place. In the end, there won't be room for anything else.

• The Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9134363/Dr-Suzannah-Lipscomb-My-dream-dinner-party-guests-from-history.html

  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb: My dream dinner party guests from history
  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb chooses six dream dinner companions from the past

  Eleanor of Aquitaine, This 12th-century queen of both France and England, is one of Dr Suzannah Lipscomb's dream dinner party guests Photo: MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY
  5:27PM GMT 09 Mar 2012
  Eleanor of Aquitaine
  This 12th-century queen of both France and England is utterly fascinating. Described by contemporaries as a “woman without compare”, Eleanor went on crusade to Jerusalem, had 10 children, was imprisoned for 10 years, and played an active role in politics and literary patronage, especially as regent for her son, Richard the Lionheart. Powerful and intelligent, she would be a great dinner guest.
  Will Somer
  Somer was a “natural fool” at the courts of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Known for his witty wordplay, he’d make us all laugh. Plus, a chronicler noted that he “had admission to the King at all times”, so he could spill the beans on what Henry VIII was really like, and – as natural fools were prized for speaking the truth when other men feared to – we’d get to hear it.
  Pocahontas
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  Also known as Rebecca Rolfe, Pocahontas was the Native American daughter of Chief Powhatan of Virginia. She was captured by the English in 1613 and subsequently converted to Christianity, choosing to abandon her people and marry an English tobacco planter called John Rolfe. They moved to England and she died at the age of 22. Many stories have circulated about her but I’d love to hear her side of events.
  Sir Thomas Roe
  Roe, a man “of pregnant understanding… and of a comelie personage”, was England’s first official ambassador to India and the court of the “Great Mogul”, Jahangir, in 1615-19. He knew both Elizabeth I and James I, and travelled to Guiana and the Ottoman Empire, but it’s his tales from his days as Jahangir’s drinking buddy and his insight into that fabled court that would make him a captivating dinner guest.
  Franz Liszt
  Liszt was the greatest performer who ever lived, the rock star of his day. He was so incredibly handsome and talented that women fainted when he played (his invitation would rest on the promise of a recital). And he’s an intriguing enigma, being both a Lothario and a monk in his lifetime.
  GK Chesterton
  Every party needs a bon vivant, and ours would have Chesterton. A novelist, essayist, literary critic, poet and theologian, he wrote more than 80 books. George Bernard Shaw called him “a man of colossal genius”: Chesterton was both formidably intelligent and colossal in girth. He was known for his generosity of spirit, as well as his fierce love of debate, and would be excellent company.
  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is senior lecturer and convener for history at New College of the Humanities, the author of A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England (Ebury) and the presenter of Bloody Tales of the Tower of London, to be shown on National Geographic in April

• Creation of Anne Boleyn - https://thecreationofanneboleyn.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/453/

  QUOT:
  In the end, I have mixed feelings. I strongly believe that people come to history through film and novels, and I’m very keen, as an historian, to meet people where they are at, and not create barriers to entry. If watching The Other Boleyn Girl makes them turn to a history book, or encourages them to visit Hampton Court, I’m all for it. But – I do think that the truth is often more interesting than the some of the fictions we are given.

  Susan’s Interview with Suzannah Lipscomb, author of 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII
  As many of you know, Susan has been interviewing several well-known authors for their views on Philippa Gregory, “The Tudors,” and the responsibility of fictional representations to historical fact. Today, in celebration of reaching 1536 ‘likes’, we present Susan’s interview with Suzannah Lipscomb, author of 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII.

  We all know that any work of imagination has to go beyond the recorded facts. I take that as a given. But do you think that there is a point at which historical fiction can go too far? If so, how would you describe the boundaries of what is acceptable and not?

  Great question. Many people learn most of their history from fiction, which gives novelists and filmmakers something of a responsibility, even if they shrug it off.

  Where I find historical fiction really works is when it fills in the gaps in the historical record imaginatively, sensitively and poignantly, and brings the past to life.

  For example, one thing that historical fiction has to do is to imagine what historical figures thought and felt, because, especially for a period like the sixteenth century, there is often a dearth of ego-literature – there are rarely helpful diaries with our characters’ reflections in them. We have some letters, we have some recorded speech, but fiction has much to add in filling in the gaps about people’s motivations, feelings, and thoughts.

  But going beyond that, I find that there are two ways in which historical fiction can sometimes go too far for me:

  1) getting basic facts wrong – like having Anne Boleyn executed with an axe or making Mary Boleyn the younger sister – things that can be easily verified (though because of that, I don’t mind it nearly as much – because interested readers can check the facts for themselves – as…)

  2) failing to recreate the mentality of the period, e.g. a common occurrence is making a character essentially atheistic at a period when that was very rare, or sexually liberated in a very 21st century way, or otherwise transposing modern day attitudes to a historical character. This is what bothers me most: the tendency to suggest that people in the past were exactly like us in all their thoughts and feelings, rather than focus on the mysterious difference, as well as the shared humanity.

  Ultimately, the key is whether readers are able to distinguish between fact and fiction if they want to.

  In an interview with me, Michael Hirst complained that while people were constantly criticizing “The Tudors” for its departures from historical record, “Wolf Hall” got nothing but praise for its almost entirely imaginative universe. Care to comment on that?

  Wolf Hall does what I suggest above – it fills in gaps in the historical record, but it impressively remains true to the sensitivities of the early 16th century (I remember, for example, Mantel commenting that novelty was a bad thing in the 16th century, which is absolutely true and contrasts with today’s sense of ‘brand new’ being good) and also stays pretty close to the known facts. The Tudors is a very different kettle of fish – it plays constantly fast and loose with established and basic facts about the period, it projects a 21st century mindset onto the past, it dresses its actors in non-historically accurate clothing (generally, making it far raunchier than the Tudor would have worn) etc: I think that’s why it has received greater criticism than Wolf Hall.

  Philippa Gregory, in various interviews and Q and A sessions, has claimed that everything she writes is based on “historical probability.” While she admits to “filling in the gaps”–which seems exactly appropriate for a fiction writer—many would argue that she does much more than this, that she ignores the historical record to create an alternative narrative, which she then passes off as grounded in history. She seems to want to claim for herself both the status of historian and the prerogatives of a fiction writer. Care to comment?

  Yes, this is interesting. Philippa Gregory, of course, has a doctorate in history[1], so is essentially trained as an historian and knows what she’s doing. But she does create alternative narratives, at times, which because of her standing have a tendency to stick. Also, I’m not sure I completely believe that everything she writes is based on ‘historical probability’: I can certainly think of exceptions in her writing. I think she does probably want to claim both roles.

  I noticed that in the earliest novels, authors often had a section devoted to outlining for readers what was created and what is factual in their works. We tend not to do that any more. Why not? And what do you think of such a practice?

  I think it’s a really good idea, and really helps the readers distinguish fact and fiction. My father-in-law is a historical novelist, funnily enough, and in his last series of books, he put an Author’s Note at the end to explain the research on which he had based the book, and the controversial decisions that he had made in staging the events as he did. I think it’s really useful for novelists to do this; I imagine authors don’t because they don’t feel any sense of responsibility to do so, and because their own narrative has become firmly lodged in their head.

  In our “post-Oliver Stone, post-O.J. Trial” era, in which (it seems to me), viewers/readers no longer have much ability to distinguish between different kinds of narratives, do you think the fact/fiction issue has become more problematic?

  I think it’s also related to:
  1) a general decrease in historical education, certainly here in the UK (even today, there’s an article about 156 schools in the country not offering history at GCSE, i.e. from 14 to 16 years old),
  2) the influence of postmodernism (as Portman says below) – all things are seen as equally believable and therefore also equally valid or invalid.

  Some defenders of Philippa Gregory have argued that “all history is interpretation anyway.” This was said, for example, by Natalie Portman, who played Anne in “the Other Boleyn Girl.” Neither she nor Scarlet Johansen nor Eric Bana did much research beyond readed PG’s novel, and seemed to think that getting the costuming and accents right was sufficient, because “all you got from historians was competing views, anyway.” Care to comment?

  I remember reading this interview with Natalie Portman and was shocked by the cavalier attitude it reveals. Of course, it’s a very postmodern view, and historians do provide different interpretations on sources – there’s no ‘book of facts’ out there. Yet, there are still verifiably accurate and inaccurate understandings, facts and fictions. And The Other Boleyn Girl as a film is full of historical nonsense that any historian would have been able to point out.

  It doesn’t necessarily matter that actors haven’t researched, though it helps – what matters is that the writers and directors have. I recently saw a play produced by theatre company Red Rose Chain called Fallen in Love: The Secret Heart of Anne Boleyn by Joanna Carrick, which managed to combine deep and accurate research with a dramatically moving, compelling story. It is possible – especially with the Tudors, whose stories are so incredible without fabrication.

  In the end, I have mixed feelings. I strongly believe that people come to history through film and novels, and I’m very keen, as an historian, to meet people where they are at, and not create barriers to entry. If watching The Other Boleyn Girl makes them turn to a history book, or encourages them to visit Hampton Court, I’m all for it. But – I do think that the truth is often more interesting than the some of the fictions we are given.

• Evening Standard - http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/10-minutes-with-suzannah-lipscomb-8739216.html

  LifestyleES Magazine
  10 minutes with Suzannah Lipscomb
  The historian on King George and OD'ing on Game of Thrones

  HANNAH NATHANSON Friday 2 August 2013 08:57 BST0 comments

  169

  Click to follow
  ES Magazine
  Katie-D.gif
  What do you think of the royal baby’s name?

  It’s shot through with ideas about duty, service and family loyalty. The name ‘George’ stems from the Greek word for ‘farmer’ so it’s also classless, which is quite interesting.

  Who’s your favourite King George?

  George V. I’m going to anger all my 18th-century friends but many of the Hanoverian Georges were quite dull. By the 20th century, the Georges were really something.

  How did you cope with the anticipation?

  I was struck by the fact that none of us were terrified that Kate was going to die. In any previous age that would have been the case.

  How would London have celebrated in the 16th century?

  With gunfire and bonfires across the city, and the fountains in Trafalgar Square would have flowed with wine.

  What’s the funniest thing you’ve read about yourself?

  For a while, when you Googled my name, one of the options that came up was ‘Suzannah Lipscomb feet’. I have no idea why. I’ve never had a foot fetish.

  Who do you want to apologise to?

  My history teacher, Mr Lane. I once wrote an essay and on the second page I tailed off mid-sentence and handed it in unfinished. He thought he’d lost the rest because I was such a good girl. I still feel ashamed.

  What’s your guilty pleasure?

  OD’ing on Game of Thrones. I’ve so far managed five hours uninterrupted.

  Who would play you in the film of your life?

  Michelle Pfeiffer would be a flattering choice.

  What’s been your biggest sartorial error?

  After travelling in India in my gap year I spent many years in purdah, wearing skirts on top of trousers. It was only when I went to live in France to study French history for my doctorate that I discovered short skirts.

  What’s your life philosophy?

  Marianne Nelson’s ‘Your playing small does not serve the world’, quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 speech.

  What’s your karaoke song?

  ‘Avenues and Alleyways’ by Tony Christie, a real crooner song. It’s tremendous fun with the right people.

  What keeps you up in the middle of the night?

  I sleep like a proverbial baby: nothing keeps me from sleeping apart from something sexual.

• Historical Trips - https://www.historicaltrips.com/tour_guides/2/dr-suzannah-lipscomb.html

  Also in this section Guide Lecturers Tour Managers
  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb

  Dr Suzannah Lipscomb I cannot speak highly enough about Suzannah. I found her absolutely superb. She has such passion and knowledge of her topic. Her enthusiasm holds no bounds... She really made the trip special. BiographyTours
  Historian, broadcaster, and award-winning author Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is a highly-regarded specialist on the Tudor period with five titles to her name, including 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII, which was hailed as “bold and original” by historian David Starkey.

  Suzannah is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has presented numerous television documentaries, from Bloody Tales of the Tower for National Geographic, to BBC Four's historical Hidden Killers of the Home series.

  Alongside her work as a columnist for History Today, she is also Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History and Fellow of the New College of the Humanities in London. Suzannah was formerly Research Curator at Hampton Court Palace, a position she held from 2007 to 2010.

• TV Daily - http://tvdaily.com/dr-suzannah-lipscomb-interview/

  DOCUMENTARIES INTERVIEW
  INTERVIEW: Dr Suzannah Lipscomb on new documentary ‘Hidden Killers of the Post-War Home’

  Susan Brett
  May 22 2016, 12:39 am
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  The years after the fall of Nazi Germany saw a revolutionary period of change across the globe, particularly in Britain. The subsequent economic recovery in Europe saw more individuals than ever before define themselves as middle class and enjoy the luxuries that status and money brought with it – but few recognised the dangers they had brought into their homes.

  In new documentary ‘Hidden Killers of the Post-War Home’, Dr Suzannah Lipscomb uncovers the household dangers that caught families of the 1950s unaware – to drastic consequences. We met up with historian, author and television presenter to talk about the new documentary, which airs on BBC Four this Wednesday, May 25 at 8pm.

  Why did you choose the post-war period?

  There were lots of periods we’d like to look at but this one felt quite compelling because the 50s is such a pivotal decade of change – after the drabness of war, and the removal of rations, and the brightness and colour of affluence and optimism. Introducing all these [new] things into the home, it’s a really domestic period. And yet many of those things are dangerous – it was perfect for our series basically.

  Were you surprised how many killers in the home there were in a more modern period than your other shows?

  Yes, absolutely! The 50s house that we’re using is a very beautiful house, but it does remind me very much the houses of my grandparents. I think most people will be familiar with a house like this, and the fact that there are quite so many things that are so dangerous is astonishing actually. In fact, what’s most worrying about it is that there are several strands where I think these things remain dangerous, so in some ways it’s a sort of health and safety programme.

  It’s actually quite striking how many of the things that effected families in the 1950s are still dangerous, for example preparing chicken…

  I’ve been washing my hands a lot. There’s nothing like seeing the bacteria on those petri dishes to make you really convinced to the value of washing your hands!

  HK-SuzannahLipscomb

  Do you think new things seemed less dangerous which actually made them more dangerous? For example, in the old days people would be aware of dangers like fire.

  Absolutely. I think the appearance of modernity is deceptive. Even with things like the sofas: [a family buys a] beautiful new sofa, and then it’s made of material that’s flammable. I think the appearance of being brilliantly modern makes you think that they’re safe.

  Was there also trust in the manufacturer as well?

  Advertising has been around since the Victorian period but this is the age where you have the first advertising on television. It’s a booming age of advertising and it’s very simplistic from our point of view when we look back at it – “Buy this, it’s good!”

  I never like to say about past periods that they’re more gullible than us, because I think we’re very gullible to all sorts of things – I believe it when the shampoo says it’s going to do XY and Z for my hair, I have no idea – I think they’re just going along with what they’re told.

  Do you think the manufacturers should have taken more responsibility?

  One of the things that has to be said for the 50s is that consumers start demanding responsibility from the manufacturers. It was when Which? magazine started and we have a consumer association starting, so there is a sense that they’re kind of wising up to requiring that from a manufacturer, but I suppose we’re all kind of a bit gullible about new things.

  Whenever we do this we say what are they going to say about us? Is it going to be the WiFi? “Did you know that they live within WiFi all the time?” “Do you know they held mobile phones right up to their heads – and slept with them next to them?”

  Did anything shock you more than anything else?

  When we went to look at those chemistry sets, my word! It was just extraordinary what people – boys mainly – could do in the safety of their own bedrooms.

  HK-SuzannahLipscomb2

  It’s very sobering, isn’t it? Because it is fun to watch but then you also reveal the consequences.

  It’s an interesting tone with these programmes, because we’re moving from things that are actually genuinely funny – because it’s absolutely ridiculous – to fatalities and trying to keep those two things [separate]. We want to have a sense of fun and not be too earnest because otherwise it does become a health and safety programme, but actually realising that these things are important and real and that there were consequences.

  Is it most fun for you doing the experiments?

  The experiments are really fun for me because what’s really different about this is that we were originally commissioned through a science stream at BBC Four, which is unusual because I’m a historian and so it’s very science-heavy here. And obviously [despite] what I might know and think and read up about the period, I generally don’t know anything about science really. I stopped science at GCSE. So whenever I go and meet these scientists, I am being absolutely dazzled by new information and I think that works in TV terms because I don’t have to go along and pretend to not know.

  How would you sell this show to someone who wasn’t a fan of history?

  I’d say this is an astonishing story of these deadly dangers in the home that are in living memory and actually many of them still in the house. So frankly, it’s kind of must see really because who knows what you might be putting yourself in danger of. And also we blow things up.

  Watch Dr Suzannah Lipscomb in new Hidden Killers of the Post-War Home on Wednesday, May 25 at 8pm on BBC Four.

QUOTE:
great bit of scholarship that Tudor fans will need on their shelves.
The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry
VIII
British Heritage Travel.
38.1 (January-February 2017): p73.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kliger Heritage Group, LLC
https://britishheritage.com/
Full Text: 
The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII
by Suzannah Lipscomb (Pegasus Books)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Lipscomb, the author of A Journey Through Tudor England, takes a detailed, forensic approach to dismantling the popular conspiracy theories
about certain factions messing with Henry's will. The King fought for control until his last, she argues-and even after, considering those very
complicated succession instructions--in this great bit of scholarship that Tudor fans will need on their shelves.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII." British Heritage Travel, Jan.-Feb. 2017, p. 73. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476728548&it=r&asid=18ac0b72bf493c19b755c11e2e789117. Accessed 8 July
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A476728548

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Lipscomb, Suzannah. The King Is Dead: The Last Will and
Testament of Henry VIII
Glen Edward Taul
Library Journal.
141.17 (Oct. 15, 2016): p99.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text: 
Lipscomb, Suzannah. The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII. Pegasus. Dec. 2016.336p. illus. notes, bibliog. index. ISBN
9781681772547. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681772943. HIST
Rarely has a personal document had as much constitutional significance as the last will and testament of Henry VIII of England (1491-1547). The
survival of the Tudor dynasty was precarious, having been founded by his father, Henry VII, 24 years previously. After two failed marriages,
Henry VIII conceived a male heir with his third wife, Jane Seymour. But Edward was nine years old when Henry sensed that his death was near.
Henry prepared a will to provide for governance of the kingdom during his son's minority and for a peaceful succession if his son did not have a
male heir. Did Henry, however, actually draft his will or did a faction of Protestant councillors alter it in their favor? Tudor historian Lipscomb
(history, New Coll, of the Humanities; 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII) argues that the document was altered without Henry's
knowledge months before his death, and that the will was successful in assuring the survival of his dynasty until Elizabeth I's death, but failed to
curb the regency councillors' ambitions for power. VERDICT This well-researched book provides an alternative scenario for the preparation and
execution of Henry VIII's will. Readers of Tudor England and English history will find this to be a fascinating story.--Glen Edward Taul,
Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Taul, Glen Edward. "Lipscomb, Suzannah. The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII." Library Journal, 15 Oct. 2016, p. 99.
General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA466413028&it=r&asid=f49ece1c005cd2276e2a326d60073aff. Accessed 8 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466413028

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QUOTE:
Lipscomb shows that Henry remained mentally astute as he made extensive--and necessary, as it
turned out--plans to secure the Tudor dynasty, believing in his own power to the last.
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The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry
VIII
Publishers Weekly.
263.43 (Oct. 24, 2016): p70.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text: 
The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII
Suzannah Lipscomb. Pegasus, $26.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-68177-254-7
British historian Lipscomb (A Journey Through Tudor England) nimbly scrutinizes Henry VIII's unusual final will to lend new insight into the
king's state of mind and religious beliefs during the last months of his life while also settling potential timeline incongruities. Henry's
hybridization of Protestant and Catholic tenets and his plethora of female heirs added extra intricacies to his final wishes. This was especially so
after the brief reign of his Protestant son, Edward VI, as England wrestled with the idea of both a queen regnant and undergoing yet another
change in religion. Lipscomb deftly walks readers through the will, with Henry elevating the daughters whom he declared legally illegitimate and
excluding his elder sister's Scottish heirs on the extraordinary assumption that he could essentially will the crown to whomever he chose, decades
after his demise. Henry's biggest miscalculation stemmed from trusting his ambitious advisers to follow his wishes after his death; a clear analysis
shows that these men helped undermine Henry's wishes regarding religion during Edward VI's reign and then temporarily interrupted the
succession with Jane Grey's brief accession. Lipscomb shows that Henry remained mentally astute as he made extensive--and necessary, as it
turned out--plans to secure the Tudor dynasty, believing in his own power to the last. Illus. (Jan.)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII." Publishers Weekly, 24 Oct. 2016, p. 70. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA468771854&it=r&asid=81411cdfdd15ffcc470e7f28738ecc21. Accessed 8 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A468771854

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QUOTE:
A delightful
story of intrigue and manipulation that shows how Henry really couldnt control his kingdom.
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Suzannah Lipscomb: THE KING IS DEAD
Kirkus Reviews.
(Oct. 1, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Suzannah Lipscomb THE KING IS DEAD Pegasus (Adult Nonfiction) 26.95 ISBN: 978-1-68-177254-7
Lipscomb (A Journey Through Tudor England: Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London to Stratford-upon-Avon and Thornbury Castle,
2015, etc.) shows Henry VIIIs attempt to continue control over both church and state.His last will, signed a month before his death, set forth the
steps of succession beginning with his son, Edward. After arranging for possible children of his current and any future wives, he pronounced first
Mary, then Elizabeth to be the next successors. In naming his son, he also stipulated that Edwards heirs, or named successors, were primary. In
another scenario, instead of naming the heirs of his sister, Margaret, he skipped to the heirs of the daughter of his sister, Mary: Frances Greyi.e.
Lady Jane Grey. In the 1540s, after war with the Scots, Henry arranged with Marie de Guise, James Vs widow, to wed her infant daughter Mary
to his son Edward. However, de Guise had bigger plans for her daughter in France and renounced the match. Henry never forgave a slight, so
Mary Queen of Scots was left out of the succession plans. Another of Henrys stipulations was that Masses should be said for his soul. This was
particularly artful, as he had dissolved monasteries whose members prayed for souls. Hedging his bets, Henry still left land and revenues for
Masses and prayers to ensure his place in heaven. He designated more than a dozen executors and regents in hopes the transfer of power would be
smooth. The author, who shows her deep knowledge of the Tudor period throughout the book, rejects the many charges that Henrys will might
have been changed or altered or that undue influence was used. It was treason to even suggest that the king might die. Afterward, the story was
completely different, with Edward Seymour and Chief Secretary William Paget seizing control of the Regency and the kingdom. A delightful
story of intrigue and manipulation that shows how Henry really couldnt control his kingdom.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Suzannah Lipscomb: THE KING IS DEAD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA465181838&it=r&asid=5e1d0444cc3c69d55850603d0e31caae. Accessed 8 July
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A465181838

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QUOTE:
once readers have finished this unusual book, they will discover their knowledge of the Tudor kings and
queens has considerably expanded.
A clever history of how the Tudors ushered England into the medieval age,
illustrating the broad influence they exerted both then and now.
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Lipscomb, Suzannah: A JOURNEY THROUGH TUDOR
ENGLAND
Kirkus Reviews.
(May 1, 2013):
COPYRIGHT 2013 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Lipscomb, Suzannah A JOURNEY THROUGH TUDOR ENGLAND Pegasus (Adult Nonfiction) $26.95 6, 15 ISBN: 978-1-60598-460-5
Lipscomb (Early Modern History/Univ. of East Anglia; 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, 2009) combines her credentials as historian/TV
presenter/author to give us a thorough history/guided tour of the Tudors. The author divides the narrative geographically into seven districts,
including greater London, tracing the stories of Henry VII, Henry VIII and his children. Rather than confusing readers, the geographic technique
allows one to view the impact these monarchs had in each area. Sadly, no maps are supplied for each section. They would improve visualization
and allow travelers to plan a visit. Still, once readers have finished this unusual book, they will discover their knowledge of the Tudor kings and
queens has considerably expanded. Henry VII, the first Tudor and victor at Bosworth, reigned from 1485 to 1509. The building of Richmond
Palace was Henry VII's only break from his miserly ways as he fought to secure his dynasty. He died there, as did his granddaughter, Queen
Elizabeth I, almost 100 years later. Henry VIII's lifestyle markedly contrasts with his father's, as he built, or "acquired," more than 60 houses and
palaces, not least of which was Hampton Court. There are, logically, more places connected to Henry VIII and Elizabeth for the simple reason
that their reigns were longer. Edward VI, Mary and the pitiful Jane Grey together only reigned just over a decade. Lipscomb avoids becoming an
architectural or archaeological guide while pointing out ruins worth a look--e.g., Westminster Abbey, as well as less-renowned sites like
Kenilworth Castle, which has a "baleful and crestfallen air." A clever history of how the Tudors ushered England into the medieval age,
illustrating the broad influence they exerted both then and now.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Lipscomb, Suzannah: A JOURNEY THROUGH TUDOR ENGLAND." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2013. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA328141795&it=r&asid=4e1be602a165f838ae2f6cd1570984f8. Accessed 8 July
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A328141795

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QUOTE:
his detailed,
entertaining guide offers both a tour through history and a practical handbook for visitors to England's grand Tudor sites.
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Lipscomb, Suzannah. A Journey Through Tudor England:
Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London to
Stratford-Upon-Avon and Thornbury Castle
Melissa Stearns
Library Journal.
138.9 (May 15, 2013): p95.
COPYRIGHT 2013 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text: 
Lipscomb, Suzannah. A Journey Through Tudor England: Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London to Stratford-Upon-Avon and
Thornbury Castle. Pegasus. Jun. 2013. 336p. index. ISBN 9781605984605. $26.95. TRAV
Tudor historian Lipscomb (history, New Coll. of the Humanities, London; 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII) offers scholarship, popular
history, and a travel guide to a fascinating tour of Tudor England. Beginning in London and moving to other areas of the country such as the
Southwest and the East Midlands, Lipscomb presents the bloody history, the burnings and beheadings, the intrigues of court life, and the conflicts
and compromises, of 16th-century England--all connecting through the larger-than-life figure of Henry VIII. The Tudor age vibrates with icons of
Englishness: Shakespeare, Elizabeth I, the Church of England, and the doomed Spanish Armada. Lipscomb's guide will take visitors to places
where the Tudor age still lingers: castles, grand homes, and ruins that tell the story of that age--kings touring country houses and exhausting food
supplies, queens imprisoned in dank quarters in the country-side, and the busy Tower of London and its many prisoners. VERDICT This detailed,
entertaining guide offers both a tour through history and a practical handbook for visitors to England's grand Tudor sites. Highly recommended
for travelers, Anglophiles, and history buffs.--Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ. Lib., Rindge, NH
Stearns, Melissa
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Stearns, Melissa. "Lipscomb, Suzannah. A Journey Through Tudor England: Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London to Stratford-UponAvon
and Thornbury Castle." Library Journal, 15 May 2013, p. 95. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA330143111&it=r&asid=606b0096b9d8380d1d3ed7bf54a85bcb. Accessed 8 July
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A330143111

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QUOTE:
As a pocket-guide to the dynasty of brutes, this is as good as it gets; even better, if you enjoy a chapter you can hop in the car and visit it. Now
that's entertainment.
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Terribly tudor
Dan Jones
Spectator.
318.9579 (Mar. 31, 2012): p45.
COPYRIGHT 2012 The Spectator Ltd. (UK)
http://www.spectator.co.uk
Full Text: 
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
History publishers like a gimmick, so I assumed Suzannah Lipscomb's A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England (Ebury, 12.99 [pounds sterling])
must be a cheeky rip-off of Ian Mortimer's Time Traveller's Guide series.
Not so. In fact this is a rich, meticulously plotted field guide to the surviving architectural treasures of Tudor England: the houses, fortresses,
palaces and battlefields that were trodden by our most famous royal dynasty, from Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle to Kett's Oak and
Burghley House (pictured).But it is more than just historical I-Spy. Lipscomb is an eloquent tour-guide, and each of her 50 destinations allows her
deftly to unfold a different chapter of Tudor history.
The course she leads is hung on all sides with nuggets of information and pithy anecdotes. Here is an example of courtly toadying at its best:
'When Elizabeth I visited Sir Nicholas Bacon's house at Gorehambury in 1572, she remarked "My lord, what a little house you have gotten." By
the time she returned five years later, he had built a new wing.'
But there's pathos, too. The saddest destination is humdrum old Broad Street in Oxford. It was here that Thomas Cranmer's spirit was broken in
1555, as he watched Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer being burned to death in a ditch. Cranmer burned the next year. How terribly Tudor.
As a pocket-guide to the dynasty of brutes, this is as good as it gets; even better, if you enjoy a chapter you can hop in the car and visit it. Now
that's entertainment.
Jones, Dan
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jones, Dan. "Terribly tudor." Spectator, 31 Mar. 2012, p. 45. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA284939634&it=r&asid=5afedb9a6f7916ded81201da4c33b27d. Accessed 8 July
2017.
7/8/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1499555075580 8/9
Gale Document Number: GALE|A284939634

---

QUOTE:
This is a breezy, easy read for armchair travelers, though Anglophile jetsetters will certainly get the most use
out of Lipscomb's Tudor travel guide.
7/8/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1499555075580 9/9
A Journey Through Tudor England
Publishers Weekly.
260.14 (Apr. 8, 2013): p53.
COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text: 
A Journey Through Tudor England
Suzannah Lipscomb. Pegasus (Norton, dist.), $26.95 (336p) ISBN 978-1-60598-460-5
Though the popular TV series The Tudors aired its fourth and final season three years ago, interest in the colorful dynasty that ruled England from
1485-1603 continues. Lipscomb, a British historian and former curator at Hampton Court Palace, adds something new and different to the
growing list of books on Tudor England by writing a guidebook that introduces readers to the history of the period through 50 of "the best and
most interesting" buildings associated with Tudor royalty. Each chapter tells the story of how a specific building served as the physical backdrop
to the lives of those who inhabited it or to a particularly important visit from a famous personage. The sections, which are arranged
geographically and radiate outward from London, include both well-known sites, such as the Tower of London, where two of Henry VIII's wives
and countless courtiers lost their heads, and more obscure places of interest, such as Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, where Mary, Queen of Scots,
spent some time during her 18-year imprisonment in England. For readers eager to visit the spots, a helpful appendix includes useful information
like opening hours and directions. This is a breezy, easy read for armchair travelers, though Anglophile jetsetters will certainly get the most use
out of Lipscomb's Tudor travel guide. Agent: Andrew Lownie, Andrew Lownie Literary Agency (U.K.). (June)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"A Journey Through Tudor England." Publishers Weekly, 8 Apr. 2013, p. 53. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA326130931&it=r&asid=a00b41db5f03fa5d2c53395b5cbafcd0. Accessed 8 July
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A326130931

"The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII." British Heritage Travel, Jan.-Feb. 2017, p. 73. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476728548&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. Taul, Glen Edward. "Lipscomb, Suzannah. The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII." Library Journal, 15 Oct. 2016, p. 99. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA466413028&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. "The King Is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII." Publishers Weekly, 24 Oct. 2016, p. 70. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA468771854&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. "Suzannah Lipscomb: THE KING IS DEAD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA465181838&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. "Lipscomb, Suzannah: A JOURNEY THROUGH TUDOR ENGLAND." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2013. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA328141795&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. Stearns, Melissa. "Lipscomb, Suzannah. A Journey Through Tudor England: Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London to Stratford-UponAvon and Thornbury Castle." Library Journal, 15 May 2013, p. 95. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA330143111&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. Jones, Dan. "Terribly tudor." Spectator, 31 Mar. 2012, p. 45. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA284939634&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017. "A Journey Through Tudor England." Publishers Weekly, 8 Apr. 2013, p. 53. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA326130931&it=r. Accessed 8 July 2017.

• Telegraph
  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5169512/The-year-that-changed-Henry-VIII.html
  Word count: 524

  The year that changed Henry VIII
  The year 1536 changed Henry VIII from a handsome, popular and athletic king to a corpulent tyrant who thought little of dispatching his many wives, a historian has claimed.
  Henry VIII painting: The year that changed Henry VIII
  When Henry became king in 1509, his accession received a rapturous greeting. He was seen as intelligent, a fine linguist, musician and keen sportsman Photo: PA
  By Caroline Gammell 8:50AM BST 17 Apr 2009
  A new look at the life of one of England's most famous monarchs argues that a series of calamitous events within the space of 12 months had an irreversible effect on his life.
  Suzannah Lipscomb, a research curator at Hampton Court Palace and Oxford scholar, said the apparent betrayal by his wife, a dangerous fall from a horse and a religious rebellion all played their part in transforming Henry.
  She said: "He did move from being the much fêted, glorious, and fun young monarch of the 1510s and 1520s, into the overweight, suspicious, ruthless tyrant who is commonly depicted as in popular culture.
  "The events of 1536 catalyzed, fostered and entrenched this change. It was Henry VIII's annus horribilis."
  When Henry became king in 1509, his accession received a rapturous greeting. He was seen as intelligent, a fine linguist, musician and keen sportsman
  Related Articles
  Dr David Starkey on Henry VIII 16 Apr 2009
  Henry VIII's 500-year-old tapestry gets 21st century makeover 10 Apr 2009
  William Blount, Lord Mountjoy wrote: "The heavens laugh, the earth exults, all things are full of milk, of honey, of nectar.
  "Our King does not desire gold or gems or precious metals, but virtue, glory and immortality."
  By 1536, he had divorced his first wife Katherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn who had given him a daughter and was three month pregnant.
  But in January of that year, he had a serious jousting accident, which not only knocked him unconscious but reopened an old ulcer wound in his leg, causing debilitating pain.
  In a matter of weeks, on the day of his first wife's funeral, Anne suffered a miscarriage of Henry's long awaited male heir.
  In May 1536, rumours surfaced of Anne's alleged infidelity - including claims of intimacy with her brother - and she was arrested, tried and executed all within a few weeks.
  A few months later, Henry's only son, the illegitimate Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, died aged 17, leaving the king without no male heir at all.
  In the summer, the king was openly criticised by his own cousin for his role as head of the Church of England and in October, 50,000 men in the north rose up against the Reformation and the dissolution of the smaller monasteries.
  The rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace far outnumbered Henry's armies and the king had reach an agreement with his challengers.
  Miss Lipscomb said: "Henry responded to all these blows by extreme reaction – decisively reasserting his power and raging against his enemies – but he was, nevertheless, broken by the tumultuous events of this one year."

• Anne Boleyn Files
  http://reviews.theanneboleynfiles.com/1536-the-year-that-changed-henry-viii-by-suzannah-lipscombe/469
  Word count: 2287

  QUOTE:
  wonderful book
  I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it’s nothing like the other Henry VIII books, it looks at the events of a specific year during Henry’s reign, namely 1536, and examines the dramatic impact they had on the King. his book is a must-read for anyone interested in Henry VIII and the fall of Anne Boleyn, it won’t disappoint.
  1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII by Suzannah Lipscomb
  Posted By Claire on September 14, 2010
  1536 by Suzannah Lipscombe“1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII” is a wonderful book by historian Dr Suzannah Lipscomb, former Research Curator at Hampton Court Palace and now a lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it’s nothing like the other Henry VIII books, it looks at the events of a specific year during Henry’s reign, namely 1536, and examines the dramatic impact they had on the King.
  I have always struggled with understanding Henry VIII’s psyche, and what made him change from the “virtuous prince” (as David Starkey calls him) who came to the throne in 1509 to the monster and tyrant of the late 1530s and 1540s, and Suzannah Lipscomb has a fascinating theory regarding this. She doesn’t blame Anne Boleyn, she doesn’t blame his jousting accident, she thinks that it was a combination of factors and events which came to a head in 1536. I have to agree with her, 1536 really does seem to be “the year that changed Henry VIII” and her book really offers an insight into the man we’re all desperately trying to understand. Those of you who follow my post at The Anne Boleyn Files will know how useful I found this book when I was examining whether Henry VIII was a tyrant. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Henry VIII and the fall of Anne Boleyn, it won’t disappoint.
  Here’s my rundown of the content of “1536”:-
  Preface
  Here, Lipscomb explains how she came to be writing the book and how she became convinced that 1536 had something to do with changing Henry VIII from the “much fêted, glorious, and fun young monarch of the 1510s and 1520s, into the overweight, suspicious, ruthless tyrant who is commonly depicted as in popular culture.
  Part One – Setting the Scene
  Prologue
  An explanation of the beliefs that underpinned Tudor England: the belief in a divinely created order, with everyone having “their place and station, the belief in God and the importance of religion, and the belief that women were inferior to men, “weaker in mind and body and more prone to sin.” Lipscomb points out that women were thought to be more lustful and “the source and cause of sexual sin”, which is interesting when we consider the fall of Anne Boleyn.
  Chapter 1 – The Change
  In this chapter, Lipscomb looks at the image the general public have of Henry VIII, the wife-killing “fat guy”, and compares this to the Henry of 1509 who was gifted, handsome, gentle and brilliant. She makes the point that he obviously changed and looks at the various theories regarding when he changed. Lipscomb concludes the chapter with her own theory that his change was “accelerated by the events of 1536”.
  Chapter 2 – Young Henry
  Here, Lipscomb considers the young Henry: his birth, his change of status from second son to heir-apparent, his accession and marriage to Katherine of Aragon, his character and talents, his lifestyle and his “tendency towards obstinacy”. Although he could be stubborn and obstinate, Lipscomb points out that he did not have the “strong streak of cruelty” which we see from the mid 1530s, “especially in and after 1536”.
  Chapter 3 – The Divorce
  This chapter covers Henry’s Great Matter, his struggle for divorce. Lipscomb looks at Henry’s “very real anxiety about the lack of a male heir” which she feels suggests that he was completely “genuine in his conviction that his lack of a surviving legitimate male heir meant that he was, in some way, being punished by God, and that the Pope should never have given him the dispensation that allowed him to marry his brother’s widow.”
  This chapter does not go into detail on all of the events leading up to the divorce and Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn but considers the reasons for Henry wanting the annulment, Henry’s belief that he was Supreme Head of the Church, the executions of More and Fisher, the resulting break with Rome and the rise of Anne Boleyn. The chapter ends at the eve of 1536, with Henry being happy and hopeful for the future.
  Chapter 4 – 1536 and All That
  A short chapter which acts as a chronology of 1536, Henry VIII’s “annus horribilis”, listing the major events of the year which made it so significant.
  Part Two – The Crisis of Masculinity
  In the introduction to Part Two, Lipscomb explains that the events of 1536 “cut right to the core of how Henry VIII saw himself as a man” and that the traumatic events which occurred between January and July of that year had a “cumulative impact” on the King, changing him “from a virile man in his prime, to a man who suddenly perceived he was ‘growing old’, and tried to fight this in ways that made him ‘a caricature of virility’.”
  Chapter 5 – A Wife’s Death
  This chapter examines the impact on Henry of the death of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
  Chapter 6 – The King’s Honour
  Here, Lipscomb examines the idea of “honour”, the characteristics of masculinity and the importance of the joust in demonstrating a man’s masculinity. When we consider this, we can understand how Henry’s accident, which led to him being unable to joust and suffering from obesity and health problems, had such an impact on his self-esteem.
  Chapter 7 – The Fall of Anne Boleyn
  This chapter is divided into sections:-
  Anne’s Miscarriage – A section looking at whether Anne’s final miscarriage in January 1536 was the beginning of the end for her.
  Jane Seymour – In this section, Lipscomb considers the woman first mentioned by Chapuys in February 1536.
  The Still Before the Storm – Here, Lipscomb considers the state of Anne and Henry’s relationship in early 1536 and whether it was on the rocks.
  So Why Did Anne Fall? – That’s the question we all want to know the answer to! In this section, Lipscomb considers the various theories regarding Anne Boleyn’s fall, pointing out that “the answer is crucial because on it rests our picture of Henry VIII and the effect of this year’s events.”
  The Investigation – Here, Lipscomb examines the theories regarding what made Henry and Cromwell suspect that Anne was being unfaithful, Mark Smeaton’s confession, Anne’s altercation with Henry Norris, the arrests of the men, the trials and executions of Anne and the men.
  Was Anne Guilty? – Lipscomb looks at “the several pieces of evidence that speak strongly of Anne’s innocence” and the reasons why she was still found guilty and put to death.
  Chapter 8 – A Dearth of Heirs
  A short chapter looking at Henry VIII’s heirs in 1536: both Elizabeth and Mary had been made illegitimate, Henry’s niece (Margaret Douglas) was imprisoned in the Tower and Henry’s only son, the illegitimate Henry Fitzroy, died in the July.
  Chapter 9 – Masculinity and Image
  Lipscomb considers Holbein’s portraits of Henry VIII which were painted in 1536, and the image they give of Henry. This chapter is divided into sections on the Thyssen portrait and the Whitehall Mural and Lipscomb looks at how Holbein has given Henry “strong, ultra-masculine qualities”, perhaps because of “the need to compensate for the events of 1536.”
  Part Three – The King’s Religion
  This part of the book argues “for the importance and impact of Henry VIII on the Church of England, not just in its creation but in its very shaping.”
  Chapter 10 – The Reformation in England
  A brief chapter giving an overview of the Reformation.
  Chapter 11 – 1536: The Church Established
  Here, Lipscomb looks at how Anne Boleyn’s fall did not lead to a reconciliation with Rome and how Henry continued on his path to royal supremacy. In this chapter there is a section on the Dissolution of the Monasteries and a section on the Ten Articles and Royal Injunctions. Lipscomb concludes this chapter by saying that “the church had been shaken up, while still maintaining conservative perspectives that would have disappointed those hoping for the sort of reform seen on the Continent. It was a peculiarly Henrician settlement.”
  Chapter 12 – The Role of Henry VIII in Later Reformation
  Lipscomb opens the chapter by talking about how historians are divided over Henry’s role in the Reformation, with some believing that Henry broke with Rome simply because of the need for an heir and that he was then manipulated by the likes of Cromwell and Cranmer, and the others believing that he directed the Reformation. If we are to believe that Henry did lead the Reformation, then, as Lipscomb points out, his “own devotion and religious fervour are very important.” She then goes on to look at Henry’s religious side: his faith, his feelings about the monasteries, his religious policies and the way he dealt with dissidents.
  Chapter 13 – Henry VIII’s Theology
  An examination of Henry VIII’s theology which seemed neither Protestant or Catholic, but somewhere in between. Lipscomb considers six key characteristics of the King’s theology: the royal supremacy, the preservation of unity in his kingdom, his belief in the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist, his belief in good and lawful behaviour as a manifestation of Christian belief, his duty to get rid of religious abuses in the church, and his belief that his policies would establish “a workable reformed way between the religious extremes of heresy and papistry.”
  Chapter 14 – The Aftermath of the Reformation
  Lipscomb looks at the impact on England of the Henrician Reformation and how Elizabeth I built on her father’s work. I love Lipscomb’s remark at the end of the chapter: “there was, between Catholicism and Protestantism, ‘Henricianism'”! A brilliant comment because Henry VIII’s views and beliefs didn’t fit either Catholicism or Protestantism and that’s why it looks like he swings from one to the other during his reign.
  Part Four – Henry the Tyrant
  In the introduction to this final part of the book, Lipscomb writes of how “by these latter years of his reign, Henry VIII had become intransigent, volatile, reactionary and dangerous to know.”
  Chapter 15 – The Pilgrimage of Grace
  The Pilgrimage of Grace was one of the events of 1536 which Lipscomb feels had a huge impact on Henry’s character and behaviour; here, she explains why. The chapter has sections on the “Reasons to Rebel”, “Henry VIII’s Reaction”, “The Question of Obedience and Tyranny”, “The Post-Pardon Revolts” and “The Pilgrimage of Grace and the King’s Image”.
  Chapter 16 – The Mouldwarp Prophecy
  Lipscomb examines this ancient prophecy, how seriously it was taken, how it was levelled against Henry VIII from 1536 and how “it signified the transition from Henry VIII being thought of as a splendid young king, to conjecture that he had become a tyrant.”
  Chapter 17 – Courtly Dissent
  Lipscomb looks at the poetry of Sir Thomas Wyatt, which criticised Henry’s tyranny, and also that of Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey, which drew similarities between Henry and the Biblical King David, not in wisdom but in lustfulness. Members of the King’s court were criticizing Henry’s behaviour and his “increasing despotism”.
  Chapter 18 – Did Henry VIII Become a Tyrant?
  This chapter is divided into sections:-
  Being a Tyrant – Lipscomb considers G R Elton’s argument that Henry was not a tyrant and that his rule was constitutional and limited, and arguments that Henry simply did what was necessary. She also looks at what being a tyrant meant in 16th century England, compared to the modern day definition, and, after looking at various examples of Henry’s behaviour, concludes that from the mid 1530s he was indeed a tyrant.
  Henry VIII’s Revenge – Here, Lipscomb looks at Henry’s increasingly bad temper, his “spiteful interest in the manner of Anne Boleyn’s death”, the way he dealt with the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace, the executions which took place during his reign, his use of Parliamentary Attainder, the number of high profile/high status people who were attainted and the “savagery” of Henry’s reaction to betrayal.
  Suzannah Lipscomb concludes her book with an epilogue, appendices containing a timeline of 1536, brief bios of Henry VIII’s six wives and a useful “Cost of Living in Henry VIII’s Reign”, along with full notes, a section on further reading and an index.
  Final Words
  After reading “1536”, I had to agree with Peter Furtado, former editor of History Today, who said of the book: “The paradox of Henry VIII is brilliantly unravelled by Suzannah Lipscomb as she reveals the multiple nightmares of the King’s annus horribilis.” This book definitely helps you to understand what made Henry VIII tick and what drove him to turn against and execute friends and wives.
  “1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII” was published by Lion Hudson in March 2009 and is available from Amazon UK – click here – and can be shipped worldwide.

• Loyalty Binds Me
  http://loyaltybindsme.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-1536-year-that-changed-henry.html
  Word count: 1840

  QUOTE:
  From the moment I picked this book up I could barely put itdown. I was hooked from the word go, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment that Isat down and read this book. So much so that I finished it in a little undertwo days. In fact I would say that this book is one of the best books on HenryVIII that I have ever read, for the sheer fact that is completely unlike anybook on Henry that I have ever read.
  FRIDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2011

  Review: 1536 The Year That Changed Henry VIII by Suzannah Lipscomb

  One of the best knownfigures of British History, the stereotypical image of Henry VIII is of acorpulent, covetous and cunning king whose appetite for worldly goods met fewparallels, whose wives met infamously premature ends, and whose religion wasever political in intent. Moving beyond this caricature, 1536 – focusing on apivotal year in the life of the King – reveals a fuller portrait of thiscomplex monarch, detailing the finer shades of humanity that have so long beenoverlooked. We discover that in 1536 Henry met many failures – physical,personal and political – and emerged from them a different man: a revolutionarynew king who proceeded to transform a nation and reform a religion.

  From the moment I picked this book up I could barely put itdown. I was hooked from the word go, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment that Isat down and read this book. So much so that I finished it in a little undertwo days. In fact I would say that this book is one of the best books on HenryVIII that I have ever read, for the sheer fact that is completely unlike anybook on Henry that I have ever read. In fact it concentrates on one single yearin Henry VIII’s reign, and a year in which a lot of bad things seemed to happento Henry VIII, things that went some way to making Henry into the tyrant thatwe all think of today. In fact the amazing thing about this book is that itgoes some way to explaining the psychology behind the change in Henry VIII, andlooks in some details at particular events during this year that changed HenryVIII. And in fact Suzannah Lipscomb presents compelling arguments here to saythat it wasn’t just one event that changed Henry; in fact it was a mixture ofevery single event that happened throughout this year that changed him. Somehistorians blame Anne Boleyn; some blame his jousting accident, some blame thePilgrimage of grace but Lipscomb puts across that it can’t be just one thing.It has to be a number of contributing factors that changed him from theVirtuous Prince that Starkey talks about into the obese tyrant that we all loveto hate today.

  Lipscomb presents her book in a very readable style, keepingthings short and to the point and tying them all in wonderfully. It makes thewhole book incredibly readable and a sheer joy to curl up on the sofa with. Herwriting style makes the book move along at a fast pace, and it is far from drylike many Tudor books out there. The chapters are presented in short, bitesized chunks – some of them clock in at just a couple of pages – which give theinformation needed but don’t run on for pages and pages with information thatreally doesn’t help the reader understand anything. I honestly wish that someof the books and articles I had to have read at University had read like this.

  The first few chapters concentrate on “setting the scene”;giving the reader the sense of what Tudor England was like up to 1536. We learnthat every person from the lowest common person up to the highest person in theland had their place in society; we learn how important religion was to thepeople of England and most of all we see exactly where women came into play.They were seen during this time as the weaker sex, the sex that brought sininto the world and who had to be kept in place by men. Following this, Lipscomblooks at the theories surrounding the changes in Henry VIII’s personality,those that blame the change on certain events and different dates. Her own theory then comes into play that 1536was the year that accelerated the change in Henry, pushing him towards beingthe tyrant that everyone thinks of today. Of course, more background isprovided and we are shown that even in his younger days Henry was stubborn andcould be cruel, and then we are shown his divorce. Henry’s divorce came aboutthrough his wish for a male heir and his worry that after 20 years of marriageto Katherine of Aragon that his dynasty was in peril. After all, the Tudorswere still relatively new on the dynastic scene and nothing would be certainunless Henry could provide a strong male heir to continue the dynastic line.Lipscomb suggests here that he was convinced the reason he was being declined amale heir was because he was being punished by God, and that the Pope shouldnever have granted his dispensation to marry Katherine.

  From here on in, we start getting to the nitty gritty of1536 and the events that made this year Henry’s annus horribilis. This whole section is dedicated not only to theseevents, but of the masculine crisis that Henry would go through in this year.At this point, Henry VIII was getting towards old age and things beganculminating which he himself commented, made him feel like an old man. Thefirst event of the year was the death of Katherine of Aragon, and whilst thismay have been an important moment for him, it was just the beginning of thingsto come. And then we are shown how important honour was to Henry, and the ideathat jousting was the best way that any man could show his honour. We are givena taster of how the jousting accident that happened in this year and stoppedHenry from jousting was a severe blow to his honour.

  The Fall of Anne Boleyn was a major event in this year, andan event that really would have affected Henry. Lipscomb runs through Anne’sdownfall in a prompt manner, explaining her miscarriage of 1536 would have beenthe beginning of the end, bringing in Jane Seymour and showing how quicklyHenry became enamoured of her, the investigation and the arrests of Smeaton,Rochford, Wyatt, and Norris etc. We then look at the reasons as to why Annefell from grace so suddenly and so dramatically – was it all Cromwell? Was itJane Seymour and her family? Did Henry prompt Cromwell to do it because hewanted her out of the way or was she really guilty? But, despite the evidenceLipscomb puts forward to Anne’s innocence, she was still found guilty andLipscomb takes us through the reasons why Anne was still put to death despitethe evidence that Anne was actually innocent of all the charges. And Lipscombpoints out that even though Anne was innocent, the fact that her apparent guiltconvinced Henry she should die.

  The next major event in this year was the death of Henry’s illegitimateson Henry Fitzroy. This along with the fact that both of his daughters were nowillegitimate meant that he was now without heirs at all, and this would havebeen a huge blow for the aging monarch.

  We are then given an overview of religion at the time, andhow this affected Henry. His break from Rome caused the reformation that is soembedded in our minds and this was a major thing for Henry – he saw himself asHead of the Church and he believed that everyone else should see it that way.We are shown how despite the fact he still held true to a few Catholicpractices, he completely changed others and woe betide anyone who went againsthim! He put his foot down with anyone who disagreed with him, executing thosewho he believed were heretics and executing others for not conforming to hisnew religion. It seems he went for the middle way, but took a hard line withit. Of course, we are also shown how he held to his Act of Succession, and howhe dealt with those who refused to swear the oath also. His daughter Mary hadbeen forced to sign, and men whom he had once held close (i.e. Thomas More) hadalready been put to death.

  The next huge event in 1536 was the famous Pilgrimage ofGrace, a massive uprising in the north of England against the religiouschanges, suppression of the monasteries and most of all against Henry’s councillors.By this point, it seemed as though Henry had become a dangerous man to know –as Robert Aske would find out when despite doing what the King said and helpingto put down the rebels he once lead, he still ended up in chains, left hangingto rot. Mixed in with this, following the rebellion, prophecies became muchmore ardent and something that Henry was determined to put down. Henry wasconstantly being labelled as the mouldwarp from the prophecy of the same name.We are told how seriously this was taken, how prophecies were banned and mostof all how people were put to death for calling Henry the tyrant spoken aboutin these prophecies.

  The book is finalised with a wonderful chapter named “Howdid Henry VIII become a tyrant?” and this is basically a conclusion to thewhole book which summarises each point in turn. Here Lipscomb runs back overeach point she has made, the fall of Anne Boleyn, Henry’s jousting accident andthe effect it had on his honour, the death of his son Henry Fitzroy and the Pilgrimageof Grace and she pulls them all together. She shows us how each of these eventsgave rise to the tyrant we know and that by this year, more so than any other,Henry had become a seriously dangerous man with a violent temper. Because afterall in this year the Act of Attainder was used on more and more people,something which had previously never been done before, and it meant that hecould have people executed without a trial. All the warrant needed was hissignature. Indeed, Lipscomb comes to the conclusion, through looking at all ofthis and then the definitions of a tyrant in both the modern day and in the 16thcentury, that by 1536 Henry had indeed become the tyrant that we, as readersand historians, all want so desperately to know.

  All in all a fantastic read and one I would definitelyrecommend to anyone that is new to Henry VIII. This really was a wonderful bookand a great attempt at unravelling the mystery of how Henry became such atyrant. I’m glad it wasn’t any longer because I think had it been then it couldhave quickly become dry. Instead the length was just right, and made it apleasure to read. It’s certainly one I will be going back to again.
  Posted by Sam at 13:18
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