What first attracted you to the period or periods you work in?
The mystery. Was Mary Queen of Scots really guilty? Come to think of it, was Anne Boleyn? (because, let’s face it, you don’t make the pathologically egotistical Henry VIII look like a complete and utter cuckold unless you have some evidence). And what was the truth of Tsarina Alexandra’s relationship with Rasputin? I like history that doesn’t give you all the answers – once it’s all cut and dried it becomes really, quite frankly, boring.
Can you tell us a little about how you research? Has the process changed over the years?
I’m not interested in regurgitating the same old tropes, especially where the Tudors are concerned; that particular market is drowning in ‘same old, same old’ on that score. I’m trying to do something a little different, hence my research into Anne Boleyn’s executioner for ‘The Anne Boleyn Bible’. A lot of the Tudor stuff covers the same ground over and over, to the point where they’re really scraping the barrel trying to come up with new ideas – If I ever end up being one of those historians who publishes ‘The adventures of Catherine of Aragon’s toenail clippings’ then just shoot me.
The common phrase is that history is written by the victors. Do you think this is true?
To an extent, but there are plenty of books nowadays that seek to redress the balance; also, not all of history was a battle and it wasn’t all about ‘victors’ and ‘vanquished’.
Are there any historians who helped shaped your career? Similarly, can you recommend three history books which budding historians should read?
Antonia Fraser – lovely woman and her book on Mary Queen of Scots influenced me greatly; also, Robert K Massie’s book on Nicholas and Alexandra is superb, although I do take issue with the way he writes about Rasputin. Alison Weir’s work on the Tudors is always excellent and readable and she remains a friendly face in what can otherwise be a rather hostile field.
If you could meet any figure from history, who would it be and why? Also, if you could witness any event throughout history, what would it be?
I’d love to meet Tsarina Alexandra, just to see if she was as ‘difficult’ as historians make her out to be. I’d love to meet Anne Boleyn too, just so I could smile and see how different she is from the strange feminist construct that modern historians have made of her; I guess they have to fill in the gaps somehow. And yeah, a tipple or two with Rasputin would be cool, with a bit of Russian dancing thrown in for good measure…
As for witnessing any event in history, well, I’d love to have been in Edinburgh in February 1567, just to see who really did away with Lord Darnley, second husband to Mary Queen of Scots, and whether or not she had a hand in it. Her biographers – male and female – tend to treat the subject with a little more lightness and admit, yeah, she probably wasn’t the sort of girl you’d leave alone with your boyfriend; also, on that score, I remember the little old lady in the second-hand bookstore in Sutton who guided me around to the Scottish history section and then pointed to the books on Mary. Then she said, as she clutched my arm, ‘Mary Stuart! Very foolish woman!!’
If you could add any period or subject to the history curriculum, what would it be?
I’m not sure what they cover already, but covering the Jack the Ripper killings would give kids a good idea about how the modern media first started obsessing over serial killers.
If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, either as a student or when you first started out as a writer, what would it be?
Don’t follow the herd and don’t lose your sense of humour, especially where the Tudors are concerned; if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, because they take it so seriously. It often makes me smile when you see historian pulling their hair out because of this or that, and I’m like, It’s already happened. It’s done and all the righteous books/blogs in the world aren’t going to change it. History should be a bit more fun; you would think that the Tudors, for instance, lived the most joyless lives imaginable, because of the way their lives are spun out for modern audiences. I’m guilty of that myself, I have to admit, writing a book called ‘House of Tudor – A grisly history’, but there you go.
Can you tell us a little bit about the project you are currently working on?
I’m working on what I hope will be the definitive biography of American serial killer Ed Gein. I’ve got contributions from academics in the field, including those covering the trans perspective and also several psychiatric professionals who have helped me with the schizophrenia angle. Also, I’ve been lucky enough to talk to several of the people involved in the various films and TV series that have covered the case, including a foreword which I’m rather excited about.
Mickey Mayhew is an historian and the author of The Anne Boleyn Bible and several other books. You can read more from Mayhew here.
