Eric Ives

Eric William Ives (1931-2017) was a British historian and biographer specializing in Tudor history, particularly the life of Anne Boleyn. He was a leading authority on the Tudor period and his work is known for its meticulous research and revisionist approach to established narratives.

Ives was born in Surrey and educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He served as a lecturer and then professor of English History at the University of Birmingham from 1963 until his retirement in 1997. After retiring, he continued to write and lecture.

His most notable works include:

• Anne Boleyn (1986), a groundbreaking biography that challenged traditional portrayals of Anne Boleyn as a scheming seductress, presenting her instead as an intelligent and religiously devout woman caught in the political machinations of Henry VIII's court.
• Henry VIII (2005), a biography of the king.
• The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (2009), a revised and expanded version of his earlier biography.
• Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery (2009).

Ives's work has been praised for its rigorous scholarship, insightful analysis, and accessible writing style. He made a significant contribution to the understanding of Tudor history and his biographies remain essential reading for anyone interested in the period. He emphasized the importance of primary source evidence and was unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. He also examined the role of women in the Tudor court with a new and sympathetic perspective.