A historical biography about Henry VIIIs sixth wife - discussing her childhood and family life, giving a background that we don't often hear about when these women are discussed. The Tudor period is my favourite historical period so anything relating to that time period I am happy to read and this was particularly interesting to me. This gives Katherine more of a character than just being the one who 'survived'.
Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

*A big thank-you to Anthony Martienssen, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
An excellent book on I believe most enigmatic Henry VIII's wife. The Author presents clearly and yet in an unputdownable way the making of Katherine Parr and explains her ambitions and maschinations. This non-ficiton reads like a page-turner which I believe is hard to achieve.

Martienssen gives Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, the spotlight in this incredible piece of historical biography. This biography brings her childhood and extended family into the spotlight, as Martienssen discusses her childhood at court, her mother’s soft power and position in Catherine of Aragon’s household, her shared childhood with Princess Mary (her eventual stepdaughter), and her family history and genealogy. Martienssen later discusses her four marriages, giving her first two marriages more of a focus as they were so critical to her development and position as Henry VIII’s wife and Thomas Seymour’s wife; he also discusses her commonalities with the infamous Anne Boleyn -- their humanist educations, interest in the New Religion (a discussion fascinating in and of itself), their use of soft power, and their political skills (and how they benefited Henry VIII). Martienssen gives Katherine Parr a lot of credit, including excerpts of primary documents to demonstrate her skills and power as an educated noblewoman in sixteenth century England and how she used her education and power as a wife to various noblemen and the King of England. This is a fascinating, intelligent, and complex biography of a great English queen that Tudor fans are sure to enjoy.

Loved learning more about Henry VIII's sixth and final wife. It's bittersweet that she went though every thing she went through and still didn't get a happy ending.

A definitive biography of a unique fixture of Tudor England. She was ahead of her time in so many ways, yet cunning and immensely intelligent. She still was not immune from the injustices women endured during this period. A great biography first published in 1973. I’m thrilled to see this is being reissued for other readers to enjoy.

Thank you to Sapere Book and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

For those who know Katherine Parr as the sixth wife of Henry VIII, to many she is just the one who 'Survived'. Martienssen explores more about the life of the Queen, about her life after Henry and her innovative thinking which shaped future monarchs in subtle ways.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Publishing for the proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I know that this book is a reissue of this book, which was originally published in the 1970s. Given the recent popularity of Katherine Parr it makes sense that a biography of her would also increase in popularity.

I did enjoy how much of Katherine's voice was in this book including excerpts of her letters to her fourth husband. I also really appreciated how Martienssen highlighted Katherine's female relationships and influences throughout the book. The discussion around Katherine and the circle of women that she was educated with at court as a young girl was particularly interesting as I had not previously realized how ingrained into court life Katherine had been before her second marriage. I did know that Katherine's godmother might have been Catherine of Aragon because Parr's mother was a lady-in-waiting. However, just how integrated the Parr family was within the court structure was fascinating to learn about. I also feel the information Martienssen provided helped me to better understand the relationship between Princess Mary and Katherine before they were step-daughter/step-mother.

Martienssen's suppositions of what lessons Katherine learned from observing Henry's previous consorts were interesting. I do think that Martienssen did have a rather narrow view of some of the previous Queen consorts, particularly Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. In my opinion, the presentation of Henry's first five wives and the two Howard cousins in particular was very one-sided and did make this biography feel somewhat biased.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting discussion of the Tudor period that highlighted one of the most eminent families of the Tudor era. However, Katherine Parr does often get lost in the description of the history of the period. There is a whole chapter on Catherine Howard in which Katherine does not figure at all because she was not at court and played very little role in events. I however did find it interesting that Martienssen believes that Parr played a not-insignificant role in the downfall of Cromwell. Although it was an interesting theory Martienssen has very limited circumstantial evidence and overstated Katherine's role in Cromwell's downfall.

If you love Tudor history this book contains a great deal of information of the period, particularly focused on the Parr family. However, the author does rely on archetypes of other prominent figures of the period that are not often flattering. I also found parts of this book difficult to read because the prose was rather dry. Certain parts of the book captivated me, such as Katherine's religious evolution, but other times I had a hard time focusing.




Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

"Queen Katherine Parr" by Anthony Martienssen is a captivating biography that illuminates the life of a remarkable woman often overshadowed by her more famous Tudor predecessors. Martienssen skillfully navigates through the complexities of Katherine Parr's life, providing readers with a vivid portrait of a queen who played a crucial role in the turbulent times of the 16th century.

The book presents a balanced and insightful exploration of Katherine's multifaceted character, showcasing her intelligence, resilience, and diplomatic acumen. Martienssen's meticulous research is evident in the rich historical context he provides, offering readers a deeper understanding of the political and religious challenges faced by Katherine during her time as queen.

The narrative unfolds seamlessly, blending historical facts with engaging storytelling to bring Katherine Parr to life. Martienssen's prose is both accessible and evocative, making this biography not only informative but also an enjoyable read. "Queen Katherine Parr" is a commendable addition to Tudor history literature, shedding light on a queen whose legacy deserves greater recognition.

She was an idiot before marrying him, smart during their brief marriage and utterly stupid once death removed him from her life...Anne of Cleves was definitely the smartest one out of the bunch but Ms Parr should probably remembered as the dumbest one....Linda Porter gave us a much better portrait of that very really self centered woman a few years ago but this old fashioned biography deserves to be discovered if one really wants to understand how dysfunctional Fat Harry's world really was....A must read for all the "Tudor freaks" out there!

I always enjoy reading about the Tudors’ and I enjoy reading about the Queens of King Henry VIII. Katherine Parr was a really interesting person and this biography does a great job in showing that. Anthony Martienssen has a great writing style and I enjoyed reading this.

Katherine Parr, the survivor of the infamous "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" mnemonic, was an adult woman who lived a full life before marrying Henry VIII. Her biography tells her rise at court, reign as queen consort, and her brief life after Henry's death, including marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth. The author's book simplifies historical forces and presents a better narrative, showcasing women's power and ignoring abuse incidents. While it may not appeal to serious scholars, it is a captivating narrative for general readers and casual students, making it a worthwhile read. Martienssen's book explores the power of women, comparing Anne Boleyn and Katherine Parr. The comparison between Boleyn's power and Parr's influence is striking. The book has some weaknesses, including a lack of a bibliography and footnotes, but the author is hooked and plans to read more about Katherine in the future. They are eager to see if other authors view Katherine in similar ways.

This is a well written and educational book about Katherine Parr- the Queen known in history books as the one who survived.
I liked how this wasn't a long and drawn out read but probably the perfect length not to become too heavy and bogged down. It's great to read about Katherine's story and influence on Henry nearing the end of his life. I liked the information about Katherine's tomb at the end and glad she got the proper tomb/inscription that she deserved after violation to her body in earlier occurrences. A fascinating read for all Tudor fans who want more know about final Queen of Henry Viii. A true survivor in volatile and dangerous times to be a strong woman. Fascinating.

An excellent read exploring so much more about Henry's last queen. Well written and informative. She was obviously a clever woman who managed to survive difficult times whilst still holding her own views. Sadly, she died so young otherwise what could she have become.

An extremely capable and knowledgeable woman is described in this informative and well written book. Queen Katherine Parr led an intriguing life long before her marriage to Henry. She witnessed and was part of English history, surviving
partly because of her own tactics and compassion.

I’m a person who loveees reading watching, learning about history so when I saw this book i had to read.
This is actually so interesting to read since i feel like she is the least talked about from henry the viii queen and it give you a new perspective about this very intelligent woman

For all the lover's of history this is your book as it's now mine. I love this book. It's extremely well written with great deal of research and documentation. The book is about King Henry VIII last wife Queen Katherine Parr who you will learn was a remarkable woman. She was intelligent, strong in her convictions, her beliefs in religion, love, family, and loyalty in a time when women were not supposed to have a voice. It takes you from the beginning until her death and what happened afterwards. Enjoy reader's.

Thank you NetGalley and Sapere Books for allowing me to read a copy of Queen Katherine Parr in exchange for an honest review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have long been an avid student in learning about Henry VIII and his six wives. My main focus has been on Anne Boleyn and Kathryn Howard. Seeing this book come up for request on NetGalley was greatly appreciated. Katherine Parr was a strong and intelligent woman. She knew how to tame Henry's temper and avoid losing her head.

Anthony Martienssen did a great job outlining Katherine's life. This would be a good book for anyone interested in learning more about her. Yes, it was published in the 70's, but it does hold up today.

This biography is perfect for fans of Six: The Musical, with its emphasis on the life of Henry VIII's sixth wife Katherine Parr and the agency of all his wives in the tumultuous politics of the early 16th century.

Katherine Parr is less well known than the rest of Henry's wives, being the survivor in the infamous mnemonic: "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived." An adult woman, twice widowed, when Henry decided to marry her, Katherine had already lived a full life and developed her own interests, opinions, and political alliances. This biography tells the story of her rise at court - the other five wives being important secondary characters - as well as her successful reign as queen consort - uniting the fragmented Tudor family and securing enough of Henry's confidence to serve as his regent when he went abroad to conquer Boulogne. It also briefly covers the short remainder of her life after Henry's death, in which she married for love, became pregnant for the first time, and died in childbirth.

While there are many simplifications of complex historical forces and some dubious interpretations of primary sources, most of this comes from the author's intention of creating a better narrative, showcasing the power of women in the time period, and glossing over a couple of incidents that historians today now believe to be evidence of abuse. I would caution any serious scholar of the period to take the interpretive aspects of this book with a large heaping of salt, however this book is not aimed at them. For the general reader or the casual student, this is a fantastic narrative that will catch and hold their attention from beginning to end, and is well worth the read.

P.S. I hope this error was caught before publication, but Henry VII did not have a sister - Helen was his paternal first cousin.

After reading the first few pages of this book, I thought - ??? - until I saw that it was originally published in 1973 and is being reissued by this publisher with several other books of the same era. It's definitely in the style of mid-20th century biographies, not biographies being written by historians today. Extremely sparse with the footnotes, and an extremely omniscient narrator.

On the one hand, Martienssen was ahead of his time in attending to Katherine Parr as an extremely intelligent and politically aware person, not the mousey widow who didn't do anything to attract sufficient attention to get herself executed or divorced. He anticipates 21st century historians in crediting her with a great influence on the future Queen Elizabeth, and provides context to show that her family was highly placed in Henry VIII's court.

On the other hand, he continually states that Katherine did this or that thing because of a political or religious project or agenda, without showing anything of a justification for his statements. It is not at all clear how he knows that she did something because she had a long term goal of achieving religious reforms or bringing down Cromwell. (It does seem rather hyperbolic to credit her with Cromwell's fall, given who else was gunning for the man. She may have gone to Henry to intercede for an uncle who was accused of religious crimes, but could what she said really have caused Cromwell to be arrested, when Norfolk and Wriothesley and Gardiner were also on the case??)

I'm not saying he's invented falsehoods. I'm just saying I don't know how he reached this particular conclusion as opposed to any other.

This is the first time I've seen a detailed assertion of Katherine as having been born and brought up at court, and a schoolfellow of Princess Mary throughout their youth. Here, he does give some facts to support this idea - Katherine's mother was in Catherine of Aragon's household and never left it, but I'm not sure where he got the information that Katherine was educated throughout her childhood with Mary and other daughters of courtiers. I'd love to know. He based many assessments of her future actions on her having been in the classroom with Mary, and a few other women who subsequently married influential courtiers and were part of Katherine's household.

He also takes a different view of Henry VIII than has become fashionable. He asserts that Henry was extremely intelligent and well-read in Machiavelli, and if he appeared to be bumbling about, or bewitched by a beautiful woman, it was because he wanted to give that impression. In this light, the question of whether it was Henry or Cromwell who brought down Anne Boleyn is rather moot - long before she miscarried that last son, she was being lined up to be the scapegoat for the somewhat unpopular religious reforms Henry and Cromwell were implementing. It's quite interesting to read an account of Henry seen from this angle, although again it's clearly his interpretation of the evidence rather than anything more concrete.

If you can remain aware of how much is going unspecified or unsupported, this is an interesting look at the 1530s and 1540s from a different point of view. Katherine is someone who has not really gotten her due in the history books, and fifty years ago someone tried to give it to her.

QUEEN CATHERINE PARR by ANTHONY MARTIENSSEN is a well researched biography of Katherine Parr that tells us about the sixth wife of King Henry V111, her prowess in the political field, her education at the hands of humanists, and her wisdom in in dealing with the formiddable king who she married in his latter years. She grew up at court and knew and respected the king. She pleased him by showing great affecction for his children, being largely responsible for his reconciliation with Mary and Elizabeth, and created a happy family life for him wherever she could. She was wise in using what she learned from his former wives, especially the first two, learning from their mistakes. As the author stares, “Karherine Parr was to model herself, in public, on Catharine of Aragon after whom she was probably named, and it was only in private that the steel of Anne Boleyn was to appear.”
I have read much about this time in history, but I learnt a great deal from this book that I did not know before. I found it very interesting.
I was givena free copy of the book by NetGalley from Sapere Books. The opinions in this review are completey my own.