I agree with your assessment of Samson’s book. Samson wrote with a preconception that his audience would have some background knowledge on Mary and Philip. Without much background knowledge on Mary and Philip, there were some points in the book where I was lost and had to reread or go to the internet to follow his writing. I liked your section of the review where you pointed at interpretations of Mary in the present day. I did not know how modern audiences were introduced to Mary. I also agreed with your review where you pointed out that England and Spain were diplomatically and economically close. Including the points where multiple treaties were signed between the two states to foster a relationship. I did enjoy that Samson used footnotes extensively to support his arguments. Using a large number of footnotes bolsters the author’s argument and helps people who are not familiar with the topic to find primary and secondary sources to learn more about the period. I agree that Samson had a lengthy introduction that could lose readers before they even get deep into the argument of the book. I also noticed that many of the chapters seem to veer away from the main topic and stray into different waters. The ending of some of the chapters lost me at certain points but overall I believe that Mary and Philip: The Marriage of Tudor England and Hapsburg Spain was a good book that delivered a strong argument.