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Six Wives of Henry VIII Alison Weir 9780370313962 Books

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Six Wives of Henry VIII Alison Weir 9780370313962 Books

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir draws on contemporary sources to tell the story of Henry VIII’s six wives, Catherine of Aragon (mother of Mary, annulled), Anne Boleyn (mother of Elizabeth, executed), Jane Seymour (mother of Edward VI, died due to childbirth), Anne of Cleves (annulled), Catherine Howard (executed), and Catherine Parr (marriage ended when he died). The book is very long and very in-depth, but the stories are told in a way that draws the reader in and holds attention. Most interesting is that although Henry VIII was adamant he have multiple male heirs and disapproved of women ruling, his one legitimate son never ruled in his own right since he died at just 15, but his daughters are still remembered today, one for how bloody her reign was and the other for the great era she presided over. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in medieval England or Henry VIII.


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Six Wives of Henry VIII Alison Weir 9780370313962 Books Reviews

The study of the Tudors can be a Saint or sinner experience depending on the perspective you bring to it. I have enjoyed Alison Weir so much in the past for both her scholarship and clarity that she brings to her writing. Henry VIII is a man who has been characterized from the benign ruler to tyrant. This specific book deals with challenges and human errors that any of us could make. Yet, for many it is difficult to understand such situations in their proper historical context. To view the 16th century through the eyes of the 21st century denies what time and civilization has taught us. I commend this book to those who want a deeper understanding of religious changes in England during the 16th century. Reformation did not occur under Henry though it may have had its inception there. He was a catholic in any understanding of that word but what we see under Henry VIII is a political struggle. The true transformation of the Church of England will happen with the Elizabethan Settlement not covered in this book. I loved the Six Wives and it is well worth a serious read.
This is a fascinating look at life back in the days of Henry VIII and the women who shared his throne. It is an in depth look at the customs and beliefs of the men and women of that era. I had no clue how difficult life was for women and children in those days. It examined in careful detail the reality of the women and to a degree the children that were in the court of Henry VIII. I appreciated the authors careful and in depth research on this fascinating topic. It was a great read and a believable historical novel. The author was careful to note when historical fact was either missing or came from a suspect source. It wasn't just another history book. It was lovely, flowed smoothly and was very informative. It had life to it and made you feel as though you were there. I am looking forward to reading her book about the children Henry VIII sired. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the time and the people in Henry VIII's life.
Confession I only made it about 20% of the way into this tome. It does provide some fascinating historical nuggets about the time period and the historical figures involved with the Tudor court, but unfortunately they're mired in pages upon pages of minutiae and non-linear narration.

I don't feel like I need to know the details of every outfit, piece of jewelry and hairstyle worn at the various state events, for example, and the way the narrator jumps back and forth through time forced me to keep flipping back through the book to try and maintain some kind of cohesive timeline of events and people in my own mind. The book does provide its own timeline chart of dates with significant events, but in the book it's too tiny to easily read and even if it were larger, I don't like having to constantly flip back and forth in a book in order to follow the thread.

At the point where this became more like homework than pleasure reading, I gave up.
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.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir draws on contemporary sources to tell the story of Henry VIII’s six wives, Catherine of Aragon (mother of Mary, annulled), Anne Boleyn (mother of Elizabeth, executed), Jane Seymour (mother of Edward VI, died due to childbirth), Anne of Cleves (annulled), Catherine Howard (executed), and Catherine Parr (marriage ended when he died). The book is very long and very in-depth, but the stories are told in a way that draws the reader in and holds attention. Most interesting is that although Henry VIII was adamant he have multiple male heirs and disapproved of women ruling, his one legitimate son never ruled in his own right since he died at just 15, but his daughters are still remembered today, one for how bloody her reign was and the other for the great era she presided over. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in medieval England or Henry VIII.