The Six Wives of Henry VIII - by Alison Weir (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A "brilliantly written and meticulously researched" biography of royal family life during England's second Tudor monarch (San Francisco Chronicle).

Either annulled, executed, died in childbirth, or widowed, these were the well-known fates of the six queens during the tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England from 1509 to 1547. But in this "exquisite treatment, sure to become a classic" (Booklist), they take on more fully realized flesh and blood than ever before. Katherine 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 woman who jumped at the chance of independence; Katherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Katherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.

"Combin[ing] the accessibility of a popular history with the highest standards of a scholarly thesis", Alison Weir draws on the entire labyrinth of Tudor history, employing every known archive--early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports--to bring vividly to life the fates of the six queens, the machinations of the monarch they married and the myriad and ceaselessly plotting courtiers in their intimate circle (The Detroit News).

In this extraordinary work of sound and brilliant scholarship, "at last we have the truth about Henry VIII's wives" (Evening Standard).

Review Quotes

"Enthralling . . . The panorama of royal family life as it meshed with politics, dynastic needs and history is rich, vivid and . . . gripping."--Chicago Tribune

"Brilliantly written and meticulously researched . . . Alison Weir is adept at bringing to life these historical figures."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Impeccable research . . . Entertaining . . . The story of England's second Tudor monarch and his rather sordid marital life has been told often. But never has it been told as well. . . . [The Six Wives of Henry VIII] combines the accessibility of a popular history with the highest standards of a scholarly thesis."--Detroit News

"The wives of possibly England's greatest monarch were as varied as they were many, as this compelling biography reveals. . . . Alison Weir has a wonderful way of bringing them and history alive. A joy to read from cover to cover."--Manchester Evening News

"At last we have the truth about Henry VIII's wives. This book is as reliable and scholarly as it is readable and, thank goodness, it is unpartisan. It does justice to these very different ladies with their varying fortunes."--A. L. Rowse, The Evening Standard

"The story of King Henry VIII and his unlucky wives has been told before, but the scope and depth of Weir's research provide a wealth of detail missing from many other narrative histories about the Tudors."--Publishers Weekly

"An exquisite treatment, sure to become a classic."--Booklist

"A story that has been reviewed before, but not with the depth of this coverage. New research and details enrich a comprehensive yet lively survey of not just Henry's wives, but the Tudor period's colorful figureheads."--Bookwatch

"Informative, erudite and entertaining . . . Steeped in the Tudor Court's pageantry, politics and sexual intrigue."--Bookworld Reviews

"Well researched and at time beautifully written . . . [This] work unquestionably is the finest exercise in collective biography focusing on Henry's wives."--Library Journal

"A handsome and well-researched study of an endlessly fascinating period."--Kansas City Star

About the Author

In addition to The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Alison Weir is the author of Henry VIII, The Princes in the Tower, The Wars of the Roses, The Life of Elizabeth I, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. She lives in London with her husband and two children.