Rating: 
Summary: Henry VIII: A True Renaissance Prince
Review: I always enjoy Alison Weir's biographies; they are scrupulously researched, her arguments are based on that research and her conclusions are carefully drawn and fair. She is sure of her stance, but is flexible enough admit doubts. In "Henry VIII: The King and His Court," Weir has dug even deeper into a subject about which she has written many times -- the brilliant Tudors who reigned over Britain's flowering rennaissance. Here she offers up an amazing amount of detail on not only the King and his six wives, but also on the astonishing array of people who made up his court, conselors and companions. Among other things, Weir credits Henry with introducing humanist teachings and philosophy to England, limning him as a great scholar, musician, athlete, scientist, author and patron of the arts. And yes, she does point out that he aged into a splendid and cruel tyrant, bankrupting the country with needless wars and very conscipuous consumption most often meant to impress royal rulers across Europe with lavish gestures and costly entertainments. All this glory and grandure was for a tiny elite; Henry most often ignoredthe growing restlessness of his mostly impoverished subjects, as he revolutionized religion in his realm to suit his dynastic needs. "The King and His Court" shines a bright light on the details on every aspect of the lives of the great and noble (and the occasional confection creator, armorer, or gifted craftsman). We learn what they wore, how they amused themselves, what and how they ate, who slept with whom, their innovations in architecture, art, dance, religion practices, how much this all cost (the sums are staggering) and much more. While all of this gossipy detail is delicious, and Henry's story of marital woes and his quest for an heir always makes a good read, what this book is outstanding in Weir's fully realized portraits of the remarkable denizens of Henry's court, from the humanist scholar Erasmus, to the martyred Thomas Moore, to the genius of the artist Holbein, to that cunning intriguer, Cardinal Wolsey. The richness of character, the fullsomeness and variety of information, the unstinting portrait of the complex Henry all add up to an enormously rewarding book. To read this book is to gain a whole new understanding of one of the most important chapters in Britain's royal history. Read this wonderful book to learn that Henry made it fashionable to sleep in a nightshirt, liked to concoct his own tonics and nostrums, was one of Europe's greatest dancers, was a talented composer and player of many instruments, and was a recognized and dedicated fashionista with a daring color sense...and, yes, how he dealt with those six wives, good, bad, sad and tragic.
Rating:
Summary: An Intimate Look at Life with Henry VIII
Review: I cannot recommend this book highly enough - Henry, his contemporaries, his wives, and the era in which he lived come alive like never before. I have read every book by Weir and have enjoyed the ones about Henry VIII the most. My one complaint is a number of very obvious typos - shame, SHAME on its editor and/or proofreader!
Rating:
Summary: A Boon for History Hounds
Review: I have never been disappointed in a Alison Weir book. This is no exception. If you are a history hound like me, you will love the rich detail of exactly how the figures in history lived. What they ate, how they looked. All researched and verified by copious notes. Ms. Weir has the gift of beinging the figures in history to life. You can almost smell them. A great read and definitely a keeper in my history library.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Weir best
Review: I have read Alison Weir's books on the Tudor period: Six Wives, Children of Henry VIII, and Life of Elizabeth I. I found her a very enjoyable writer, and felt involved in her subjects as people, not just as historical figures. In this book, however, I felt distant from Henry VIII, even though descriptions and anecdotes abounded through the pages. Perhaps that was part of the problem--it felt like his person was being justified, rather than developed as the book progressed. Also, a more fitting title would have been "Life in and around King Henry VIII's Court." The in-depth instruction of architecture, interior decoration, politicking, and background nature took some attention away from the king in question. I enjoyed the period review, but the pace did plod along more than her other books that I've read.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book, though some flaws
Review: I really loved this book, and it gave me a unique perspective of Henry VIII and those around him.
The only real flaw in this book is that the chapters that talk only about architecture and fashion tend to be a bit boring. I'm sure that the book would have been just as good without all of those long parts about the castles, etc...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent -- entertaining and informative
Review: I've read quite a lot about each of the Tudors and still found so much in this book to be new to me. As previous reviewers have stated, Weir does a great job at describing the daily lives of these people, so much so that you actually feel present. I've read and enjoyed each of Weir's book and I think I would rate this one her best.
Rating:
Summary: HENRY VIII- UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!
Review: If you are in the market for a personal, rather than a political, history of Henry VIII, this is the book for you. Even better, and as promised in the title, the book is not just about Henry. You get plenty of information on all six wives, including such tidbits as Katherine Parr's shoe fetish (she had 47 pairs of shoes made in one year- Imelda Marcos, move over!); the presence of aristocratic "cloth holders" in Anne Boleyn's retinue (these ladies would hold cloths in front of Anne's face at strategic moments, such as when Anne needed to spit!); and Anne of Cleves's disagreeable body odor (Henry was eager to meet Anne after he saw the wonderful portrait Hans Holbein had done of her. Unfortunately, when Henry saw Anne in person he was greatly disappointed. And, being a very clean and fastidious fellow, he was even more "turned off" when he got "downwind" of Anne.) The book seems a bit choppy in the early stages. The chapters are very brief and you seem to be tossed about from one topic to another- the various castles;how they were decorated; the strategic and logistical difficulties of going "on progress"; the quantities and types of food served to the King and his minions; etc. But, even though there doesn't seem to be much of a narrative in the early going, the material is fascinating in and of itself. And, after 200 pages or so, the book starts to come together and becomes more of a straighforward biography. If you are looking for more of a political/military biography this is most likely not going to be your cup of tea. But if you want to get to know Henry as a human being, and not just Henry but his wives and many members of the nobility, and if you want to find out a lot of interesting information about social life and the culture of the times- you will find this book to be very rewarding. To give you some idea of the style of the writing, and of the personal information obtained by reading this book, here is an excerpt that deals with Henry's "shopping around" for wife number four, after the death of Jane Seymour: "It was now more imperative than ever that the King remarry, and soon. Various brides were under consideration: it was thought that some of the highborn ladies of France might prove suitable, but Henry, who was proving particularly choosy, was taking no chances, and demanded that seven or eight of them be brought to Calais for his inspection. On the instructions of an outraged King Francis, the French ambassador, Gaspard de Coligny, Sieur de Castillon, replied, 'It is not the custom in France to send damsels of noble and princely families to be passed in review as if they were hackneys for sale.'" Weir, at times, fawns a bit too much over Henry. To hear the author's version of things, Henry was the best at everything: the best archer, the best jouster, the best poet, a great scholar, etc. You must take some of this with a grain of salt. But this is small beer, and is outweighed by the sheer joy of reading all of the interesting material!
Rating:
Summary: A MYOPTIC VIEW OF A HENRY
Review: If you have read Alison's Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII, you will probably already have a good understanding of this aspect of Henry's life, that his, his private life. A.W. asserts in the beginning of this outing that she will not repeat what she had already covered - she only marginally succeeds. She does a good job of covering the information that you would remiss in not repeating; the dissolution of church, and the execution of A. Boleyn etc. However, in place of those details she's placed page after page of tedious information on the many castles and houses he owned and how much he spent fixing them up or redecorating for his new wife. I really enjoyed her picture of life at court and the internal court fractions between those vying for favor. However, the reason this book does not rate higher is that A.W. spends little or no time exploring the politics and society outside the castle(S) walls. I realize the title is "...and his court," but a lot of that was already covered in Henry's Six Wives. Having read A.W.'s surface treatment of Queen Elizabeth, I know that she is mostly interested in the drama aspect and the personal lives of those in the renaissance court, and not necessarily in the actual broader history of the time.
Bottom Line: I don't think I'm being too harsh on this book. I think A.W. is a wonderful researcher and a fine writer, it's just that this book is not the place I would recommend to anyone really wishing to further their understanding of the world in which Henry VIII lived.
Note: One bit of irritation is A.W.'s mention in the back-of-the-book interview that she has new information regarding Anne's execution, of course she does not mention what it is there because she wants you to read the book. I read over the key chapters where she covers Anne Boleyn's charges and there is really nothing new. As we've learned before the charges against her were mostly fabricated.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much detail, not enough interest
Review: Most of the author Alison Weir's books set out to tell a story, and are riveting reads which take you easily through history. They are page turners, even though you know what is going to happen in the end. However Henry and his court is page after page and chapter after chapter of detail, with very little narrative thread. Turgid and dull.
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Weir's Research Outakes!
Review: This book, while enjoyable, is for the more serious student of the Tudor time period. Overloaded with lists of Henry's purchases and possesions, it often has little narrative flow.It's hard to imagine this book came from the same pen as Elizabeth I and Elenore of Aquitane. The only Weir I won't be keeping a copy of.
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