Customer Reviews
Interesting read but not detailed enough on Henry the man - By: Matthew Turner, 30 Nov 2008 
This was an interesting, & pleasingly accessible read. Weir writesin a friendly, easy to understand manner. Weir writesin the introduction that she hopes readers "will be able to make that great leap of imagination across the centuries ... & that, for them, Henry VIII & his court will come to life". I have to day that to some extent Weir succeedsin this - for me Henry VIII is firmly placedin his times & court, with his many palaces, hunts, pageants, masques etc.
The first third of the book is not really a biography of Henry, but an in-depth study of the court, the palaces, & the worldin which Henry lived. This section was the weakest part, & for me, the least interesting. The section is far too detailed - an endless list of buildings, names, court positions etc. I agree this aspect of the period is important to study, but it was overdone.
Once we get into the biographical aspect of Henry VIII, the book improves drastically. Weir has produced a good, but not comprehensive, study of Henry as monarch & man, & the personalities of the reign (More, Cromwell, Wolsey, Fisher etc) come to life. Disappointingly, the biography is not as detailed as it could be - especially concerning the important events of the reign. I would have liked more analysis, even narrative, of the Pilgrimage of Grace; & a study of the technicalities of the canon law of Henry's divorce (or annulment) from Catherine of Aragon. Nevertheless, the book is readable & gives a good overview of the politics & factionalism at court & abroad. I did learn, however, that Anne Boleyn was likely to be pregnant at the time of her execution. This surprised me, given Henry's desperation for a son. However, given the offical reason for Anne's execution (adultery amongst other things), it would have been foolish to allow the child to be born - there would have been doubts over its paternity & possibly lead to a succession dispute.
Weir provides plenty of footnotes (at the back of the book) & sources, both secondary & primary, which is an added bonus, & there are two sections of illustrations. However, as other have noted, the genealogical table is very simplified. It is entitled "The Tudors & their Rivals" but it only shows some of Henry's Yorkist cousins (the Courtenays & Poles), whilst omitting other possible alternatives for the throne, such as the De la Poles & Staffords. The Tudor descent from Edward III, via the Beauforts, is not shown, indeed, Edward III isn't even on it.
However,in summary, I can recommend the book, as a good introduction, to anybody interestedin Henry VIII, the Tudors & the Henrician court.
Glittering Court - By: History Buff, 26 Feb 2008 
This book gives a very thourough & complete insight into all the workings of the Tudor court. It is quite exceptionalin it's minute detail. This is a must for serious history students. It's one of those books that needs reading many times as there is just so much detail to be absorbed. Fiction it is not! Totally astonishing was the wealth of Henry VIII's court. Read this book & you will learn all the intricate details of court life for both Henry & his Queens as well as their courtiers. Highly recommended.
It has the stuff they dont put in films that makes it special - By: Ian Young, 25 Feb 2008 A well put together book. It is a little hard to read. You need to concentrate & you will not wish to be disturbed, but the History is outstanding. Page after page with facts that most of us never know about. It has much detail on the personal side to the great king. It does not dwell on his six wifes like the movie industry. If you want the truth & facts this is it.
Hard work to get through - By: Monica, 10 Oct 2007 
This is (almost) excellent for the student of the Tudors, although not for someone with just a general interestin Henry VIII. I saw 'almost' excellent because none of her quotes are clearly referenced. They might say which book, but not which of the forty volumes of that book or the pagein the volume! To find out more would be like looking for a needlein a haystack. Antonia Fraser's work is clearly referenced. For the first 100 pages or so, this reads like the accounts of Henry's spending etc., & is hard work even for someone who wanted to like it & was studying the era.
Crippled by Bias - By: , 06 Mar 2004 Whilst there's no denying the enormous amount of research Ms. Weir must have undertaken to write this book, & that for those studying the minutiae of Henrician court-life this book is a must. However, Ms. Weir's bias towards the historical characters dealt with is truly breathtaking.
The hagiographic treatment accorded to Katherine of Aragon contrasts sharply with the utter vituperation of Anne Boleyn's. It seems that the more balanced (and more readable) accounts that characterised her "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" have utterly vanished.
