For me this is definitely a Three and a Half Star Book...

It is particularly well researched with sound reasoning around the trustworthiness or bias of the sources mentioned, however the book itself doesn't really seem to form an opinion as such. The writing style at times was hard to continue with, reading more like and extended essay rather than a book. I really liked the use of many female historian views rather than the usual monotony of male view points throughout history. I felt that a bit more depth would have been interesting in the dynamics of Jane Seymour and her family's involvement with the events and subsequent trial. Also the dichotomy of Uncle Boleyn's involvement with the trial of his niece and nephew - and his potential reasons for this was largely missed.

I feel that most people whom read about the tudors, read it for the psychodrama of the main characters at play throughout - this book left a large part of this out, allowing you to focus on the factual events, political intrigue and sometimes complicated relationships that those surrounding royalty had with them. I loved the tie into Elizabeth's Reign at the end. Tying together facts, poetry and the courtly love is not an easy job - Natalie Grueninger does this really well which allows for a different light to be shone on the events.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy.

There are many books on Anne Boleyn, all of which I want to read, but I was really intrigued by this one focusing purely on the last year of Anne’s life and the events leading to her death.

Anne has long been the subject of debates, theories, and myths, so I was really pleased to see Natalie’s approach in covering these points.

Natalie approaches her work with meticulous detail, using primary sources to support her points whilst also avoiding becoming fact heavy. This makes for enjoyable and very interesting reading.

I found this account to be an absolute pleasure to read. Natalie does not just focus on the dreadful events leading to Anne’s death, but also times of happiness, including going on progress with Henry, where they stayed and what those accommodation looked (in some cases, may have looked) like at the time. Even the smallest details, such as distance travelled and which rooms the royal couple may have stayed in, are included.

That’s not all! Whilst Anne and Henry are away enjoying themselves, the politics of the court do not stop. Natalie ensures the goings on at court are not omitted, includingambassador correspondence. It is always fascinating to get a glimpse of the thoughts of Chapuys!

Myths and rumours about Anne are addressed using sources and reasoning why some sources may be biased or perhaps incorrect, or could be interpreted in different ways.

If you’re looking for something that doesn’t focus on the usual content about Anne (no offence intended here, I absolutely do want to read everything) and instead offers a unique insight specifically about her final months then I really recommend this.

The Final Year of Anne Boleyn offers a very thoroughly researched, meticulously referenced, and balanced account of those final months. It can be hard not to show unconscious bias when writing, especially where the Tudors are concerned, but Natalie manages to write an excellent account without any influence of readers’ opinions about those involved.

To generate an interest in History from nearly 500 years ago, an interest that would keep library shelves laden with books of the movers and shakers of 5 centuries previous to the day of reading - that is no small feat. Natalie Grueninger has done it. I've opened the book, started it, and stayed in to the end. It helped that I've read 3 other books about Anne this year. . .but this one felt more about the real Anne, herself. Who was this woman who fired the imaginations and passions of the people in her time, who has kept her place filled with her presence to the degree that even one, such as I would know her name, her place and the changes she effected on the world? This author answers that big question better than any so far, to my thinking.

It was a dangerous time to be a woman, a daughter of a wealthy family with a long line of nobles, dangerous to be beautiful, feisty and possessed of ambitious ideas. Anne rocked it, and paid the price - yet despite the sad turn her journey took, her last acts of sacrifice were for those she loved who remained. Her restraint and dignity worn so successfully to the very moment her head was parted from her body passed that hope on to her Elizabeth, who honored her mother in the best ways she could, on the quiet, but carrying forward the torch her mother lit for her way ahead.

*A sincere thank you to Natalie Grueninger, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheFinalYearofAnneBoleyn #NetGalley

This was incredibly detailed account of Anne Boleyn’s final year, with evident attention given to the background and context of the times. I feel like this is the depth of analysis of her life that Anne Boleyn deserved. A heavy read, but well worth it.

I appear to be in the minority regarding my impression of The Final Year of Anne Boleyn. The first half of this book is very dry and scatter-brained; it's less a biography than an assortment of direct quotes. There are plenty of details about finances and personal possessions, but little insight into the famous figures at hand, namely Anne herself, Henry VIII, Cromwell, and Chapuys. This is probably a good resource for someone looking for details to enhance a historical fiction novel about Anne Boleyn, but it won't give you a great understanding of this era in history unless you came in already knowing the story well.

The spin presented by this book is also pretty gross. Natalie Grueninger dispels some popular myths, like Thomas Boleyn and Jane Parker's alleged complicity in Anne's fall from grace, and she provides compelling evidence for Anne's devotion to religious reform. Her repeated efforts to excuse Anne's severe abuse of her stepdaughter, however, is simply absurd. Anne making more that one attempt to befriend Mary (on the condition that Mary agree to disinherit herself and shame her mother) does not absolve her repeated promises to murder her stepdaughter; on the contrary, they show that Anne's actions were purely selfish and insincere. Grueninger does not dispute that Anne wore bright yellow to celebrate Katherine of Aragon's death, or that she tried to convince Henry to have both Katherine and Mary executed--instead, this is excused by Henry's own abusive behavior toward his ex-wife and daughter, which continued without Anne's help. This is the problem with the modern efforts to girlbossify Anne Boleyn: it's hard to make a feminist hero out of someone whose rise to power was built on the deliberate destruction of other women. Anne Boleyn is a tragic figure because of the cruel fate she was handed by her monstrous husband. That makes Anne a sympathetic person--it doesn't make her a good one.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I will read anything Tudor-related and this was right up my alley. I loved it. It is a must read for any history buff.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Pen & Sword for providing me an ARC of this book!

Now I will say that I think this book just wasn't for me, while I find the topic interesting I don't read a lot of Non-fiction and the ones I do read are different from this book. What I will say is that the author did a great job with the construction and writing of this book and if a reader is interested in non-fiction and this topic I think they would really enjoy this book and how it is written.

Anne Boleyn has been on peoples minds for over 400 years and a book talking about her final years I believe will scratch some peoples brains in the best way possible

Thanks to NetGalley and to Pen & Sword for providing me an ARC of this book!

As many others have said, this book is extremely researched. Drawing from a variety of sources to support her writing, Natalie provides her own critique and insights into these other sources as well as examining perspectives of those on both sides of the events of the time.

It is a bit info heavy so having some prior knowledge of the Tudors/this period in history is beneficial. Some parts to slog a bit, especially when you reach some of the lengthy quotes throughout, but overall, and interesting read!

Grueninger does an excellent job of recapping Anne Boleyn's final year. I have read a lot of books and watched a lot of documentaries about Anne Boleyn, and so it would be easy to become bored with a rehash of the same events. But I love the voice she brings to this tragic tale, and she also debunks many of the popular myths about Boleyn's life and downfall along the way, without seeming to lecture or veering into a lengthy aside. The people who played a part in Boleyn's final year, including Anne herself, are presented in such a way that you really feel their personalities and humanity, despite being separated from them by centuries. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is familiar with Anne Boleyn's story or who is just beginning to learn about this fascinating woman. Thank you NetGalley and Pen and Sword History for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The last year of Anne Boleyn’s life was filled with hope, joy, sadness, anger, desperation and resolve.

Having not given Henry VIII the son she’d promised, and still battling her predecessor for legitimacy in the eyes of her subjects, Anne was feeling on edge and under pressure in 1535.

This non-fiction book takes us from spring 1535 to spring 1536. It covers the major cultural, political, religious, and personal events that shaped how and why Anne came to her eventual end.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the broad overview it gave; it really helped to paint a picture of what Anne’s world looked like.

I also liked how the author quoted Anne’s letters. There’s something powerful about reading her own words.

I will say, though, that this book is truly a broad look at Henry’s court and country. I don’t feel like I gained a ton of insight into Anne.

Overall, the author found an interesting angle for her exploration of a well-covered subject.

Check out this book if you want to get a sense of the world Anne Boleyn lived in.

This biography focus on the last year of Anne Boleyn. It discusses her downfall to her execution. There were a few times that I thought that this was very repetitive. This is mostly because it focuses on a small amount of her life. There were some new facts in this book that I did learn from it! This book was very similar to Alison Weir’s The Lady in the Tower. Still, I recommend this book for Anne Boleyn fans!

A well-researched bio with a scope limited to Anne Boleyn's last year, May 1535-May 1536. Unfortunately only the last 6 months of that year had much to discuss, so the first half of the book spends a lot of time on Cromwell and Chapuys exchanging ineffectual letters about the status of Katherine of Aragon and her daughter Mary. Natalie Grueninger keeps Henry and Anne at a distance throughout; the book is often sourced from the accounts of persons who were rarely at court with them until the very end of Anne's life. In my experience, Anne's downfall is best examined in the context of her rise, which is hard to do with a timeframe as narrow as this one.

First off, there’s one thing you need to know about me, and that is that I love anything to do with the Tudor period, Henry VIII, and his best (not to mention controversial) wife, Anne Boleyn.

Therefore, I knew I needed to read this book!
And as with most books about Anne Boleyn, this one didn’t disappoint.

It has been well researched and throughout you can tell that the author has a true passion for the topic at hand, yet they are also unbiased in their information. They state the facts and leave it up to the reader to make up their own mind about Anne and her actions.
The last year of Anne’s life was filled with intrigue and despair, and this book is a great read for those wanting to learn more about such a great historical figure.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a massive fan of Natalie, as I've listened to her Podcast 'Talking Tudors' for years - I was very excited to ARC read a book that is so extremely close to her heart - any Podcast listener will be aware of how Natalie has dedicated many years researching Anne Boleyn & her life & how she really feels a strong connection and pull toward her.

There are many books about Anne's life, Greuninger saw an opening which blindsided many authors and historians - an in depth look at her Downfall & death, the factors which caused it & the catalysts which egnited her impending doom (as we?now know with hindsight).

This study of Anne's final year is very well researched & presented - even as her favourite subject and probably being her life's work (so far), Greuninger is in no way biased or writing Anne as if she is an angel, devoid of all fault.

Yes, Anne was innocent!
Yes, she didn't deserve such a brutal fate... but did she bring it on herself unknowingly?
Unfortunately, yes!

We take a look into the behaviour which was rapidly spiralling out of control; conversations & flirtations as part of the courtly game of love being taken to another & a dangerous level - the rule book being tossed onto the fire, completely disregarded.

We take a look at Anne's mental state & unsurprisingly it's deterioration - her sharp tongue & quick temper did her no favours; in some ways she was her own worst enemy particularly when cornered or threatened, she would lash out in what was seen as an unfeminine and unwomanly way, appearing not only unnatural but unstable to those around her.

Without Chaupsy, we would not have such rich imagery of what was going on during this last year in question - vividly painted pictures of incidents, actual words from contemporaries mouths who all lived and breathed during the Queens Downfall.

I was absolutely hooked, even though I knew what was coming I held hope that Anne's composure & dignified defence of herself during her trial would save her life - though we know it did not; it takes a fantastic writer full of passion to make someone read a story they already know the ending of & still produce such feelings of anticipation.

Overall this was a gripping read, bringing a lot of new information & source material to light, questioning old held beliefs & myths, putting the so called evidence under the spotlight - Anne and her 'lovers' were not even at said place on said date of their heinous adultery together (as an example).



Excellently researched, sensitively yet compellingly written.
Congratulations, Ms Greuninger.

Anne Boleyn is a fascinating character from history. I sometimes forget that she actually lived and breathed. This book is a great reminder of the woman behind the legend and the last year of her life. I discovered a new appreciation for the struggles she had in a position that cost her her own life. I finished the last page and instantly thought about other biographies I could find that were about Mary, Elizabeth and others. The sign of a great book pushes you to read more, learn more and seek out answers. That is a great description of this book.

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I’ve read many books about Anne Boleyn’s life and find her a fascinating character. Unlike many of these, this book focuses entirely on the woman, rather than her husband Henry VIII and the other characters in the court around her at the time. She is both a fascinating, ambitious woman, as well as a tragic figure. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very detailed, historically focused without being overbearing and a great addition to an already throughly covered subject

I received a copy of The Final Year of Anne Boleyn from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was a comprehensive and detailed text, that, without at least some understanding of the time period and its key players, or, an appreciation of non-fiction texts would not be interesting to some readers.

This book has been researched incredibly well, with an extensive bibliography. Additionally, the engagement with the research material and assessment of the usefulness and reliability of the sources used, added another layer of authenticity to the text.

The only disadvantage to how detailed and well researched the text is, is that the density of it meant it took me a little while to get through. But thats barely a criticism.

It is a great read for any Tudor-History buffs.

Maybe one of the most controversial characters in history? Having seen "SIX' recently (don’t worry - I know that's far from how they were!) I am intrigued by Henry 8ths 6 wives, but Anne Boleyn intrigued me the most - was she really as bad as she seemed? It is clearly a deeply researched book and this is the perfect book for anyone interested in Anne. Although.a bit heavy at times, I really enjoyed this and I am keen to learn even more!

I loved this. Anne Boleyn is such an interesting person. Most books I've read about her focus more on Henry the 8th. I loved that this book brought her to life, and gave you a deeper understanding of her as a person.I feel like she is usually presented without much depth.

I also love that this a female author giving voice to the often-misunderstood woman. I feel like a female-historian can better capture how she felt, what she experienced, and what her drives were.

This was a thought-provoking, engaging read. I highly recommend!

Wow. This book is very detailed and I almost felt like I was living there. The details in the landscaping, homes and clothing is incredible. The little tiny pieces of history that are thrown in. The compliments to the local seamstress and favour asked of the Queen.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I did have to take my time with it because it is very heavy. Very detailed and it deserved my undivided attention.