Philippa Gregory is a historian and novelist renowned for combining rich research with powerful storytelling. Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and been adapted for stage, television and film.
Her new novel is Boleyn Traitor.
At People magazine Gregory tagged eight favorite Tudor books, including:
Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelRead about another title on Gregory's list.
When I first read this fantastic book, I sent a fan letter to Hilary Mantel via her agent. Wolf Hall is the first — and my favorite— of the masterly trilogy which follows the rise of Thomas Crowell, advisor to Henry VIII. Cromwell’s advice to Henry and his perspective is such an interesting part of the Tudor story and it makes for an extraordinary novel.
I went on to work with the late Dame Hilary on a number of occasions and each time we talked unstoppably about our approach to history and to fiction, the overlaps of the two disciplines. Her contribution to the literary world was outstanding.
Wolf Hall made Martha Jean Johnson's list of seven top books about the wives of Henry VIII, Tom Lamont's top five list of books featuring unconventional families, the Amazon Book Review editors' list of twelve of their favorite long books, Mark Skinner's top ten list of books featuring English and British monarchs, Emily Mitchell's list of five of the best historical novels to remind you how strange the past really was, Jody Hadlock's list of nine historical novels featuring real people as main characters, Benjamin Myers's top ten list of mentors in fiction, Jessie Burton's list of eleven of the best books about/with cats, Pete Buttigieg’s ten favorite books list, Ruby Bentall's six best books list, Rula Lenska's six favorite books list, Deborah Cadbury's top ten list of books about royal families, Peter Stanford's top ten list of Protestants in fiction, Melissa Harrsion's ten top depictions of British rain, the Telegraph's list of the 21 greatest television adaptations of novels, BBC Culture's list of the 21st century’s twelve greatest novels, Ester Bloom's ten list of books for fans of the television series House of Cards, Rachel Cantor's list of the ten worst jobs in books, Kathryn Williams's reading list on pride, the Barnes & Noble Review's list of books on baby-watching in Great Britain, Julie Buntin's top ten list of literary kids with deadbeat and/or absent dads, Hermione Norris's 6 best books list, John Mullan's list of ten of the best cardinals in literature, the Barnes & Noble Review's list of five books on dangerous minds and Lev Grossman's list of the top ten fiction books of 2009, and is one of Geraldine Brooks's favorite works of historical fiction; Matt Beynon Rees called it "[s]imply the best historical novel for many, many years."
--Marshal Zeringue
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