Name: Henry VIII
Rating: 4.285714285714286 (7 reviews)

Alison Weir

Examines the king's remarkable influence on the laws, customs, culture, and politics of his kingdom and profiles the diverse courtiers, artists, and scholars who surrounded Henry VIII.

The King and His Court

Henry VIII

'This magnificent biography of Henry VIII is set against the cultural, social and political background of his court - the most spectacular court ever seen in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. An entertaining narrative packed with colourful description and a wealth of anecdotal evidence, but a comprehensive analytical study of the development of both monarch and court during a crucial period in English history. As well as challenging some recent theories, it offers controversial new conclusions based on contemporary evidence that has until now been overlooked. This is a triumph of historical writing which will appeal equally to the general reader and the serious historian.

King and Court

Emmett

A remarkable hefty tome and meticulously researched, Weir evokes all that is glittering and repulsive about Tudor life. This extends beyond the typical chronological record of how things happened and why, and takes time to record details which are often sidelined for their irrelevance, but really, the minutiae themselves, as this book shows, have their own stories to tell which add texture to the well-known narrative from novel angles. Between the landmarks of the king's Great Matter, skirmishes with France and the Scots, and the contentious fates of his famous remarriages, Weir inserts the history behind the building of various castles, the backstories of various court painters and other figures which are lesser known or less attended to, excerpts of recorded conversations, anecdotes, artifacts and where they are now, bills and more bills - paid to painters, tailors, merchants, apothecaries, etc. that reflect the interconnectedness of persons, and between court rituals and quotidian life. Henry VIII's life story is a backbone to which the other mentions cohere, play against and interweave, but in no way does he overshadow the others. Certainly he is almost always mentioned as a touchstone, perhaps, as a way of bringing the reader back to the bigger picture since it is so easy to get lost in the numbers and back-histories and dates. Paragraphs and even whole chapters are dedicated to descriptions of furnishings, architecture, the role of various courtiers, dietary preferences. The reader expecting something more general and straightforward might find this a slow read, but for someone, probably already in the know, who is genuinely interested in intricate detail of goings-on in Tudor times, this is a fascinating, incisive, even heady, portrait of the times where figures and events jostle for the reader's attention.

Larissa

Sheila

Meggie Hutchison

Henry VIII, renowned for his command of power and celebrated for his intellect, presided over one of the most magnificent–and dangerous–courts in Renaissance Europe. Never before has a detailed, personal biography of this charismatic monarch been set against the cultural, social, and political background of his glittering court. Now Alison Weir brings to vibrant life the turbulent, complex figure of the King. Packed with colourful description, meticulous in historical detail, rich in pageantry, intrigue, passion, and luxury, Weir brilliantly renders King Henry VIII, his court, and the fascinating men and women who vied for its pleasures and rewards. 'Alison Weir is one of our best popular historians and one, moreover, with an impressive scholarly pedigree in Tudor history...her latest offering is a very fine book' - Frank McLynn, Independent

Henry VIII The King and His Court

Reviews

Highlights