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Summary: You can't make this stuff up
Review: The indepth strange-but-true story of the marital life of one of England's most famous kings, Henry VIII. Ms. Weir does her usual excellent job of story-telling and explaining the social mores and customs of the time.
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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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Summary: Weir keeps it interesting
Review: I loved this book! I read the Children of Henry VIII as soon as I was finished. I think Alison Weir keeps a even balance of the personal and political lives of the monarchy interesting, especially when the political aspect can be dry.
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Summary: SIX WIVES OF HENRY viii
Review: SO INFORMATIVE, SO IMPRESSIVE, CAN'T PUT IT DOWN,
EXCELLENT READING-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Summary: Fantastic
Review: First of all, I think Alison Weir is a wonderful author. This book is an easy read, full of lots of good information and a joy. It is a book you will pick up and not put down until you've read all night. I really enjoy it and highly recommend. If you are looking for a book to give you some wonderful historic details in an easy to read, creative format, this is the book for you. Really enjoyed it. I've read it over and over. It's one of my favorites!
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Summary: Magnificent!!!!
Review: Magnificent account of Henry and his wives.I was fascinated by the way the authors tell the story: compelling, exciting and right to the point.The authors do a fantastic job with each wife of Henry.You can almost know them as if you were talking to them.The authors make the wives come alive with good insight. The authors also do a fantastic job in explaining the different political forces working in Europe at that time and the effect the had on Henry and his wives.Overall, this is a must for anyone who wants to study English History...Just magnificent!!
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Summary: The Best Way to Learn about these Six Queens
Review: Anyone doing research on any of these six queens needs this book. It's easy to read, entertaining, well-written, well-researched (as all of Alison Weir's books are), and one of the best books written on these six fascinating queens.
Well worth your money!
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Summary: Magnificent book!
Review: Alison Wier does a remarkable job taking us into the life of Henry VIII. The book is well researched and the language is clear for everyone to understand.Mrs Weir presents every wife of Henry VIII clearly and full of details.Also, i was very impressed with how Mrs Weir was able to explain a little bit about the politics of Europe without getting the reader bored with minor details.I was also impressed by the details of everyday court life brought into life by Mrs Wier.Excellent book for everyone!
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Summary: The other halves of Henry the Eighth
Review: In this excellent, thoroughly researched and well-presented history, Alison Weir brings us up close and personal to six women who shared the life of one of England's greatest kings. From his first wife, Catherine of Aragón, the Spanish princess to whom he was happily married for 24 years until her failure to produce a male heir to the throne led him to throw her on the dump heap, to Catherine Parr, who managed to survive his temperamental outbursts and suspicion and who ultimately buried him, Weir shows us these women not only as queens and consorts, but as women with distinct personalities and characteristics which helped some to survive while dooming others. The first two wives are presented in greatest detail; we see Catherine of Aragón, devoutly Catholic, not only suffering private agony as a soon-to-be discarded wife about to be thrown over for a younger and more attractive woman, but genuinely concerned that Henry is jeopardizing his immortal soul by divorce and remarriage; and Anne Boleyn, whose one great accomplishment was producing the greatest monarch in English history, Elizabeth I; headstrong, devious, fatally impulsive, rising out of nowhere to the pinnacle of success and ending her days on the execution block. In shorter chapters we also see Jane Seymour, the great love of Henry's life, giving him his only son and dying tragically young; his rebound marriage to Anne of Cleves, whom he loathed at first sight, dumping her for Catherine Howard, a teenage airhead who lost her head on the block for adultery right under the king's nose; and Catherine Parr, amiable, level-headed, sensible enough to put up with the aging king's increasing suspicion and cruelty by keeping a low profile, and ultimately, along with Anne of Cleves, surviving him. In fact, for this reader the most interesting of the six wives was Anne of Cleves, generally dismissed in the history books as a klutz with a passing resemblance to a horse, whose only crime was succeeding Henry's most beloved consort. Anne may not have been a raving beauty, but it's to Henry's discredit that he was unable to appreciate her as a gracious, good-natured, sensible woman, a good stepmother to his three children. Well regarded and respected by the extended royal family, she ended her days as the most successful of the six wives, rich, independent, and generally content. Weir brings 16th century England vibrantly to life, through the lives of these six remarkable women.
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Summary: simple, straightforward and complete
Review: Alison Weir does a fantastic job of bringing each of Henry VIII's wives back to life. By tracing the lives of these women through childhoods to their deaths, this story truly centers on them, rather than the fact that they married a king. Weir also does a nice job in remaining fair to each, although at times her biases come in to play, the information given in each case is balanced, or at least attempts to be. Furthermore, Wier is complete. In one easily read volume, a wonderful framework is given which one not familiar with the content can be comfortable with. But then she goes further, giving detail upon detail, making this book not simply an overview, but a complete study. While Weir often repeats herself from one chapter to the next, the overall product is still excellent. For anyone interested in knowing about Henry VIII and his unfortunate wives, I suggest you read this book.
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