Mary Tudor: A Life - Biography of England's First Queen | Historical Books for Tudor Era Enthusiasts & British History Lovers

Mary Tudor lived in a such a fascinating swirl of people and events, I expected to be swept away by this biography, but it is mostly a dry collection of facts, such as the recounting of every marriage discussion and negotiation on Mary's behalf, which were numerous. The book doesn't deliver a well fleshed-out point of view about Mary's character, although having read his excellent Elizabeth I, I know Loades is capable of this. In his introduction, he states that Mary was a "profoundly conventional woman" (particularly when compared to her sister Elizabeth). It would've been terrific if he had expounded on his opinions in addition to the facts. A great complement to Loades' book is Carolly Erickson's Bloody Mary, a highly descriptive and psychologically riveting book (although it is 30 years old and some new facts have emerged). I am a 30-year reader of Tudor history and would recommend Loades' book only to those who are already very familiar with Mary I.