Young and Damned and Fair

The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

By: Gareth Russell

Narrated by: Jenny Funnell

Written with an exciting combination of narrative flair and historical authority, this biography of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, is “a stunning achievement” (The Sunday Times, London), and “a masterly work of Tudor history that is engrossing, sympathetic, suspenseful, and illuminating” (Charlotte Gordon, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography).

On the morning of July 28, 1540, a teenager named Catherine Howard began her reign as queen of an England simmering with rebellion and terrifying uncertainty. Sixteen months later, she would follow her cousin Anne Boleyn to the scaffold, having been convicted of adultery and high treason.

The broad outlines of Catherine’s career might be familiar, but her story up until now has been incomplete. Unlike previous biographies, which portray her as a naïve victim of an ambitious family, Gareth Russell’s “excellent account puts the oft-ignored Catherine in her proper historical context” (Daily Mail, London) and sheds new light on her rise and downfall by showing her in her context, a milieu that includes the aristocrats and, most critically, the servants who surrounded her and who, in the end, conspired against her. By illuminating Catherine’s entwined upstairs/downstairs world as well as societal tensions beyond the palace walls, Russell offers a fascinating portrayal of court life in the sixteenth century and a fresh analysis of the forces beyond Catherine’s control that led to her execution.

Including a forgotten text of Catherine’s confession in her own words, color illustrations, family tree, map, and extensive notes, Young and Damned and Fair is “a gripping account of a young woman’s future destroyed by forces beyond her control…an important and timely book” (Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and A World on Fire). This account changes our understanding of one of history’s most famous women while telling the compelling and very human story of complex individuals attempting to survive in a dangerous age.

Catherine beware

Catherine Howard is currently being reexamined and often excused for her actions due to her youth. He lover Culpepper is being seen as a sexual predator and her family, especially her uncle as exploitative. While she was no doubt placed in front of King Henry to spark his interest, she apparently knew how to play the game as is borne out by this book. She had as much as anyone to answer for regarding the circumstances leading to her death and is a prime example that no one is innocent.
Yes, it is a hard thing to say a young girl deserved the axe for wanting a young and viral love rather than her elderly husband but this girl knew full well that what she did was treason and that there was only one penally for that o her day,

A fresh look at the 5th wife of Henry VII

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, new perspective on the "slutty queen"

What did you like best about this story?

The refreshing and authentic perspective on the life of Katherine Howard

Have you listened to any of Jenny Funnell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

first time listening to her narration, very pleasant.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Any additional comments?

Very impressed with the number of sources used in the research

THE biography of Catherine Howard!

Mr. Russell has painted a sumptuous and well-researched portrait of this (often overshadowed and tragic) young queen, and the people and places who shaped her short life and reign. Over and over I was also delighted by the delicious and subtle details about the Tudor period and its customs, scattered like Easter eggs throughout the efficient and elegant prose. The narrator’s voice is like velvet, with evocative inflection and emphasis. I cannot recommend this audiobook strongly enough!

Detailed look at Katherine Howard's life

Great detailed account of Katherine Howard's life and Tudor world. Sometimes bogs down in detail.

Excellent

If you enjoy Tudor history, you will LOVE this book! Extremely well-researched and equally well-written. The narrator was great too!