A well researched, informative read. I learnt a lot. Although I am now glad I'm not a princess, well one from the Tudor era anyway!

This book is exceptionally well written and the writing style was excellent.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Tudor era

Margaret Tudor is often overlooked for her more difficult family members. In this new book by Melanie Clegg, Margaret finally gets her due. Clegg's writing is refreshing, intelligent, and informative, all without making the book feel too much like a textbook forced upon a group of students.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pen and Sword History and the author, Melanie Clegg, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Margaret Tudor in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
What a beautifully detailed history. I really enjoyed reading this book.
This book provided a lot of detail regarding a Tudor princess and what was expected of her in her lifetime.
I could not get enough.
Highly recommended,

SO spannend kann Geschichte sein! Neben den üblichen Verdächtigen wird hier ein Kapitel der englischen Königsfamilie aufgeschlagen, das nicht so sehr bekannt ist. Neben vielen Fakten gibt es einen tollen Bildteil.

This is an accessibly and engaging biography of a woman who had been a somewhat shadowy figure to me, despite reading extensively about Tudor history. The author paints and nuanced portrait of Margaret Tudor, and goes to great lengths to illustrate how she fits into the wider british and european politics of the era. Will definitely look for this author's future work

Margaret Tudor

The Life of Henry VIII’s Sister

by Melanie Clegg

Pen & Sword

Pen and Sword History

Biographies & Memoirs , History

Pub Date 30 Jan 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Margaret Tudor through Pen & Sword and Netgalley:

Margaret Tudor the eldest daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth York was married to King James IV of Scotland in a beautiful proxy ceremony at Richmond Palace in January of 1503. No one could have managed at the time that the beautiful red haired girl would have a maritial career as violent and checkered as that of her young brother Henry VIII.

Margaret was left widowed at the age of twenty three after her husband was killed by her brothers army at the battle of Flodden. After her husbands death Margaret was made Regent for her young son which left her the most powerful woman in Scotland for a time. When she fell in love with the wrong man that all ended though. Margaret was forced to flee the country. Margaret became abandoned by virtually everyone the victim of her own poor life choices as well as the rocky relationship between her son and her brother.

I give Margaret Tudor five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Approached this title with a little bit of trepidation, since for a number of reasons, I generally loathe the Tudors. However, having learnt a bit about Margaret in a Mary of Guise biography, I wanted more information on this very interesting and completely overlooked individual.

Can't say I was disappointed. Really enjoyed this title. Clegg does a great job of staying on point and telling Margaret's story and painting a chaotic picture of the geopolitics at the time in a balanced as well as concise manner.

Very clear parallels between Margaret and her granddaughter.

Recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII's Sister
by Melanie Clegg (Goodreads Author)
14227760

Ceelee Sunshine's review Feb 07, 2019 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: 2019-books, arcs, biograhies-and-memoirs
Read 2 times. Last read January 30, 2019 to February 7, 2019.

First, I want to thank NetGalley, Pen and Sword History publishers and author Melanie Clegg for giving me the opportunity to read this book! I am a reader who loves history, both in nonfiction and fiction formats and royal women have a real fascination for me. I think it is because my mom's side of the family were quite illustrious back in the day and with all the lords and ladies and knights and service to different royal entities I would not be surprised to discover that some were personally acquainted with some of the kings and queens I read about.

As others have mentioned, there are lots of books written about Henry VIII and you could probably fill an entire library of books on the subject. In fact, there is yet another book about Henry VIII out this month! Not much is known about his family except his ill fated wives and his children. I was really excited to read this wonderful biography about Henry VIII's sister Margaret Tudor. Ms Clegg does a beautiful job of bringing Margaret to life on the page and we learn about what it was like for her growing up as the daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Even though she grew up in a household of luxury there was also tragedy and the knowledge that she would be used as a political advantage for her family and the good of her country. i rally felt a lot of sympathy for this young woman who seemed to be of a delicate nature yet she managed to survive through some tough times of illness and loss. Her reign as Queen of Scots was also an interesting part of her story with its description of life in that harsh and even brutal environment. The death of her mother so close to her marriage, when just a young girl at 13 years old, was a lingering shadow over her life and I don't think she ever fully recovered form the heartbreak and loneliness of losing that support. Of course, there has to be a discussion of Henry VIII as he is a part of her story and I appreciated learning more about their relationship after he became king of England.

I really enjoyed the book because it read more like a novel but you could tell the extensive research the author has done to tell Margaret's story. Very reader friendly! I think this would be an excellent read for teen and YA readers who want to discover the lesser-known known women of history and their place in the world.

I have read many books on the Tudor era but most were centered on Henry VIII and his wives. Margaret Tudor had always been a background character. This era in history showed the role women played was minimal, usually only mentioned when an arranged marriage would benefit the royal house. So a book on the life and trials of Margaret Tudor has been missing. Melanie Clegg has done an excellent job of gathering information and letting her readers see how different the lives of the royal women were. Even as she goes from Queen to Regent to having no influence at court, Margaret remained a very vivid woman. It was a good story with very many new scenes into the Tudor court for me.

Could not finish this book. It was too dry, I majored in history in college, love the Tudor dynasty, but the story of Margaret Tudor was just too bland. I fell asleep reading it every night until I just couldn't continue reading, which is a shame because I didn't know about her at all.

This book outlines the life of Margaret Tudor, older sister of Henry VIII. At a young age Margaret was married to King James VI of Scotland. The two enjoyed several good years together until he was killed when Margaret was 23. Margaret was made regent for her son, a position she was forced to give up when she remarried a year later.

Although Margaret Tudor is an interesting historical figure, this book was a bit dry. She didn't quite seem realistic, and I never felt like I was able to get to know her. The book moved slowly, even tedious at times. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

This biography was well researched and contained a lot of information that I hadn’t previously read in other books. The author’s attention to detail is evident in the writing. Highly recommend!

Margaret Tudor did not change the world, lead armies, or push against the gender norms that have kept women bound for centuries. But does that mean her life is not worth knowing about? I spent all last year reading books about women who had flung off their skirts and picked up a sword, and yes, I loved each and every one of them for the path that they help me walk but sometimes, it would have been welcome for me to stumble upon a woman who had been born, lived and died without leading a revolution. Because yes, the women who changed the world are important, but so are the ones who didn’t. Margaret Tudor was frivolous, with no mind for politics or the machinations of diplomacy; she was prone to fits of temper, the accumulation of pretty dresses and falling for exactly the wrong men. But they were pretty, so who could blame her?
By focussing on these aspects of her personality, Melanie Clegg has managed to paint a vivid picture of a very real woman. One who lived through hardships, both of her own making and because of the patriarchal political system that continuously worked against her, as well as moments of great joy. And one who shows that, no matter what time a person lived and how different they first might appear, there are ties that bind us all together.

Margaret Tudor was one of Henry VIII sisters. She is often a sidenote in history, so it's refreshing to read a little more about her. Fascinating woman in history. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating look at the life of Henry VIII's sister, Margaret. Now I absolutely love Tudor history but somehow Margaret had passed me by, thankfully this well researched book arrived to fill the knowledge gap. From her early life in the royal nursery, to her marriage to James IV of Scotland, until her death at a relatively young age, Margaret's life is drawn in detail.

I really enjoyed reading about her eventful life, although she seems to have been as successful in her married life as her granddaughter, Mary Queen of Scots (i.e. not very). I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical biographies.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Pen and Sword, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

This novel was amazing. I recommend it to any tudor interested reader. We are already used to reading about her bother henry, but his sister has a very interesting story as well. I found it to be very well researched.

Most people are familiar with Henry VIII, if only because of his six wives. Fewer people are aware of Henry’s two sisters, Margaret and Mary. Margaret, the elder sister, was married to James IV of Scotland when she was only thirteen, and he thirty. Fortunately for Margaret, he treated her well, and given the constraints of royal marriage they were happy. Unfortunately for Margaret, her husband was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, after they had been married for ten years.

Margaret was left as regent for her young son, James V. She made the great mistake of marrying again to a man who was not liked, and who treated her badly. Due to her marriage she lost the regency and control of her child. She ended up divorcing her second husband, and married again. Her third marriage was also unsuccessful, and poor Margaret, the Tudor princess, ended her life alone and miserable.

This was a most interesting book. It is popular history at its best; well-written and compelling. It is obvious that Melanie Clegg did a lot of research, even though there are no footnotes, of course. The book follows the arc of Margaret’s life very closely in a balanced and careful manner.

If you are interested in the Tudor period, even if you know a great deal about it, this is a most useful and informative book. Margaret had an interesting, if ultimately tragic, life, and this book is worth reading.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Margaret Tudor is not someone I knew very much about as most of my knowledge of the Tudors is based around the English Court.
Like many royal women, Margaret is completely overshadowed by her more important male relatives, and the first part of the book follows this pattern. Until her marriage to King James of Scotland. Margaret's married life seems quite content aside from her grief at the death of her children.

Margaret really comes alive after the death of her husband. Her determination to ensure the safety of her son, the boy King against the various factions within Court and abroad is both dramatic and fascinating. Her relationship with her brother, Henry Vlll, and her subsequent husbands shows the importance of personal relationships in Tudor timas and how quickly allegiances change.

This was a really interesting read about a woman I knew little about and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the period.

Thank you Melanie Clegg, Pen and Sword History and Netgalley for this free copy in return for a review

Not much has been written about women in the 1500s, due to not much being known about them. Margaret Tudor had more written about her, since she was sister to Henry VIII and Queen of Scotland. This was a good book, with lots of well-researched information. My takeaway is that I'm thankful not to be a woman living then!