Book Review: 'If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause': The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn, by Heather R. Darsie

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

Heather R. Darsie’s If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause is a compelling and thought-provoking reassessment of Anne Boleyn’s fall. Rather than rehashing familiar Tudor court drama, Heather Darsie reframes Anne’s execution as a calculated act of judicial murder made possible by the legal and religious upheavals of the English Reformation.

What sets this book apart is its attention to context often overlooked: Anne’s reformist sympathies, her Continental connections, and the broader ideological threat she posed to Henry VIII once she ceased to be politically useful. Heather Darsie’s argument is well constructed, well-researched, and clearly written, making complex legal and theological issues accessible without oversimplification.

This is not a sensationalist defense of Anne Boleyn, but a persuasive re-evaluation that challenges long-held assumptions. This is the story of Anne Boleyn you thought you knew.

Tony Riches

 

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About the Author

Heather R. Darsie works as an attorney in the US. Along with her Juris Doctorate she has a BA in German, which was of great value in her research. She completed multiple graduate-level courses in Early Modern History, with her primary focus being the Holy Roman Empire under Charles V. She runs the website MaidensAndManuscripts.com, and is a co-host of Tudors Dynasty podcast. Find out more at maidensandmanuscripts.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Bluesky @hrdarsiehistory.bsky.social