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Young and Damned and Fair

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

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Young and Damned and Fair

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

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

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

A Daily Mail Book of the Week
‘A stunning reappraisal of the tragic life of Henry VIII’S fifth wife’ The Times
‘A timely and powerful re-examination of Henry's fifth queen … Gareth Russell has done some beautiful new research to indicate that Catherine was not as foolish as some historians have suggested, and that her death was managed and manipulated by her offended husband, purely for his own revenge … I love it when historians take the women who have been neglected by history seriously and study their lives rather than accepting stereotypes’ Philippa Gregory
‘“Young and Damned and Fair” is everything a historical biography should be’ Kathryn Warner, author of "Edward II: The Unconventional King"
‘Russell marries slick storytelling with a great wealth of learning about sixteenth-century personalities and politics. The result is a book that leads us deep into the nightmarish final years of Henry VIII's reign, wrenching open the intrigues of a poisonous court in a realm seething with discontent. At the heart of it all is the fragile, tragic figure of Catherine Howard, whose awful fate is almost unbearable to watch as it unfolds. This is authoritative Tudor history written with a novelist's lightness of touch. A terrific achievement’ Dan Jones
‘A magnificent account of the rise and fall of Henry VIII's tragic fifth queen – compelling, thought-provoking and above all real. In Russell's meticulously researched narrative Catherine Howard and her household are brought to life as never before. Hugely enjoyable’ Adrian Tinniswood
‘This fascinating and ultimately heartbreaking account of Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife brings to life the cruel, gossip-fuelled, back-stabbing world of the court in which Catherine Howard rose and fell. The uncommonly talented Gareth Russell has produced a masterly work of Tudor history that is engrossing, sympathetic, suspenseful, and illuminating’ Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws
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I enjoyed jenny funnells narration. I've never thought Henry the VIII as good king let alone great one.The more i read/listen the more sympathy i have for any woman who crossed his path weather by the end your opinions changed or not on any of his wives or mistresses,Henry was nothing more than a MYSOGONIST PIG.Is it any wonder both the French and Spanish ran rings around him politically.

Katherine Howard

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Not exactly what I expected but still very enjoyable. Would happily recommend to anyone. R

Great

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Excellent and fascinating portrait of Catherine Howard. It includes many details of Henry VIII’s court, bringing it vividly to life and giving Catherine’s story context.
The reader was generally very good, but they paused in odd places and they really could have done with guidance on the pronunciation of some of the names. However, this did not spoil my enjoyment of the story.

Essential listening for all Tudor fans

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I thought this book brought to life the young Queen Catherine Howard. It contained descriptions of her daily life and interesting descriptions and conclusions pertaining to the intrigues surrounding her and the royal court.

A captivating story.

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Kathryn Howard is probably the the most intriguing of Henry VIII wife's seeing as we know so little about her and what we think we know is most likely wrong and her story has so greatly been distorted by time. But Russel a historian attempts here to shine a new light on her the woman who broke my dear Henry's heart.

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

Interesting

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