---
product_id: 222096502
title: "Mr. Gareth RussellYoung and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII"
brand: "mr. gareth russell"
price: "6795 som"
currency: KGS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.kg/products/222096502-mr-gareth-russellyoung-and-damned-and-fair-the-life-catherine
store_origin: KG
region: Kyrgyzstan
---

# Mr. Gareth RussellYoung and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

**Brand:** mr. gareth russell
**Price:** 6795 som
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Mr. Gareth RussellYoung and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII by mr. gareth russell
- **How much does it cost?** 6795 som with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.kg](https://www.desertcart.kg/products/222096502-mr-gareth-russellyoung-and-damned-and-fair-the-life-catherine)

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Mr. Gareth RussellYoung and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A Fascinating, Exquisitely Composed Biography of Catherine Howard, Queen of England
  

*by B***S on Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2017*

Catherine Howard, Queen of England, poses a historical quandary for me. After reading three biographies telling her life story, King Henry VIII’s fifth wife has me completely baffled. Given her colorful life story and head-scratching major life decisions, she seems to have historians is a state of perpetual disagreement, as well. Was Catherine Howard misguided? Silly? Consensually promiscuous? The repeated victim of sexual abuse? The ultimate pawn of her powerful family? A victim of the “all the king’s men”, each vying for political, and subsequently religious control, of the King’s patronage? Was she stupid or simply misunderstood? Historians spiritedly disagree — the arguments on several sides plausible.Prior to reading Gareth Russell’s Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII, I was heavily inclined to believe that poor Catherine Howard, like many women who came before and since, was the tragic victim of a male dominating society — in short, a woman, who in lacking the choice to forge her own destiny and with no male protector, was the victim of circumstance, poor childhood mentoring, sexual predators, and political infighting. Ultimately the pawn of her powerful uncle, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, she was used in enticing King Henry VIII away from a marriage he didn’t want in any case to manipulate the fall of Norfolk’s greatest nemesis, Thomas Cromwell, and to gain advantage for the conservative faction. After all, given the political intrigues of King Henry VIII’s court of vipers, this would seem simple common sense, wouldn’t it?Now I am admittedly confused. Gareth Russell, thorough in his research, convincing in his analysis, and eloquent in his telling of Catherine Howard’s life story, has me questioning my long-held thoughts and opinions. This in itself is no easy accomplishment. Once I have set my mind to an interpretation of history, I am not easily moved from it. Fortunately, this is not a weakness of Gareth Russell’s. His analysis shows plainly that he researched the history of Catherine’s Howard’s life and let the information he uncovered tell the story. In all frankness, with our modernized heightened awareness of historical male dominance and inclination to lay the blame for female historical figures’ freely given decision-making to misogyny, his conclusions would be easier if he “went with the flow”. Instead, Gareth Russell resists the temptation to go an easier road, and in doing so, remains respectful of Catherine Howard’s legacy, as well as the legacy of the other historical figures he explores.From a literary standpoint, Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII is exquisitely written. Gareth Russell’s writing style simply stated rivals that of Stacy Schiff and David McCullough. Consequently, though the biography covers the very complex ground of 16th-century history and explores extensive historical content, it is an amazingly “easy read”. As a writer, I know just how difficult a task this is to accomplish. Beyond the outstanding historical content, this book provides a wonderful writing lesson in the art of biography composition. I do hope Gareth Russell continues in the genre, moving on to historical figures of longer life and increased complexity.Write this down and take it to the bank. Gareth Russell is one “big bio” away from joining the world’s elite biographers composing in the English language today.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Excellent and instructive
  

*by T***3 on Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2019*

5 starsBased on amazing scholarship and clear reasoning, this is a beautifully written history of Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII.Mr. Russell has written a comprehensive illustration of 16th Century privileged life. He describes everything from clothing to jewelry and all the other small details of daily life in the royal household. The author goes on to discount some of the most popular myths about Catherine, such as the Norfolk's (her family of origin), pushing her into the king's way. He spent a bit of time examining her servants and ladies-in-waiting, for some of them certainly had plenty to say about Catherine. Mr. Russell also examined just how big a part the Dowager Duchess aunt played in the whole drama and how much she really knew about Catherine's behavior while she lived with her. I really liked the way he carefully examined each rumor and fact that we previously understood about the young woman.He  goes on to examine the volatility of King Henry VIII by this stage in his life and his mercurial temperament, as well as the politics of the time. Henry was so apt to fly into a rage at any time, it was best to keep one's head down.There are several lengthy quotes in the book, especially from various letters that still survive, including the fatal letter that Catherine sent to Thomas Culpeper.I found this book fascinating, very well researched and clearly written. There are numerous footnotes and a copious bibliography for those who wish to investigate Catherine's life further.This is my second Gareth Russell book, and I do believe that I'll read the rest of his output as soon as I am able.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Too Much Info
  

*by C***Y on Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2023*

This author must have used every bit of research he found. It was loaded with deep detail on people and happening that didn't really have anything to do directly with Catherine and Henry's story. Some, I found myself skipping, but when he spoke of the royal pair, it was very well written. Though I have read copious amounts of Tudor history, I learned a lot of detail I hadn't known. He writes about the way life was then, in England and in Henry's court. Lots of details about the royal life style. I liked his take on Henry as a man and king...he was clearly lacking. We begin to feel sorry for Catherine early on. The author is also good at telling us what is untrue that only comes to us as tradition. Things we think were true are often not supported by research. I would recommend this book as serious Tudor history.

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Product available on Desertcart Kyrgyzstan*
*Store origin: KG*
*Last updated: 2026-02-19*