Lacey Baldwin Smith (LBS) is one of the “big name” historians, and for good reasons. His research is meticulous and his analysis is often profound. His book on Henry VIII is one of the most cited and significant works on that King. Thus, when he wrote a book about Anne Boleyn I scurried over to… Read more Lacey Baldwin Smith’s book about Anne Boleyn
When I found out that Susan Bordo had a book on Anne Boleyn coming out on the 9th of April I did a snoopy dance of happiness. I am an ardent intellectual admirer of Dr. Bordo. As an student in anthropology I read several of her books about the cultural reflections of the body; they… Read more Dr. Susan Bordo’s new book about Anne Boleyn!
One of the most notorious and maligned figures of the Tudor Court was George Boleyn’s wife, Lady Jane Rochford. She has been decried through the ages as a horrible, spiteful bitch who got her husband and sister-in-law deliberately murdered by telling Thomas Cromwell lies about George and Anne Boleyn’s supposedly incestuous relationship. Cromwell is often… Read more The Rochford Files
Authoritative knowledge. I know I have mentioned it before, but it is a very big concept in medical anthropology and thus bears repeating. Basically, cultures imbue some people/groups with the “authority” to decided what “knowledge” is real. These systems of knowledge may even be in competition with one another. An example of this is the… Read more Old Wife’s Tales
I love to read historical fiction. My favorite kind is the type that has fictitious characters (or at least historical people about whom little is known) that occasionally interact with famous historical people, which allows an easy suspension of disbelief and lets me sink into the story without being jarred out of the narrative by… Read more Historical Accuracy in Historical Fiction
Falconry, or the art of hunting using birds of prey, was a hugely popular sport among the wealthy and noble during the Tudor era. It continues even today, perpetuated by small but devoted groups of enthusiasts. A lot of the terms for the birds or the equipment used are the same as they were in… Read more Henry Hawking
When the original research about the possibility that Henry VIII had a Kell positive blood type was published in The Historical Journal it created a certain amount of interest in a wider audience, thanks to the enduring public fascination with such a dramatic king. Thus, both Dr. Whitley and myself were interviewed by reporters. Imagine… Read more Media Ineptitude and Science