The Six Wives of Henry VIII

The first time I became aware of the Tudors was when I was in second grade and found in my school library a fiction children's book, written in the format of diary entries, and was purported as the childhood diary of King Henry VIII youngest daughter, Elizabeth. Being a seven year old little girl, I was fascinated by all things pertaining to royalty, especially that of the life of a Princess. I checked the book out and started reading it as soon as I got home. I finished it within a week and from that point on, the craving of knowledge of all things pertaining to England's monarchy, especially the Tudors, was planted in my head. That seed lay dormant in my subconscious for 14 years when, one night as I was watching TV, I saw a preview for a new show that was to premier on ShowTime a few months later. That show was The Tudors. After watching The Tudors from beginning to end, my interest in this most famous royal dynasty was reawakened, and I started researching and reading online everything I could find about them. Thus I came upon a plethora of non-fiction literature about them and I chose this book, Alison Weir's "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", to be my first to introduce me to this genre of literature...and this book did not disappoint. If you're as interested in the Tudor family as I am I highly recommend this book. It's a lengthy book but very much worth it to read. Weir presents the facts of these women's lives and her exhaustive research to tell the truth about them shows and, thankfully, the book flows smoothly as if reading a story instead of just being pages upon pages of facts presented in a boring essay format. This style of writing is what pulled me in at page 1 and kept me interested until the very last word; so interested, in fact, I regretted every time I had to put it down. I now look forward to reading more of Alison Weir's books about the Tudors, as well as other author's works about them. If you decide to read this book, you won't regret it.

The incredible amount of research that went into this daunting volume is impressive, as is the way in which the author fits together the pieces of the story without excessive speculation or forays into into the realm of fiction and fantasy. The work is based upon an array of credible sources and rooted in fact, which is the way I prefer my history lessons served up. That said, I think it could have been an even more compelling read had some of the intricate and occasionally excessive details been left out. Much ink is spilled, particularly in the early chapters on Katherine of Aragon, on describing virtually every pageant, masque, ball or feast the royal couple attended or presided over. Outfits worn and portraits painted are described at some length, and as they are presented in more or less the same order for each wife, tend to give the book a plodding and predictable feel. For this reason I tend to agree with the Kirkus review on the perspective that facts can feel "piled on" . Oddly, Weir sees fit to include irrelevant, extraneous and ill placed details on the conditions of the corpses of Henry VIII (which is interjected at the end of the chapter on Jane Seymour, making it feel particularly out of place) and that of Katherine Parr, along with Anne Boylen's facial expressions after decapitation. One wonders what such facts lend to the overall story. Macabre details aside, the one thing I objected most to was a statement by Weir that the King's refusal to acknowledge Mary Boylen's son as his child should be taken as "conclusive proof" that Henry VIII was not his father. I almost tossed the book down at that point. Though it may be likely that the assumption is correct, given that he had no problem acknowledging his bastard son by another mistress and would have perhaps been all too pleased to once again demonstrate that he was capable of fathering a healthy son, I think most scholars would refrain from calling this conclusive evidence. A few other minor annoyances... there is occasionally a noticeable, sloppy repetition of facts in some sections, while in others Weir neglects to provide the reinforcement we need -- particularly in sorting out the identities of a confusing parade of Dukes, Duchesses, Earls or Ladies mentioned in passing in early chapters and then reintroduced later on without further hints as to their identity. Examples - we are told that the Privy Council kept the young King Edward VI short on funds at least three or four times within a few pages of each other; earlier, when Henry suspects Anne may have been responsible for death of the Duke of Richmond, there's a question on the readers mind as to who that is since it is only mentioned once considerably before this section that this was the title given to King's illegimiate son by an early mistress. A more thorough editing job should have eradicated these somewhat annoying yet minor issues. Last and most disappointing, the book fades out on a decidedly weak note with the details of the funeral of the one last surviving wife, and arguably the least interesting, Anne of Cleves. A mixed bag of engaging character development interspersed with suspenseful episodes and monotonous detail, the book is a must read for those who desire a highly detailed accounting of the lives of Henry VIII's wives. Though I have not read M. Loades book on the same subject, having skimmed a bit of it I would suggest this as an alternative to those who appreciate a much faster pace, written by a recognized expert on the subject who has spared much of what some might consider frivoulous details.

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough to anyone who's even slightly interested in the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. This is a gorgeous, cohesive book, easy to read and full of historical detail that enriches the story rather than overwhelms it. There were many times when I forgot I was reading non-fiction, the story was so cleanly presented. This is a far cry from the dry, confusing history lessons I had in high school. Weir makes these women (and the men around them) come back to life, warts and all. Normally reading a book like this, I'd need a flow chart to keep track of all the dukes, duchesses, ladies, lords and scheming religious zealots, but I had no trouble at all remembering who was who, even during the period where every woman was apparently named Katherine, Anne or Elizabeth. It was especially interesting to see how kind history has been to Anne Boleyn, a woman who may actually have been deserving of the executioner's axe. My one miniscule gripe (not enough to drop my review from 5 stars) is that once in a while, Weir puts the story ahead of the timeline and will insert details out of sequence. One example of that is that during a segment discussing the latter years of the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn, there's a short paragraph discussing a gift Anne gave to Henry early on in their relationship. There really wasn't any reason why that tidbit couldn't have been presented chronologically; the only thing I could think of was that perhaps the author didn't want to interrupt the narrative about the acrimony between Anne and Katherine of Aragon by tossing in the bit about the gift. There are about a half dozen or so instances like this, and while they don't at all disturb the flow of the book, they struck me as a little annoying given the meticulous detail to the timeline in every other instance. This is a truly masterful book; I plan on immediately purchasing Weir's other books in this genre.

Really really enjoyed this. The writing style is very engaging, and I hardly knew I was reading a scholarly work. It flows very well and is packed with information. I couldn't put it down. No, really -- last Sunday night I was so engrossed with Anne Bolyn's troubles, I looked at the clock at it was 2:55 a.m.! (Its not like I didn't know what was going to happen). Its witty, insightful and puts the reader right into Henry's court. This is not my first foray into the Tudor's lives, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to a firt-timer. But, after reading various historical novels of the period, as well as the Show-Time series, I was eager for the real story -- and its all here. I feel like I know all the principals, and like them all. Even Henry improves with understanding where he came from and how he came to be. While I may disagree with a few conclusions drawn by the author as to motivations of the personalities, the conclusions she draws are few, far between and never laid down as absolute. She tells the story, and lets me draw my own conclusions for the most part. Well written, easy to understand, and almost impossible to put down! Loved it.

I love this book! It is the first book I read authored by Alison Weir and it remains my favorite. When I first held the book in my hands my first thought was, "This is a pretty big book about 6 wives of one king. I really hope this is going to be interesting and not a dull recount of facts and dates". When I finished the book I knew that anyone with even a passing curiosity about history would have found this to be an amazing book to read. Yes, there were facts and dates galore but presented within a story that was absorbing, engrossing, and entertaining as well. I found that while reading the book it was most helpful to me to have my laptop next to me so that I could pull up images of the locations being discussed in the book. This added an additional level of enjoyment because this enabled me to see exactly what the author was describing in the book. I could see the actual paintings that were brought up in the book as well as portraits of the people. Not only was I sad to see the book come to the end but I was launched into a search to read the books that were used for reference and research purposes. I have read this book several times by now and when I saw the book come up on a Amazon Deal e-mail, purchasing it for my Kindle has now enabled me to literally have the book at my fingertips to read wherever I am.

Can one every OD on books about the Tudors? Well, I thought the answer was "no," but after reading Alison Weir's book, I think I can put the Tudors on hold for a while. It's an excellent book, and certainly added to my knowledge of the period. But perhaps it gave me more information than I was able to absorb. A friend once told me that non-fiction writers need to appeal either to academics or to the general populace, but not both. In many cases I think that's true, but "The Six Wives..." is certainly accessible to the general reader while at the same time it provides the documentation, examples, and supporting information suitable for an academic treatise. Even though my grad school days have long since expired, I still have the tendency to plod through some books as a means of understanding every nuance, memorizing every fact, and confronting every argument. But I'm getting better, and in this case found myself, about half way through, simply trying to get a general sense of a paragraph or issue, then moving on. In recent times, I've read Peter Ackroyd's "The Tudors," and on the fiction side all the C.J. Sansom mysteries featuring Matthew Shardlake, covering England in the 1530s and 1540s; all rated 4 or more stars and are highly recommended. I'll even confess to watching "The Tudors" on TV. All these presentations contribute to a better understanding of what went on during that period - and even though facts were skewed in the TV series, it was interesting to see the elaborate costumes and be exposed to the ubiquitous intrigues. Alison Weir does a great job with all six wives. She certainly expanded my understanding of those women. For example, I hadn't before realized what a dreary, painful life Katherine of Argon lived - for the most part. Or how manipulative Anne Boleyn was. Another interesting aspect was how enamored Henry became of each of his wives (especially before he married them), and how quickly he usually lost interest in them - except his great passion for Jane Seymour. At the same time, I came to appreciate more fully how concerned Henry was about continuing the Tudor line, especially with a male, and how he felt the Tudors were on shaky ground in holding on to the throne. Although the upper crust during the Tudor era wore beautiful clothes, were catered to by numerous servants, and lived off the fat (such as it was) of the land, I would not have enjoyed living during that time. Amenities were sparse, but the main drawback was living in constant fear of falling out of favor, being carted off to the Tower, and horribly executed. Not the most relaxing way to live one's life.

Very interesting and thorough. Thorough parts might be fascinating for a scholar, too detailed for an easy read.

As much as possible I suppose, this gives a fairly clear idea of what Henry started out as and aged into something quite different. Spends a lot of time talking about his "progresses" (travels) and a whole lot on living details, from carpets to wall hangings to all his homes and how they were appointed. He grew up wanting nothing more than to play, eat and have fun and turned into an untrusting, controlling, highly overweight sort of pathetic guy. The information on his wives was covered pretty well and was interesting. Amazing he could get anyone to marry him after he weighed 500 lbs and had executed 2 wives. Hmm It was written fairly well and kept me going to the end.

The six wives of Henry VIII are a source of endless fascination for me. They are definitely among my favourite historical figures. I sincerely admire most of them, and even those to whom I relate less, like Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard, have always held a great interest for me. So of course I knew I had to read The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir sooner or later; and, after waiting for quite a lot of time, I finally gave in and bought it as a Christmas present for myself. I immensely and thoroughly enjoyed this biography. To be honest, it is not perfect: Weir is a little biased sometimes, and the book is a little dated regarding some topics (for example the causes Anne Boleyn's fall). I recall reading somewhere that Weir intended to re-write this book adding new informations - is that true? I would definitely enjoy reading it. Anyway, despite some faults, this book is a solid 5 stars read for me. It definitely deserves its popularity, and I warmly recommend it to all interested in these fascinating women. The wives are represented not only by their actions, but also by their interests, relationships and characters: they truly come alive. The book is also highly enjoyable, and reads more like a novel than like a non-fiction. I found it extremely easy to follow, more than Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser, which is still a fantastic biography, but a little more academic. But if you are new to the subject, and want to learn as much as possible without struggling too much, you should probably try Weir's first.

très beau livre très bien écrit. Un vrai voyage dans l'histoire qui séduit de la première à la dernière page. Je ne connaissais pas du tout Alison Weir et j'ai été très agréablement surprise. Je vais lire tous ses livre!

The book was interesting and well written. Her research was well done. Absoutely loved it.

Em ótimo estado, maravilhoso e super recomendo! Chegou bem antes do prazo!

英語のレベルとしても、内容としても、フレイザーよりは難しめで、入門書というか、一般向けにはフレイザーの方がいいと思います。 専門書としては、アン・ブーリンに対する見方が古いというか、六本指の魔女から抜け切れてないなというところ。もっとも、ジェイン・シーモアに対しても似たような人間としているところは公平ですね。 分厚くてやたらに重量のある本だとか、文句は色々ありますが、完璧な本というのはないので、満足してます。