On the fourteenth day of Christmas On the Tudor Trail gave to me… the chance to win a copy of ‘Katherine Howard: A New History’ by Conor Byrne.
To be in the running to win ‘Katherine Howard: A New History’, leave a comment after this post.
Conditions of Entry
For your chance to win a copy of this book, you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage where it says ‘Free Enewsletter Subscription’).
Then simply leave a comment after this post between now and 26 December 2014. Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email. Please note that I have comment moderation activated and need to ‘approve’ comments before they appear. There is no need to submit your comment twice.
This giveaway is open internationally.
One winner will be randomly selected and contacted by email shortly after the competition closes. Please ensure you’ve added natalie@onthetudortrail.com to your address book to avoid missing my email.
Good luck!
Find Out More
Book Description
In this new full-length biography of Katherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Conor Byrne reconsiders Katherine’s brief reign and the circumstances of her life, striping away the complex layers of myths and misconceptions to reveal a credible portrait of this tragic queen. By reinterpreting her life in the context of cultural customs and expectations surrounding sexuality, fertility and family honour, Byrne exposes the limitations of conceptualising Katherine as either ‘whore’ or ‘victim’. His more rounded view of the circumstances in which she found herself and the expectations of her society allows the historical Katherine to emerge. Katherine has long been condemned by historians for being a promiscuous and frivolous consort who partied away her days and revelled in male attention, but Byrne’s reassessment conveys the mature and thoughtful ways in which Katherine approached her queenship. It was a tragedy that her life was controlled by predators seeking to advance themselves at her expense, whatever the cost.
About the Author
Conor Byrne, author of Katherine Howard: A New History is a British undergraduate studying History at the University of Exeter.
Conor has been fascinated by the Tudors, medieval and early modern history from the age of eleven, particularly the lives of European kings and queens. His research into Katherine Howard, fifth consort of Henry VIII of England, began in 2011-12, and his first extended essay on her, related to the subject of her downfall in 1541-2, was written for an Oxford University competition. Since then Conor has embarked on a full-length study of queen Katharine’s career, encompassing original research and drawing on extended reading into sixteenth-century gender, sexuality and honour. Some of the conclusions reached are controversial and likely to spark considerable debate, but Conor hopes for a thorough reassessment of Katherine Howard’s life.
Conor runs a historical blog which explores a diverse range of historical topics and issues. He is also interested in modern European, Russian, and African history, and, more broadly, researches the lives of medieval queens, including current research into the defamed ‘she-wolf’ bride of Edward II, Isabella of France.
Read the following guest articles by Conor Byrne:
Power and Control: Katherine Howard’s Relationships
The Queen’s Lovers: The men implicated in the downfalls of Queens Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard
Visit Conor Byrne’s website here.
Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for your chance to win a wonderful prize pack donated by novelist Sandra Byrd.
With Connor being such a young man I look forward to this being the beginning of many great biographies from him
Would love to add this to my reading list!
Wow this is the one out of all the giveaways I would absolutely love to win. There is so little written about this wife so fingers crossed. Xx xx
OHHH ! My other Favorite Wife of Henry’s beside Anne of Course!!! sounds interesting.
Ohhh, this sounds so interesting! I would love to read this book.
Looking forward to reading it
I’ve always felt like this poor girl played the game in the only way she knew how. Such a tragic life!
Sounds an interesting read, would love to win this
would love to read this book!!
Interesting person in history I wonder if they have a different take on her
Love to get this : !
I would love to read this book
Got this one on the wishlist so count me in!
One of the few Tudor era personalities I haven’t learned an extensive amount about. I just can’t seem to quit buying up everything Boleyn related I can find! I’d love to learn more about Katherine; this book would be an incredible addition to my collection. I love that Mr. Byrne is delving into matters beyond the mundane, hoping to shed new light on Katherine’s life. She’s absolutely beautiful!
Looks like an interesting book and I would love to read more about Catherine Howard. Again thank you and the author for this giveaway!
As an American and a new “transplant” to England having married an Englishman, I learn so much through your website. My husband is very proud of his history and takes every opportunity to educate me. Whenever I mention something new I’ve learned, frequently through this website, he gives me a huge smile and then spends at least a half hour discussing it with me. It’s brought us closer together, and I understand the English and my own heritage better as a result. 🙂
There are so many good books on this giveaway!! Would love any of them!!??? thank you so much for this opportunity! 🙂
Sounds like an interesting read!
She’s an intriguing character in thie events of Tudor history. I haven’t found much background in my studies here in the US.
Every time I read Catherine’s letter to Culpepper, the proof she lived and loved, I can’t hold back my tears. I would love to have this book.
I have books on each of the queens of Henry VIII except for Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. I would love to read this book and start off with a more sympathetic account of her life. A lot of people almost say she deserved it but I don’t think so, she was forced into the marriage and fell in love, what else could she do? Hope I get to read it 🙂
I would love to win this book.
Would love to get my hands on a copy of this! I feel whoever you ask, Queen Katherine is looked at either this way or that. There is never an in between, and I do feel that is wrong and an insult to a very misjudged woman. I always found her fascinating and her circumstances even more so.
Would love to win this book! Thank you for these amazing giveaways!
Would be a excellent read
Adding this one to my list!
I would love to read this book about Katherine.
Know very little about this misguided young woman. Talk about leading a lamb to slaughter.
I would love to learn more about Katherine Howard. This book would be great!!!
I love this book cover!! She was quite lovely! Poor girl. . .
I am excited to see Katherine Howard from a different point of view
I would be interested in reading any book about Catherine Howard that focused upon her sexuality in the light of accepted Tudor norms rather than imposing a 21 century moral code . This sounds interesting.
Katherine Howard has started to interest me more lately! Fingers crossed…
Katherine Howard is so fascinating. Would love to add another book about her to my Tudor collection.
I would love to read this book! It sounds very intriguing.
I am really looking forward to reading this. I think there was so much more to her than The Tudors series portrayed.
Lovely book hope to win it.
more good books, so mabny Ihave never heard of.
This is also on my to-read-list!
Would love to learn more about her
Would love this!!!!!!!
Another facinating woman. Would love to know more about her
I would love to win this book!
So many books not enough time!
I would love a chanve to own a copy
This book sounds very interesting!
Love these contests you do!! Looks like another great book!
my favorite time in history!
What an awesome giveaway! This sounds like an absolutely riveting read!
so young such a sad story. should be a great book to read