Mary I

August 1, 2011
Oxford research fellow Edwards (The Spanish Inquisition) presents new perspectives on the English Queenâknown as Bloody Mary because she introduced the Inquisition into England. Daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine, the superbly educated Mary became an advocate for women's education and a promoter of women in her household, even showcasing a red uniformed female cavalry detachment at her coronation. A devout Catholic determined to reverse her father's religious and political reforms, Mary, however, could not rule in her own name. Edwards details the influence of her Spanish husband, Philip I, who, in the persecution of England's reformers, declared war on Pope Paul IV, invading his territory not once, but twice, to further Spanish interests. Mary herself came under attack from the Pope, who investigated Reginald Pole (her choice for Archbishop of Canterbury) for heresy. Edwards shows readers the evolution of Spanish policy during the Elizabethan era, and analyzes the problems faced by powerful women in a male-dominated environment. 16p b&w illus.

September 15, 2011

Having previously examined the life of Spain's illustrious Queen Isabella, Edwards (history, Univ. of Oxford; Ferdinand and Isabella) turns his erudite style and penchant for research to England's "Catholic" queen. On September 30, 1553, Mary Tudor assumed the English throne in the midst of intense social, political, and religious transformation. As the country's first accepted queen regnant and a devout Catholic, she faced immense internal and external threats to her "regime." Firmly grounded in a mountain of research, Edwards's academic treatment is a remarkable synthesis of Mary's turbulent life that moves beyond "Bloody Mary," feminist, or saintly martyr and presents a more balanced outlook on her reign and legacy. Key events and actors including Jane Grey, her marriage to Philip of Spain, religious reform, and geopolitics are surveyed with great detail and intelligence. VERDICT While lay readers will prefer biographies such as David Loades's Mary Tudor: A Life and Anna Whitelock's Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen, Edwards has provided students of the period with an exceptional, scholarly account of England's most controversial queen.--Brian Odom, Pelham P.L., AL

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