This looks at the reign of terror when Bloody Mary was on the throne and how this affected the life of her subjects.

One of many books on Bloody Mary, this version by Phil Carradice is short and through. He has captured the main details in a historically accurate and easily read book covering Mary Tudor's five year reign.
Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

The book is very well written and very easy to read.
I liked the fact that the author introduced us in the context in which Queen Mary came to the throne. I found many new information about her life, here views and purposes.
I would recommend this book to those who love history and want to find out more about Queen`s Mary life and the consequences of her fathers choices.

I enjoyed reading Bloody Mary, it was extremely informative and well written. It covered a time of history that I am interested in and it didn't dim that interest.

"History as written by the victor" that famous remark by Winston Churchill can be aptly applied to our appreciation of certain English monarchs that have been derived and influenced by the writings of subsequent writers who either out of inclination or necessity supported the subsequent winning side. Think of how the reputation of Richard the III has been influenced by the portrayal of him in the Shakespeare play and how it contrasts to the writings of several of Richard's contemporaneous observers who praised his statesmanship. A similar monarch who is viewed less than favourably is Mary I of England who is still today better known by the "Bloody Mary" sobriquet given to her by her Protestant opponents. Reigning only between 1553 and 1558 her monarchy is synonymous with the burning at the stake of over 280 Protestant martyrs during the English Counter Reformation that she was principally responsible for. What were the causes and motivations of her actions together with a chronological narrative can be found in the latest Pen and Sword publication by Phil Carradice who has published several previous historical works and hosts a history series on BBC Radio Wales.

I have now read several historic books published by Pen & Sword and I have always found them to be well written and informative and this is no exception. Due to the concise nature of their books (I read this in the course of an afternoon) you can quickly gain a basic appreciation of a subject which can then lead you if desired to further reading and research as may well be the case here. Like in other Pen & Sword books there is here an interesting and fairly comprehensive collection of photographs of paintings, engravings and martyr sites and memorials that lend credence to the text. The conclusion is that Mary was sad rather than bad which was primarily derived from the traumatic effects of her upbringing.

Saddled with inadequate advisers and an ill judged marriage to a Spanish royal the chances of a successful reign were always fairly minimal. In truth there was little public appetite for a counter reformation and a full return to the old ways and a more astute monarch would have realised this as was the case with her successor Elizabeth the great fence sitter who steered a course between Puritanism and Catholicism. In truth it can be argued that the middle way Anglicanism that would eventually emerge would be nearer to Roman Catholicism than Calvinism as opposed to the result of the Reformation in Scotland. For Mary though there could be no compromises and this was perhaps her tragedy.

If you have an interest in this period of history then this is I believe a good basic introduction that you can subsequently build upon.

Sehr spannend und einfach zugängliches Stück englische Geschichte. Mit schönen zeitgenössischen Bildern untermalt. Viele Informationen, die man hierzulande nicht kennen dürfte.

Bloody Mary, Tudor Terror by Phil Carradice was received direct from the publisher. Most everyone has heard the urban legend of Bloody Mary, if not then go BING it, I will wait. The real Bloody Mary’s reign of terror ran between 1553 - 1558. If you follow my reviews, you will note I mostly review horror and the short reign of Bloody Mary Tudor, after all her nickname is such for a reason, was as horrific as many of the modern horror tomes that are published. Mary’s reign saw 284 people burned to death, about 57 a year, a little over one a week. This does not seem that bad for the size of the British Empire, however the diligent reader will have to read for themselves what was so “Bloody” about Mary Tudor. To not go into plot, Mary’s bloody reign was about Religion. The book contains many pictures though they are SFW pics. If you or someone you buy gifts for likes English history, is interested in Bloody Mary or possibly even studies religion, give this book a read.

4 stars

This was a very interesting read about Mary Tudor who was the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Mary Tudor reigned for 5 years and is most known for the hundreds of people put to death as a consequence of their Protestant faith.
So, this was a bit of short book but I thought it covered her life well. It covered her whole life especially pointing out things in her life that helped to shape her into the woman she would become. It accurately depicts the terror that Mary brought upon the Protestants and the way in which they proudly went to their deaths. It goes into detail on some of those that were accused.
This was definitely an easy read. It did not seem dense at all and I flew through it. This would be a great book to pick up if you are interested in Tudor History.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an Arc of this book.

One thing I think you need to look for in history books is readability, which this book definitely delivers. Along with illustrative pictures, a no-nonsense approach to the events within and a lot of interesting detail, I loved this book about Mary I, a ruler so often misinterpreted. Carradice's likening of her to a teenager was one I didn't think about before, and definitely something I agree with - although this book was sparse, and short, it was definitely interesting.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first I have read from this author. It is also the first time I have read about Mary I.

It was interesting to read about Bloody Mary. The book was well written and informative. The research was solid. I would highly recommend this book to all history buffs out there. You will not be disappointed.

5 Stars

Really enjoyed this factual tale about the reign of Mary I. Bloody Mary is a fair description of the terror she wrought on Protestants in England and the way in which they were persecuted. The story also depicted the often proud way in which those that were burnt at the steak died for their beliefs. I know I wouldn’t have wanted to end my days that way!

I enjoyed reading Bloody Mary. It Was really well written and a very informative book on Mary Tudor. It was like being transported back in time and watching her life unfold before your eyes.
Definitely well worth a read.
Thankyou to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.