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Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him: The Secret History Behind the Tudor Throne by Tracy Borman
cemoses's review
5.0
II would give this book a four on just based on its readability. There were some historical figures around Henry VIII that I found uninteresting. However, they might have been interesting to a British audience so I was a little generous in my rating. I am an American and frequently I find when I read English history books I feel that if I were British I would know something about the subject but because I am an American I am totally confused.
The strengths of the books are that I learned a lot about British history. This book answered a longstanding question I had about how Catholic/Protestant the Church of England was. Sometimes my understanding of the Church of England was that it was really the Catholic Church under an English head. This book made me understand how some members of the Church of England had strong Lutheran sympathies and maybe would have wanted England to become Lutheran if the political establishment allowed that to happen.
In addition, I learned that Henry VIII did not only kill two of his wives but he killed other people to whom he had been close. He can turn on people who were once his close associates. Furthermore, Henry VIII was unusual because he promoted some common people into high positions of power which at that time was unknown.
Some of the historical figures in the book where more interesting than others. I enjoyed the parts of Erasmus, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas Crammer and Thomas Cromwell. One of the most interesting people in was Will Sommer, Henry VIII’s clown. I wish the author spent more time on him. Previously I thought clowns in the King's court existed only in Shakespeare's plays.
In short, I found this book a highly readable and informative book about Henry VIII's inner circle.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The strengths of the books are that I learned a lot about British history. This book answered a longstanding question I had about how Catholic/Protestant the Church of England was. Sometimes my understanding of the Church of England was that it was really the Catholic Church under an English head. This book made me understand how some members of the Church of England had strong Lutheran sympathies and maybe would have wanted England to become Lutheran if the political establishment allowed that to happen.
In addition, I learned that Henry VIII did not only kill two of his wives but he killed other people to whom he had been close. He can turn on people who were once his close associates. Furthermore, Henry VIII was unusual because he promoted some common people into high positions of power which at that time was unknown.
Some of the historical figures in the book where more interesting than others. I enjoyed the parts of Erasmus, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas Crammer and Thomas Cromwell. One of the most interesting people in was Will Sommer, Henry VIII’s clown. I wish the author spent more time on him. Previously I thought clowns in the King's court existed only in Shakespeare's plays.
In short, I found this book a highly readable and informative book about Henry VIII's inner circle.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
constantreader471's review
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanx you Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC through NetGalley. It is a solid biographical study of the men who served Henry the VIII. Most books about this period focus on his six wives or Henry the VIII. The author has done an impressive amount of research, quoting extensively from primary sources, letters, diaries, official records, etc.
Henry the VIII was obsessed with producing a male heir to carry on his reign. His father had ended a civil war and Henry the VIII worried that there would be another civil war without a male heir.
A personal note: I just returned from a UK visit and toured Castle Howard, in the Howard family for more than 500 years. It is now owned by The National Trust. The last Howard turned it over to the Trust with the proviso that he continue to live there. He died recently, but used to give tours while he was alive. Castle Howard was a stately mansion and not a Castle. Actual castles in the UK have the town name first, as in Caernarfon Castle. Katherine Howard was one of Henry the VIII's wives.
Interestingly, many of the men who served Henry the VIII were named Thomas-- Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer, and Thomas Howard.
One complaint: Chapter 2 has 57 footnotes, but only two and a half are listed in the footnote section.
Thanx you Grove Atlantic for sending me this eARC through NetGalley. It is a solid biographical study of the men who served Henry the VIII. Most books about this period focus on his six wives or Henry the VIII. The author has done an impressive amount of research, quoting extensively from primary sources, letters, diaries, official records, etc.
Henry the VIII was obsessed with producing a male heir to carry on his reign. His father had ended a civil war and Henry the VIII worried that there would be another civil war without a male heir.
A personal note: I just returned from a UK visit and toured Castle Howard, in the Howard family for more than 500 years. It is now owned by The National Trust. The last Howard turned it over to the Trust with the proviso that he continue to live there. He died recently, but used to give tours while he was alive. Castle Howard was a stately mansion and not a Castle. Actual castles in the UK have the town name first, as in Caernarfon Castle. Katherine Howard was one of Henry the VIII's wives.
Interestingly, many of the men who served Henry the VIII were named Thomas-- Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer, and Thomas Howard.
One complaint: Chapter 2 has 57 footnotes, but only two and a half are listed in the footnote section.
yourfavavery's review against another edition
informative
4.5
Borman mentioned that she always wanted to write a biography of Henry VIII, but that the world was full of those. I think this book got at a lot of the most important things in his life - the relationship with his friends and advisors. These are the men who ran the country for him, and his relationships with them are the most revealing evidence we have of his day-to-day life.
This book is well researched and compelling, and added to my understanding of Henry and his court. The only thing I will say is that the most interesting parts had to do with Thomas Cromwell, and her biography Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant has a lot more information about him!
This book is well researched and compelling, and added to my understanding of Henry and his court. The only thing I will say is that the most interesting parts had to do with Thomas Cromwell, and her biography Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant has a lot more information about him!
eatwritereadrepeat's review against another edition
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
One of the most addictive non fictions I’ve read in a while
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