The Six Wives of Henry VIII
by Alison Weir
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alison WeirEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-01-10
ISBN: 0802136834
Number of pages: 656
Publisher: Grove Press
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780802136831
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Book Review: A Superb Composite Biography Of The 6 Women Who Married Henry VIII
Summary: 5 Stars
I love English history, especially the period from King Edward IV's reign through the Tudor's. Henry VIII was one of the most powerful monarchs in British history, who ruled England in unprecedented splendor. He has long been one of my favorite historical characters, as have three of his six wives, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Parr. For better and for worse, he was certainly a larger than life figure. (quite literally so - at his death, he was obese). I know of very few fictional personages who are as complex and fascinating as this man, (and the women who attracted him). Born to Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII on June 28, 1491 in Greenwich Palace. Henry was a second son and not expected to rule. But rule he did. He became heir to the throne on the death of his elder brother, Prince Arthur, in 1502, and succeeded in 1509. Sir Thomas More once said of him, "If a lion knew his strength, it were hard for any man to hold him."
Henry was highly intelligent, and, as a youth, quite athletic. Described by a contemporary: "He speaks good French, Latin and Spanish; is very religious; heard three masses daily when he hunted ... He is extremely fond of hunting, and never takes that diversion without tiring eight or ten horses ... He is also fond of tennis." He wrote books and composed music, and was a lavish patron of the arts. As the author of a best-selling book, which went through 20 editions in England and Europe, attacking Martin Luther and supporting the Roman Catholic Church, Henry was given the title "Defender of the Faith" in 1521 by the Pope.
"The second half of Henry's reign was dominated by two major issues, very important for the future of England and the monarchy: the succession and the Protestant Reformation, which led to the formation of the Church of England." Women and the role they played in the King's life, impacted many of his policies and actions - but the Protestant Reformation and the succession, in particular, had their roots in Henry's relationships with women. He was perhaps England's most infamous monarch, especially when it came to matters of lust, love, marriage, and the unusually cruel and ruthless ways he invented to terminate soured relationships. He was married to six distinctly different women. Author Alison Weir chronicles Henry VIII's metamorphosis from vibrant young prince to despotic, paranoid old king through his marital history, in this richly detailed and meticulously researched composite biography. She has used many public records, diaries, diplomatic sources, and personal letters of the early 1500's to offer a comprehensive, factual version of the private and public lives of Henry VIII and his wives.
Ms. Weir writes, with great elegance, wit and insight, about each of the women, and how their lives impacted their times and history. She also describes each of these complex women, their unique characters as individuals, (not just as consorts to a king), their motivations and ambitions. She outlines their ascent and decline, and how they related to one another, their peers and families...and to their husband.
Catherine of Aragon dominates the first part of the book, but that is to be expected. She was married to Henry for 24 years, and prior to their marriage, she was wed to his older brother Arthur, a cause for future problems for the realm and much heartbreak for Catherine. Queen Catherine is portrayed most sympathetically, and that is my inclination also. She was a noble lady, raised to serve as Queen, who loved her husband, almost as much as she loved God and the Catholic Church. I have always wondered how Henry's character, his country and history would have changed if Catherine had born him a healthy son. One of the most poignant sentences in history, is one of Catherine's last. As she lay dying, she dictated a letter to the husband who had so ruthlessly abandoned her. She bid her scribe to write: "Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things. Farewell."
Anne Boleyn was an extremely well-educated, and very independent young woman, especially given the times. And Henry was obsessed with the idea of possessing her. Anne played his obsession to the hilt. Her complex and ambitious nature, as well as the politics of her downfall, are portrayed with great skill by Ms. Weir. Anne never bore Henry his longed for son, but she was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I, a truly great monarch.
Poor Jane Seymour's mild manner was a temporary, but welcome, relief to Henry after his relationship with and marriage to Anne. However Queen Jane's narrative is brief, as was her life. She died after birthing Henry's only living son. Henry once said that he loved Jane Seymour best of all his wives, (she never really argued with him or expressed differing points of view), and he was buried by her side.
Anne of Cleves, perhaps the most politically astute of Henry's wives, certainly the one with the best survival skills, was thrilled to be cast-off and allowed to keep her head.
Unfortunately, the naive and beautiful Katherine Howard, Henry's "blushing rose without a thorn" went the way of Anne Boleyn, because of promiscuity, lack of savvy, and church politics.
And Catherine Parr, a woman of extraordinary intellect, was one of only eight women whose writings were published during the reign of Henry and his father. She was fortunate to become aware of a plot against her before she met the same end as Queens Anne and Katherine.
As a backdrop to these personal dramas and matters of state, the author draws a lavish portrait of court life with its moral and political intrigues. She details the struggle for international power, and clearly explains England's break with Rome and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
This is a superb and very readable history, that has been meticulously researched. I have read three histories of King Henry VIII, his reign and his wives, and this is by far the best. I highly recommend it.
JANA
Summary of The Six Wives of Henry VIII
The tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) is one of the most fascinating in all history, not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this accessible work of brilliant scholarship, Alison Weir draws on early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports to bring these women to life. Catherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured and innocent woman naively unaware of the court intrigues that determined her fate; Catherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Catherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.
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