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| The Six Wives of Henry VIII | 
 enlarge | Author: Alison Weir
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £5.43
You Save: £3.56 (40%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 320
Media: Paperback
Pages: 656
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.9
ISBN: 0099523620
EAN: 9780099523628
ASIN: 0099523620
Publication Date: November 22, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
Excellent August 12, 2008
An extremely readable book. The author gives a wonderfully real picture of the wives and the King and why the various relationships ultimately ended. History comes alive in this book and I can't pay a higher compliment than that.
very enlightning very hard to put down July 18, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was very impressed by this book, after reading 'The other Boleyn girl' my appetite for reading up on my history was wettened. This book is a real eye opener for how England used to be and what the people of court were required to do in their day to day lives and what they grew to fear. It shows us what an insecure man Henry was and how the people who he surrounded himself with influenced and manipulated him turning him from a man who was seemingly nice to a feared man, however it shows us that even then he was much loved by most. It explores how Henry could be ruthless in pursuing what he wanted and in a cruel way but then he was easily distracted and if things did not please him he was quick to and with no conscience to rid himself of the things that stood in his way with no back glance. It shows us how Henrys wives modelled the king and what each of them offered him. A true insight to years lived long ago.
 Informative & intriguing April 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I must admit I didn't know it would be a biography-style book when I bought it, but it also had aspects of a story in it which made it a good read.
I liked the way the book progressed from one wife to another and particularly liked the way the book was divided into parts and chapters which seemed to produce a sound organisation and clear, easy navigation of the book not only as a fictional read but also as a reference book.
Alison Weir is clearly a very dedicated historian writer. Facts and fiction carefully fused together and arguments sorted out (paintings and portrait descriptions were argued very well). I liked the way she sometimes brings the 21st century into her writing, explaining for example, what remains today of the palaces and houses of Henry VIII and the burial sites of the monarchs. Very interesting stuff.
All in all, i enjoyed reading it although in future may stick to Alison's fiction.
An Absolute Joy to Read September 21, 2007
6 out of 12 found this review helpful
Alison Weir has written many non fiction books on the British monarchy. Her research is always meticulous and her books are written in such a way that they can be read with enjoyment by anyone. By that I mean they are not written in the same way that historical text books were written when I attended school. They are written in a way that not only provides accurate information on the subject but also to give pleasure to the reader. I enjoyed the book enormously.
Henry VIII was one of the most intelligent and also most difficult of men. A fine athlete in his youth, a scholar and at times the most likeable of men. But as his life progressed he became more and more unpredictable and could turn on people at the drop of a hat, sometimes with fatal consequences.
For any woman to be married to such a complex character must have been a daunting experience. Probably tantamount to walking on egg shells. When the man they are married to is also the King of England there position would be virtually untenable and in a number of his marriages this proved to be the case. However the marriage started out, it soon became apparent that no woman could keep Henry happy for long.
A Total Joy To Read September 18, 2007
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
Alison Weir has written many non fiction books on the British monarchy. Her research is always meticulous and her books are written in such a way that they can be read with enjoyment by anyone. By that I mean they are not written in the same way that historical text books were written when I attended school. They are written in a way that not only provides accurate information on the subject but also to give pleasure to the reader. I enjoyed the book enormously.
Henry VIII was one of the most intelligent and also most difficult of men. A fine athlete in his youth, a scholar and at times the most likeable of men. But as his life progressed he became more and more unpredictable and could turn on people at the drop of a hat, sometimes with fatal consequences.
For any woman to be married to such a complex character must have been a daunting experience. Probably tantamount to walking on egg shells. When the man they are married to is also the King of England there position would be virtually untenable and in a number of his marriages this proved to be the case. However the marriage started out, it soon became apparent that no woman could keep Henry happy for long.
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