Katherine Howard

Book Corner: Tudor Places

Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

Tudor Places Magazine

A new magazine exploring all the sites and buildings of the Tudor world – then and now.

·         Feature articles by expert contributors

·         Interviews with historians, archaeologists, curators, authors, houseowners and managers

·         Itineraries for weekends away exploring Tudor places, with recommendations on places to eat and stay

·         Regular column about living in a Tudor manor house today

·         Plus news, book listings and more………….

It is not every day that a new magazine hits the shops. And certainly not one devoted to Tudor history. As you may know, I am deep in the midst of writing Heroines of the Tudor World. So, when Tudor Places came along, I thought I should take a look. For research purposes, of course….

Tudor Places very kindly sent me their first 3 issues, so that I could see what I think. And I have to say I’m impressed!

The magazine is beautifully and professionally presented. With a varying range of articles and peppered throughout with colourful images, the magazine is vibrant and attractive to the reader’s eye.

But what of the content?

Well, if you are a Tudor fan, you won’t be disappointed – to be honest, if you are a history fan, you will not be disappointed. Each magazine has a wealth of content, including recent news about Tudor-related discoveries and events, interviews with historians and others working in the heritage industry and articles on Tudor-related historical sites and the Tudors themselves. Moreover, Tudor Places has turned to the experts we are familiar with in order to get the best content available. With contributions from Tracy Borman, Elizabeth Norton, Julian Humphreys, Nathen Amin and a host of others, the reader can trust that the articles are well researched and expertly presented.

Regular articles include ‘Living at the Old Hall’ where Brigitte Webster regales the reader with her experiences in renovating Old Hall in Norfolk and hosting the Tudor and 17th Century Experience. Brigitte vividly describes the highs and lows of living in a 500-year-old manor house. And though there are lows, you get the impression that she wouldn’t change a thing!

Another regular is from Sarah Morris, of the Tudor Travel Guide, who offers the reader itinerary suggestions for visits throughout the UK, from York to Monmouthshire and beyond. Sarah’s guides help you to guarantee that you won’t miss that ‘must-see’ Tudor manor house or monastery wherever you visit.

Tudor Places uses the knowledge of Tudor experts to bring to the reader a magazine which is accessible, entertaining and totally engrossing. My dinner hour lasted two hours because I could not put issue 3 down until I had read every word. The fact it ended with an image of Gainsborough Old Hall (one of my ‘go to’ Tudor places) didn’t hurt – it was recommended as a ‘hidden gem’ by Linda Porter.

Other articles in the first three issues included the lost Tudor palaces of Oatlands and Richmond from Elizabeth Norton, a fascinating insight into the Markenfield family of Ripon from Emma Wells, and the Building Projects of Cecily Bonville by Melita Thomas. I could go on…. Each article in the magazines has been carefully selected to give the best content and reading experience. The articles are well researched and very informative – and beautifully presented amidst colourful images and illustrations.

The mixture of regular articles, interviews and features, helps to create a lively, engaging magazine in which there is something for everyone. The only thing that is missing is a crossword or word search – but maybe that is just me?

It is certainly a magazine I would want to read regularly – or maybe even write for (hint, hint, winky face).

Whether you are reading about the Tudors for pleasure or research, you will find something of interest and value in every magazine. Tudor Places is crammed full of quality content and beautifully presented.

I cannot recommend it highly enough.

And just for my readers, Tudor Places has a very special offer…

Special Offer

Tudor Places is available in print and digital format.  Print copies posted worldwide.

Tudor Places has kindly offered a 10% discount on all purchases for followers of History… the Interesting Bits! 

Go to www.tudorplaces.com and use discount code HIB10 at checkout.

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My Books:

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available, please get in touch by completing the contact me form.

Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, of the successes and failures of one of the most powerful families in England, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey is now available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, Bookshop.org and Book Depository.

1 family. 8 earls. 300 years of English history!

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, Bookshop.org and from Book Depository worldwide.

Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, Bookshop.org and Book Depository.

Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066.  Available now from Amazon,  Amberley Publishing, Bookshop.org and Book Depository.

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

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©2022 Sharon Bennett Connolly FRHistS

Book Corner: The Jezebel Effect by Kyra Cornelius Kramer

Sharon Bennett Connolly6 Comments

indexThe fact that Cleopatra is better known for her seductions than her statecraft, and that Jezebel is remembered as a painted trollop rather than a faithful wife and religiously devout queen, isn’t a way for historians to keep these interesting women in the public eye, rather it’s a subversion of their power, a re-writing of history to belittle and shame these powerful figures, preventing them from becoming icons of feminine strength and capability. Slut shaming has its roots in our earliest history, but it continues to flourish in our supposedly post-feminist, equal-rights world. It is used to punish women for transgressions against gender norms, threatening the security of their place in society and warning that they’d better be “good girls” and not rock the patriarchal boat, or they, too could end up with people believing they’ve slept with everything from farm animals to relatives. This is The Jezebel Effect

The Jezebel Effect: Why the Slut Shaming of Famous Queens Still Matters by Kyra Cornelius Kramer is a remarkable, thought-provoking analysis of the way queens have been treated and judged, based on their sexuality. The author is passionate about her subject and pulls no punches. Her arguments are well thought out and presented in such an honest, forthright manner that it is as if she is talking to you personally. It is a surprisingly enjoyable book; and I guarantee you will learn something new and find yourself re-appraising your own thoughts and approaches to women in history.

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Anne Boleyn

Starting with the biblical queen, Jezebel, and including Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard and Catherine the Great, Kyra Kramer  uses these queens as case studies demonstrating the way a woman’s reputation can be won, lost or destroyed through her sexual activities. Taking each queen in turn, their lives are analysed in great detail, demonstrating how political and personal slander were used by their enemies to create their bad-girl images.

For the last 500 or so years, the most popular version of Anne’s life has her playing the role of sultry harlot, a woman willing to use her sexuality as the bait to trap a king. At the very least it has been taken for granted that she wanted to be queen and manipulated Henry in order to achieve her goal. She looms in the public mind as “the most popular femme fatale, far outranking Cleopatra or Catherine the Great of Russia”. Inasmuch as Anne has been cast as a sly temptress making a gambit for the throne, here execution seldom engenders pity…

Kyra Kramer uses the queens as examples of how the stories of their lives have been manipulated as a political weapon to discredit and to apportion blame. The author goes on to present modern-day situations and makes an amazing case of showing how the way women were treated and vilified in the past is informing our thoughts and opinions of today, and how the shaming of women due to their sexual practices is continuing, and expanding, especially in the internet age.

This book will make you think again about how you present and represent women in your own life – it made me rethink a portion of my book as I realised I had conceptualised one of my ‘Heroines’ based on the deeply entrenched way women have been viewed for centuries. We see it in everyday life: a woman has an affair with a married man and it is she who is blamed, not the man; a female politician gets threatened with rape because she acts against the norm, Kyra Kramer demonstrates how such concepts have been used and developed throughout the centuries.

The Jezebel Effect: Why the Slut Shaming of Famous Queens Still Matters is a fabulous, fascinating read that will make you think again of how women have been viewed in the past, and are still being viewed today. It’s an enjoyable read that combines the history with the philosophy and politics of the sexual activities of some of the most famous – and infamous – of queens. It is a forthright analysis of women’s history that will leave you not only thinking about its contents for days afterwards, but about your own approach – whether you’re a man or a woman – to how women are seen and appraised every day.

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My book, Heroines of the Medieval World,  is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.

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©Sharon Bennett Connolly 2016