Hunting the Falcon

Waterstones' Best Books of The Year: History

A groundbreaking examination of how the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn sent shockwaves across a continent and changed England forever.

'In many places, where once we had speculation, we now have certainty. This book is at once an education and a joy to read' Literary Review

'Combines meticulously researched history and contemporary voices with narrative flair' Sunday Times

'Anne Boleyn comes alive in this impressive study . . . Moves and informs' The Times

'The most cogent narrative reading of the evidence to date' Spectator

The story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is one of the most remarkable in history: a long courtship followed by a shotgun wedding and then a coronation, ending just short of three years later when a husband's passion turned to such hatred that he simply wanted his wife gone. In Hunting the Falcon, John Guy and Julia Fox examine the most recent archival discoveries and peel back layers of historical myth to present Anne and Henry in startlingly new ways. They show how Anne and Henry's relationship was tied almost completely to the major events of international politics at one of the great turning points of European history, and dispel any assumptions that a sixteenth-century woman, even a queen, could exert little influence on the politics and beliefs of a patriarchal society. Anne was in fact a shrewd and ruthless politician in her own right, a woman who steered Henry and his policies - and whom Henry seriously contemplated making joint sovereign.

Hunting the Falcon sets the facts and some completely new finds into a wide frame, unearthing the truth about these two extraordinary lives and their tumultuous times. It pays particular attention to the seven 'missing' years that Anne spent in France, and explores how she organised her side of the royal court in novel ways that ultimately sowed the seeds of her own downfall. In this feat of historical research and analysis, Guy and Fox offer a sumptuous retelling of one of the most consequential marriages in history and an exhilarating portrait of love, lust, politics and power.

'Better than Wolf Hall because it's all true' Andrew Roberts

'A sumptuous drama of lust, intrigue and betrayal, underpinned by the harsh reality of politics' Amanda Foreman

About the Authors

John Guy is a historian, author and broadcaster and one of the world's leading scholars of Tudor history. Guy received his Bachelor's and PhD from Cambridge University. The author of 16 books, he is a regular guest on multiple BBC radio shows and a BBC documentary presenter.

Julia Fox is a teacher and author. She taught history at schools throughout London, having obtained her degree in history from the University of London. She is the author of two books, Jane Boleyn and Sister Queens.