Hunting the Falcon

Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe

By: John Guy, Julia Fox

Narrated by: Stephanie Racine

Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

“A fierce, scholarly tour-de-force. . . . Hunting the Falcon brilliantly shows how time, circumstance and politics combined to accelerate Anne’s triumph and tragedy."" —Tina Brown, New York Times Book Review

“A sumptuous drama of lust, intrigue, and betrayal, underpinned by the harsh reality of politics.”—Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

A groundbreaking, freshly-researched examination of one of the most dramatic and consequential marriages in history: Henry VIII’s long courtship, short union, and brutal execution of Anne Boleyn.

Hunting the Falcon is the story of how Henry VIII’s obsessive desire for Anne Boleyn changed him and his country forever. John Guy and Julia Fox, two of the most acclaimed and distinguished historians of this period, have joined forces to present Anne and Henry in startlingly new ways. By closely examining the most recent archival discoveries, and peeling back layers of historical myth and misinterpretation and distortion, Guy and Fox are able to set Anne and Henry’s tragic relationship against the major international events of the time, and integrate and reinterpret sources hidden in plain sight or simply misunderstood. Among other things, they dispel lingering and latently misogynistic assumptions about Anne which anachronistically presumed that a sixteenth-century woman, even a queen, could exert little to no influence on the politics and beliefs of a patriarchal society. They reveal how, in fact, Anne was a shrewd, if ruthless, politician in her own right, a woman who steered Henry and his policies, often against the advice he received from his male advisers—and whom Henry seriously contemplated making joint sovereign.

Hunting the Falcon sets the facts–and some completely new finds–into a far wider frame, providing an appreciation of this misunderstood and underestimated woman. It explores how Anne organized her “side” of the royal court on novel and (in male eyes) subversive lines compared to her queenly predecessors, adopting instead French protocol by which the sexes mingled freely in her private chambers. Men could share in the women’s often sexually charged courtly “pastimes” and had liberal access to Anne, and she to them—encounters from which she gained much of her political intelligence and extended her authority, and which also sowed the seeds of her own downfall.

An exhilarating feat of historical research and analysis, Hunting the Falcon is also a thrilling and tragic story of a marriage that has proved of enduring fascination over the centuries. But in the hands of John Guy and Julia Fox, even the most knowledgeable listener will encounter this story as if for the first time.

©2023 John Guy and Julia Fox (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

A fresh perspective that was surprisingly relatable

I’ve read and watched other tellings of this story. The authors did a good job offering a modern take on Anne Boleyn’s captivating story. I was surprised to learn of her strength, leadership capabilities, and intellect. In many ways, women possessing these qualities still very much threaten the patriarchy.

Superb book and superb narration!

I am a voracious reader of non-fiction books about the Tudors, so when I learned husband and wife historians John Guy and Julia Fox teamed up to co-author this book chronicling the life of Anne Boleyn, I immediately placed a pre-order for the audio book. And wowza, and I am so glad I did. Even though the book was 17 hours long, I devoured it within five days.

Bowing down to whomever made the decision to have Stephanie Racine narrate this book! Racine’s narration was pitch perfect, as was her French pronunciation.

There is no need to shield anyone from plot spoilers, since it’s common knowledge that Anne was Henry VIII’s second wife and he had her executed a mere three years after they married on trumped up charges. But Hunting the Falcon is so much more than just a rehash of the known details of Anne and Henry’s relationship.

The authors’ exhaustive research revealed information with fresh insight, including Anne’s formative early years when she lived in Europe, long before she ever met Henry. Loads of details about the Boleyn family, along with the European politics in the 16th century too.

Hunting the Falcon was impressively researched and despite being a work of scholarship, it read like a historical fiction book. As someone who had read countless books on Anne Boleyn, I would say Hunting the Falcon is the very best I’ve encountered.

Would highly recommend for anyone interested in the subject. Superb book and superb narration!

Loved it!!!

I truly loved it. I loved the narrator, I appreciated that, even though nothing new was really covered in this book her narration made it new and exciting. If you are a lover of Ann Boleyn or Tudor history  then this is a fun listen.

Excellent book!

I’m very interested in Tudor history—especially Anne Boleyn. This is a well researched history about her life.

If you love Anne you’ll love this

Great narration and calming, lovely telling. Really great work you will learn so much you never knew.

Avid reader

I enjoyed listening to this book very much. The narration was the best! The content appeared to be as factual as possible.

Superb

Carefully researched, beautifully written and narrated. A compelling account of this transformative event. Thank you.

Brilliant Narration

This was an enjoyable and interesting book on the relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The list of Dramatis Personae runs to nearly ten pages, so it’s a bit challenging to follow at times, but well worth the effort.
The authors include a fair amount of information about the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation and the way it figured into Henry’s annulment with Katherine and marriage with Anne. That filled in some blanks and clarified my understanding of the reformers’ influence in England at that time.
I immersion read this book with the Kindle and Audible versions. The narration by Stephanie Racine was flawless. She handled the various languages and accents perfectly. This has been a very enjoyable reading experience.

Fabulous

This fascinating book is wonderfully narrated. I highly recommend it especially to those who loved Wolf Hall. I’m sorry Hilary Mantel is not alive to comment on it.

Gorgeous

Excellent research, intelligently presented. Such an enjoyable read. My thanks to the historians, and to Ms Racine for lending her beautiful voice to the text.