Product Description

“WEIR’S BOOK OUTSHINES ALL PREVIOUS STUDIES OF HENRY. Beautifully written, exhaustive in its research, it is a gem. . . . She succeeds masterfully in making Henry and his six wives . . . come alive for the reader.”
–Philadelphia Inquirer

Henry VIII, renowned for his command of power and celebrated for his intellect, presided over one of the most magnificent–and dangerous–courts in Renaissance Europe. Never before has a detailed, personal biography of this charismatic monarch been set against the cultural, social, and political background of his glittering court. Now Alison Weir, author of the finest royal chronicles of our time, brings to vibrant life the turbulent, complex figure of the King. Packed with colorful description, meticulous in historical detail, rich in pageantry, intrigue, passion, and luxury, Weir brilliantly renders King Henry VIII, his court, and the fascinating men and women who vied for its pleasures and rewards. The result is an absolutely spellbinding read.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22663 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-29
• Released on: 2002-10-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 656 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345437082
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Contemporary observers described the young king in glowing terms. At over six feet tall, with rich auburn hair, clear skin, and a slender waist, he was, to many, "the handsomest prince ever seen." From this starting point in Henry VIII, the King and His Court, biographer extraordinare Alison Weir reveals a Henry VIII far different from the obese, turkey-leg gnawing, womanizing tyrant who has gone down in history. Henry embodied the Renaissance ideal of a man of many talents--musician, composer, linguist, scholar, sportsman, warrior--indeed, the Dutch humanist Erasmus (not a man inclined to flattery) declared him a "universal genius." In scholarly yet readable style, Weir brings Henry and his court to life in meticulous, but never tedious, detail. Weir describes everything from courtly fashions to political factions and elaborate meals to tournament etiquette. Along the way she offers up charming--if all too brief--glimpses of Henry's court: tiny Princess Mary, still a very young girl, at her betrothal ceremony saying to the proxy, "Are you the Dauphin of France? If you are, I want to kiss you"; Henry weeping with joy as he held his long-awaited son and heir for the first time; Henry showing off his legs to the Venetian ambassador ("Look here! I have also a good calf to my leg"); Henry's courtiers dressing in heavily padded clothes to emulate--and flatter--their increasingly stout monarch. She also reveals some surprises, for example, that Henry and Katherine were still hunting together as late as 1530, even though Henry was desperately trying to have their marriage annulled. Weir also describes surprisingly happier times in their relationship; Henry loved to dress up in costume, and "was especially fond of bursting in upon Queen Katherine and her ladies in the Queen's Chambers.... Henry took a boyish delight in these disguisings and Katherine seemingly never tired of feigning astonishment that it was her husband who had surprised her." Henry's queens receive relatively little attention here (for them, see Weir's excellent Six Wives of Henry VIII), but this book is fascinating and a joy to read. Alison Weir has done it again. --Sunny Delaney

From Publishers Weekly
In a succession of books on medieval and early modern monarchs, Weir has established her credentials as one of the most evocative of popular historians. In Eleanor of Aquitaine (which will be reissued in paperback to tie in with this publication), she brushed aside a forest of scholarly debate in favor of fully rounded human portraits. She now turns to the colossal figure of Henry VIII, aspiring chivalric hero and accidental spearhead of the Reformation. In the age's luxurious ceremony, Weir is thoroughly in her element. She revels in the Field of Cloth of Gold, an elaborate showpiece where Henry met his French counterpart; in the zesty supporting cast; and even in the less appetizing duties of the Groom of the Stool. Henry's passions were many and charming: his beloved dogs Cut and Ball were evidently so prone to getting lost that he would pay some œ225 to their finder. Weir's fondness for her character has its difficulties. While admitting that the king proved to be "an imperious and dangerous autocrat who became mesmerised by his own legend," she too is seduced by the myth. Given to romantic hyperbole, she concludes with the largely unsupported sentiment that Henry "excelled all who ever wore a crown"; chalk up another victory for his propagandists. Other problematic characters, like Thomas More ("calm, kind, witty and wise"), are also let off lightly. Still, Weir's nose for detail, her sharpness of eye and her sympathetic touch make this a feast for the senses. (May 1)Forecast: Weir always gets excellent reviews, and Ballantine says there are 500,000 copies of her books in print, and yet she hasn't broken out big-time. Her choice of subject here may make this the one. It is a dual main selection of BOMC, as well as a selection of the Literary Guild, the History Book Club and QPB.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
The events surrounding Henry VIII's tumultuous life have long held public fascination. Weir (The Six Wives of Henry VIII) here examines the minutiae of his daily life and gives prominence to the background players of his court. We learn of the king's daily ablutions, hunting pursuits, "mania for property," and amorous liaisons. Numerous other aspects of the period are examined, such as kitchen hygiene, religious feasts and observances, the adornments of the royal palaces, the financial administration of the household, and, of course, the political maneuvering. As the lens shifts to the court, we are introduced, through such notables as Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell, to the dangerous jockeying for position to achieve royal favor. The paintings of the royal family by Hans Holbein are meticulously described, illuminating the culture and sensibilities of the period. At times, the weighty detail and numerous characters will make the work inaccessible; however, as a scholarly study it is a significant achievement. Recommended for larger public libraries and academic libraries. Isabel Coates, Brampton, Ont. Communications
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Social History at its Best
Unlike some of the reviewers, I have been disappointed in some of Ms. Weir's books (especially those dealing with Richard III, where she skews the facts to fit her prejudice). But this one is a gem. WARNING: It is NOT a biography of Henry VIII (nor does it claim to be). It is a wonderful portrait of a court and an age. If the details of everyday life enchant you, you will love this book: you'll learn what Henry's court ate, drank, wore; how they ate, how they drank, and when they wore what! You'll get details about the various royal (and non-royal) residences that are very difficult to find elsewhere: how they were furnished, financed, run, used. And this time, Weir is scrupulous in citing her sources and in using them well. Where there are disputed facts, she indicates this. When she is hypothesizing, she indicates this as well. It is true that she appears to be quite fond of old Henry, but not as he became. Rather, I think, she admires the potential that was in the young king, the goodness, basic decency that could have made him England's best (if not greatest) king. The potential for selfishness, greed, paranoia, and self-delusion was also there--unfortunately, the bad side won! After reading Weir's book, I now share both Weir's semi-nostalgic admiration and her regret.

Good on its own, repetative if you've read others
As Alison Weir is one of my favourite authors, I was very excited to run out and buy this book. However, I was a little disapointed when I actually read it. Weir seems to recycle much of her information from other books that she has written, mainly "The Six Wives" and "The Children" of Henry VIII.

Despite my disapointment, I gave this book 4 stars because if I had read neither of those books, I think I would have really enjoyed this one. As with all of Weir's books, it is chock full of information and extremely well written. Despite all the details, it is never boring. There is SOME new information in here, but I don't think that there is enough to merit a whole separate book.

If you have never read Weir, or are looking for a very good intro to life at a Tudor court, then this book is definately worth reading and I wholeheartedly recomend it. If you are already an old hand at Henry et. al., then you might want to skip this one and move on to another of Weir's books.

HENRY VIII- UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!
If you are in the market for a personal, rather than a political, history of Henry VIII, this is the book for you. Even better, and as promised in the title, the book is not just about Henry. You get plenty of information on all six wives, including such tidbits as Katherine Parr's shoe fetish (she had 47 pairs of shoes made in one year- Imelda Marcos, move over!); the presence of aristocratic "cloth holders" in Anne Boleyn's retinue (these ladies would hold cloths in front of Anne's face at strategic moments, such as when Anne needed to spit!); and Anne of Cleves's disagreeable body odor (Henry was eager to meet Anne after he saw the wonderful portrait Hans Holbein had done of her. Unfortunately, when Henry saw Anne in person he was greatly disappointed. And, being a very clean and fastidious fellow, he was even more "turned off" when he got "downwind" of Anne.)

The book seems a bit choppy in the early stages. The chapters are very brief and you seem to be tossed about from one topic to another- the various castles;how they were decorated; the strategic and logistical difficulties of going "on progress"; the quantities and types of food served to the King and his minions; etc. But, even though there doesn't seem to be much of a narrative in the early going, the material is fascinating in and of itself. And, after 200 pages or so, the book starts to come together and becomes more of a straighforward biography.

If you are looking for more of a political/military biography this is most likely not going to be your cup of tea. But if you want to get to know Henry as a human being, and not just Henry but his wives and many members of the nobility, and if you want to find out a lot of interesting information about social life and the culture of the times- you will find this book to be very rewarding.

To give you some idea of the style of the writing, and of the personal information obtained by reading this book, here is an excerpt that deals with Henry's "shopping around" for wife number four, after the death of Jane Seymour:

"It was now more imperative than ever that the King remarry, and soon. Various brides were under consideration: it was thought that some of the highborn ladies of France might prove suitable, but Henry, who was proving particularly choosy, was taking no chances, and demanded that seven or eight of them be brought to Calais for his inspection. On the instructions of an outraged King Francis, the French ambassador, Gaspard de Coligny, Sieur de Castillon, replied, 'It is not the custom in France to send damsels of noble and princely families to be passed in review as if they were hackneys for sale.'"

Weir, at times, fawns a bit too much over Henry. To hear the author's version of things, Henry was the best at everything: the best archer, the best jouster, the best poet, a great scholar, etc. You must take some of this with a grain of salt. But this is small beer, and is outweighed by the sheer joy of reading all of the interesting material!