Like others have said this is just a re-hash of Henry VIII and his wives. I would have enjoyed it if this was all it was about because it has so little of actual "Jane" in it that it's amazing to me that it's titled that way. There are just interruptions of: "Jane MAY have been there..." "Jane MIGHT have heard that..." "Jane MAY have thought..." I can't believe the publisher ever let this get through. What "true story" is she writing about if there isn't anything certain to tell? I skimmed and put it down. Truly disappointing.

Like others have said this is ONLY a re-hash of Henry VIII and his wives. It's got so LITTLE to do with Jane that it's absolutely amazing to me that it's titled that way. All it says is: "Jane MAY have been there..." "Jane MAY or MAY NOT have heard that..." "Jane MAY have thought..." I can't believe the publisher ever let this get through. What "true story" are they talking about if there isn't anything to tell?

I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about Jane Boleyn, the infamous wife of George Boleyn, other than what I've read about her in historical fiction books. This book pique my interest because I wanted to learn more about the woman who sent her husband and his sister to their deaths based on her testimony. Julia Fox worked to disabuse the reader of the old legends/myths that still prevail today.

Jane Boleyn is a book written about a woman that Fox presumably did her research on. How much of this is historically accurate, I don't know. At this point, I don't care because this book was interesting and fascinating. Not only did Fox tell the story of Lady Rochford, she explained customs and ceremonies that went on in the Tudor times. Here is a woman of some means married to a man whose rising star was linked with his sister, who the king favored. This is a woman who danced with the king's own sister and his wives and attended to them during their years of being the king's wives. This is a woman who survived the great fall of the Boleyns and managed to escape the king's wrath till she overstepped her bounds with his fifth wife, Kitty Howard. Then she met her end, ironically like her husband's.

This book disabuses of the popular notion that George Boleyn hated his wife and that she was a horror to those around her. She was a young noblewoman who was caught up in the schemes of more powerful men than her. Even her father, a respected peer of the realm couldn't save her. This is a woman who was in the midst of the court for many years and who kept her counsel wisely to herself. Fox just merely reconstructed her to show her argument that this is a woman who fought to survive those tumultous years in Henry's court and managed to slip up at the end only because of her inclination to help Kitty Howard. Fox presented the argument that Jane couldn't deny her queen and thus willing was sent to her death simply because she served her queen.

It is a very interesting perspective on this woman and definitely enlightening. It is also a very fast-paced read and if there were a lot of grammatical errors, I didn't pay much attention to them. However, there is one thing that I did notice about this author's writing style, she tends to repeat herself several times in a chapter. That did get annoying after awhile, but not to rate it any less than a four star. It is very enlightening and entertaining reading. It gives a fresh perspective of what it is like to be an outsider of the royal marriages and still be privy to those secrets.

5/27/08

I agree with several of the other reviewers. It was a rehash of Tudor history with Jane being inserted into it. I quit after the 3rd chapter. Very disappointed!

I enjoyed Ms. Fox's writing style. She does a good job of converting non-fictional material into a fictional-style telling of a story. However, the editing is HORRIBLE! By the time you get through wordy lines of text, poorly placed commas and interjected "by the way" thoughts, you've forgotten the intent of the sentence. Had the editor used more periods, the flow would have been easier to establish.

Jane Boleyn:
The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford
by Julia Fox

Published by Ballantine Books

A Review


There may come a time - not in my life certainly, when those clever people at Microsoft or Google, will build a time machine. Then, with a few deft keystrokes, anyone with sufficient funds to stump up the registration, will be able to travel back in time and confirm or otherwise the popular conceptions of history.
Until then, we must rely on Julia Fox and her ilk to wade through the sources and present us with their opinion of what happened where and when. She does so with admirable perspicacity

Julia Fox has been very courageous in choosing a subject that has been written to death (3 million internet hits), in both fact and fiction. However, as everyone has access to the same primary sources, it is not everyone that can tease out the plausibility from the preconceived notions as well as Ms Fox does.

This is Fox's first book and it is beautifully written. From the first chapter it is apparent that she is an experienced researcher and teacher. She also has an eye for beauty. Her descriptions of the Tudor ladies wardrobes, betray an author with an eye for style.

This is the story of the trials and tribulations and ultimate undoing of Jane Boleyn (née Parker), Lady Rochford, wife of George Boleyn who was Anne Boleyn's brother. Fox attempts to buck the trend and redeem the oft disparaged viscountess. She elevates her from the `Great Whore' and `Wicked Wife' of other publications, to innocent victim in her own.

Opinions vary whether the lady brought wretchedness upon herself through treachery, or was just a victim of circumstance. Fox suggests the latter, and I am persuaded.

In the life and death lottery that was King Henry VIII's court, you win some and you lose some. Losing was rather final as in Jane's, her husband and sister-in-law's case, not to mention a few hundred more, but Fox punctuates these personal dilemmas with beautifully drawn descriptions of the pomp and ceremony that occupied the space between the misery.

It would be easy to conclude that when questioned about her Queen's and husband's alleged offenses, she betrayed them. That would have been dumb; then and now. And Lady Rochford was anything but dumb. She was a lady-in-waiting to five of Henry's wives before she lost her head. That would have required some nifty footwork.

There can be little doubt that she was implicated in the machinations of Catherin Howard, but is anyone seriously suggesting that she should have popped along to Henry, and whispered in his ear (perhaps shouting would have been more effective), that his Queen was dallying with half his court?

It must be said however that a majority of the evidence for or against comes from loquacious foreign diplomats. They may or may not have been sympathetic to the English court, and perhaps sprayed their odium where it was most likely to stick.

Julia Fox's book is a riveting read. Her points are well made and convincing. Her tone is `matter-of-fact `and never drifts from know intelligence.

I strongly recommend this book for a first and second reading, and wait with enthusiasm for her next work.

For readers familiar with the Tudor saga, this book is little more than a retelling. Author Fox tries oh-so-hard to convince us that she has new information and a fresh point of view, but she doesn't. I grew tired of reading passage after passage like this: "We don't know if Jane was a guest at the [INSERT EVENT]. But if she had been, she would have feasted on [INSERT FOOD] and rubbed elbows with [INSERT NAMES]." A big disappointment!

The 26.95 plus tax I spent would have made a nice cocktail hour. I am an avid Tudor reader. And not once in all my years of reading have I had to stop 165 pages in. It is my opinion that, if so little is known about Lady Rochford, then this book should not have been written. I have plenty of books about Henry and his wives. If I had known I was purchasing " Tudor History for Dummies". I would have gone out drinking and done my part to save a tree. If you love and RESPECT Tudor history, don't read this book. I feel it insults our intelligence.

How could Julia Fox be given a book contract for "Jane Boleyn The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford"? Did an editor even read the claptrap the writer presents as "history"? Ms. Fox is probably the only student of Tudoriana to see Jane Boleyn as a "courageous spirit" and a "much-maligned figure whose life and reputation were taken from her".

In a cowardly effort to save her own skin, Jane Boleyn gave Henry VIII the lies he needed to divest himself of wife number 2, Anne Boleyn. It meant death for her husband, George Boleyn, and sister-in-law, the Queen , but it didn't seem to bother Jane much. Blood relatives, like the Duke of Norfolk, the Boleyn sibling's uncle, also betrayed Anne and George, as did Anne's first love, Henry Percy. Betrayal was apparently the only way you could survive the snake pit that was Henry's court.

I had expected an interesting juxtaposition between the saintly Thomas Moore, a man of principle, and his direct opposite, Jane Boleyn. The grooming of a traitor - now that would have been an interesting subject!

But when I finished Julia Fox's book I knew as little about Jane Boleyn as I did when I started reading it. Ms. Fox doesn't know a whole heck of a lot more about her subject either - her book is filled with suppositions like "Jane was almost certainly an honored guest", " a few moments' reflection would have revealed to Jane", "Jane may even have helped Anne fasten (glittering stones) around her neck", "Perhaps Jane had witnessed", "Almost certainly, Jane was at her sister-in-law's side", "Jane was probably lodged", "It is most likely that Jane", "Perhaps Jane was wearing her favorite stocking", "That Jane was (a witness to Henry and Anne's wedding) is remotely possible but speculative", "for Jane, it was a chance to see", "it is unlikely that Jane actually saw", "Jane would have been gawped at too", "Anne, perhaps with Jane at her side", "Jane may well have", "We cannot be certain that Jane was with her sister-in-law, but it is likely that she was there", "this was likely to have been", "Jane probably did not travel", "We cannot be sure that Jane was present", "She may have remained", "She may have had a chance to have a word with"... and so on, and so on, ad nauseam.

Julia Fox tells us four sure things about Jane Parker Boleyn: the woman was born, she married George Boleyn, served as lady-in-waiting to five of Henry's queens, and then she was beheaded.

"Immaculate detective work"? I think not.

Going along with what others have said here, there is not much material about Jane herself in this book, most likely because not much is available. Ms. Fox writes well for the most part. Some sections are in need of some editing, but some passages are quite absorbing and fascinating. The author would do well to pick as her next subject someone about whom much more is known. This is a pretty interesting book, however, if you want to read about Henry VIII and his first five wives.

This book is overall well presented and an enjoyable read. I am fairly well read on this time period and in many instances I must say that I disagree with her interpretation of the available facts. Many of the facts specific to Jane are ones I had not seen research on before, but many others were certainly open to interpretation and were not presented as such in the book in my opinion.

I enjoyed the book but was a bit disappointed.

I have never bought a book that was so poorly made. Had I actually seen this book in a store, I would not have bought it. The pages are unevenly cut and ragged. Making it difficult to turn the pages when you are deep into your reading.

As for the content, it is ok. I am interested in the Boleyns, so hard for me to find a book about them I don't like. It is a little different in the way that the story reads. It reads more like a history textbook than a story.

Hope this helps you make your decision.

I ordered the Kindle version of this book. It was a good book, but I do have a few reservations. It was easy reading and converted well to the Kindle edition. However, as with any book dealing with the courts of England and France in medieval and colonial times you will find yourself confused. The Kindle edition makes it impossible to see the family trees, not that anyone would be able to follow it anyway. This is not the authors fault, it is just history, but I found myself skipping over quite a bit of text that had to do with characters not essential to the story at hand and many names in the book that just served no purpose except that they were alive at that time. Jane Boleyn married into the Boleyn family and the author really just uses her to tell the story of Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn. You never get a real feel for the woman or who she was or what she thought. It is an interesting read though and makes me want to read more about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII.

Telling the story of any woman that lived more than 500 years ago is a challenge. Unless the woman in question was highborn, there is unlikely to be much secondary information about her and unless she wrote letters and the receivers saved them, there's no insight into the woman herself. This is the challenge Julia Fox faces in writing about Jane Parker Boleyn.

The Infamous Lady Rochford was on scene for the beheading of two of Henry VIII's wives. The first, Anne Boleyn, was a natural. Jane was not only Anne's sister-in-law, she was a lady in waiting to Queen Katherine. The second always strike me as simply odd. Who keeps their dead/annulled wife's sister-in-law around to take care of your new wife? Especially when you had her husband executed for sleeping with his sister/your wife? Surely good help wasn't that hard to find in Tudor England.

Fox starts out tentatively, telling Jane's story with liberal use of the words "maybe", "probably", "perhaps," and "we can't be certain." Another writer might have boldly made suppositions and presented them as likely facts. I can't fault Fox for being so scrupulous but it did make those first chapters a tiring read for me. Once Fox has access to primary sources, she's more at ease and Jane's story picks up.

Jane Boleyn remains unknowable through no fault of Fox's. There are few surviving letters from her and her testimony at Catherine Howard's was obviously constrained. Fox makes a convincing case that Jane was simply seduced by the abundant luxury of living close to and being in favor with the King. If he liked you, the perks flowed and you were sleeping in a custom carved bed and drinking from gem-encrusted gold cups. You were also living at the most exciting place in England. The temptation was too much for Jane. Even after seeing the consequences suffered by Anne and George Boleyn. She also convinced me that Jane probably (there's that word again!) did not conspire against or even testify against Anne and George.

Fox is less successful at explaining why Jane helped Catherine commit adultery. That is a hard one to explain even from the lips of the woman herself. And Fox does occasionally try to wring too much from her scant primary sources like when she tries to make a direct connection between the likely charitable endeavors of Jane and Anne and the charitable bequests in the will of Anne's grandfather.

This is an interesting attempt to reclaim a notorious figure from the unsubstantiated stories told against her for centuries. I'm not sure who is the best audience for this book, though. If you're a Tudorphile, like me, you'll find yourself covering a lot of ground you've been over before many times but you will get a fresh perspective on Jane Boleyn. If you're new to the Tudors, will you even care about Jane Boleyn? I'm not sure. If you are interested in the lives in non-royal women in Tudor England, you could do much worse than to read this book.

A good historian researches all the information available on a subject and then sets out to put the best of that information into a format that is well written and exciting. Ms Fox has done just that. She not only read all of the most popular material about Jane Parker Boleyn, but she also went to original sources instead of taking someone else's word for what was in those sources. Then she proceeded to write a book so compelling that it reads like a great work of fiction one can hardly stand to put down.

The story of Lady Rochford, like so many historical figures, is shrouded in mystery and clouded by the writings of those who had reasons to obscure the true facts long after the person had died. Going back to the earliest information about Jane Boleyn still extant, Ms Fox has pieced together the story of a very different person than history has allowed to come down to us. She has taken all the various viewpoints about her subject and combed through them to find which one(s) made the most sense and had the most concrete information available to back it up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will be reading anything else of hers I can find.

This book isn't really a biography. It's little more than a retelling of selected events with the notation that Jane was there. Other authors offer books with more depth and detail on Henry VIII, Katherine, Anne Boleyn, and Catherine Howard.

You learn little about Jane. I got the impression from the scant details that are revealed about her that there wasn't enough original source material about her to pull off a full scale biography. The author basically views Jane as the hapless and blameless victim of court intrigues. But there isn't enough evidence to prove whether she was hapless and blameless or sly and unlucky or merely suffering from cosmic bad luck.

The author also has a habit of attributing various thoughts and emotions to Jane when we really have no way to know. For example, she might have been thrilled (as the author claims)at the idea of marrying George Boleyn. Or she might have been appalled. There may have been someone else that she hoped for, or she may have approached the marriage with dutiful resigation. Without evidence, we simply don't know what Jane's personal opinions were.

Julia Fox has created a marvelous experience in reading in Jane Boleyn. Her research is meticulous and her conclusions fasninating, even if speculative.

Brava!

I usually don't review a book until I've finished it, but I had to stop 160 pages into the book. Julia Fox is very adept at research and providing details into coronations, christenings and the like, but I have no idea WHO Jane Boleyn is. Ms. Fox writes in the conditional tense (IF, MIGHT, WOULD,PROBABLY), which is very distracting and annoying. She has not, as far as I've read into the book, "gotten under Jane's skin" and let us know who she is, how she felt, what others think of her, etc. I have no clue as to her relationship to her husband, George Boleyn. Everything is written in relation to Anne Boleyn. I was hoping for more insight into the woman portrayed so vividly in the BBC production of "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", but there is nothing in this book that makes me remotely interested in her. Ms. Fox is a promising author, as she obviously is committed to research, but she has got to get more in tune with the focus of her book. It's like we are on the outside, observing things going on AROUND Jane, and I for one could not connect with her. Disappointing effort on the whole and not worth the time to finish the book. Too bad. I'm sure she was much more interesting than Ms. Fox portrays her to be.

Julia Fox has taken on a fascinating subject, but sadly, fails.

The very reason this is the first bio of Jane Boleyn is because so little is known about her, and the author just validates this lack of definitive information.

So much of this book contains the passage "she might have," which is basically just speculation on what may or may not have happened. Ms. Fox seems intent to recharacterizing Jane Boleyn and rehabilitating her character. She seems almost insistent on painting Jane as the victim.

Whatever Jane Boleyn's real character and real actions during the troubled Tudor years, this story does not tell us any facts. In a very bizarre manner, Jane's involvement in the scandals and trials of Anne & George Boleyn and Katharine Howard is almost glossed over. The major episodes in Jane's life are reduced to a few pages, with no details whatsoever.

This was a good intentioned book, but I'm afraid widely missed the mark.

Although no expert, I am a huge fan of the Henry VIII/Elizabeth I period, and have read quite a few related books.

I gave my review five stars because I felt the book was very readable--I had trouble putting it down. But I felt compelled to write a review as this book seems less about Jane than about the major players around her (the first 200 pages focus on Anne, with occasional side comments like "Jane was probably there."), which as I suppose, is only natural as they were the ones that really shaped history and about whom most of the references cover.

If you're interested in learning more about life surrounding Henry's first five wives, especially the story of how Anne captured his attention and her eventual downfall, this is a great read.

As for most of the negative reviews, I have to disagree that Jane was a villain in Anne's downfall. Very few stood more to gain from Anne's staying in power (she was briefly in danger of destitution when George went to the block), and find it hard to believe that she would have intentionally contributed to her downfall. Most likely, she did what she had to do to save her own skin, and though there are very few of us that can truly say what we would do when faced with the same circumstances, I think most of us would default to saving our own skin as well.

This is part of what I find so fascinating about this time period--I love reading about characters living in a time when even the most casually placed comment could lead to one's death. Although there are exceptions in modern times, the vast majority of us have no concept of what this was like. Our own modern morals and standards do not provide an accurate lens through which to judge these characters.

I have a harder time finding an explanation for her behavior in aiding Catherine Howard which led to her eventual downfall--after watching Anne and others go to the block for much less, she had to be aware of the consequences. Perhaps co-dependent on life at court (she had a chance to leave for her own manors), she may have felt that pleasing Catherine was her only option to stay in the swirl of activity. This, like many other of the mysteries pointed out in the book, will most likely remain unknown.

Overall, a great book that presents yet another version of events in King Henry's reign. Most likely, we'll never know whether or not the sympathetic presentation is true, but I think it's best to read as many as possible to form your own opinion. As such, I would highly recommend this very readable book.

There may be a magic bullet which lets a writer bring an almost unknown historical figure back to life. Unfortunately, Julia Fox doesn't have it.

What do we actually know about Jane Boleyn, the "infamous Lady Rochford"? We know she came from the wealthy, distinguished and well-connected Parker family; that she had a childless marriage to George Boleyn, the brother of Anne, Henry VIII's second wife; we know that her testimony against both her husband and his sister, falsely accusing them of an incestuous relationship, sent both George and Anne Boleyn to the executioner's block, and her connivance in the adultery of Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife, helped to send both Catherine to the same bloody end. Heads were rolling liberally in Henry's time and ultimately, one of them was Jane's own.

Apart from that, we know almost nothing about Jane Parker Boleyn except what history has passed on to us through people who probably despised her and wanted to blacken her reputation as much as possible. We don't even know what she looked like; the one charcoal portrait in the book that portends to be her was, as Fox admits, most likely a sketch of someone else in the Parker family. (Even the cover picture, which doesn't show her head, is actually a portrait of another Jane, Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife.) We certainly don't know what actually motivated her to bear false witness against her husband and her sister-in-law, or what in the world she was thinking of when she encouraged the adulterous relationship of Catherine Howard, knowing full well what would happen if the king ever got wind of it.

Jane's reputation may have acquired successive layers of malice as it has been passed down to us through the centuries, and certainly Philippa Gregory in her excellent historical novels The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance has painted her as a vicious harpy motivated by pure jealousy and spite. Julia Fox has written a revisionist biography of Jane Boleyn as more sinned against than sinning, the victim of forces beyond her control, and although her sympathy for Jane is evident, her portrayal of Jane doesn't add up. This was no naive young lady fresh out of the countryside; Jane was used to the court and its ways; she knew the character of Henry VIII, and she must have known what her testimony against George and Anne Boleyn would do to both of them, and how Henry would react when he realized Catherine Howard was cheating on him. This reader had the feeling that in writing this book, Fox was trying to have it both ways -- yes, Jane did some dumb things, but after all, she didn't really mean any harm. Ultimately, Fox's portrayal of Jane seems to prove her detractors' point, rather than Fox's.

Fox writes well and her narrative carries the reader effortlessly along from one page to the next. She's provided footnotes and an index of her resource material. Some reviewers have complained about all of the "maybes" in the book -- maybe Jane was present, maybe she did this, maybe she felt that. It didn't bother this reviewer so much because Fox acknowledges that so little is known about Jane Boleyn that she had to fill in a great many blank spaces when she wrote this book, and where she isn't sure of her facts she's honest enough to present them as speculation.

So who was Jane Boleyn? She probably was somewhere in between the unfortunate victim of circumstance that Fox gives us, and the horror show that Philippa Gregory write about. When all is said and done, "the infamous Lady Rochford" comes across as a self-centered narcissist, looking out for good old number one and caring little about anyone else as long as her place at court was preserved. She wanted to be where the action was because she thought she deserved to be there, and she got considerably more than she bargained for. It will be interesting to see if another biography of Jane is written that is more balanced than this one.

Judy Lind

Having read many books on the Tudor period, like others I was particularly excited to get my hands on this one. Although we still know very little about Jane Parker, it's likely that we never will. In a period when the birth dates of queens are still debated (ie Anne), I'm actually amazed at what the author was able to dig up on a lowly lady in waiting. I applaud the exhaustive examination of historical documents, and the author's ability to make sense of archaic language and outdated legal practices.

Although it's true the number of "Jane might have been there"s is almost comical, I do appreciate the in-depth descriptions of ceremonies and living conditions that add colour to the story. The author is relatively unbiased until the end, and thus I found these long descriptions helpful in imagining Jane's life, her circumstances, and coming to my own conclusions.

I also enjoy hearing the same story told from a different viewpoint - we've all read endlessly about Henry and his queens, so it's interesting to me at least to hear the same story I know so well from a different viewpoint.

Tudor fans interested in similar opportunities to examine history from a different angle, and those particularly interested in the life and challenges of women during that age, might like to try "My Just Desire," a life of Bess Throckmorton, who was lady in waiting to Elizabeth, and wife to Sir Walter Raleigh.

I have only two criticisms of Julia Fox's book: one, that I really wanted more of George Boleyn, who is nearly as elusive a character as his wife Jane. Two, I think the packaging and marketing of this book is all wrong, and perhaps blame should be laid at the feet of the publishers. It promises too much in terms of new information, and too much in terms of drastically changing historic convention on the character of Jane Parker. If they had just marketed it for what it is - the first thorough study of one of history's more interesting supporting characters, and a good insight into the life of a Tudor woman, then some readers might not have been so disappointed in it.

I was greatly looking forward to reading this book, as I love any historical work - fiction and non fiction - relating to the Tudors. Unfortunately, this book was largely a disappointment. Fox's writing style is rather stilted, repetitive, and uninteresting. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, there were numerous times when the words "probably" or "possibly" were used. I understand that there are many facts about Jane Boleyn that are unknown, but that's true for many historical figures, and a good author finds a way to make his/her speculation intriguing. Not so with Fox. This book just didn't flow.

In reading this book, it's become a joke how many times the author makes statements like "we don't know if Jane was there or not" or "Jane was probably there" or "Jane was in a position to do this." I wish I had kept a tally from the beginning. This book serves as a general overview of the events at court during her time there. There isn't too much on Lady Rochford herself. I wouldn't recommend it.

Can't get enough of Henry the Eighth and his women? Court gossips say Lady Rochford helped Henry the Eighth find a way to get rid of Anne Boleyn. Fox has a different story and it is fascinating.

I have to agree with earlier reviewers who criticized the lack of information on Jane Boleyn herself. As the subject of an entire book, there's simply not enough info to hold a reader's attention. If you're completely unfamiliar with the story of Anne Boleyn, it provides a good sense of events. For me, it lacked detail. It was overloaded with descriptions of what people were wearing, which I began skipping over. The book only grabbed my attention toward the end where Catherine Howard's fall is described.

Overall, it's an easy read, but light on info. I agree that Jane Boleyn's story merits a second, scholarly look, but I don't think the information, as presented, is plentiful enough to support an entire book.

Although this book is a very well-researched historical account of Henry VIII's court during Jane Boleyn's lifetime, I bought this book hoping to find out more about, well, Jane. This is more of a general history of the time period rather than a biography. It contains few biographical details until the very end, although it does provide rich insight into the lives of Henry VIII's wives. In the afterword, Fox wrote that she started out writing a book about Henry's wives, and clearly, she had done a great amount of research, which she poured into her book about Jane Boleyn, essentially writing a book about the six wives despite her intention to write about Jane Boleyn. There is no characterization; the Jane Boleyn of Fox's book is flat and unreadable. Fox claims to be writing a vindication of Jane's poor reputation, yet provides scant and weak research that leaves Jane's true character ambiguous. But the question that puzzles me most is: Why is Jane Seymour on the cover?

I cannot believe the reviews that have been so hard on Ms Fox. This book is well researched as the notes and references at the back of the book will testify. The story and life of Jane Boleyn has always interested me but the lack of information on her has always been hard to find. Most books on her have shown her to be a deceitful woman a traitor and the woman on whose evidence sent her husband and Queen Anne to the executioners block. Within this book I was able to read a different version of her life. It was interesting to see how it might have been and even though there is little written about her in history what little there was Ms Fox has been able to make into an interesting and enjoyable book. I like the fact that maybe there is another side to this story and to be able to read a different version gives you a better scope of history. There are many writers of the Tudor times and I feel that I have read most of them and each writer brings to this period their own prejudices and loves and this is reflected in their writings. Every book on Tudor history provides me a different and wonderful picture. I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy and as well gave you a delightful sense of the time and era and especially on a little known character.

I was so looking forward to this book; having read several others about the Tudor Dynasty. As Lady Rochford is usually portrayed as a self-serving villain, I was looing for some factual backstory on her. I am sorry to say that there is nothing noteworthy about this book. I wanted facts, not guestimations....I can do that myself. I got so tired of reading"Jane would have probably been here", or ..."most likely witnessed this....". I feel cheated.
At its best, the book offers a readers digest condensed version of the events surrounding Henry & Anne & Katharine. If you are truly interested in Tudor History, this book will not satisfy.

I'm unsure why there are some bad reviews about this book. It can't be because of the lack of research since there is page after page of documentation of where Ms. Fox came by her information.

Considering she came across information that debunks so many charges leveled against Jane Boylen and has set some of Tudor history straight, I think she has done a wonderful job.

Her method of writing made it a enjoyable read and I didn't feel bored to death.

The book is well written, educational and yet a interesting read.

I look forward to Ms. Fox writting another book and certainly hope she does.

I loved this book. Julia Fox has addressed head-on the myths surrounding Jane Boleyn and presents a fair, balanced portrait of a woman who has been unfairly blamed for the betrayal of her husband and sister-in law, George and Anne Boleyn, for far too long. Vivid, accessible, compelling, and meticulously referenced, it paints a fascinating picture of Jane Boleyn and her world.

A poorly written "biography" that purports to tell the true story of Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law Jane Parker Boleyn. Unfortunately, it does such a horrible job that readers will assume that Philippa Gregory's portrayal of her in the historically inaccurate yet wildly popular "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Bolyen Inheritance" are correct after all. Fox misses an opportunity to really examine this much-overlooked and maligned historical figure.

This book is a fairly standard Tudor/Boelyn/Howard bio and a rather superficial one at that. Unfortunately, the 'true story' is purely a matter of supposition, conjecture and assumptions.

The author repeats throughout the book, "Jane might have been there," "Jane could have seen/done," "may have felt..." There is nothing to support the author's statements -- she says over and over, that there is no record of the subject being anywhere in the area of the events happening, but 'she could have been.' In the beginning of the book, Ms. Fox gives a description of how young women of Jane Parker's class were generally raised, then ends with "Jane probably was too."

Even worse, she's attributing emotions and feelings to subject regarding certain events, when again, there is nothing to back it up. One stunningly bad example was to describe how sorry she would have felt for Margeret Roper on the execution of her father, Thomas More.

Essentially, she has nothing to base the premise of the book on -- Jane Boelyn's vilification in history. Just her own feeling that this woman was a scapegoat for various events.

This was a very disappointing book and a case of remarkably sloppy research. I suppose it could serve as an example of 'what not to do when writing a historical book."

The mystery and intrigue that surrounds Henry VIII and his court has been the subject of much research and has spawned countless historical fiction novels. One of the major players of this time, Jane Boleyn, has been a focus of much of this research, and the story behind her has been the subject of much speculation, rumor, and innuendo. With detailed research and immaculate organization, Julia Fox puts together the fact behind all the fiction to give us the true story of one of histories most influential players.

This is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel. It is filled to the brim with historical details that are put together to form a breathtaking story. Touching on the start of Jane Boleyn's life, the main focus of the book is Jane's life during her service to four of Henry VIII's queens. From serving as a lady in waiting to the doomed Anne Boleyn, to the death of her husband, to her final downfall that was intertwined with the fall of Catherine Howard, Jane's life is fully explored and the rumors dispelled.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is the explanation of where the information was coming from. Detailing the documents that were used, including who wrote them, what the circumstances surrounding the documents were, and where they are currently located added a layer of authenticity and detail to the book. Any missing information was also descried. There was no "guessing" in this book. The author stated plainly when a piece was missing from the historical record. This further lends authenticity and realism to the author's work.

Julia Fox's research into the role that Jane Boleyn played during a volatile and historically important time brings the people and places into vivid and detailed reality that any lover of history will relish.

Armchair Interviews says: If you love history, this is for you.

A quick Internet search for "Jane Parker Boleyn" provides little information about her. What one can find is far from flattering: Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, is remembered by history as having testified against her husband, George, and his sister, Anne Boleyn, helping pave the way to their executions. Jane stayed mostly in the court's favor before she herself was executed in 1542. Just who was this mysterious woman, and how did she come to be a powerful confidante of five of Henry VIII's queens? And, above all, does she deserve the horrible reputation she has acquired as a traitor and a liar? Julia Fox, an historian specializing in the Tudors, has written the first account dedicated to Jane Boleyn.

Fox's narrative is detailed and informative, painting a vivid picture of Henry's turbulent court. At a time of great religious change and social upheaval, Jane Parker, daughter of Henry Parker, Lord Morley, was raised for an upwardly mobile marriage and a life of privilege. Her match to George Boleyn seemed perfect to both families. Soon after her wedding, she found herself in the inner royal circle, and when Henry turned his affections away from Queen Katherine to the bold Anne Boleyn, Jane's life became one of intrigue, romance and danger. Soon Katherine was cast off the throne and Anne was crowned. Jane, as a lady-in-waiting, was the new queen's companion, and her fortune and prestige as a member of the Boleyn family seemed secure.

However, as is common knowledge, the queen fell out of favor, was tried and was executed by beheading. Her brother, Jane's husband, was executed as well. With no spouse to care for her, and her mistress disgraced and dead, there seemed little place for Jane in Henry's court. But over time and with cunning, she found herself again in a queen's chambers and managed to stay in that enviable yet dangerous position until she, too, was brought to court, decades later. Charged with helping yet another queen, Catherine Howard, commit adultery, Jane was executed right after Catherine. Henry married once again.

JANE BOLEYN recounts this fascinating life with energy and imagination. Much of Jane's story is lost, but Fox convincingly argues that she was a victim of the times and a virtual prisoner of the vicious world of the English throne. Still, Jane was no innocent: she deftly navigated the circumscribed world of royalty, ensuring, until the end, a place of financial and social security for herself.

Lighter than a textbook but still dense with facts, dates, names and theories, Fox's book illuminates not only Jane Boleyn's exciting life as witness to one of the most captivating eras in western history, but also that era itself. As England struggled to understand and define its beliefs in the face of a changing Christendom, and as Henry abandoned tradition to secure an heir for his throne (and satisfy his libido), Jane was there, never fully in the spotlight but never far from it either.

Although many gaps in the record are filled by Fox's educated guesses and the book is occasionally bogged down with repetitions, JANE BOLEYN is a fascinating debut from a promising history writer who pays attention to a figure long overdue for such consideration.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

One of the more interesting women of the reign of King Henry VIII of England tends to be either vilified, or given not much more than a momentary glance. She has come down through history as a treacherous woman, providing the testimony that doomed two queens to execution for adultery, and even accusing her husband of commiting incest. To cloud the matter further, it seems that she was mad and unknowing when she laid her head on the headsman block.

Author Julia Fox peels back the legends and works at recreating the real Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, from the information that actually exists about her. And what the reader discovers is that Jane Parker, as she was born, was hardly the scheming creature that popular fiction and some histories have made her out to be. But neither was she a completely innocent pawn either, and Jane Parker turns out to just an average woman, who finds herself in the middle of various conspiracies where a wrong word could mean a person's death.

The daughter of a minor nobleman, Lord Morley, Jane Parker grows up expecting to marry and have a household of her own, with security and some means to ensure a safe future. It was the typical role expected of every English gentlewoman, and from all accounts, Jane was more than happy to work towards it. Her father, a noted diplomat and scholar, had already started discussions with the Boleyn family nearby, and Jane was married at a young age to her cousin, George Boleyn, already becoming a young courtier at King Henry's household. As his wife, Jane would find herself in a glittering world, full of fine jewels and clothing, wonderful entertainments that she would take part in, and even a spot in Queen Catherine of Aragon's household as one of her ladies. It was a heady prospect, and one that Jane delighted in.

Now Jane Boleyn, she would have seen the stellar ascent of the Boleyn family when the youngest sister Anne arrived at Henry's court. One sister, Mary, had already become one of Henry's mistresses, but had never held out for riches or titles, and when Henry tired of her, he married her off to a minor nobleman of the court, William Carey. Anne decided that was not going to happen to her, and no matter how determined the King was to have her in his bed, Anne held out, proudly stating that she was too good to be his mistress, and held out for the role of his wife and queen.

It was possible -- Henry's current wife, Catherine of Aragon, was six years older than he was, and had born a long, sad succession of dead babies, resulting in an only daughter, Mary. And Anne was much younger than Henry, vivacious, educated and merry -- a woman far more interesting than Catherine. For seven years, Henry wrangled with Catherine and her powerful relatives, and finally declared himself the head of the Church in England, and broke with Roman Catholicism, to marry Anne. For the Boleyns, it was the route to permanent fame, and Jane Boleyn soon found herself a titled lady, Viscountess Rochford, a home in a royal palace that had been turned over to George Rochford, and ever growing number of manors and glittering wealth.

But Anne would give only a daughter, Elizabeth, and miscarriages to Henry, along with tantrums and shouting -- never something that a man wishes to linger in. And his attention had already turned to another young woman -- Jane Seymour. Jane was quiet, nearly plain, demure, and submissive to Henry's desires.

Unluckily for Jane Boleyn, it would be some of her words that would doom her husband and sister-in-law to the headsman. When Henry's lawyer, Thomas Cromwell, tell to disclose what she knew, she mentioned that the two siblings would be alone in Anne's bedchamber, their heads close, whispering. And what would doom George, was Jane's murmurring to him that the King's virility was a bit lacking in Anne's bed -- a secret that would doom nearly all of them.

Jane managed to hang onto some of her wealth, but nearly all of the lands and revenues and wealth vanished. The only person she could turn to was Cromwell, the man who had arranged for her husband's death...

Reading through this biography, I found myself very surprised by many of the twists and turns. There were quite a few surprises here -- I had no idea that Jane served as a lady-in-waiting to the first five of Henry VIII's wives. Eventually, it would be the last of them, Catherine Howard, that would provide her downfall, and the loss of everything, especially her reputation.

It's an interesting account of survival and betrayals. Most biographies set in the Tudor period focus on Henry and his many queens, and the lesser known people around them get not much more than a footnote. Here some of the grandness of Tudor life is given, especially in some of the court spectacles and ceremonies such as coronations, christening of royal infants, and even funerals.

Fox's writing is more of a fictional style, trying to build a bridge between her subject and her readers, and trying to reveal some of the psychology behind Jane's actions. Most of the time it works, and it gives a good look at the how the court must have appeared to someone who was not born into this grand life. While it is clear that the author has a great deal of sympathy for her character, she also doesn't try to whitewash it either.

Along with the narrative, there are two inserts of various art work from the period, showing the main players in this drama. Genealogical tables show the ties between the Parkers and the Boleyns. The footnotes are extensive, and the sources used excellent, with Fox going back to many of the originals to untangle the truth from the fiction. Two appendices discuss a possible portrait of Jane Rochford, and how her name became so blackened by later writers and to the modern day.

I had not really expected much when I had read this biography, but as I continued, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the story. It's far from being sensationalistic, and it tries to present the story as close to the probable truth as possible. I will continue to look forward to more from this author in the future.

Four stars, overall. Recommended.

There isn't a lot known about Jane Boleyn and this book is purely speculative. I appreciate the author's attempt to shed light on the infamous Lady Rochford, but the book falls short. The author's most quoted source is the Spanish ambassador, Chapuys, who was certainly a biased individual. I found the descriptions of the marriage negotiations and Jane Boleyn's widowhood fascinating. I wish there had been more discussion about the marriage between George Boleyn and Jane. The author says very little about George. The author's premise is to provide a more balanced picture of Jane Boleyn, but even the author is forced to concede that Jane Boleyn gave evidence against Anne of Cleves when Henry wanted to end that marriage and helped Catherine Howard conduct and conceal an adulterous affair. This was after she survived the bloodbath when Henry VIII disposed of Anne Boleyn. Not only did Jane survive, but she retained royal favor, serving Henry's next three queens. These are facts that confirm rather than contradict the accepted version of Lady Rochford.

I appreciate the difficulty of writing about a subject about whom so little is known but the legend of a conniving, hateful wife. I can appreciate Jane Boleyn being swept along during the rise and fall of her sister-in-law. Jane Boleyn was savvy enough to overcome the difficulty in regaining her position after the executions. She was not foolish, as evidenced by her negotiations with Thomas Boleyn for her jointure. Why did she allow herself to be caught up in Catherine Howard's dangerous and foolish love affair? The author doesn't provide a satisfactory hypothesis. The book was an interesting read.

Long seduced by the trappings of power as a satellite of Henry VIII's court, Jane Boleyn clings successfully to her privileged position until the ill-conceived cooperation with Henry's fifth queen, Catherine Howard; the unfaithful Catherine and the meddling Jane pay the ultimate price for their foolishness- the executioner's block. What a long way Jane Boleyn travels from her carefree earlier days as sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn, the enigmatic minx who captures Henry's heart and his kingdom. As the wife of Boleyn's brother George, Jane becomes accustomed to the pampered lifestyle of the English monarchy. Privy to the incessant intrigue of Anne's successful strategy in seducing Henry, Jane also witnesses the queen's failure to provide a male heir to the demanding monarch. Finished with Anne, Henry moves on without a backwards glance.

Her fortunes much reduced after George's death, Lady Rochford is at a crossroads: Should she choose the quiet path of widowhood at a country estate or return to court as a member of Jane Seymour's chamber? Certainly a new queen is a welcome distraction from an intractable future. The Widow Boleyn willingly attends Seymour, happiest at the center of the court, where she feels at home. Thus Jane's new career begins auspiciously, part of Seymour's royal entourage, then that of Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard, perhaps at last convinced her position is secure. Displaying a shocking lack of judgment, Jane allows herself to be ensnared in Catherine's romance with Thomas Culpepper, jeopardizing her own future for the drama of a queen's forbidden love. By the time Catherine Howard's serious lapses in fidelity are confessed, Jane is deeply trapped in the intrigue, a go-between for the lovers.

Considering the plight of such a woman in the 16th century, without a husband and only her wits to navigate the treachery that attends power, Jane's success is quite extraordinary, outliving the heyday of the Boleyn family's grand schemes, firmly entrenched in each new queen's inner circle and favored by Henry for her unquestioning service. She watches Jane Seymour die in childbirth, Anne of Cleves sent away to live as the king's nominal "sister" and Henry's inevitable fascination with Catherine Howard. But living so close to the flame- especially in Henry's erratic later years- carries its own risks, the king's fickle passions fueling Jane Boleyn's demise. Betrayed by the loyal Lady Rochford and his new queen, the raging king can do nothing but lash out in pain, a great man felled by an inconstant spouse and her lady-in-waiting.

Most deriving from speculation and no basis in fact, Fox rejects the idea that Jane helped engineer Anne and George's deaths by giving false statements. Rather, the author defines Rochford through her service and perseverance in Henry's court, affecting a lifestyle that provides a semblance of former successes. What is clear is Jane's lack of judgment at a critical time- unusual in one so concerned about position- Lady Rochford's demise married to that of Catherine Howard. In choosing the court over country retirement, the die is cast, Jane's fate eerily mirroring that of her infamous sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn. Luan Gaines/ 2007.