Status
Checked out
Due Aug 25, 2023
Publication
London : Bodley Head, 1991.
Description
History. Nonfiction. HTML:A "brilliantly written and meticulously researched" biography of royal family life during England's second Tudor monarch (San Francisco Chronicle). Either annulled, executed, died in childbirth, or widowed, these were the well-known fates of the six queens during the tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England from 1509 to 1547. But in this "exquisite treatment, sure to become a classic" (Booklist), they take on more fully realized flesh and blood than ever before. Katherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured woman who jumped at the chance of independence; Katherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Katherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time. "Combin[ing] the accessibility of a popular history with the highest standards of a scholarly thesis", Alison Weir draws on the entire labyrinth of Tudor history, employing every known archive�??early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports�??to bring vividly to life the fates of the six queens, the machinations of the monarch they married and the myriad and ceaselessly plotting courtiers in their intimate circle (The Detroit News). In this extraordinary work of sound and brilliant scholarship, "at last we have the truth about Henry VIII's wives" (Evening Standard… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Angelic55blonde
I love Alison Weir so my review might be a little biased. Since I have read a great deal of her other works I jumped at buying this book. It covers all six of Henry VIII's wives using a great deal of research. Predictably, Ms. Weir focuses the majority of the book on his first two, most famous
This is a long book and it is heavily laded with facts and dates but I love that. It is very informative and entertaining. It is not a boring book by any means. If you want a comprehensive study of all of Henry VIII's wives, then pick up this book.
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wives Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. The rest of the book somewhat flies through the rest of the wives, especially his third wife who died shortly after childbirth so her reign was quite short.This is a long book and it is heavily laded with facts and dates but I love that. It is very informative and entertaining. It is not a boring book by any means. If you want a comprehensive study of all of Henry VIII's wives, then pick up this book.
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LibraryThing member ovistine
A great, in-depth look at Henry VIII and his six wives, with a nicely objective view toward all of them. Beautifully researched, lots of fun to read, definitely a great resource for anyone who's curious about these fascinating women.
LibraryThing member Desilu42
I read this book in 6th grade and have been in love with Alison Weir ever since. There is so much detail in this book but none of it is boring. It is amazing to see how many conceptions and miscarriages a queen had to go through just so that A king could have a son. Henry VIII spent most of his
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life looking for a son when he should have seen the potential he had in his daughters. I can read this over and over and I always seem to learn something new. Show Less
LibraryThing member ZoharLaor
This book is an interesting history and chronology of the court of Henry VIII, his love life and court intrigue. No wonder Showtime is doing a show about the Tudors; no fiction writer could make this up. This book helps understand the dilemmas Henry VIII was under, dispel myths about him (and
Ms. Weir does a fantastic job of bringing historical figures to life, telling us about the women behind the names with intelligence and zest. The author is careful to distinguish between fact and fiction, and even more careful to inform the reader about "educated guesses".
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royalty) and creates some new ones.Ms. Weir does a fantastic job of bringing historical figures to life, telling us about the women behind the names with intelligence and zest. The author is careful to distinguish between fact and fiction, and even more careful to inform the reader about "educated guesses".
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LibraryThing member Smiler69
I became very keen to learn all about the Tudors after reading Hilary Mantel's excellent Wolf Hall, followed by Bring Up the Bodies not long after. At that time I had very little notion about British History, and none at all about Henry VIII and his time, other than the fact he was an oft-married
I felt I got quite a thorough overview of each of H8's six wives, and also that Alison Weir seemed to greatly dislike Anne Boleyn, who came across as quite an unlikeable woman, though I gather this is a widely agreed upon opinion. Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, predictably enough, came across as a saint. Ann of Cleves and Catherine Parr, as the two clever ones who survived marriage to a vile brute. And of course, plenty of information about the monarch himself and his time. Recommended for those who like me have an interest in literature about that period with little background on the topic, as I imagine a lot of the material is familiar to those who have a better grasp on English history.
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tyrant who had a couple of his wives beheaded. This book was just what I needed to fill some of the biggest gaps in my understanding of a) the reasons why H8 married so often b) who his wives were, with their backgrounds and personal stories and c) why he killed off two of his wives and divorced two more. I also learned in greater detail about d) how and why the break from Rome and the pope occurred, and why there were so many reversals back and forth from Catholic to Protestant beliefs, resulting in the deaths of uncounted masses of people for heresies which were determined according to ever-changing priorities and whims of the great monarch. I felt I got quite a thorough overview of each of H8's six wives, and also that Alison Weir seemed to greatly dislike Anne Boleyn, who came across as quite an unlikeable woman, though I gather this is a widely agreed upon opinion. Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, predictably enough, came across as a saint. Ann of Cleves and Catherine Parr, as the two clever ones who survived marriage to a vile brute. And of course, plenty of information about the monarch himself and his time. Recommended for those who like me have an interest in literature about that period with little background on the topic, as I imagine a lot of the material is familiar to those who have a better grasp on English history.
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LibraryThing member Pretear
The bibliography is at the end instead of cited throughout which means that this book is more for fun than it is for serious study. That being said, I'm no longer seriously studying history so it doesn't really make a difference, the book was excellent. It's just that old habits die hard and I
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found myself wanting to look at the original sources - which of course is ridiculous. It's was very interesting to read this book and watch the HBO series at the same time. Overall they're doing a good job of balancing artistic license/entertainment value and historical accuracy. I'm really looking forward to how they're going to handle Anne Boleyn's alleged crimes, trial, and execution next season. (This review was written before that season, having now seen that season, I really liked the way HBO did it.) As for the entertainment value of the book, I don't think you need to be into history to enjoy this. Historians criticize Alison Weir for making assumptions not based on solid fact, but she makes it clear that these are her interpretations of the events, the reader can make the same assumptions or different ones. I recommend it to anyone who likes a sordid plot line and a beheading or two. (For the record, while I enjoy reading about him, Henry the VIII was a d-bag.) Show Less
LibraryThing member tokuchi77
It is true story. And very easy to read.
I was so surprised about the king had six wives. So many.
But I feel some rady poor because they were sent to London tour.
Only she cannot bore the baby boy.
I strongly feel that I am happy to live this age.
I was so surprised about the king had six wives. So many.
But I feel some rady poor because they were sent to London tour.
Only she cannot bore the baby boy.
I strongly feel that I am happy to live this age.
LibraryThing member mattrutherford
Hmmm... I'm really tempted to class this as historical fiction, given the many, many liberties Weir takes with her sources. In fact, I presumed it WAS historical fiction at first and enjoyed it immensely as such. However, I see that both in LC and here, it's classed as history, so I'll bow to the
I just have a problem reading "history" that doesn't have footnotes! Weir tries to make up for this by her folksy bibliography at the end, and maybe she really could have footnoted everything she wrote. Nonetheless, it sure seemed like she knew an awful lot about everyone's state of mind, far more than contemporaneous sources would have recorded. Chronicles of the period, albeit all we have to go on, are notoriously biased and exaggerated as well.
I'll give it 4 stars. 3 stars as history, 5 stars as historical fiction.
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will of the majority and class it as such myself. I just have a problem reading "history" that doesn't have footnotes! Weir tries to make up for this by her folksy bibliography at the end, and maybe she really could have footnoted everything she wrote. Nonetheless, it sure seemed like she knew an awful lot about everyone's state of mind, far more than contemporaneous sources would have recorded. Chronicles of the period, albeit all we have to go on, are notoriously biased and exaggerated as well.
I'll give it 4 stars. 3 stars as history, 5 stars as historical fiction.
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LibraryThing member jackelly
I was extremely interested in Henry VIII's life, but always confused by the timeline. This book was amazing for being in chronological order and the details.
It is a large book, but surprisingly a page turner for a historical biography. His life is very interesting, and Allison Weir tries to stay
It is a large book, but surprisingly a page turner for a historical biography. His life is very interesting, and Allison Weir tries to stay
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as unbiased as possible, she actually makes you understand why he felt the need to marry so many times, he needed a son. Her writing is amazing and I am now starting on her other biographies. This is a must read for anyone interested in Tudor or British History. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jthierer
A good general overview of Henry VIII and his wives. My only complaint was that it seemed to devote too much time to the first two, which made it more difficult for the next four to be as fully realized as people.
LibraryThing member WomblingStar
An easy to read history book about a fascinating topic. I learnt much more about tudor history than ever before without ever feeling that I was learning.
LibraryThing member linchar
Alison Weir has written good history and a compelling read.
LibraryThing member Peggy72
I read this while watching the TV series The Tudors (which is great by the way!). Alison Weir is an acclaimed historical author known for making her history books easy to read and gripping as a novel. Basically, Henry was a supreme egotist. He cloaked his sexual desires under the guise of public
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policy or moral right and executed some of his wives with little excuse, most famously, Anne Boleyn. In his later years he became grossly fat, paranoid, and unpredictable. Nonetheless he possessed considerable political insight, and he was a visible and active king during a time of political instability between France, Spain & England. Alison provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives and world of Henry's eight wives and the beginnings of the English Reformation. If you love Tudor history, you can't go past this pageturner. And watch the TV series! Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnLundy
Hank 8 and his wives make Jon and Kate Gosselin look like a Sunday school picnic.
This history is well-written and exhaustively researched, with a little more of the research included in the book than I would have chosen. (All those clothes ... )
Alison Weir wants us to see that there was more
Yes, but after reading "The Six Wives," I still didn't like him very much.
I did like Katherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr, and I liked Anne of Cleves best of all. Anne Boleyn not so much. As for Katherine Howard, I couldn't exactly say that I liked her, but she was too young to be held responsible. She was certainly too young -- even in that era -- to be held accountable enough to lose her head.
This history is well-written and exhaustively researched, with a little more of the research included in the book than I would have chosen. (All those clothes ... )
Alison Weir wants us to see that there was more
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substance to VIII than we might have presumed. "Taking into account the ever-present problem of the succession, it is impossible to dismiss Henry VIII as the cruel lecher of popular legend who changed wives whenever it pleased him."Yes, but after reading "The Six Wives," I still didn't like him very much.
I did like Katherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr, and I liked Anne of Cleves best of all. Anne Boleyn not so much. As for Katherine Howard, I couldn't exactly say that I liked her, but she was too young to be held responsible. She was certainly too young -- even in that era -- to be held accountable enough to lose her head.
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LibraryThing member briandrewz
This was an excellent, highly engaging biography of the wives of Henry VIII. The story is absolutely riveting and I could hardly set the book down.
The first half of the book, in fact, more than the first half of the book, deals with the first two of Henry's wives, this being because they were
The second part of the book deals with the last four of his wives.
This was a terrific read and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in this period of history, whether you are a fan of Henry VIII or not.
The first half of the book, in fact, more than the first half of the book, deals with the first two of Henry's wives, this being because they were
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married to him the longest.The second part of the book deals with the last four of his wives.
This was a terrific read and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in this period of history, whether you are a fan of Henry VIII or not.
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LibraryThing member AuntieClio
I have a nearly insatiable interest in the Tudors and this book helped quench some of that interest. Weir's biographies of Henry VIII and his six wives gave me a satisfying insight into the court and the women who became his wives, as well as the impact it had in his three legitimate children, each
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of whom ruled England. Show Less
LibraryThing member readfeed
Read this after Mantel's historical fiction Wolf Hall, an impossible act to follow. However, it's a great introduction to the period, although Weir's sympathy for Anne Boleyn really annoyed me.
LibraryThing member carriebell85
This book is an excellent biography about six very different women. Very readable, even for those who are not familiar with the story of Henry VIII and his wives. I highly recommend this book!
LibraryThing member queencersei
This book offers a fascinating account of the six wives of Henry VIII. The six women were quite modern and highly educated for their times and older than average when they married King Henry. Anne Howard being the notable exception for being the youngest and probably least educated of his wives.
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The book chronicles the background histories of each woman and her turbulent marriage to the King. Sadly being married to Henry VIII meant belong to a world of intrigue, with various court factions trying to pull down each queen so that they could gain status and favor whenever a new queen was selected. Each queen endured her own hardships. Two, Anne Boleyn and Catherin Howard were beheaded. Catherine of Aragon was spurned, divorced, separated from her only child and left to die forgotten. Jane Seymour was only queen for a short time before dying in childbirth. Catherine Parr only survived the court intrigues by being lucky enough to outlive Henry. Out of all the wives, probably Anne of Cleves fared the best. His second foreign born wife, she quickly stepped aside when Henry wanted to divorce her. And as a result became his ‘most beloved sister’ and was able to settle peaceably in England for the most part and live out her life in comfort. The book is a must read for any student of Tudor history. Show Less
LibraryThing member aliceunderskies
This was a fun, fascinating, and surprisingly riveting history, but I cannot in good conscience give more than 3 stars to anything with so many word-for-word repeated sentences (especially ones that so often concerned minor details like who-wore-what). Definitely a neat companion to the ubiquitous
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Tudor subgenre of fiction, though; I rather wish I'd read this before Wolf Hall and not after. Show Less
LibraryThing member blackbelt.librarian
A good book, but a slow read. Packed with information on each of Henry VIII's wives. Tough to get through, but well worth it.
LibraryThing member JaneSteen
Where I got the book: purchased on Amazon UK.
Ah, I do enjoy an Alison Weir. I am not enough of a historian to have Opinions about history, so my comments are about the writing rather than historical merit, and the writing is good. Weir is always lively and entertaining, perfect for a recreational
It's strange, though, that my interest is always greatest up to the point where Anne Boleyn dies. I always think that the real Henry VIII story was that of the Henry-Catherine-Anne triangle, and the rest of the wives never seem to match up to the cut and thrust of the Great Matter. Once Henry won the point that he could marry and dispose of at will, the other wives' stories seem to be those of ambition overcoming common sense with the possible exception of Anne of Cleves, who really did quite well out of the deal (granted, it's a bit trickier, politically speaking, to behead a foreign princess so she had some guarantees going in).
Perhaps this is why I felt that the book started off as an account of the wives but ended up more as the standard Henry +6 story; Catherine and Anne dominate the first part of the book, and then the wives get less interesting. Still, if you're looking for a good recap or just a bit of Tudor entertainment with real-life characters, read this one. It also has a good chronology, very useful if you need to check dates.
Ah, I do enjoy an Alison Weir. I am not enough of a historian to have Opinions about history, so my comments are about the writing rather than historical merit, and the writing is good. Weir is always lively and entertaining, perfect for a recreational
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history reader like me, and I found myself zipping through this as if through a novel, even though I knew how each character's story ended!It's strange, though, that my interest is always greatest up to the point where Anne Boleyn dies. I always think that the real Henry VIII story was that of the Henry-Catherine-Anne triangle, and the rest of the wives never seem to match up to the cut and thrust of the Great Matter. Once Henry won the point that he could marry and dispose of at will, the other wives' stories seem to be those of ambition overcoming common sense with the possible exception of Anne of Cleves, who really did quite well out of the deal (granted, it's a bit trickier, politically speaking, to behead a foreign princess so she had some guarantees going in).
Perhaps this is why I felt that the book started off as an account of the wives but ended up more as the standard Henry +6 story; Catherine and Anne dominate the first part of the book, and then the wives get less interesting. Still, if you're looking for a good recap or just a bit of Tudor entertainment with real-life characters, read this one. It also has a good chronology, very useful if you need to check dates.
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LibraryThing member jshillingford
People have been fascinated for hundreds of years with Henry and his many wives. This biography examines each wife in turn, and on their own merits (not just as Henry's wives). Weir once again did careful research in her subjects and it shows, but she also has a sympathetic view toward these women
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living in a man's world. Excellent. Show Less
LibraryThing member harleyqgrayson02
I found this book to be very good. I learned something about each wife that I didn't know about.
LibraryThing member luckycharm6139
A very well written book, I have read several books on Henry Vlll and his six wives. Weir again here has done her research into the lives of all six wives and leaves nothing out. A very good book for Tudor fans as well as anyone who has and interest in British history. I am never disappointed when
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reading Allison Weirs books. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1991
Physical description
xi, 643 p.; 24 cm
ISBN
0370313968 / 9780370313962