A big thank you to Netgalley for sending me Tudor Feminists by Rebecca Wilson to read as an ARC. This title has already published and is available to buy. It features the life stories ten women from the Renaissance, all who had achieved something that was particularly advanced for their time. It’s no new discussion to say that history mainly features the story of men, and whilst there is a rise in feminist studies, it’s nice to see entire books like this being published. It is a comprehensive guide to these women and the roles they had in society, whilst remaining being entertaining and readable.

I think that it is all too easy, especially for those that haven’t had the fortune of studying history, to regard women in these contexts as a monolith of mothers and housewives; a little addition to the story of their husband, son, or brother. This book brings forward examples to prove that this is absolutely not the case, demonstrating a range of women who played important roles in society and politics. The book is equally informative and ‘fun’ - the writing remains light and enjoyable throughout, without compromising on finer detail. Wilson also covers the entire renaissance period as opposed to just the ‘popular’ parts (because we probably don’t need another girlboss-ified rendition of Henry VIII’s wives), confidently discussing women who rarely find their names listed as more than a footnote in the history books, contextualised by their male counterparts.

Unfortunately, I did come across a handful of errors in this book. Most were grammatical/typing errors (slightly ironic for me to complain about, I know), that hopefully were resolved before final publication. There were a few more ‘serious’ errors, e.g., confusing Margaret Beaufort and Margaret Plantagenet, referring to Henry Courtenay as the 2nd Marquis of Devon (he was the 2nd Earl of Devon and 1st Marquis of Exeter), or saying that Perkin Warbeck claimed to be Richard Duke of Gloucester when he actually claimed to be Richard Duke of York. There were a few general dating errors too, such as Edmund Tudor being twenty-four years old in November 1455, and twenty-six years old in November 1456, and Margaret Beaufort and John de la Pole being born a year apart, but also being aged three and seven respectively at the time of their marriage. I think that these aging/dating discrepancies are likely due to conflicting source material rather than genuine author error, but for the sake of continuity and clarity it is usually good practice to acknowledge any areas of disputed evidence.

My only other contention with this book is nothing new, and is rehashed every time a ‘feminist’ historical book is published. Quite simply, I think that labelling these women as feminists is a total misnomer, and that the subtitle of the book is actually far more accurate. What the book does do is shed a light on the voices in history that traditionally haven’t made the history books, but I’m not sure we can immediately qualify them as feminists. Yes, many of these women acted in a way that was atypical for their gender at the time, but rarely due to a desire for equality. In many of the cases detailed in this book, the women are forced in to action out of the desire to stay alive, or protect their loved ones. I’d certainly say that they’re brave women, but I’m not convinced that they are feminists. Also, given the title, I was a little disappointed after learning that the chapter on Katherine of Aragon was largely about her relationship with Henry and her fertility struggles. If there was ever a time to discard this in favour of discussing her regency, this book would have been it.

If you’re reading for pleasure (rather than for anything where it’s imperative that all of the facts are correct), then this is a charming way to get to know some of the women who held unusually strong positions in politics and society. If you happen to be reading for work or studies, I’d make sure you double check all your dates.

It felt like reading my final degree dissertation. Perhaps I was looking for something less academic? I don't know. It is interesting, but i did not enjoy the style or the format.

A superb book. It truly highlights women of the Tudor period. How strong they were, and how brave. I will always be an advocate for Tudor women but I will now recommend this book when doing so!

‘Tudor Feminists’ looks at the lives of 10 women ranging from royalty (Queens and a potential heir to the throne) to landowners to a pirate. What these women have in common is that each in their own way can be seen to have fought against the restrictions placed on them by society.

By focussing on how they did this, the author presents a different perspective on the familiar lives of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. I found it particularly interesting to learn more about Margaret Pole, Amelia Lanier and Grainne O’Malley and am always glad to see Arbella Stuart included.

If you want a brief but fascinating introduction to these women, then this is an excellent place to start.

"Tudor Feminists: 10 Renaissance Women Ahead of Their Time" by Rebecca Wilson is a compelling and enlightening exploration of the lives and legacies of ten remarkable women who defied societal norms and paved the way for gender equality during the Tudor era. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Wilson brings to life the stories of these often-overlooked trailblazers, shedding light on their contributions to politics, literature, education, and activism. From the formidable Queen Elizabeth I to the radical thinker Mary Wollstonecraft, each chapter offers a nuanced portrait of a woman who dared to challenge the status quo and advocate for women's rights in a patriarchal society. Wilson's writing is engaging and accessible, making the book both informative and inspiring for readers of all backgrounds. "Tudor Feminists" is a timely reminder of the resilience and courage of women throughout history and a testament to the enduring legacy of feminist activism. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in women's history and the ongoing struggle for gender equality.

I was able to get access to this via Netgalley, and with an interest in history and a knowledge of women who really did have brains in this period I was intrigued by the premise.

Of course feminism back then wasn't exactly a thing quite yet, however the author really does highlight how these women were a small foundation stone in the steps towards women being considered of equal value, highlighting women from the period who really made clear they weren't just wives or daughters to powerful men.

An interesting perspective which is often dominated by a king that had six wives and really that seems to be all that we know sometimes, names in a rhyme, this book has great depth and brilliant research and I'd be intrigued to read more, especially in a more broad sense about women in the period.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC!

I liked the idea of this book: brief biographies of Tudor women who didn't fit our perceived mold of quiet, submissive historic women willing to blend into the background and be forgotten. While they certainly wouldn't have known the word 'feminists' and I don't think any of them would have considered themselves trailblazers or pioneers of any kind, the idea of reminding modern readers that there are always people who stand out as different is something worth reading about.

Did "Tudor Feminists" successfully do this? It was a pretty mixed bag for me. I have read biographies of most of the women in this book, or at least read about most of these women in other histories, so I've certainly read very good arguments for how Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Catherine Parr all used their positions and education to encourage education for others, even women of all classes, or how they tried to influence religion in society in different ways, or politics. I didn't feel like this book did an especially good job of talking about what they did or tried to do for others, how they really stood out among women at the time. The same with Bess of Hardwick. A strong and incredible woman in business and finance and especially in building! Much more so than the men in her family. But that force of nature personality doesn't come through as well in this book. I knew a little of Arbella Stuart through the biographies I've read of Bess of Hardwick, but I didn't get a sense of why this author felt Arbella was a "Tudor feminist". Because she might have had an eating disorder and that was how she took control of her life at the end? Actually, there were a few women I couldn't entirely figure out how the author thought were 'ahead of their time' significantly enough to make it into this book compared to other women of the time period.

Maybe some of it was that I didn't think this was a well-written book. It was repetitive and often seemed to wander from what her point should have been. I expected to read brief biographies of each of the ten women highlighted here, but I expected each section to focus mostly on the argument of why author Rebecca Wilson felt that woman was "ahead of her time". Lanier was the first published female poet? Ok, talk about what that means in the context- when were other women published, how difficult was it to get published, what was involved? Instead we read more about her using her sexuality to get ahead in the world and who she might have influenced (including Shakespeare), with lots of wondering about if she was the inspiration for the "Dark Lady" of his sonnets- before saying that it would be wrong to just focus on that.

Overall, not what I was hoping for. Repetitive, either not well written or not well edited, and overly simplistic. Maybe ok as an introduction to women you'd like to learn more about - in which case the bibliography is going to be your best reading.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

I honestly loved it. Great perspective, I always loved learning new things and new points of view about history and this was surprisingly good.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in history, the Tudors and feminism (kind of obvious)

Rebecca Wilson, Tudor Feminists 10 Renaissance Women Ahead of their Time, Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History, January 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Rebecca Wilson’s Tudor Feminists 10 Renaissance Women Ahead of their Time does not display the lively writing which is one of the enduring features of Pen & Sword publications. However, this more densely written work certainly provides a fascinating read and is well worth Pen & Sword readers adapting to a different style. The description ‘feminist’ to introduce these ten women is something to think about. Were they feminist? Is feminism a broad or narrow term to be used in describing women and their behaviour? What behaviour is feminist? Could the period in which the women acted impact an understanding of whether that action was feminist or not?

All of these questions influenced my reading, making the book come alive as I read and pondered, not only the women’s behaviour and the period, but how I feel about what makes a woman’s behaviour feminist. Wilson’s reference to ‘Well behaved women seldom make history’ by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich provides a valuable clue to how to read the book as a tribute to feminism and feminist behaviour in the Renaissance period, so well-known through the Tudors. She also clarifies in the introduction suggesting that her description of the women in her book as feminist rests on their challenge to the patriarchal world in which they lived, surviving in that world while remaining out of step with it and, of course, their being remembered. The latter is essential to recognising that because we know something about them, they must have stood out over and above their being associated with the Tudors, however popular that period is as historical fare for fiction and non-fiction authors.

The women are from the upper echelons of Tudor society, most having some connection with the royal households or courts. They were advantaged by their wealth and connections, but as Wilson points out, their status was also a threat to patriarchy – not just in their own small domestic environment or community as would happen with a less elite woman behaving badly, but to the very structure of Tudor society. The women are: Margaret Beaufort; Margaret Pole; Anne Boleyn; Catherine Parr; Anne Askew; Bess of Hardwick; Grainne (Grace) O’Malley; Aemelia Lanier; and Arbella Stuart. Some of these names are extremely familiar, others are not.
Anne Askew, Grainne O’Malley and Aemilia Lanier are on the list of my less well-known women.
Anne Askew is referred to as Heretic and Poet; Grainne O’Malley as the Pirate Queen; and Aemelia Lanier as The Dark Lady. I recently found her amongst the little-known writers of the period, and this features in a wider exploration of her feminist approach to life in the Tudor period. Anne Askew, known for the torture she suffered because of her refusal to conform, was a well-educated woman whose knowledge and use of bible passages auger ill for her survival in a society where a particular group of powerful men were assumed the experts. Grainne O’Malley’s story relies on less reliable information, myth and legend mixed with sourced evidence. The discussion of this material is an interesting contribution to the way in which women’s history can be recorded, unrecorded, assessed and reassessed. Aemelia Lanier, poet and first to publish in her own name, is purported to be an inspiration for Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’. The way in which her history is accumulated is also an interesting reflection on women’s fight to be heard and recognised: a major contribution to the understanding of feminist in this work.

The notes and index are an excellent source of further information, as are the illustrations at the end of the book. Rebecca Wilson has made a worthwhile and engaging contribution to the way in which feminist endeavour is understood as well as providing the stories of ten even more engaging women.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

Rebecca Wilson's work recounts the life of ten women from the Tudor period, who led eventful lives and were, in many ways, ahead of their time.

The book was a good read overall, but I would mostly recommend it to readers who are not overly familiar with these historical figures. The chapters which cover some of Henry's wives, for example, were nothing new. I personally was more interested in some of the lesser known historical figures which she covers in the second part of the book, like Anne Askew, Bess of Hardwick, Grace (Gràinne) O'Malley and Aemilia Lanier.

This last was probably my favourite. I only vaguely knew about her because some historians think she was Shakespeare's "Dark Lady", but, like Wilson points out, it doesn't really matter if she was or not, because she was still a remarkable figure in herself. Lanier was the first Englishwoman to publish poetry under her own name, and her work Salve Deux Rex Judaeorum was incredibly modern and daring. It tells the story of Christ's crucifixion from the point of view of the women who watched from the crowd, making them the true main characters and relegating the men to mere side characters. Not only, she compares a wife and mother to a saint, because she puts her husband's and children's needs before her own, often to her detriment.

After the chapters about the lesser known women, I really liked the one about Margaret Beaufort. Even if I knew the most important facts about her life, I still learnt new things, like the fact that she, unlike most married women, was legally allowed to sign documents in her own name and own property independent of her husband, and that Lady Margaret Hall, the first women's college at Oxford, was named in her honour due to her rigorous support of education.

Interesting read about strong women in the Tudor period of history. My main problem is the title. The majority of the subjects of the book had the advantage of position in society. Something that the ordinary women could only have dreamt of.

Interesting collection of descriptions about some powerful Tudor women. There were two near the end that were a little harder to get through as they weren’t anyone I had ever heard of, but still interesting.

DIDN'T REALLY FOLLOW THROUGH

Actual rating: 2.5 ⭐

👎 Lots of spelling,- grammatical,- and factual errors, it needed a lot more editing, just didn't feel finished
👎 A bit confusing, jumping in storylines at times and lots of name dumping with limited explanation or context
👎 Didn't really feel like a feminist exploration, it was a bit of a misnomer, especially the story of Margaret Pole was mishandled, as it was more about her male relatives than her...

This book profiles Tudor women who defied patriarchal expectations and challenged rigid gender norms. From queens to commoners, it delves into the accomplishments of remarkable Renaissance women across all levels of society.

I enjoyed reading these biographies. The women were familiar to me, but in many cases I only knew parts of their stories. This book was a compassionate, informative, and enjoyable read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Definitely enjoyed this book. Good for the reader who maybe doesn't know much about the Tudor period. It covers many of the most important or well known women of the time and tells how they figured into the big picture which is Tudor England. Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy for an honest review. On my list of favorites for sure.

I really enjoyed this book! These were fascinating women forging forward in a time where they had little power to shape their own lives. I appreciated the authors writing style. It made these women come to life. I only wish it had lasted longer! I've read a fair amount of books about some of these women but there were a few whos background was new to me and I was able to pick up a few unknown tidbits. A very fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for providing me with an ARC of this book to enjoy.

I consider myself to habe a keen interest in women in history, both those who have been acknowledged and those erased by the people who write it down.

Rebecca Wilson has tackled women that, even though the term had not existed in their times, would today be considered feminists. Her collection was easy to read, yet she did jump in her timelines a little, and it could have benefitted from a more thorough editing and fact checking.

Overall, I still enjoyed reading and learning about the women portrayed here.

This was an interesting, easy introduction to women in the Tudor period. It touched on the more popular/well known stories and some lesser known stories too, as an Irish woman I loved the inclusion of Grace O' Malley! I don't know much about the Tudor period and I found this was very digestible and a good gateway.

I found there was some unnecessary info dumping, especially names and backgrounds and I think family trees would have been hugely beneficial.

I really liked that the author sourced their information but also acknowledged that we can't know exactly what happened. Nothing felt preachy it was very authentic.

I've seen some people questioning the feminism of this book, and unfortunately some showing a deep misunderstanding of feminism itself, but I think these stories show us that feminism is not one size fits all. Sometimes it might mean you're not the most powerful but you use what's available to you to rise up and I think these women show that

Feminism has become a word associated with negativity and man-hating, the very opposite of what the word actually stands for. Feminism is about standing up for women's rights, trying to ensure that women are given the same opportunities and respect that men are freely given whilst also trying to fight the gender inequalities that even men are victims to. Whilst none of the women discussed in this book could realistically be labelled or defined as feminists, they are remembered today for standing up against the patriarchal society they lived in through their futuristic beliefs and their inspiring deeds.

Whilst I had heard of many of these women prior to reading this book, I knew very little about the lives of the other women. I had no idea that Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth of York worked together to prevent Margaret Tudor from marrying and being forced to bear a child at 12 years old, just like her grandmother. I had no idea that they both wrote instructions for the arrival of Catherine of Aragon or that Margaret Pole was so devoted to being Princess Mary's governess that she offered to run her household at her own expense or that she later became a Catholic saint. These women; Lady Margaret Beaufort, Lady Margaret Pole, Queen Catherine of Aragon, Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Katherine Parr, Anne Askew, Elizabeth of Hardwick, Aemilla Lanier, Grainne (Grace) O’Malley, and Arbella Stuart--they are an inspiration not only to me but to countless women over the centuries whose own acts of feminism led to women experiencing the freedoms that we do today and they would be proud of their involvement in that.

The only criticism I have of this book is that there are some noticeable spelling and grammar errors along with some missing words that would allow for easier reading and a bit more clarification on whom the author is referring to when exploring family history would take this book up to 5 stars.

However, I absolutely loved this book and I would recommend this to any history lover or someone wanting to learn about Tudor women who made a difference, even if they didn't know it.

I’m an avid reader of anything Tudor and find the period in history to be fascinating. What one would think would be a boring or dry subject, turns out to be very interesting – full of intrigue, drama, and deceit.

This book is well written and researched. The author does a great job of detailing the lives of ten strong women ahead of their time. While I was familiar with a few of them such as Margaret Beaufort, Margaret Pole, and, of course, Anne Boleyn, I did not know about other lesser known women such as Anne Askew, Grainne (Grace) O’Malley, and Arbella Stuart. These women all went against the grain of society, fighting for their beliefs, which is never easy, let alone during this time period when something as small as a rumor started by an adversary can lead to someone being thrown in the Tower, subject to unspeakable punishments and forms of torture or drawn and quartered or even beheaded.

I found Tudor Feminists to be a fascinating read to be enjoyed by any Tudor enthusiast. One thing that I think would have been helpful would be to have some diagrams with family trees as it can get quite confusing with the number of names.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword history for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.