Rating: 
Summary: Magnificent history - reads like a great novel
Review: Alsion Weir is a very talented writer, who certainly knows her stuff when it comes to Tudor history. When we read this book, we come to understand the forces of the dynasty that created the man who would become the great Henry the Eighth, and the needs of his kingdom that drove his obsession to sire a son.History has tended to relegate Henry's wives into some simplistic catergories - Catherine of Aragon as the dowdy hard done by cast-off; infamous Anne Boleyn as a woman who played for high stakes and lost; and sweet Jane Seymour, who gave Henry his son but sadly died. Then there were the other three wives who somehow never seemed so fascinating, and as such have had much less of the limelight. But never were there six more different women, and each has made their impact on history in a number of different ways. Alsion Weir has written this book with such richness and attention to detail, that at times you forget that you are reading non-fiction and get swept away in the fervour that can come with a great novel. But never has the imagination given an author such rich fodder as Henry and his love life, and his increasing desperation to sire more children as he got older. The six women that graced his life so so long or for such a short period of time are well defined, and we come to care for all of them as the book progresses. We come to understand their wishes and desires, and we feel sorrow for them as we see that frequently they were only pawns in the great dynastic chess game of the time. And of course we catch a glimpse of the other Tudors - the deeply religious Mary, who was forever scarred by her mother's treatment; Edward who was manipulated by his mother's family, and finally Elizabeth, who grew up branded a bastard and for many years feared the retribution that may have followed her mother's fall from favour. Not only is this a really great read, it is also a meticulously researched and presented reference book, one which will be treasured for many years to come.
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