Derek Wilson's book is a brave attempt to navigate through the thickets of the Henrician court by the device of writing intertwining biographies of six men all called Thomas. This makes a refreshing change from the usual six wives approach, though it is no substitute for the work of specialist historians such as JJ Scarisbrick and Diarmaid MacCulloch. The events the book describes are so extraordinary that even a reader familiar with their outline will find it hard not to keep turning the pages like the latest thriller. Sadly Wilson's prose is too often reminiscent of that genre. The recourse to slang terms and irrelevant modern analogies is tiresome.

More serious to this reader is Wilson's blatant hostility to Thomas More. No opportunity is missed to disparage More, usually for his involvement in persecuting heretics. At the same time he offers every extenuation for equally unsavoury conduct by Wilson's heroes (comparatively speaking), Cromwell and Cranmer. Tellingly, More's early biographers, and indeed most of his recent ones, are dismissed as hagiographers, but Protestant martyrologist, John Foxe, is often quoted as a generally reliable source.

Underlying this seems to be an old-fashioned view of the English Reformation as the eventual triumph of light over darkness. Wilson affects even-handedness or even aloof amusement at the religious controversies which dominated Henry's reign. However his sneering tone when dealing with Catholic practices and the 'reactionaries' who defended them and his repeated likening of reformed England to newly liberated Eastern Europe rather give the game away.

Even leaving aside the doctrinal issues involved, the cultural destruction brought about by the Reformation should cause all civilised people a shiver of horror. Centuries of art, liturgical craftswork, architecture, literature and music (because of the 'blasphemous' illuminations or 'idolatrous' texts) were destroyed in a matter of years by Cromwell's henchmen.

Wilson is aware of the work of historians such as Eamon Duffy and Christopher Haigh, which suggests that pre-Reformation Catholicism was a popular and successful system and that the Reformation was imposed by an elite on a largely resentful population. However, he dismisses such arguments as "special pleading".

The above cavils will obviously annoy some readers more than others and Wilson's book is still recommended reading to anyone interested in Henrician politics.

I recently read Alison Weir's "Henry VIII: The King And His Court" and it was interesting to read Derek Wilson's book covering Henry's reign, but looked at from a different perspective. Ms. Weir concentrated more on people and personalities, especially Henry's wives. Mr. Wilson chose to concentrate more on politics and religion. Both books are rewarding and since the approach taken by each author is different you get a fuller picture of the times by reading both.I suppose the main thought you are left with after reading Mr. Wilson's book is what a precarious existence anyone connected with Henry's court led! We are not just talking about his wives but anyone involved in the political or religious life of the court. As Henry got older and his once robust health began to deteriorate he became very moody and unpredictable. Both Wilson and Weir make the point that Henry was very athletic up until he was about 40 years old or so. He was a very vain man and could not accept his physical decline. He was also used to getting his own way and couldn't tolerate it when his desires and wishes were thwarted. He could be genial one moment and lash out verbally or physically the next. He could be ruthless if he felt that you couldn't give him what he wanted. In that case you were disposable- as several wives found out, as well as people such as Thomas Wolsey and Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell. You come away wondering why anyone would marry this man or choose to work for him. It was like being next to a ticking timebomb.....One example will suffice to show that there were seemingly no limits to Henry's ruthlessness. When he was intent on having his son as his heir he wanted his daughter Mary (by Catherine of Aragon) to assure him that she would not "give any trouble" about the succession. He sent over Thomas Cromwell and the Duke of Norfolk to play "good cop, bad cop". Cromwell was the "good cop" and when it became clear that his approach wasn't doing the trick, Norfolk screamed at Mary and told her that if "she were his daughter he would smash her head against the wall until it was as soft as a boiled apple".Violent times they were, and filled with violent people. Henry, without flinching, would allow the burning of "heretics", including digging up someone found after death to have been a "heretic" and having the corpse burned. You could be sent to the Tower of London at the drop of a hat, and be in constant fear that it was not only your hat that might drop off....Try both of these books, as they complement each ther nicely and are in no way redundant. I don't think you will be disappointed!

England's King Henry VIII has already been extensively discussed in various books as well as portrayed in a number of plays and films. Why another book? In his Introduction, Wilson acknowledges that much attention has been devoted to Henry's six wives (Three Catherines, two Annes, and a Jane) and shares this mnemonic:

"Divorced, beheaded, died,
Divorced, beheaded, survived."

and then observes: "I propose a different set of relationships which I believe offers a more illuminating approach to the court and government of Henry VIII. Specifically, Wilson focuses his primary attention on six Thomases: Wolsey, More, Cromwell, Howard, Wriothesley, and Cramner. "I can even suggest an alternative mortuary mnemonic, although one admittedly not so trippingly off the tongue.

Died, beheaded, beheaded,
Self-slaughtered, burned, survived."

Henry's VIII's relationships with all six serve as the basis of Wilson's narrative. There were lions in London at that time ("the King's Beasts") housed in the Tower menagerie and a major tourist attraction. More once compared the king's court to a lion pit "in which the magnificent and deadly king of beasts held sway."

Of the six, More interests me the most. One of my favorite plays and films is A Man for All Seasons. (In the film, More is brilliantly portrayed by Paul Scofield.) In both, Robert Bolt focuses on More's rectitude which threatens and infuriates Henry and eventually results in More's execution. Thus presented, More is a tragic but noble political victim and religious martyr, later canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. He is no less admirable as portrayed by Wilson but, in my opinion, is much more complicated than Bolt and others suggest. For years, More skillfully navigated his way through a court ("a lion pit") characterized by what Wilson refers to as its "seamy realities": "The royal entourage was a vicious, squirming world of competing ambitions and petty feuds, guilty secrets and salacious prudery,. Courtiers, vulnerable to threats and bribes, could be induced to perjure themselves, to exaggerate amorous incidents which were innocent in the context of stylised chivalric convention, to indulge personal vendettas....Over all these momentous happenings looms the larger-than-life figure of Henry VIII, powerful and capricious yet always an enigma."

In certain respects, this book reads as if it were a novel. It has a compelling narrative, dozens of unique characters, all manner of conflicts and intrigues which create great tension throughout, and a number of themes such as power, ambition, loyalty, betrayal, piety, terror, and (for most of the main characters) ignominious death. Wilson draws upon a wealth of primary sources to ensure the validity of his historical facts. However, some readers may question his interpretation of those facts. (A non-historian, I consider myself unqualified to do so.) Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Alison Weir's Henry VIII as well as The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Karen Lindsey's Divorced, Beheaded, Survived, and David M. Loades's Henry VIII and His Queens.

I did not like this book at all! I have read most everything out there regarding Henry VIII. I found this a very hard go. It was extremely difficult to read. It focus's mostly on Henry's policies and the religous issue and a lot of assumptions as to why Henry acted a certain way. It is very date heavy. He barely mentions his wives except to say married on this date, died on this date. If you are beginner to Henry, this is not the book for you.

I read this book right after reading Carolly Erickson's biography of Henry VIII, and on balance this book is better and easier to read. I love that Scarisbrick has modernized the spelling and punctuation of the original documents he quotes. I think the picture of Henry presented is well-balanced, and does not minimize the faults of the subject of the biography. The careful examination of the question of the validity of the marriage of Henry and Catherine of Aragon is the best I have ever read, and partisans on either side of that question will see that there is indeed another side to the view they favor. The examination of the religious views of Henry is detailed and enlightening. I have always had a negative view of Henry VIII and I still have after reading this book, but the book was instructive and enlightening. The footnotes are where they belong (at the bottom of each page) and the bibliography is detailed though of course a bit dated in the 1968 edition I read. After you read this book you will know that you have read a really good biography of this important figure in world history.

Prof. Scarisbrick has written the definitive biography of Henry VIII and his times, even though this book is about 30 years old. Scarisbrick brought an interesting view to the subject: as a Roman Catholic he was the first British author granted access to Vatican archives for his research on the subject. The result is a still cogent, absolutely exhaustive book on the subject. Entailing a practically week by week account of Henry VIII's reign is overwhelming but of the upmost help for students of the subject. If you are looking for a light introduction to Henry VIII, this is probably not the place. But if you want *all* the (mind-numbing) details on Henry VIII, look no further than Scarisbrick's brilliant work.

sucke

If you love the Tudors, and you already have your basic facts down, you'll really enjoy this orignial look at Henry VIII. Profesor Smith allows a look at Henry VIII as a person, revealing a personality that may have belonged to this great King. Definately worth the read.

More than four centuries after his death, Henry VIII remains one of the most fascinating monarchs in English history. As a result, numerous biographies have been written about him - and his equally famous six wives. But only Lacey Baldwin Smith's biography does justice to both subject and reader. He avoids the easy trap of portraying Henry as a misogynistic tyrant who twisted religion and politics in the pursuit of personal gratification. Such a treatment, sadly popular in current biographies, is an insult to any student of history. Instead, Smith brings Henry alive in the context of the turbulent sixteenth-century; he is seen as both man and king, troubled soul and tyrannical monarch. When you have finished this brilliant and learned work, you will have a new and profound understanding of Reformation England - and its contradictory leader.

The early chapters of this book are interesting in that they examine Anne Boleyn's childhood and early career in the context of her family and society. Warnicke's choice to give little credence to the reports of Chapuys and others who had reason to portray Anne in the worst light is valid and creates a more balanced characterization of this queen than is usually seen.

The major thrust of this book, however, is Warnicke's theory that Anne's fall was the result of having miscarried a deformed fetus in January of 1536. While it is an intriguing possibility, Warnicke fails to provide the slightest shred of evidence to prove her theory. Her sole argument is that while most royal miscarriages were kept secret, Henry took great pains to make Anne's miscarriage of 1536 public knowledge. She then makes the wild leap in reasoning that Henry was driven to do so by a need to prove that he was not the father of a deformed fetus - which at that time was viewed as a sign of God's wrath. It is an interesting theory, but she fails to back it up with any substantial argument.

She then goes on to reason that the five men who were convicted of adultery with Anne, while not guilty of that particular crime must have been guilty of something, or they wouldn't have been condemned to die. (She seems unable to accept the possiblility that they were railroaded just as Anne herself was). This leads to another wild round of speculation - again with very little to back it up.

While these arguments might have made for a powerful piece of fiction, they are hardly the basis of an academic reevaluation of Anne's story.

In a clear and concise manner, Dr. Warnicke develops a new view of the complex nature of Tudor court politics. She moves beyond a surface analysis of the written records, and convincingly discusses the veracity of the accounts about Anne Boleyn and her role at court. Warnicke also infuses her work with a discussion of sixteenth-century social and cultural mores that have been lacking in other books. By placing Anne in her cultural setting, Warnicke gives the reader a more realistic portrayal of Anne, going beyond the image of the silly flirt created by other historians. It should be noted, however, that this is not a true biography of Anne and readers may be disappointed with this book if they are looking for a fuller account of Anne's life. This book is more a view of court politics and Anne's position in that system.

This book is a highly original and thoughtful analysis of Anne Boleyn and the events that eventually led to her execution. As Warnicke herself states, this is not a traditional biography but a study of Anne in the midst of her family networks and court politics. It is especially significant in replacing the stereotype of the aggressive and manipulative Anne with a more complex woman who did what she could for herself and her family with her limited choices. Warnicke's theory that Anne's 1536 miscarriage was of a deformed fetus is especially intriguing. The book is also valuable for early sixteenth century ideas about witchcraft and sexuality. This is not necessarily an easy read but it is a most worthwhile one.

If you've read Ms. Small's previous books you know the plot. This book is Wild Jasmine and Darling Jasmine revisited, only it takes place during King Henry VIII's early years instead of King James's time. Ms. Small took a charecter from her earlier works and changed the time period. If you are familiar with the Wild Jasmine and Darling Jasmine you will see them in every line of Rosmund. Rosmund is Jasmine revisited, so I don't feel bad about giving the plot away.

To protect herself from family hoping to get their hands on her estate Rosmund goes to court and becomes friends with the eventual Queens of Scotland and England. Prince Henry soon to be King Henry VIII tries to take her virgnity, but is stopped by the timely arrival of a young man who Rosmund eventually marries. She falls in love with this man and then he dies (think Rowan Lindley, from Wild Jasmine). Rosmund goes back to court and this time has an affair with the now King Henry (still reminding you of Wild Jasmine) and along the way she has bitter fights with the man that we know she is destined to be with (still remining you of Ms. Small's Jasmine in her previous books - Jemmie Leslie).

Although the plot is reminds you very very strongly of her other works Ms. Small's writing is excellent, I only wished that she came up with something a little more orginial.

During the last decade of the fifteenth century, she was an orphan as a young child and a widow twice before she turned thirteen including her first marriage to her five-year-old first cousin. Her Uncle Henry Bolton knows that his niece Rosamund is a prize he manipulates because though she owns Friarsgate, he controls the estate.

To avoid further machinations, Rosamund marries a much older, but kind Hugh Cabot. He surprisingly treats her like a favorite daughter rather than a possession to be displayed and used. Hugh even teaches her how to manage her vast holdings. Finally, he also arranges for King Henry II to be her guardian upon his death. Now a lovely fixture at court, Rosamund becomes a lover to Prince Hal, but eventually meets Logan Hepburn who she begins to fall in love with though she has doubts about anyone becoming her latest spouse as she has developed a taste for the regal courts.

ROSAMUND, the first novel in Bertrice Small's Friarsgate's Inheritance series is a wonderful tale that brings to life the final years of the fifteenth century and the first decade of the sixteenth century. The story line will delight Ms. Small's fans because the heroine shares the same traits found in the O'Malley women (DNA testing anyone?) and could easily exchange places. Still readers will enjoy the feel of life in a bygone era mostly through the eyes of an intrepid woman.

Harriet Klausner

As an old and devoted fan of Ms Small, I am extemely pleased with this new novel which introduces us to the Friarsgate folks. Of course this novel reminds us of the O'Malley's--it's in the same general location & timeframe in history. I am hoping that, in later Friarsgate stories, old friends from Bertrice's other novels will make an appearance. Maybe that's not interesting to other readers, but it would be to me. I just wish we didn't have to wait a year to find out what happens to Rosamund and I can't wait to read the final O'Malley novel, Vixens.

This was a book I really liked. I found it facinating to read about another two members of the Tudor family. Maybe the most interesting thing about the Tudor family is how they managed to rule, or simply survive, in a time when cruelty, power struggles and dominance over women were common.

In this book Maria Perry tells us about the sisters' childhood and family background, as well as about their adult lives. In both cases the sisters had to marry a king as part of their father's attempt to keep or make allies, and not for love.

The eldest sister Margaret soon ended up as my favourite. She came across as a strong and couragious woman. In a time when women had no power, she fought to take control over her own life. When she was widowed and still pregnant, her brother tried to arrange a wedding for her. But Margaret wanted to marry based on her own choice, something her brother Henry VIII disliked. Later on she had to fight in order to keep her children, since they as heirs to the throne could be used as tools to rule the country by scroupulous men.

--Because this book, for the most part, except when the author decides to basically abandon a person or issue in it, is loaded with details. If you are interested in the life and times of Henry VIII, his relatives, friends and enemies, then you will likely forgive the author's apologist attitudes toward him (and her seemingly hyper-critical eye, in my view, of his sisters). If you are relatively thick-skinned about writers who do that, weaving their own opinions through the story they are telling, while supposedly presenting historical fact, you will find this book very interesting and fairly absorbing. There are a lot of minute details about banquets, clothes and social behavior, which are a lot of fun to read and know about, again, if you're interested in the first place. Which I am, so I liked this book.

Perry writes about the lesser known subject of Henry VIII's two sisters, Margaret and Mary who became Queen of Scotland and Queen of France respectively. It's really a review of his whole family, which shows that his sisters, even as political pawns were much more involved in events than wife focused biographies and legends would generally show. There is some early discussion of their parents, Henry VII and his Queen, Elizabeth of York, which shows how they inherited the royal propensity for pagentry and how, Perry's descriptions are sumptuous, the emphasis on sartorial wealth and jewels was really the political rhetoric of the day. More than that, it seems also have been a business, and many conflicts and wars can be explained by the need for the Tudors to pay for all their nice clothes and jewels--even, or especially, they owed money--so that they can keep being royals. Perry is as assiduous about the financial details as she is avid about the fashion details, and even if you aren't quite sure what the numbers mean the story is always readable, imaginative and intriguing, leaving its share of Historical what-ifs. (What if Mary's long-term youthful betrothal to Charles V of Spain had been honored, for example?) As one might expect Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn get their fair share of mention, but the context of their tribulations seems at once more mundane and more majestic.

Erickson's avowed practice of giving equal weight to each part of a subject's life, rather than concentrating on the period when the subject was "famous," causes two major problems this time. First, there is (or was at the time of Erickson's work) little or no documentation of Anne Boleyn's early life; thus, for much of the book we are repeatedly confronted with statements of how Anne "must have" felt, reacted, behaved, etc. Second, the short period in which Anne strutted upon the world stage skims by far too quickly, with too little detail. True, Anne "must have" felt that way about events herself -- but surely the benefit of time and perspective is that we can linger and delve into the subject. Perhaps it is impossible to write a really adequate biography of Anne Boleyn.

In a manner which I have found unfortunately typical of Carolly Erickson's writing, "Mistress Anne" contains many details about court life (including "trivia" not typical of books on the subject), yet not enough about Anne herself. The rather rambling references to, for example, Anne's days at the French court became tedious. My impression was of a collection of material which could be interesting in a "classroom lecture" setting, where it is assumed that the hearers are studying the entire era and would enjoy tidbits not found in their textbooks, but which makes boring reading on its own.

While this book was a good source of information on Anne Boleyn's world, the facts given about Anne herself were sketchy at best. In spite of fascinating details such as descriptions of the French court where Anne grew up and the accounts of the court procedures of Henry VIII's divorce from Katharine of Aragon, one never really gets the feel of Anne as a real person. The lack of information about Anne's day-to-day life is one reason for this, but the fact remains that this is simply not one of Erickson's best biographies.

Enjoy this book, but read Antonia Fraser's "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" for a truer portrait of Anne Boleyn.

A very interesting look a little known Tudor figure. Another intriguing look at the court around Henry VIII, as well as, Henry's desire for a male heir.

For someone that loves to have the different facets of Henry
VIII's reign, life, and loves, this book is a must. It was an enjoyable read due to its content of the lesser known illegitimate son of Henry VIII and Bessie Blount. The only disappointment in the book is that it focuses more on the movements and financial side of Henry Fitzroy than on his personal life, and any personal feelings he had about his father or his situation.

This book is a must read for those interested in Tudor Royalty.It reveals an entirely different view of Henry VIII and the problems[real and imagined]he faced concerning his desire for a legitimate male heir to the Throne of England.The politics surrounding Henry VIII and his Court are well researched and presented in a clear way which involves the reader with the Duke of Norfolk and Anne Boleyn's backers and Family[Seymour] as they fought for power and the favor of the King.

Not to be nasty, but I feel would-be readers should be warned: this "hero" is strictly for those who enjoy locker-room bragging and a dialogue composed mostly of snide comments about women's body parts. There are "rascals" in fiction who are also talented, basically good-hearted or at least witty (i.e., Lindsey Davis' Didius Falco). The sleazy, stupid and utterly unappealing Roger Shallot is NOT one of them!

I've read all of Clynes' Journals of Sir Roger Shallot. All of the books take place during the reign of Henry VIII and focus on the reluctant detective work of Roger and his master, the nephew of Cardinal Wosley. Roger tells the stories as flashbacks from his present position as a seclusive and retired lord of the realm. In the books Roger is a cowardly, lusty, and unrepentant vagabond who follows his master as they are assigned to investigate various heinous crimes by the cardinal and Henry. I love the books for the mixture of diabolical plots, historical backdrop, and the effort Clynes puts into developing the characters. Every one of the books feature involved plots, surprise villans, and a certain dark and wry humor. You'll find yourself rapidly finishing the books, engrossed in trying to solve the crimes yourself and simultaneously laughing aloud at the misfortunes that befall Roger.