The Boleyns: The Rise & Fall of a Tudor Family, David Loades (Amberley Publishing, Stroud, 2011) 304pp., hardback, £20.00, ISBN 978 1 4456 0304 9

David Loades in 16 books has gained an enviable renown as the story teller of famous Tudors, especially Henry VIII.  The fall of Anne Boleyn and her brother George is the classic drama of the Tudor period and surprisingly no full-scale history of the family has hitherto appeared.  The Boleyns had been long-established as a prominent family.  Sir Geoffrey Boleyn had been Lord Mayor of London 1457-8 and founded their fortunes but it was his grandson Thomas who married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey who became Duke of Norfolk in 1514.  Thomas was the father of Anne Boleyn, Mary and George Lord Rochford who enjoyed prosperity and suffered disgrace in turn.  Anne's daughter Elizabeth became Queen of course in 1558.

Loades describes fully and with his usual panache the history of the family.  Curiously he does not provide a family tree, which is very much needed and the list of the 34 illustrations (26 in colour) is printed so minutely that a magnifying glass is needed to read it.  Generally the book is well presented with full end-notes, a differentiated bibliography and a convenient index.  A bargain at £20, it is bound to sell well.