The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown by Claire Ridgeway Book Review

I'm a big history fan of the British monarchy and that could be because I love history and/or I'm half English.  I have always taken a keen interest in historical events but within the past year or so, have taken a liking to British monarchs.  From what started with Queen Elizabeth and then a turn to Queen Victoria, I became fascinated with King Henry VIII.  I must confess that those interests originated with the movies Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Young Victoria and then The Other Boleyn Girl.  Upon that, I started watching some episodes of The Tudors to get a firmer grasp on King Henry's life and his women.  I started reading books to further acquaint myself with Anne Boleyn and found this book The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown to be of great interest.


Anne Boleyn was a complex person that was portrayed a little different in the Other Boleyn Girl played by Natalie Portman.  This book, The Fall of Anne Boleyn:  A Countdown is an account of the days leading up to Anne's execution.  From the rise and fall, it details many counts of what happened and possibly why it happened.  I liked that the author, Claire Ridgway, made comparisons of differences from what was displayed in The Tudors or The Other Boleyn Girl versus reality.  Her commentary provides more insight to the details while citing sources for the conclusions presented.  It provided a credible account due to the author's insightful research and dedication to the Tudor family.  Learning more about the critical players involved in Anne's rise and fall was also intriguing. The book provides a summary of the whereabouts of the major players post Anne's execution as well as how Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth fell back into their rightful places for the throne.


Overall, an excellent account of the days leading up to Anne's execution, backed by extensive research and thorough author commentary.