Product Description

One of the most powerful monarchs in British history, Henry VIII ruled England in unprecedented splendour. In this remarkable composite biography, Alison Weir brings Henry's six wives vividly to life, revealing each as a distinct and compelling personality in her own right. Drawing upon the rich fund of documentary material from the Tudor period, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" shows us a court where personal needs frequently influenced public events and where a life of gorgeously ritualised pleasure was shot through with ambition, treason and violence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1945 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 656 pages

About the Author
Alison Weir lives and works in Surrey. Her books include Britain's Royal Families, Children of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry VIII: King and Court, Mary, Queen of Scots and, most recently, Isabella.

Customer Reviews

A great read
This book was absolutely fascinating from start to finish - a wonderful period of history, to which Alison Weir has done complete justice.

Each of the wives are written about in more-than-adequate detail - if this wasn't a non-fiction piece of literature, you could say that the characterisation was top notch.

When completing this book (which shouldn't take too long as it's hard to put down), get hold of "The Children of England - The Heirs of Henry VIII", which continues where this book left off, and examines Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey and Mary I. I have just read that and can't wait to move on to Weir's biography on "Elizabeth"!

Herstory!
Alison Weir has a great talent for weaving factual information into a good story. Packed with historical references and material, this masterful account of the six wives of Henry VIII is not only painstakingly researched, but is a really good yarn!

This book challenges the stereotypes of the six queens and brings each character to life with contemporary sources. Too often we see the wives portrayed as the Barren, the conniving Harlot, the saintly Mother, the Ugly, the Adulteress, and the sedate Widow. This book gives us insights into the characters and impact of the queens, and certainly opened my eyes.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Tudor history, womens' history or a good story. All the good tales are based in truth.

Try it - you will not put it down
This was the first book I read by Alison Weir - and I so liked it that, since then, I have read all others !

The author as a way of being entertaining while sticking strictly to historical sources that makes the read very enjoyable: there is no feeling (and no need, in her books) of a romanced approach - reality is far more exciting that fiction.

This book is, in fact, about Henry VIII and his evolution during his reign. The description of the different "compartments" of Henry VIII's matrimonial life are interesting in that they each correspond to a different era in his reign - and of Court life and customs. I hadn't realised before that his first marriage, with Catherine of Aragon, lasted as long as all others together.

A very good and easy read, which I strongly recommend.