jjares reviewed Henry VIII: A Life From Beginning to End (Biographies of British Royalty) on + 3278 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Henry Vlll climbed to the English throne at the tender age of 17. I was surprised to learn that Henry's court was considered to be sophisticated and splendid. Henry was also considered to be one of the most accomplished and charismatic kings of England (after all, he was able to convince 6 women to marry him).
Henry was the lucky recipient of a stable English throne thanks to his father (and his fortuitous marriage as a Lancastrian king to a York woman). This brought the two warring factions to end the 30-year War of the Roses. However, Henry was aware of his tenuous hold on the throne and sought a male heir to cement the Tudor line as rightful kings. Before long, it became an obsession.
There are lots of fascinating snippets in this book. The author explains the probable reason that Henry Vll had no siblings; Lady Margaret gave birth at the age of 13 years and this was thought to have caused physical trauma. The explanation of HenryVlll's ambivalence in marrying Catherine of Aragon (his dead brother's widow) reminds the reader of the old adage, "Marry in haste, regret at leisure." Time was taken to explain the role of each of the women Henry married and what led to her downfall.
This is a fascinating explanation of the decline of a king who could have been great but decided to put his trust in people who would allow him to run amuck and do what HE pleased rather than what was best for his people. It is amazing that the country was still standing when Henry Vlll died. This one of those books that it is not possible to stop reading until the very end.
Henry was the lucky recipient of a stable English throne thanks to his father (and his fortuitous marriage as a Lancastrian king to a York woman). This brought the two warring factions to end the 30-year War of the Roses. However, Henry was aware of his tenuous hold on the throne and sought a male heir to cement the Tudor line as rightful kings. Before long, it became an obsession.
There are lots of fascinating snippets in this book. The author explains the probable reason that Henry Vll had no siblings; Lady Margaret gave birth at the age of 13 years and this was thought to have caused physical trauma. The explanation of HenryVlll's ambivalence in marrying Catherine of Aragon (his dead brother's widow) reminds the reader of the old adage, "Marry in haste, regret at leisure." Time was taken to explain the role of each of the women Henry married and what led to her downfall.
This is a fascinating explanation of the decline of a king who could have been great but decided to put his trust in people who would allow him to run amuck and do what HE pleased rather than what was best for his people. It is amazing that the country was still standing when Henry Vlll died. This one of those books that it is not possible to stop reading until the very end.
