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Bloody Mary by Carolly Erickson: A Book Review

Bloody Mary

Author: Carolly Erickson

Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography 

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press-3PL

Publication Date: 2024

Pages: 828

Source: Personal Collection 

Synopsis: Here is the tragic, stormy life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Her story is a chronicle of courage and faith, betrayal and treachery—all set amidst the splendor, pageantry, squalor, and intrigue of sixteenth-century Europe.


      The history of Mary Tudor is an improbable blend of triumph, humiliation, heartbreak, and devotion. In Bloody Mary, historian Carolly Erickson recounts it all against the turbulent background of European politics, war, and religious strife of the mid-1500s. The result is a rare portrait of the times and of a woman elevated to unprecedented power in a world ruled and defined by men.


      My Review: Mary Tudor is known as the first reigning queen of England. However, she left behind a black legacy. She has been known in history as Bloody Mary. Yet this biography of Mary Tudor has proven that Mary Tudor was in fact a tragic and pitiful queen. Even though Mary Tudor was intelligent, she was vastly unprepared for her role as queen.


       Mary Tudor is greatly disliked in popular culture. Before reading this biography of Mary Tudor, I thought that I would come away with it by liking her less. Instead, I greatly sympathized with her as a person. She was once the favored daughter of King Henry VIII of England and his first wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon. However, King Henry VIII illegitimatized her when he married Queen Anne Boleyn. Mary Tudor experienced many tragedies before becoming queen. Once she was Queen, she still faced many difficulties including her disastrous marriage to King Phillip II of Spain. Mary Tudor was staunched in her Catholic faith, and she strived to make England a Catholic nation. While I greatly abhorred her actions, I could not but feel pity for England’s lonely queen.


       Overall, this was a very comprehensive and intimate biography of the infamous Queen Mary Tudor of England. This book took a long time for me to read. I read this periodically over the course of two years. This was because I found the book to be very drawn out and tedious at times. I also found some inaccuracies which bothered me a little. Nevertheless, it was still a very informative and enjoyable read! It made me want to read more biographies of Queen Mary Tudor! I also found Mrs. Erickson’s nonfiction to be more entertaining than her historical fiction novels! I can’t wait to read her biography on Queen Elizabeth I! I recommend this book for fans of David Starkey, Julia Fox, and Leanda de Lisle!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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