But into this rich heady brew Weir also throws the complete administrative breakdown of Henry's court, giving us a mind- numbing account of Tudor Human Resources, including the hapless, appropriately named Groom of the Stool who dressed the King and saw to his lavatorial needs.

Throughout the book Weir keeps us up to scratch with Henry's mania for accumulating property - the layout and development of his palaces. In addition, she also details the various staff changes, promotions, demotions and, of course, executions.

Weir provides astute, well-researched snapshots of Henry's entire coterie, from his playmates and companions, through to his mistresses and their families, his advisors, chancellors and churchmen. Everyone is placed in context so that their motivations and actions can be fully understood. So you are getting many biographies for the price of one, especially of people like Thomas More, or Henry's two sisters Margaret (who mothered the Stuart dynasty) and Mary (whose second marriage to Charles Brandon produced the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey, her granddaughter).

One interesting character is Henry Fitzroy, Henry VII's illegitimate son by Bessie Blount. This chap was evidence that the King could produce a male child, if not a legitimate heir, and he was created Earl of Richmond. The poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, was a childhood friend of Fitzroy.

The book starts as a loose retailing of topical details, but the biographical framework starts to impose itself, with a strictly chronological account of Henry's reign. His celebrated matrimonial career is presented from HIS viewpoint for a change, although that does not lessen his monstrousness. He loved tilting and tournaments - that leg injury was a sporting injury. Most of his best friends seem to have been chosen for their skill in breaking lances...!

So if you want to know more about the Courtenays, the Boleyns, Norfolks and Suffolks, the Seymours, the Parrs, this is your book. In spades! Weir does it well.

Only one reservation - after the comprehensive genealogies of her "Wars of the Roses," the family trees in this book are insufficient for the ground covered. We really need the background for his wives as well as Henry's own genealogy. (Both trees can be found in the opening pages of the hardback edition of Antonia Fraser's "Six Wives of Henry VIII". They may be in Weir's "Six Wives", too, but are harder to read, being in italic script.)

Otherwise - excellent.


An excellent account of Henry VIII life style.   November 26, 2002
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I must say from the outset that I found this book an extremely entertaining and good read. Alison Weir has achieved every writers aim and that's to write clearly with a high level of continuity and flow. Written chronologically, it provides a fascinating account of Henry VIII life. The intrigue at court is treated with sufficient depth where the reader can almost get bound up in it. Although Alison does not hold back on Henry's extravagant life style throughout all his life, he nonetheless sent many people to the block and was a man with a very dark side. You can quite imagine a future television soap opera based on the life and times of Henry VIII - considering the amount of court politics which went on you could easily fill forty hours of television. At times the book is a little too bound up with Henry without sufficient historical context, this is however is a reflection on Henry himself whose ego was of planetary proportions. Alison's achievement in writing this book is quite remarkable and it's also very pleasing to see a detailed listing of her many references.


Treading over familiar ground   September 3, 2002
 10 out of 15 found this review helpful

I am a big fan of Alison Weir and have read all her books, but I find this, her latest one, an uneasy hybrid. She has previously covered the history of the period in the excellent Six Wives of Henry VIII, and here aims to paint more of a portrait of court life. As always her research is extensive and impressive, but at times the book is swamped by the detail. Too often paragraphs just consist of lists: the style of his various castles and palaces, what tapestries he had commissioned by whom in which year, what the style of fireplaces were in the various palaces, the various types of clocks he had, etc.

The first third of the book consists of a broad overview of life at the Tudor court and this is very interesting in parts - the descriptions of how the kitchens were run in particular. Although this section suffers most from a surfeit of lists. The latter half of the book seemed to me to be simply a re-treading of the ground covered in her earlier book, but now instead of emphasising the personalities involved in the events, she covers the impersonal details: what clothes everyone wore, the ceremonies, where Henry stayed and what he spent his time doing. I have to say that I found her earlier approach much more entertaining. In her previous book she looked at events from the view of the various wives, and this time she concentrates on Henry and gives a slightly fuller portrait of him than previously.

As always she writes well and despite my criticisms I still found the book a good read (apart from a few of the earlier chapters). However, I enjoyed The Six Wives of Henry VIII far more.


A fascinating history of Englands most fascinating King   August 5, 2001
 14 out of 20 found this review helpful

Alison Weir has, once again, excelled herself in producing one of the most fascinating histories of Englands most fascinating King.

Henry VIII exerts a hold over our imaginations that must surely place him top of the list of historical figures.

This book, with its meticulous research, brings Henry to life. We can see the reasonings behind many of his decisions, even those that may strike us as brutal. We can even sympathise.

Henry VIII was a product, a glorious product, of his time. He should not be judged by the moral standards of the 21st Century. He was the King that England needed.

He epitomised, in the early part of his reign at least, the chivalrous derring do of the medieval period.

However, he was a true renaissance prince. Erudite and learned he bestowed on his children, and in particular his famous daughter, an intelligence that set them apart.

At least three of his wives also proved to be intellectuals and all are brought to life in this book.

One can feel sympathy for all of the leading protagonists in this period of history, thanks to the non partisan style of writing that Alison Weir adopts.

As I said, a fascinating book about a fascinating subject. I can't wait for her next one.

Enjoy !


totally compelling   August 2, 2001
 24 out of 28 found this review helpful

I feel the Amazon reviewer has done injustice to Ms Weir in saying that this is a colourless portrait of the king. At the outset, she states that she does not want to cover old ground, and readers should refer to "The Six Wives of Henry Vlll" for a detailed picture of a passionate, flamboyant monach. This book concentrates on life at court, and gives a detailed picture of everyday life there, including a warts and all description of food, sanitary arrangements, dress, buildings etc. This has the potential to be as dry as dust, but Ms Weir makes it completely compelling reading, interweaving it with the story of the reign, without covering the in-depth character analysis of the king and his wives of the previous book. The court comes to life, and makes you mourn for the lost paintings, garments and buildings that made up the whole picture. I have read all of the author's books now - I wish she would write another! She is the most rivetting historian I have ever read. If the school history syllabus could be read in this way, everyone would get an 'A'.