Robert Hutchinson (1)Rezensionen

This is a well researched and fascinating book, giving a real insight into Henry VIII's life from the time when Ann of Cleves became his bride. It describes policy, personalities, intrigues, allegiances, conspiracies, religion and politics in a thoroughly readable way. Even Henry's medical history is discussed, and his failed attempts to have a tomb for posterity to remember him by. This is an illuminating, detailed and involving book which makes sense of this somewhat turbulent period of English history.

Hutchinson's Author's Note summarizes the task faced by Walshingham in protecting Queen Elizabeth I from enemies foreign and domestic, especially the faction supporting Mary Stuart Queen of Scots.
Much of what transpired then in the 16th century could be ripped from today's headlines, with the possible exception of judicially approved torture.
Extremely well-written and researched.

Mentre le campagne per il disarmo continuano a premere sui governi occidentali perché distruggano le loro armi nucleari, "stati canaglia" e terroristi fanno ogni sforzo per impossessarsene. E se non tutti riescono a mettere le mani sugli ordigni atomici, sono già molti quelli pronti a usare quelli chimici e biologici. Ma cosa sono davvero queste armi? E quanto è seria la minaccia che rappresentano? La ricerca che Robert Hutchinson ha condotto sugli arsenali NBC dà un risultato allarmante. Rivela infatti che gli esperti non hanno dubbi a questo proposito. Secondo molti di loro la domanda che dobbiamo porci non è se assisteremo all'uso della prima bomba nucleare dopo Hiroshima, ma quando.

Hutchinson is at his strongest when he describes Cromwell's actions with wit and flair. The author has an opinion and is not shy to make it known, which makes this book an entertaining read. The reader is under no illusion that Hutchinson approves of Cromwell, in fact one gets a sense that he despises the man. This adds humour to a book which might otherwise be accused of being dry, his remarks often had me laughing out loud.

I did however spend much time slogging through chapters with endless descriptions of minutae which felt unnecessary if the goal is to paint a general picture of Cromwell's life. Notably, chapter 6. Whilst I appreciate the presentation of evidence and the clear chronology for how Hutchinson formulated his narrative, I found myself muttering 'get on with it' when presented with the exact amount that Cromwell spent buying one of his buddies a nice coat. Perhaps he could have invited the reader to do their own research if they needed the specifics?

That being said, as an introductory whistle stop tour into Cromwell's rise and downfall, I would recommend looking no further.½

Disclaimer: I received this book for free via a First Reads Giveaway.

The Spanish Armada by Robert Hutchinson is a fascinating look into the almost mythic story of Armada's attempt to restore Catholicism to England. Hutchinson focuses his story on the intelligence gathering by both the Spanish and the English from the preparation of the Armada through to its ultimate failure. While it is sometimes interesting to read what so-and-so knew at a certain point in time, it seemed a little tedious occasionally, slowing down the pace of the story. Nonetheless, the story flowed fairly well and it felt like a quick read. Overall, I thought it was a good book and solidly written. It was certainly interesting, but I still felt like there was just a tad missing to really draw me into the story. I would definitely recommend the book, especially to someone interested in the period, but it doesn't make it into my favorite books club. Lastly, the appendices giving England's and Spain's ship roll calls is a great addition as is the dramatic personae which I found highly useful as the numerous names involved in the story got a bit confusing at times.

Good non-fiction that helps explain the House of Norfolk. Just in time for me as I am watching "Wolf Hall". It can be quite difficult keeping all those Thomases and Henrys in their proper places, but an appendix at the end of the book helps with this a great deal.

There’s a rule for books dealing with the Elizabethan age; they almost always have to have a picture of Elizabeth I on the cover, even if they’re about somebody else. No exception here; Elizabeth gets pride of place, with Sir Francis Walsingham lurking in the background. As on the cover, so in life – Walsingham is a fascinating figure but not much is known about him, probably a sign that he knew what he was about in running an intelligence service. We don’t know how he got his start, how he recruited most of his agents, and how he ran his network. Therefore author Robert Hutchinson has to pad out this book with an account of the execution of Mary Queen of Scots – which Walsingham was mostly responsible for, by forging incriminating letters; and the Defeat of the Spanish Armada. There isn’t too much evidence about what Walsingham did to thwart the Armada, other than getting some information from merchants and planted agents in Spanish ports – but he must have contributed much that is unrecorded, since Sir Francis Drake wrote him to say “…you have fought more with your pen than many in our English navy fought with their enemies…”.


A lot of Walsingham’s work was reprehensible by modern standards; a good part of his efforts were directed against Catholic laymen and priests, who despite their nominal illegality were probably not that much of a threat to Elizabeth or the State. Hutchinson compares Walsingham to Beria and Himmler, but notes that things were different in the 16th century, and that Walsingham never went in for personal aggrandizement, dying in relative poverty after spending most of his private resources on his work.


The secondary characters are often fascinating; I wish there was more about them. Walsingham employed Rackmaster Richard Topcliffe, who was so nasty that his family disowned him and his sons changed their names. When Walsingham was reminded that government torture was technically illegal, Topcliffe solved the problem by noting that torture by private citizens was not and set up a dungeon in his own house (I understand such things are still available in London, but for different reasons). Topcliffe paid for his evil by dying peacefully at a ripe old age, wealthy and honored. Walsingham’s counterpart in Spanish service, Bernardino de Mendoza, managed to thwart or compromise many or Walsingham’s plans and must have had an equal or better network in England than Walsingham had in Spain, but not much is known about it. Playwright Christopher Marlowe was one of Walsingham’s agents and his interesting death might have had something to do with his activities. Walsingham’s daughter, Frances, must have been something, since she successively married Sir Phillip Sidney, one of the most popular nobles of the day and rumored to be the model for Hamlet; then Robert Deveraux, Earl of Essex, who was the queen’s favorite in her old age (until she had him beheaded). Frances’s third husband was less notable but lived longer.


In the 1998 film Elizabeth, Walsingham (played by Geoffrey Rush) is shown as a gay man who poniards his lover through the neck when he suspects an assassination attempt. Although such things were slightly tolerated in Elizabethan times, there’s no evidence that Walsingham was actually gay, and such a thing would have been very foolish as it would have exposed him to blackmail.


Not a bad addition to Elizabethan lore even though a little sparse as a biography.

A very enjoyable book about one of British history's more enigmatic figures.Colonel Blood made an attempt to steal the crown jewels but this book reveals much more about the life of an adventurer rogue and the conspiracies / plots of Stuart Britain. A very good read

It's about Howard Dukes of Norfolk from Henry VII's reign to Elizabeth I's.

Interesting to read about the early life of Henry VIII.

House of Treason: Rise and Fall of a Tudor Dynasty is a work of monumental academic proportions. It tells the story of the ill-fated Dukes of Norfolk and is set against the stunning and bejewelled background of the Tudor court.

The book takes us from Henry VII, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Bosworth field to the 4th Duke’s son Philip who lost the dukedom under James I but gained canonisation in 1970, embracing the whole glittering Tudor period in which the Norfolks played so vitally important a role.

It is no ‘easy’ read but little wonder. The sheer breadth and depth of content is breathtaking: but do not give up …. the experience is worth every word.

Oh the Tudors. What a bunch you are --- paranoid, mean-spirited, mean, gluttonous, and in the case of Henry, horny. This book only deals with his last years so a lot of the horny court play had run its course already and what was left was a sick, dying man sadly looking for companionship in his last days.

For a man so concerned with his public image and legacy, specifically an heir, he’s remembered much differently than I’m sure he ever thought possible even in his wildest dreams. In his later years, Henry was incredibly obese and most likely spent every minute of his last days in pain. His ulcerated legs constantly oozed. His diet of meat, meat, and more meat caused digestion issues, and he still worried about maintaining appearances. He’s an interesting figure and it’s obvious why so many people want to write books about him and the Tudor court. Honestly though, a book about Henry’s PR machine is something I’d probably read though.

It’s his final wife, Katherine Parr, who brings his family back together though. Welcoming Mary and Elizabeth into the fold and Henry, at this point, adds them to his succession line. His heir, Edward, dies at the young age of 16, Mary turns out to not be the best at ruling, but Elizabeth, well, she turns out to be Henry’s true legacy. Interesting how that works sometimes isn’t it?

This book is broken into chunks meaning each chapter is about a certain aspect of his life --- his sickness, his will, his last queen, and his death. While it’s interesting to see these aspects broken down this way, the timeline gets muddles and I found it slightly hard to follow in terms of what year it was and what was important.

I’ve read a lot about the Tudors, both fact and fiction, and some of this felt too familiar to be as interesting as I wanted it to be. I’m glad I picked it up and I’m sure it’ll add a new perspective to my next Tudor historical fiction read. I realize that while I am sort of tired (sort of bored would be a better way to put it) of the Tudors, I know I’ll probably pick up another book about them and I’m not sure why. Perhaps that will be many days down the road though.

The name kind of says it all, don’t you think? Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day (Present day being 2003) is certainly a great book for the fan of submarines and their history. The Jane’s group certainly owns the warship information category today as it has since 1898. It is hard to imagine what would exist in its place had the bible of naval information not come into existence.

Taking us from man’s first hazardous ventures below the waves to the modern cousins of those early boats, Janes Submarines is a perfect quick reference guide for anyone writing about submarine warfare. The book is laid out two ways; first of all chronologically, and then, as the weapon develops into different types, by purpose.

As you would expect, the information is accurate and the accompanying photos of almost all the submarine classes that have existed are both clear and up to date.

If I had to come up with a downside, it would be the lack of a hard cover. Although it certainly earns its place on the shelf alongside my copies of Jane’s Fighting Ships, it just does not look as good.

www.daniellittle.com

An absorbing account of the highs and lows of the Howard family, probably the most influential aristocratic families in Tudor England. The book provides fascinating insight into the machinations of the English court in what was the most dangerous period for aristocratic families with a lust for power and wealth in English history, as a succession of aristocrats were executed for treason. The Howard family certainly illustrate this more than most, as for generations they perceived themselves as the power behind the throne and meddled in Royal affairs. During Elizabeth’s reign many members of the family became recusants, also a treasonable offence. So it is no surprise that the first, second, third and fourth Dukes of Norfolk were attainted - accused of treason and their lands and titles confiscated - and several members of the family were executed, most notably two of Henry VIII's Queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and the fourth Duke of Norfolk. Many other members of the family languished in the Tower, often for years.

Elizabeth's Spymaster has several major problems. First, Hutchinson throws us everything he has on Francis Walsingham --including, just to give an example, and I'm not exaggerating, how many pounds did his widow leave to her maids in her will. There is no tightness; much of the book's information is superfluous. Second, there is no narrative thread before we get to the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Third, Hutchinson seems to miss the big story here: the potential, knowing what we know now about the poor results obtained by torture, that many of the plots he uncovered were fabrications, and that Walsingham was probably as much a paranoid witch hunter as a protector of Elisabeth. And finally, the text has serious stylistic issues. Nearly every noun is matched with an adjective, page after page, and it's hard not to grow tired of this.½

Walsingham was the lesser known sidekick to Cecil and perfected the spy network that they both used in their roles as Elizabeth's senior advisers. This book has more information than I think I really needed to know, and sometimes lacks a narrative thread to keep it all together and in context - but still a good read. Read November 2009.

A well paced and generally well written biography, though the author has a tendency to write in a slightly sensationalist style on occasion. I think one of the most significant features about Cromwell was that he was one of the first (along with Wolsey) to rise to high office from humble origins. It is a pity that that fact means we know so very little about his early life, which leaves the book feelign a little inevitably unbalanced in the extent of its coverage.½

I thought this was a wonderful book, but the title is somewhat misleading. The book actually recounts all of Henry's reign, in much greater deatail than I expected. It does, however, consider his last days and some of the posthumous events in much greater detail than most histories/biographies. So, if one wants information about his last days, this is a very good choice, it just covers more than his last days. I found it very readable.

That said, I learned a fair amount that I didn't know. The story of Henry's projected, magnificent tomb may may remind readers either of the poem "Ozymandias" ('Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair), or the saying that in Washington DC, it doesn't matter who you used to be.

The book includes 12 pages of mostly color illustrations, an extensive bibliography, a chronology, a list of major people in the history, and a detailed index.

It also contains bibliographic and explanatory notes mixed together. I complement whoever is responsible for the format: the heading for notes for each chapter matches the rlunning title, making it much easier to match up notes.

This title is a bit of a misnomer as much of the book deals with events over the last near decade of Henry's reign from the birth of Prince Edward onwards. The chapters on Henry's health and will are the most interesting in containing material not usually found in the mountain of other books on Henry. The author has a slightly sensationalist tone sometimes that irritates me a little.½

Intriguing, easy to read account of the career of Thomas Cromwell, notorious chief minister to Henry VIII. Robert Hutchinson sets out the main events of Cromwell's life and times without going into much detail. This book is very much a once over lightly account, for instance there is only the bare bones on Cromwell's role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn, an event he played a major part in. Hutchinson does bring to life the Tudor court in all its madness and corruption, illustrating how easy it was to fall foul of the king and meet a gruesome end. Hutchinson plainly does not like his subject, nor Henry VIII, very much. He does not have much good to say about either. However, he does write in an engaging style and this book would be a good starting point for anyone interested in Henry VIII's world.

This is a complex story of Walsingham's efforts to protect Queen Elizabeth's realm and life from her enimies.

Fascinating account of the last days of Henry VIII's reign and the vicious faction fighting that surrounded him. A must read for anyone interested in the Tudors.½

A very well researched and meticulously documented account of Walsingham's activities defending his country and Queen against Catholic plots both real and in some cases imaginary or inflated. There is relatively less about Walsingham personally and about his family, especially as his early life is relatively little documented. Well worth reading, though probably not to get too involved in the intracacies of the annotations if you are reading this for purposes other than study.½

Comprehensive study of Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster, and his crusade to "save" England for the protestant faith. Hutchinson presents a detailed overview of Walsingham's impressive espionage network and how it came to uncover many Catholic plots and eventually to destroy Mary, Queen of Scots. A compelling read.