Henry VIII from an original perspective
591998
I love historical novels and this is a well researched book and has a very interesting way of approaching the incredibly controversial figure of Henry VIII. A 10 over 10 in originality and well thought story. I did not give it a 5 star review because in some chapters becomes a bit too repetitive and it is almost torture-like. I also read this authors book on Mary Stewart that was also a good book, however, in my opinion the author has done a better job with this one.
3912883
I really enjoyed this version of the English Monarch.  Of course we knew Henry Tutor will rule in later years, but I had not really done very much reading about this part of their history.
The acting was excellent . I do hope that we will be able to see the Red Queen.
356540
Great read for those who enjoy historical fiction of Henry VIII and his entourage.  It is written from the prospective of Thomas Cromwell who is depicted as a most honorable and beloved man in contrast to other historical novels in which he is depicted as an aggressive, heartless adversary to all those defending the Roman Catholic faith during the 1500's during the reformation of the Church of England.  For those who know little of the history of the Tudor dynasty, it will appear to be more suspenseful, albeit, those who are more versed in the history will still find suspense in attempting to predict Cromwell's reaction to events and the intrigue associated with learning details of his life and his rise to power.  Initially, Mantel's style of writing from the protaganist position was confusing but after a quick reread of the first chapter it became readily apparent who was speaking (mainly Cromwell) when she refers to "he says" throughout the novel.  Just purchased the sequel, "Bringing up the Bodies" and find it equally enjoyable.  There is also a version of the novel for sale with photograph illustrations of the upcoming PBS series Wolf Hall.
2129767
Henry VIII by Albert Frederick Pollard  is a fascinating book.  If you love history, it is important to read this book.  Henry VIII totally changed England.  I highly recommend this book.
673353
For those whose only knowledge of the English Reformation comes from the winners, this book may come as a revelation. Belloc makes no apology for his point of view, but he does acknowledge his reliance for much of the factual material in the book on one of Cranmer's Protestant hagiographers. The machinations, double-dealings, conspiracies and criminal activities of Henry and his coterie of sycophants make for fascinating, if depressing, reading. Belloc admires Cranmer for his work in creating a liturgical masterpiece in English, the Book of Common Prayer, and even for his recantation of his previous recantations prior to his execution. But what makes the book interesting, at least to this reader, is material about the background of the Reformation and the wheeling and dealing among all sorts of interested parties once Henry broke with the Papacy. One would benefit from reading this book in conjunction with Eamon Duffy's The Stripping of the Altars - they at least challenge the assertion of some that the Reformation had great popular support in England.
3530844
This is a 'specialist' book on the Henriad. As a teacher at VCE level I wanted an academic account of the political viewpoints and attitudes of the time of Shakespeare's writing the Henry series. I found it very readable and informative and I am certain it will give students a richer insight into changing times in the late 16th century.
4161453
The story of Anne Boleyn has been told numerous times over the years in various formats, so I was intrigued by this book and discovered it is just as much Mary's story as it is Anne's.
Anne Boleyn's younger sister Mary catches the eye of King Henry VIII of England at the age of 14 and, at the direction of her family, becomes the king's mistress.  No matter that the girl is already married, her family sees Mary's relationship with the king as a way to advance their social status - if only Mary could bear the king a son, the family's future would be secure.
Mary bears the king a daughter and later has a son (whose parentage is, to this day, in dispute) and the king soon tires of her and turns his attention to Anne, whose story we all know from high school history classes.  Yet, it was interesting to see the story told from the viewpoint of Mary in the first person, rather than a narrative or an historical book.
Sadly, Mary was the only of the three Boleyn siblings - Mary, Anne and George - who did not have a date with the executioner.  She was also the only one to marry for love, and not to advance her family.  This single act caused her to be disowned by her family, although it is believed she lived a happy life.
I'm a sucker for those crazy Tudors.  I have read Alison Weir's "Six Wives of Henry VIII," Elizabeth I" and "The Children of Henry VIII," all of which I count among my favorite books on the Tudor period.  "The Other Boleyn Girl" has joined them on that shelf.
1339935
This non-fiction book covers  Elizabeth Tudor's formative years, from her motherless childhood as Henry VIII's second daughter to her crowning, when she became Elizabeth I, also known as "Good Queen Bess" or "Gloriana". Starkey says that this young version of Elizabeth, not the "over-ruffed" and "over-wigged" woman of her last years, has won his heart. He tells Young Elizabeth's story in a very readable way. It's true that the author spends too long telling about Elizabeth's teachers and governesses, but it's necessary to get a proper idea of the intellectual and religious context Elizabeth Tudor was brought up in. Her relationships with her sibilings, her father, her stepmother Catherine Parr and Lord Thomas Seymour are well developed, as the different plots in which she was willy-nilly involved and the international situation. Something I disagree with Starkey is his idea that Anne Boleyn's ruthless execution didn't have an impact on Elizabeth. I loved Elizabeth's relationship with her half-sister Mary (they seemes to love each other, but all ended up in hate, threats and illegal plots) and how she learned from Mary's faults to create a moderate (and less bloody) Religious Policy.
Overall, this is a very good good which, in my opinion, catches Elizabeth's complex personality, and the complex times she lived in and the great Queen she turned to be. The only historical inaccuracy I found is in the second chapter: Starkey says that when Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn went to France in 1532, Francis I's wife, Claude, refused to visit Anne Boleyn, so Francis's sister Marguerite of Navarre had to do the French Queen's work; this is not true, by 1532 Queen Claude (Anne Boleyn's friend) was dead, and Francis had a new Spanish wife, and Marguerite of Navarre didn't visit Anne.
All in all, a very good book, a must-read for fans of Elizabeth I.
1361897
If you can set aside the Hollywood and Shakespearean versions of Henry V for a few hours and immerse yourself in the details of the complete campaign in France in 1415, starting with the ascension of the young king and running through to hints of the eventual outcomes of the war (think Joan of Arc and some rare French victories in revenge), you will find an exhaustive, at times exhausting account of piety, intrigue, treachery, treason, courage, leadership and good, old-fashioned battlefield management.

The complex, seemingly comic (at least to most Americans who never had to experience the lineage of kings, dukes, earls and knights) geneaology that first brings Henry to the throne and then to claim his rightful place as king of France provides the first third of the book. To the uninitiated, that is, other than English historians, the people, the claims, the terms, e.g. "senesechal" can be bewildering. But stick with it. The big picture is what really matters, and Barker provides ample details of the skill and leadership of Henry V in first convincing others of his claims, and then in convincing his parliament to fund his huge undertaking. Like a pious Bill Clinton, he wins the hearts and pocketbooks of his people, forms an army, and sails for France.

First he must take the French port of Harfleur. He overwhelms the locals but his own army is wracked by dysentary. After a more protracted siege than he expected, Henry must then set off overland for Calais. Calais is not that far, just up the coast, but there is the Somme River, a mile wide at the sea, and a pestering French force stopping his river crossing. So Henry detours, even cuts away from the river, than takes advantage of an opportunity to cross. With the crossing, he sets the stage for Agincourt (or "Azincourt"), as the French have taken Henry's delays as a chance to form up between Henry and Calais.

Bad fortune, stupidity, hubris, and rain do in the French almost as much as does Henry's wise use of archers, topography, and spikes. On this second point, Henry takes the bold move to narrow the gap in the field he must cover, providing him with one final edge on this cold, muddy day. Estimates of the French strength run as high as 150,000 men, but 18,000 to 30,000 is more realistic. The English have 6,000 to 9,000. Most important, the English have firm, clear leadership and few knights planning to charge through the muddy field. For the French the battle is brief and disastrous. By day's end, the heralds can see clearly the carnage. The finest of French nobility lies dead or captive by the English.

Henry returns in somewhat modest triumph. Credit for the victory goes to God; he sees the French as having been punished for their sins. Agincourt takes its place as one of the most memorable battles in western history.

Barker is a thorough journalist. She captures human elements that transcend time and tradition. Endnotes are detailed, descriptive, and numerous. A few more maps would have helped. And expect to be confused unless you understand claims to royalty.
4266729
I read this book with great deal relish in thinking that I might get fresh perception on the history of the six wives of Henry VIII. What I found was an easy to read, easy to understand, well researched but highly opinionated book. I think the author tries so hard to be different from other historians and books on this subject that he managed to turned opinions and conjuctures into facts as he see it.

Most of the book deals with two wives, Katherine of Aragon and Ann Boleyn. The rise, love and fall of both women who dominated much of Henry's life takes up much of the author's book. The rest of the four wives, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr all got parred down, almost like an summarized aftermath after the two main events. I always thought each woman was pretty unique. (Henry seems to like "Katherine or Catherine as a name in his women.)

This book also proves to be dominated by Henry VIII as he's in almost every single page once he's crowned. From this book, the reader will have a good understanding about how Henry deals with his interpersonal relationship with his wives. You may have a better understanding of Katherine of Aragon and Ann Boleyn even if you may not agreed with many of the author's opinions. But after that, the rest of the four wives adds nothing to what lies published before this book.

I would recommend Allison Weir or Antonia Fraser books on this subject initially. I would recommend this book only for experienced readers of this subject matter. Reason for that is that the author proves to be too opinionated in his writing and it would be best if you read this book if you got a good grounding on the subject.
919031
Interesting and readable history of the offspring of Henry VIII. Henry Fitzroy, his illegitimate son from Elizabeth Blount gets a nice accounting here. To Katherine's dismay, Guy shows Henry's careful plotting to groom his bastard with perhaps kingship in mind.  Guy goes deeply into all the children's education and offers up tidbits of information to humanize his subjects. Each child is thoroughly discussed, from their handwriting to their choice of clothing and by the end of the book you feel like you got to know them just a bit. Each one of the offspring are canny and well skilled to navigate the treacherous courts. Guy explains how they were taken early from their mothers to live in courts of their own, with hand picked courtiers to shape their young minds. Guy backs up their personalities with documents in their own hand. He discusses their mothers impact while they lived, and life for them after they died. He then delves into the relationships with stepmother's as well. This book gives us a nice peek into Tudor history and the people who defined it. This was an entertaining book about the children of Henry the VIII and an enjoyable read.
2657661
Not only is this a great book, but I was intrigued by the author's use of Mary (Anne's sister) as the narrator.  I love reading historical books about King Henry VIII and his court, and have never before seen a book written from the perspective of Mary Boleyn.
1738731
Like Intrigue, romance,and history? Wonderfully written novel about the times and doings in the court of Henry VIII as seen thru the eyes of his sister Mary. A time when women were pawns; their lives and futures decided on the whims of men. Countries, governments, wars all decided on who would marry who(and who was actually sleeping with who). Decidedly better reading then a dusty history tome. Excellent for Henry VIII history buffs to round out images of the people surrounding Henry at court during a period of historic change.
3445054
They ruled England for less than a century. But their influence and impact was enormous, and reaches to our contemporary times.

They were the Tudors  Henry VIII (reigned 1509-1547), Edward VI (1547-1553), Mary (1553-1558), and Elizabeth I (1558-1603). They ruled England from 1509 to 1603, and their reigns included the English Reformation, the first English explorations of the New World, the attempted invasion by the Spanish Armada, and the cultural explosion that was Elizabethan England.

Their reigns also experienced plots, attempted overthrows, and more burnings at the stake than any other period in English history (usually for heresy, of both the Protestant and Catholic varieties). And who better to tell the story of this powerful family and the period they shaped and lived through than Peter Ackroyd?

Tudors is the second volume in Ackroyds History of England, the first being Foundation, which covered the beginnings to the reign of Henry VII.

And what a great story Ackroyd tells. The story of 16th century England is the story of religion. No other issue had as much impact on governments, power alignments, politics and the royal court than did religion. While the impetus for the English Reformation was Henry VIIIs desire to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, because of no male heir, the Reformation was actually multi-faceted, with ebbs and flows by the Reformers; Henry himself continuing as a practicing Catholic with the exception of acknowledging the Popes sovereignty; the dissolution of the great monasteries, abbeys, convents and friaries; and constant changes in diplomacy and continental power politics.

Ackroyd tells the story chronologically and tells the story factually. The worst religious excesses (not counting Henrys dissolution of the monasteries) occurred in the two shortest reigns  the boy king Edward VI and his immediate successor and half-sister Mary. The first was more to the Reformer extreme; the latter to the Catholic reactionary stream (including the burning of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, at the stake on Oxford). Elizabeth would steer the nations religious life back to the middle, and it was in her reign that the final shape of the Anglican church known today came to be.

Because this is history focused on the countrys rulers, its also a history of the powerful courtiers, religious leaders, and aristocrats who surrounded them and often opposed them. Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, numerous dukes, Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Jane Grey (queen for nine days), the Seymours, the Duke of Essex, William Cecil and Francis Walsingham, among many others, are treated fully. Treason was not taken lightly; many aristocrats and would-be royals lost their heads or were hung, drawn and quartered.

Tudors is the story of sixteenth-century England and the Tudor family that dominated it, in all its color, pageantry, glory and gore.
1837742
Good book and good depiction of the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. I would have liked to have seen Elizabeth of York more (as it is a novel of the couple supposedly) but Henry VII was portrayed much more sympathetically than is often the case in historical fiction. Enjoyable.
3084460
This is a must for lovers of reading anything and everything Tudor.  A fascinating look at two of Henry's little known queens, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.  This book might be difficult to get into at first if you have no prior knowledge of Henry VIII and his wives, but it's worth sticking with it.

I loved the way the author told the story from the viewpoint of Anne, Katherine and Jane Boleyn (who was married to George Bolyen, the first Anne's brother). The characters were brilliantly portrayed and came alive before my eyes.  Anne, just trying to stay alive in a court riddled with intrigue, Jane scheming with her uncle to put another Howard on the throne, and Katherine (LOL) the not too bright but very beautiful 15 year old who just wanted to look pretty and have pretty things and be admired by handsome men.  There were times I was laughing out loud at Kitty's comments, and the chapters that repeatedly started with another accounting of "what do I have now?", as she counted her jewels and clothes.

Through these three women we see Anne and Kitty caught up in something they are helpless to stop, Henry's lusting after young Kitty and his determination to put Anne aside at any cost to have Kitty. Most fascinating of all is the way Henry is portrayed through all three women, and he is terrifying indeed.  An absolute ruler, with complete power over all around him and mad as a hatter.  And wonderful to see that of all of them, Anne was able to come through the terror unscathed and a free, independent woman.

Highly highly recommended.
960886
Annette Carson is a distinguished scholar and author in the Ricardian world, whose 2008 volume Richard III - The Maligned King is a major work of scholarship and reference. This monograph takes both the lay reader and the scholar into the complex world of English constitutional arrangements at the end of the Yorkist period. It examines the great offices of state: the Lord Protector and the High Constable of England and shows that as the holder of these two supreme office (together with his holding of the office of Admiral of England) Richard, as Duke of Gloucester was, on the death of his brother Edward IV effectively the principal source of all constitutional authority in the realm. It is by understanding these complexities, together with the arcane laws of treason (to be greatly expanded and abused by the Tudors) that one is able to judge Richard's actions between Edward Iv's death and his own accession as King Richard III. It puts a new perspective on his management of the affairs of his nephew Edward V and his response to the challenges of the treasons of magnates such as Lord Hastings. Close examination of his actions in this critical period show that he acted legally, prudentially and justly in dealing with the crisis of English government in 1483. Failure to grasp the complexity of law, political authority and established constitutional practice in this period has led many scholars (some of whom should have known better) into serious error in interpreting this period. Thanks to Ms Carson's new volume this need/should not happen again.