Julia Fox has a degree in history from the University of London, where she has taught for a number of years, specializing in the Tudors and in the nineteenth century. She is married to the historian John Guy and lives in the U.K. Jane Boleyn is her first book.
“Fox does a splendid job in conveying life at the top of the Tudor
pyramid.”—USA Today
“Engrossing . . . [Jane Boleyn] dances with devilry, opulence and
deception as Tudor court intrigue swirls around Henry VIII and his
various queens. . . . A sparkling chronicle, fine-tuned to the
personal stories that lend texture and emotion to a
biography.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Outstanding . . . A fascinating and moving read, Jane Boleyn
exposes the harsh reality of Henry VIII’s court, where cleverness
and ambition often led to the block.”—Amanda Foreman, author of
Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
“Fox is an English historian [who] imbues her writing with rich
detail and confident knowledge. . . . She’s given depth and
character to Jane Boleyn.”—The Austin Chronicle
Wife of Anne Boleyn's brother George, Jane, Viscountess Rochford, has been painted by historians, beginning with the Protestant Elizabethan John Foxe, as a barren, jealous shrew who lied about George and Anne's incestuous relationship, helping send them to their deaths for treason against Henry VIII. Jane herself was executed for treason several years later for abetting the adultery of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. According to Fox's revisionist account, Jane was faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn't rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell's relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry's sexual dysfunction. Moreover, Fox says, George's execution was a financial blow to Jane-his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane's complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law's death. In her debut, Fox never quite convinces readers that her lackluster, almost faceless Jane is a courageous, mostly blameless victim of court intrigues, and this amateurish, toothless history is more a rehash of Anne's rise and fall with a tag-on about Catherine's foolhardiness. (Jan.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
"Fox does a splendid job in conveying life at the top of the Tudor
pyramid."-USA Today
"Engrossing . . . [Jane Boleyn] dances with devilry, opulence and
deception as Tudor court intrigue swirls around Henry VIII and his
various queens. . . . A sparkling chronicle, fine-tuned to the
personal stories that lend texture and emotion to a
biography."-Kirkus Reviews
"Outstanding . . . A fascinating and moving read, Jane Boleyn
exposes the harsh reality of Henry VIII's court, where cleverness
and ambition often led to the block."-Amanda Foreman, author of
Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
"Fox is an English historian [who] imbues her writing with rich
detail and confident knowledge. . . . She's given depth and
character to Jane Boleyn."-The Austin Chronicle
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