Book Description
The tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) is one of the most fascinating in all history, not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this accessible work of brilliant scholarship, Alison Weir draws on early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports to bring these women to life. Catherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured and innocent woman naively unaware of the court intrigues that determined her fate; Catherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Catherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.
Customer Reviews:
Very informative.........2007-10-06
Very informative book! Weir manages to give us a detailed description of the personalities of each of these six queens. What makes this book such a success is that its very easy to read making it impossible to get bored!
History made interesting.......2007-09-17
I haven't been a big history buff in the past (no pun intended) but after seeing a glimpse of a documentary on Henry VIII, I was curious. This book was GREAT! I simply couldn't put it down and lugged the big book with me on the bus, on planes, etc. In fact, it inspired me to continue reading up on the Tudors. Highly recommended!
The perfect storyteller........2007-08-24
Impeccably researched, fantastically written, wonderfully enthralling. Anyone interested in British history, monarchs in general, the tudor period, politics, or anyone who just plain likes gossip will love this book. It was really great.
Loved this book!.......2007-08-14
A friend recommended some of Philipa Gregory's books to me. After reading "The Other Boelyn Girl" I decided to try non-fiction. I would have never dreamed that I would enjoy a big, thick, historial, non-fiction book about 16th century England. However, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" was fantastic! I could not put this book down! I have ordered Ms. Weir's other books about Lady Jane Grey, Henry VIII's court and Elizabeth. After reading this book, you will look at the Tower of London, Hampton Court, Hever Castle, etc. in a completely different way when in London. You have to hand it to the Brits; they have the most interesting and fascinating history of all.
Great account of history.......2007-08-12
If you're in the market for a book that gives a thorough account of each wife of Henry VIII, then this is the book for you. Over 600 pages long, this packs together history and great writing. It's written chronologically, from Henry's days before his betrothal to Katherine of Aragon, up to the death of his last wife, Katherine Parr. It flows together perfectly. It's easy to read, to boot. I think my favorite parts were the quotes taken from personal letters, and hand-written accounts by those closest to the royals themselves.
Book Description
The six wives of Henry VIII - Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr - have become defined in a popular sense not so much by their lives as by the way these lives ended. But, as Antonia Fraser conclusively proves, they were rich and feisty characters. They may have been victims of Henry's obsession with a male heir, but they were not willing victims. On the contrary, they displayed considerable strength and intelligence at a time when their sex supposedly possessed little of either. Inevitably there was great rivalry between them, and there was jealousy too - the desperate jealousy of Queens who found themselves abandoned, but also the sexual jealousy of the King who discovered himself betrayed. The story Antonia Fraser tells is romantic and cruel, funny and sad, dramatic and enthralling.
Customer Reviews:
Great reading about six fascinating women!.......2007-09-15
Antonia Fraser's book focuses on the six queens as individuals, one chapter about each queen. They are very different personalities and no doubt there was quite a bit of jalousy between them. Anne Boleyn (2 - The Most Happy?) may seem the most colourful and famous of the six, but this book shows that both Catherine of Aragon (1, Arthur's Dearest Spouse), Jane Seymor (3 - Entirely Beloved), Anna of Cleves (4 - An Unendurable Bargain), Katherine Howard (5 - Old Man's Jewel) and Catherine Parr (6 - Obedient to Husbands) were all every bit as interesting.
I felt very symphatetic to these ladies. Maybe in particular Anna of Cleves, whose marriage to the King was never consummated and finally nullified. After 6 months as Queen, the docile lady Anna submit to the King's will and spent over 17 years as a "good Sister", never to return to her native Germany. Her burial place is, however, magnificent, her fine tomb to be found in Westminster Abbey.
The book also explains a lot about the King's relationship with his queens as a young man, when he was a strapping attractive youth, not only the old, sick and fat man who is usually pictured/painted in history books. It would not have been difficult for a young woman to fall in love with, as the book says, "this fine figure of a man, with his tall blond good looks".
The reason for the many marriages and their unfortunate/cruel outcome, was Henry VIII's desperate attempt to get at least one male heir to the throne. His marriages failed in ensuring this succession, and therein lay the unique fate of his six queens and the religious and political developments in England during Henry's reign.
There was, of course, Edward, Prince of Wales, his son by Jane Seymor. But Edward was not strong and died at an early age. In the end, his daughter by Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, became Queen Elizabeth I of England, but in quite a different connection and not as a succesor to her father.
I enjoyed Antonia Fraser's book immensely and learned numerous new facts about both the King himself and his six interesting queens.
This is a book which is not a tedious history lesson, marred by too many dates and facts. Apart from an interest in six unique women and a very special time in English history, one does not need any particular qualifications to read and enjoy this book. And at the same time, learn!
Six Wives, Was the Man Mad.......2006-07-13
There are dozens of books on the bookshop shelves about Henry and his willing and not so willing wives. So why pick this one up and buy it. Two simple words, the authoress. Antonia Fraser has written many excellent historical works, most of which have become best sellers. Why? Because she is the best there is at it.
Her eye for detail brings all of her books to life and takes the reader into a magical world. This is not one of those boring historical tomes that sit on the shelf gathering dust from one year to the next.
This book takes the viewpoint of the women in the life of the then monarch of England, Henry VIII, not a very nice man, one would think from the information most of us have about him. But did the women in his life think of him in the same way. Was he funny? Did he make them laugh. Anne Boleyn, I am sure did not find him very funny when she was on the scaffold, but something must have attracted her to him. Was he charming? To have wooed so many women I am sure he was.
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry and bearing in mind what happened to her, the four wives who followed her must have been either very brave, or very foolish. Although in those days I know that women of rank did much as they were told, either by their parents or by there advisers. I use the term lightly.
This book gives you the answer to many questions you may have wondered about and much more besides. It is more than a work of historical fact. it is an excellent and interesting read.
Average customer rating:
|
Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII
David Starkey
Manufacturer: Vintage Books USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Tudor & Stuart
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ireland
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0099437244 |
Book Description
No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. What could make him marry six times? In this remarkable new study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer, but someone seeking happiness -- and a son. Knowingly or not, he empowered a group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.
Henry took his first bride, Catherine of Aragon, when he was seventeen. They lasted twenty-four years together, but Catherine suffered through many miscarriages and failed to produce a male heir. Henry then fell in love with Anne Boleyn, the mother of Elizabeth I. Their relationship transformed England forever, but Henry had Anne beheaded and married his next wife, Jane Seymour, on the very day of Anne's execution. At last, Seymour gave birth to Henry's longed-for son, Edward VI. What followed was a farcical beauty contest which ended in the King's brief marriage to the "mare of Flanders," Anne of Cleves. Finally, there were the two Catherines: Catherine Howard, the flirtatious teenager whose adulteries made a fool of the aging king and who was the second bride to lose her head; and Catherine Parr, the shrewd, religiously radical bluestocking who outlived him.
Six Wives is a masterful work of history that intimately examines the rituals of diplomacy, marriage, pregnancy and religion that were part of daily life for women at the Tudor Court. Weaving new facts and fresh interpretations into a spellbinding account of the emotional drama surrounding Henry's six marriages, David Starkey reveals the central role that the queens played in determining policy. With an equally keen eye for romantic and political intrigue, he brilliantly recaptures the story of Henry's wives and the England they ruled.
Customer Reviews:
Meticulously researched.......2006-05-13
David Starkey's "Six Wives" is very engaging and easy to read, despite the intimidating weight of the hardcover. Starkey is a brilliant historian and he breathes life into his subjects as he covers their life and times. He is an expert on all things Elizabethan and readers can trust that his interpretation of events always has extensive research behind it. The few pages of prints in the center of the book are a nice addition, though personally, I wish there were illustrations of the various castles and manors as well as the formal portraits we are given.
Trying too hard to be different.......2005-12-21
I read this book with great deal relish in thinking that I might get fresh perception on the history of the six wives of Henry VIII. What I found was an easy to read, easy to understand, well researched but highly opinionated book. I think the author tries so hard to be different from other historians and books on this subject that he managed to turned opinions and conjuctures into facts as he see it.
Most of the book deals with two wives, Katherine of Aragon and Ann Boleyn. The rise, love and fall of both women who dominated much of Henry's life takes up much of the author's book. The rest of the four wives, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr all got parred down, almost like an summarized aftermath after the two main events. I always thought each woman was pretty unique. (Henry seems to like "Katherine or Catherine as a name in his women.)
This book also proves to be dominated by Henry VIII as he's in almost every single page once he's crowned. From this book, the reader will have a good understanding about how Henry deals with his interpersonal relationship with his wives. You may have a better understanding of Katherine of Aragon and Ann Boleyn even if you may not agreed with many of the author's opinions. But after that, the rest of the four wives adds nothing to what lies published before this book.
I would recommend Allison Weir or Antonia Fraser books on this subject initially. I would recommend this book only for experienced readers of this subject matter. Reason for that is that the author proves to be too opinionated in his writing and it would be best if you read this book if you got a good grounding on the subject.
Don't Believe Megan.......2005-11-29
Friends, this is an excellent book. If you were to watch his DVD series on Elizabeth and other Tudor monarchs, you would clearly see that David Starkey is an excellent scholar, has an outstanding grasp of the Tudor monarchs, is quite articulate, and can take the highly complex issues and explain them in a very understandable way. This book is no exception. It is very intelligently written, is helpful, and not just a rehash of other scholars.
I find Megan's reveiw of this book so far from reality and utterly foolish as to be offensive. Her suggestion that one could learn as much from a story book is utterly absurd. Undoubtedly, her review must be the result not only of pure bias but also of pure inebriation.
HORRIBLE!!! Don't bother reading this steaming piece of..........2004-12-26
Starkey's writing is terrible! First off, he thinks his view is the one, true, right one and all other Tudor biographers got it wrong! He has an annoying habit of making ridiculous assuptions about the personalities of the queens. He puts them into misogynistic,cartoonish categories--he dismisses Jane Seymour as a boring, mousey doormat, then speculates whether that was all really a *calculated act* on her part! I guess that's the only way she could be interesting to him as he seems to relish the conniving/bitchy/vamp portraits he paints of Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Starkey supposes that 16th c. queens reacted to certain situations in a flippant manner as would modern teenagers, or teens on the "O.C." This is so ridiculous. These were patriarchal times and these queens were literally fighting for their lives. I can't believe some people loved this steaming pile of poop! This book is a waste of time and money! It isn't fit to line my bird's cage!
Interesting reading, even if the book isn't well written........2004-11-25
David Starkey's 'Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII' is obviously a highly researched piece of work. I've read many Tudor biographies, and this is by far the most extensive I have ever laid eyes on. But unfortunately I have more bad than good to say about it.
What good I can say is trivial. It's a large, long book that takes some concentration and thought to get through. Starkey knew his material well before getting down to business, although I don't believe he wrote about everything he could have. In the space of 765 pages (not counting the index and notes, which took an additional 80+ pages) there is so much information on the politics of Henry VIII's marriages, one cannot help but feel some awe. But that is where the interest ends for me as a reader. Unlike with the Tudor biographies of Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser, I wasn't drawn into the story in the least. And this is where the bad begins.
Where should I start? First of all, the book is completely unbalanced. Well over 300 pages are devoted to the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, while barely 40 explain the relationship with Anne of Cleves. The same can be said for the story of Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Perhaps there really is much, much more to the relationship between Boleyn and Henry Tudor, but I still believe that a balance could have been found and more depth explored with Henry's other wives.
Many reviewers have lashed out against Starkey's language and grammar. While I'm no English expert, I must agree that it's difficult to "get into" the story and stay focused on Starkey's writings. And yes, he does tend to ask too many questions and doesn't hesitate to express his opinion, and stick with it, over historical facts.
And last for this review, but certainly not least and not the truly last of my personal complaints against the book, is Starkey's blatant disregard for other historians and authors. In his introduction, he denounces the books of Fraser and Weir (with author names), which totally lacks class and respect and in my opinion. And that's far from the only time he does such a thing. I remember at one point in the book, just after the birth of Elizabeth (daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn), Starkey denounced, with a bit of cool arrogance, the "unsubstantiated" claim that Anne wanted to breast-feed Elizabeth but Henry wouldn't allow it. I won't deny that I have read about this before and that I really don't know if it's true or not, as I am not a hard-core historian. But I am curious as to why Starkey believes, as he seems to in many sections of his book, that his is the one and only true version of events. How does he know that? And just because there is no hard evidence for certain events, how does Starkey know that they did or didn't happen?
PBS created a mini-series based on Starkey's book (Starkey himself narrated) which turned out to be worse than the book. It's a sorry thing that a book so long and informative should turn out so uninteresting, but it did.
Book Description
No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer but someone seeking happiness -- and a son. Knowingly or not, he elevateda group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.
Six Wives is a masterful work of history that intimately examines the rituals of diplomacy, marriage, pregnancy, and religion that were part of daily life for women at the Tudor Court. Weaving new facts and fresh interpretations into a spellbinding account of the emotional drama surrounding Henry's six marriages, David Starkey reveals the central role that the queens played in determining policy. With an equally keen eye for romantic and political intrigue, he brilliantly recaptures the story of Henry's wives and the England they ruled.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but Questionable.......2007-10-03
There have been numerous books written on the lives of Henry VIII's wives both as a complete history and on an individual basis. Starkey's book is an interesting read if you want to have a very in-depth understanding of just how incredibly political each of his marriages were. There are complaints that most of the book is spent on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn but in looking at the history of these two women, they were the beginning of the making of Henry as well as England's history to come. Catherine of Aragon has been painted in some books as being a complete victim to be sympathized with for the harsh cruelty of Henry while he pursued Anne Boleyn. Starkey is not the first to intimate that she was actually a political machinist in her own right but he likes to present himself as being the first. Catherine's situation is no different than any other woman's reaction to "the other woman" so to imply that Catherine was not so obedient and submissive as she appeared is merely to say that perhaps she was at one point but came into her own as she progressed as Queen of England. That's psychology 101. Regarding Anne Boleyn, there's really nothing new painted about her specifically but there's a great deal of information presented about the true complexity of the divorce proceedings. This is truly the first book I've read that goes into just how many people were involved, what they actually did and how the hand-offs took place from person to person. In other works, only the most prominent figures in the picture are brought to light. The other wives did figure prominently in Henry's marriages from a very political standpoint. However, many authors outside of Starkey have indicated that there is little recorded information on each the successive wives especially in regards to Anne of Cleves. The one extreme criticism I have for Starkey and all the other authors regarding Catherine and the "consummation" of her marriage is the supposed evidence. Starkey follows the same path as all the others. I was hoping to see something more plausible. Every author states that the marriage must've been consummated based on two points of evidence. Arthur's boasting the following day of marriage being thirsty work and that he'd been amongst Spain and Catherine's silence on the subject. Why is it that every author does not take into consideration that Arthur was a 15 year old boy who carried the weight of an empire and was expected to perform his marital duties and therefore may have bragged because he couldn't state the other possibility....that he didn't perform? Regarding Catherine's silence on the subject and the question of "why didn't she complain?", she was a born princess. What princess/Queen who was 17 years old, in a foreign land and married to a King would complain that the marriage had not been consummated? To do so would be the equivalent of denigrating and humiliating her husband and a nation. The question is always left that only God knows whether the marriage was consummated or not. I beg to differ. There is one other person who would know if Catherine was a virgin and that would've been Henry. He was not sexually ignorant when he made Catherine his wife and where were his boasts? I recommend this book more for the political information surrounding the wives and what raised them and who truly took them down. Henry may have had final say but his court was very powerful in manipulating him. This book points this out more than any other out there.
Utterly boring.......2007-10-03
I have never been able to put a book down before on Henry the VIII and his wives. After struggling to finish this book of exhausting but uninteresting detail, I thought I would sell it on Amazon, a first for me. But then, after checking, I learned it was only going for 87 cents. Why am I not surprised?
The Best Info. on the Tudor Queens.......2007-08-09
Excellent and entertaining book about the Queens of Henry the XIII. The best book I have read on this subject.
Big book, ultimately a disappointment.......2007-07-24
Looking, as I was, for the definitive volume on Henry VIII and his wives, Starkey's book was ultimately disappointing in spite of its heft. To spend two-thirds of the book on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, although Starkey clearly found them the most worthy of interest, left the other fours wives' personalities and histories undeveloped and colorless. Thanks to Starkey, we now know every possible detail of the Henry/Catherine divorce, both from Catherine's and Anne's perspective. but very little about their relationships with Henry. For example, with all the pages devoted to Anne, why do we not have a clearer understanding of the disintegration of the Boleyn marriage? How did a woman who was the object of Henry's unbridled passion come to be beheaded a mere three years after marriage? I, for one, would much rather know more of their personal history. How can a book on such a fascinating subject be so dry?
I wish I'd read these reviews before buying the book!.......2007-07-17
I bought this book on a whim, without benefit of these reviews. I should have done my homework. The other reviews on this website are excellent and I won't repeat them here except to underscore two points.
First, as an academic myself I was stunned by the extent to which Starkey's scholarship is biased, subjective and speculative. He blithely makes racist comments about other cultures (the Spanish are "instutionalized sadists," for example). Evidence that is accepted by other writers he dismisses out of hand, while other, more dubious sources that are not normally consulted he accepts without question. Ideas that start out as speculation are facts a few chapters later. Starkey may be a respected historian, but this is not a good piece of scholarship.
Most significantly, he seems unable to put these women into an historic context. He doesn't appear to appreciate what it was like to be a woman, without legal powers, who attracted the attention of a ruthless and brutal king. For instance, he characterizes Ann Boleyn as manipulative. Maybe she was intelligent enough to realize that if she refused the King, she and her family would suffer the loss of their wealth and possibly their lives. The best she could do was to hold out for marriage which at least gave her some legitimacy. Starkey's failure to appreciate the brutal reality of women's lives at this point in history is a huge handicap in writing their biographies.
Average customer rating:
|
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Antonia Fraser
Manufacturer: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Tudor & Stuart
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ireland
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Biographies & Memoirs
| Books on CD
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Marie Antoinette: The Journey
ASIN: 0752861425 |
Book Description
Isla Blair has appeared in Holby City, Heartbeat, Taggart, Darling Buds of May, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Dalziel and Pascoe. Stage work includes One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Noises Off (at the NT), as well as seasons at the Bristol Old Vic. She read the audio book of Atonement.
Average customer rating:
|
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Antonia Fraser
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0297812424 |
Average customer rating:
- Excellent biography for young readers
|
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Gladys Malvern
Manufacturer: Vanguard Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Audiobooks
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
ASIN: 0814906656 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent biography for young readers.......2000-05-11
This brief but thorough biography of Henry VIII's six wives is simply and effectively written. I first read it as a junior high student, and it has stayed in my mind as an eminently readable, but historically sound analysis of those unfortunate women.
The author, Gladys Malvern, was one of the most prolific writers for young readers in the middle of the 20th century, and wrote a wide range of biographies and historical novels, from Queen Esther in the Old Testament to the lives of actors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Her historical novels, in particular, were mainstays of my childhood, and I would dearly love to see some of them come back into print for my children as well.
Average customer rating:
|
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Alison Weir
Manufacturer: Pimlico
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Medieval
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Tudor & Stuart
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ireland
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Children of Henry VIII
ASIN: 0712673849 |
Book Description
16th Century court politics and intrigue through the eyes of six of the most important women of their time.
One of the most powerful monarchs in British history, Henry VIII ruled England in unprecedented splendour. In this remarkable composite biography, Alison Weir brings Henry’s six wives vividly to life, revealing each as a distinct and compelling personality in her own right. Drawing upon the rich fund of documentary material from the Tudor period,
The Six Wives of Henry VIII shows us a court where personal needs frequently influenced public events and where a life of gorgeously ritualized pleasure was shot through with ambition, treason and violence.
Books:
- The Story of Spain: The Dramatic History of Europe's Most Fascinating Country
- The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel (Joe Pike Novels)
- The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
- Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection (Railway Series)
- Thoughts of St. Ignatius Loyola for Every Day of the Year
- Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence
- United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination
- Victorian Lace Today
- When the News Went Live: Dallas 1963
- Writers Market 2007 (Writer's Market)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set
- History: Fiction or Science
- Art Deco Textiles: The French Designers
- Being Geniuses Together, 1920-1930
- Exceeding Customer Expectations: What Enterprise, America's #1 car rental company, can teach you abo
- History: Fiction or Science
- Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Value Guide: Tracker Edition 1973-2005
- A Handbook of Symbols in Christian Art
- Artists Communities: A Directory of Residencies that Offer time and Space for Creativity
- Rumours: A Memoir of a Prisoner in Wartime
The Life of Elizabeth I
Henry VIII: The King and His Court
Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England
The Boleyn Inheritance
