Hunting the falcon

The marriage that shook the world: Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII.

Anne Boleyn was the second of King Henry VIII's six wives. John Guy and Julia Fox's biography of this extraordinary marriage is a sensation, as their archival findings lead to a reevaluation of Anne's role at court, in politics, and in relation to the king. Their captivating book allows readers to dive deep into a world where even the most intimate matters were political—and therefore life-threatening.

It could have turned out differently: If Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's great love, had been willing to be his mistress, the king would not have pressured the Pope to annul his first marriage, nor would he have declared himself the head of the Church of England, sending shockwaves across Europe. But the clever, educated Anne, who bore the falcon in her coat of arms, wanted more than to be "the woman by his side": she subversively reorganized her role at court, exerted significant influence over Henry's policies, and was on her way to becoming a co-regent until Henry's love turned to hatred when a male heir failed to materialize. The hunt for the falcon began anew, this time not to win Anne but to kill her. Historians John Guy and Julia Fox have spent years in archival research, filling gaps in Anne Boleyn's biography and revealing a striking new picture of the drama of love and hate, power and powerlessness behind the enduring speculations and myths.

"A powerful, shocking story set in a paranoid court."

Andrew Roberts
• For readers of Hilary Mantel

• For fans of "Bridgerton" and "The Crown"

• "The spirited Anne Boleyn comes alive in this impressive study."

The Times.