Scan barcode
Reviews
Thomas Cromwell: The Rise and Fall of Henry VIII's Most Notorious Minister by Robert Hutchinson
unsolvedmysteries1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
capellan's review against another edition
3.0
A decent if somewhat high-level account of the career of Thomas Cromwell, from his lowly beginnings to being one of the most powerful men in England, and then his abrupt fall to condemned traitor and execution. I would have liked a bit more detail about specific events in several places. And also for Hutchinson to have been a bit less "that crazy harridan" in his comments about Anne Boleyn.
lozzatron's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.5
Hutchinson is at his strongest when he describes Cromwe''s actions with wit and flair. The author has an opinion and is not shy to make it know, which makes this book an entertaining read. The reader is under no illusion that Hutchinson approves of Cromwell, in fact, one gets a sense that he despises the man. This adds humour to a book which might otherwise be accused of being dry, his remarks often had me laughing out loud. I did, however, spend much time slogging through chapters with endless descriptions of minutae, which felt unnecessary if the goal is to paint a general picture of Cromwell's life. Notably, Chapter 6. Whilst I appreciate the presentation of evidence and the clear chronology for how Hutchinson formulated his narrative, I found myself muttering 'get on with it' when presented with the exact amount that Cromwell spent buying one of his buddies a nice coat. Perhaps he could have invited the reader to do their own research if they needed specifics? That being said, as an introductory whistle-stop tour into Cromwell's rise and downfall, I would recommend looking no further.
caidyn's review
4.0
It was actually really interesting since I haven't read much about Henry VIII's religious reforms, but more about his children and wives. For me, since I don't have much knowledge on that aspect of his reign, it was interesting since Cromwell was always in the midst of that throughout his political career. It was a bit obvious that Hutchinson didn't like Cromwell much, nor did he like Henry VIII. Despite learning quite a bit, I would have rather read from an unbiased source or one that kept their bias out of the writing.
More...