Book description
'This magnificent new book is Alison Weir's greatest achievement: a
detailed biography of Henry VIII, set against the cultural, social and
political background of his court - the most magnificent court ever seen
in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. Seen from
this new perspective, Henry VIII emerges as a fully-rounded and
realistic personality, not the two-dimensional caricature of popular
misconception. This book is not just 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.'A glittering evocation of the Tudor
Court, its splendour as well as its vulgarity-a responsive, rounded
portrait.' Daily Telegraph'Weir has used colourful, fresh material (much
of it from unpublished archives and letters), to recreate early
sixteenth-century European life and thought, within which she sets the
larger-than-life figure of the king-a compelling, readable account of
the life and times of the king who put England firmly on the map of
power politics.' Lisa Jardine,
Literary Review
Alison Weir lives and works in Surrey. Her books include Britain's
Royal Families, Elizabeth the Queen and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
