Rating: 
Summary: Simply the best book on the subject
Review: I've read almost everything there is about the Tudor dynasty, but Alison Weir does the best job in fully capturing the era. Henry VIII and his wives is one of the great historical dramas and Weir covers it in a balanced manner, without giving short shrift to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Melrose Place, move over
Review: I am an avowed history nut, particularly the soap opera variety. Weir's book was fascinating and read like a drama. She does a wonderful job of humanizing the persons involved. Times have changed, but human nature hasn't. Henry VIII's passion for Anne Boleyn changed the history of the world. Not only did England sever itself from Rome, But the child of this match was one of the greatest rulers ever known. This book is accesible to people who are not historians. For this, she has my upmost admiration. Can't wait for her book on Elizabeth.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST read
Review: Many books have been writen on this subject but by and far this is the best one ever and always will be. All the needed information is finnally in one place and Ms. Weir has done an excellent job putting the information about these remarkable women in order.
Rating:
Summary: "Oh Henry!"
Review: I've heard it said that Alison Weir has been criticized for authoring "popular" historical works. Well, hallelujah for that! How many of
you non-History majors would (now be honest!) be
led to dig further into a particular historical
era after plodding through a textbook?
Alison Weir's "Six Wives of Henry VIII" is a
wonderful look at the circumstances surrounding
the six brides of the grand Tudor monarch. It
naturally devotes the most coverage to the longest marriage, that of Henry to Catherine of Aragon. Throughout her portion of the book, one may agree or disagree with her cause, but one never fails to be struck by her courage.
Perhaps most interesting are the sections of the
work dealing with the break between Henry and the
Church. The animosity between England and Rome
at this period was enormous, and the reader feels
a fascination at watching, up close, the debate
that led to the break with Rome and the formation
of England's own Church, with Henry VIII as hea
Rating:
Summary: most informative.
Review: My decision to read this book stemmed from a desire to get the feel of England at a most influential and diabolical time in history. Italian Renaissance has always captivated my interest with its stories, inventions, and literature. But upon the anticipation of a recent trip to England I though it necessary to brush up on my English history. This book was compelling from the start. It rules out all ridiculous American folk tale myths you might have heard about the King Henry who cared only for himself, and little for his religion or country. The opposite is quite true. Weir leads you into Tudor history and holds you there for well over 500 pages. Each of his wives were unique and unlike the other. They had histories before the king, and some despite some misconceived notions continued to have pleasant lives beyond the king. I would recommend this book to anyone who is just beginning a love for England's history or to the most professed scholar on the subject. You will find yourself falling in love with these characters, and wishing more was to come.
Rating:
Summary: most informative.
Review: My decision to read this book stemmed from a desire to get the feel of England at a most influential and diabolical time in history. Italian Renaissance has always captivated my interest with its stories, inventions, and literature. But upon the anticipation of a recent trip to England I though it necessary to brush up on my English history. This book was compelling from the start. It rules out all ridiculous American folk tale myths you might have heard about the King Henry who cared only for himself, and little for his religion or country. The opposite is quite true. Weir leads you into Tudor history and holds you there for well over 500 pages. Each of his wives were unique and unlike the other. They had histories before the king, and some despite some misconceived notions continued to have pleasant lives beyond the king. I would recommend this book to anyone who is just beginning a love for England's history or to the most professed scholar on the subject. You will find yourself falling in love with these characters, and wishing more was to come.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, fascinating book
Review: I cannot recommend this book strongly enough to anyone who's even slightly interested in the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. This is a gorgeous, cohesive book, easy to read and full of historical detail that enriches the story rather than overwhelms it. There were many times when I forgot I was reading non-fiction, the story was so cleanly presented. This is a far cry from the dry, confusing history lessons I had in high school. Weir makes these women (and the men around them) come back to life, warts and all. Normally reading a book like this, I'd need a flow chart to keep track of all the dukes, duchesses, ladies, lords and scheming religious zealots, but I had no trouble at all remembering who was who, even during the period where every woman was apparently named Katherine, Anne or Elizabeth. It was especially interesting to see how kind history has been to Anne Boleyn, a woman who may actually have been deserving of the executioner's axe. My one miniscule gripe (not enough to drop my review from 5 stars) is that once in a while, Weir puts the story ahead of the timeline and will insert details out of sequence. One example of that is that during a segment discussing the latter years of the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn, there's a short paragraph discussing a gift Anne gave to Henry early on in their relationship. There really wasn't any reason why that tidbit couldn't have been presented chronologically; the only thing I could think of was that perhaps the author didn't want to interrupt the narrative about the acrimony between Anne and Katherine of Aragon by tossing in the bit about the gift. There are about a half dozen or so instances like this, and while they don't at all disturb the flow of the book, they struck me as a little annoying given the meticulous detail to the timeline in every other instance. This is a truly masterful book; I plan on immediately purchasing Weir's other books in this genre.
Rating:
Summary: I'll be reading more Alison Weir!
Review: Alison Weir has recreated, as best we can 500 years later, the inner workings of the English monarchy. She has done extensive research and shared in her text the conflicting views of various recorded information dealing with Henry and his wives. I found myself frequently turning back to the family trees she had included to check dates, siblings, births, etc. This was an excellent book and I will be looking for the next one, Elizabeth I to read now!
Rating:
Summary: fascinating ....
Review: I found the level of detail in this book simply fascinating. I am not a history buff but found it really interesting to compare my own life with the life of a royal woman in the 1500's. Certainly know which one I would choose! I have also read David Starkey's book on the same subject and found Alison Weir's book to be so much better researched and not at all prejudiced towards her subjects (as flawed as they might have been). I also recommend Alison Weir's "Eleanor of Aquitaine" - different time period but equally fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable read
Review: This book may seem daunting, due to its sheer number of pages, but it reads so quickly, due to the great, smooth writing of Alison Weir. A must-read for all Anglophile's and Tudor addicts!
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