Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining read from Weir, as usual.
Review: This is not a book discussion the political history of Henry VIII's court, that is not Weir's focus. Instead she chooses to focus on describing, in detail, the material world of the court. She describes the structure and hierarchy of the court, where people slept, what food they ate, etc. Alison Weir is an excellent writer and this book is no different. However, I did find a couple of problems with the book. First, when giving monetary amounts, the cost of cloth for example, in parentheses, she gives the modern day equivalent. While it does help in understanding the sheer cost of running the court, I believe it is not possible to translate 16th century dollar amounts into 21st century amounts. Too many fluctuations in the monetary amounts, inflation and deflation, etc make it almost impossible. And secondly, she tends to paint a rather romantic picture of Henry. But overall, I highly recommend this book. It is informative and an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Lite History
Review: This is the most ambitious of Ms. Weir's books and will help those readers who like to think of history as a soap opera in costume. If you want history - real history - and good writing, then read G.R. Elton or Diarmaid MacCulloch or, for a lot of fun, Retha Warnicke. These are historians who dig in the archives, think for themselves and keep up with the latest research. In other words, professional scholars with engaging and accessible writing styles.
Alison Weir merely restates classic narratives in a dumbed-down form. Where she does attemp a deviation from the traditional narrative, her lack of professional training becomes too obvious such as her suggestion that Anne Boleyn was pregnant at the time she was executed. As Carl Sagan said, extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence. The evidence she cites - Henry VIII's formulaic hope that Anne would soon have children - does not prove that this king so obsessed with having a son would execute the love of his life whilst she might pregnant with the longed-for prince. If Weir had more experience working with primary sources rather than the paraphrases in Letters and Papers then she would have known that it was customary for the king to express hope that the (current) queen would soon give him children even when it was obvious, as when Catherine of Aragon had already entered menopause, that the queen was not going to be pregnant any time soon.
Read Alison Weir as one would read a potboiler on vacation - for mindless fun. Its a pastiche of history. Like cheap chocolate, it leaves you with a fuller appreciation for the real stuff and a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating account of court life
Review: This is the second book I've read by Allison Weir. I found it much more readable than Elizabeth I. I enjoy detail, as so many "traditional" texts leave this out; therefore, it was a delight to feast on the life and times of Henry VIII. If anything, I do wish Weir had discussed the foreign policy of Henry to some extent--other than the "Eighth Wonder of the World," you learned little. I kept reminding myself that this was primarily a book about court life, whereupon my enjoyment returned. Many reviews I've read criticize Weir for all the details in her books. Perhaps I am more "curious" than most. I actually got on the Internet and ran a conversion table on some of the court costs she included. I am confident that Weir is a consummate researcher. I believe what she says about the Tudors to be accurate and well thought out. I have just ordered her book on the Children of Henry VIII, and look forward to receiving it shortly. In my opinion, she is the primary researcher of the Tudor monarchy.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Description of 16th Century Royal Life
Review: This was an enormously readable and interesting book that went much further than retelling the life of Henry VIII. The descriptions of the elements of daily life at Henry's court were very readable, sensitive to modern readers, and yet reasonably objective. Weir's new hypothesis on the execution of Anne Boleyn is wrought subtly, without drawing attention to itself as a new theory, and might be missed by those who are not very familiar with Tudor history. As with all Alison Weir's books, this one was very well researched, well-written, attentive to detail, easy to read, and very, very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: very pleasant reading
Review: This was my first exposure to Alison WEIR's writing and I enjoyed every minute of it. Her account of Henri VIII's reign is easy to read but far from superficial. Quite to the contrary: the author's erudition and mastery of the subject is obvious but never intrusive or pedantic. Conversely, there is no attempt to turn the great king's life into a romantic story just to attract readers. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in that fascinating part of European history when the likes of Charles V of Spain (and a few other places !), Francois I of France and some others were struggling, sometimes to master Europe, sometimes to save their own kingdom or at times their skin.
Rating:
Summary: Sensory overload that was a delight to read
Review: This was one of those books that comes along every once in a while where you begin to get sad as you approach the final chapters, because you realize the book has become your friend and you are sorry to see it end. This book puts you right there in the court of Henry VIII and is rich with the tastes, smells, and feel of the details. I loved the experience.
Rating:
Summary: Social History at its Best
Review: Unlike some of the reviewers, I have been disappointed in some of Ms. Weir's books (especially those dealing with Richard III, where she skews the facts to fit her prejudice). But this one is a gem. WARNING: It is NOT a biography of Henry VIII (nor does it claim to be). It is a wonderful portrait of a court and an age. If the details of everyday life enchant you, you will love this book: you'll learn what Henry's court ate, drank, wore; how they ate, how they drank, and when they wore what! You'll get details about the various royal (and non-royal) residences that are very difficult to find elsewhere: how they were furnished, financed, run, used. And this time, Weir is scrupulous in citing her sources and in using them well. Where there are disputed facts, she indicates this. When she is hypothesizing, she indicates this as well. It is true that she appears to be quite fond of old Henry, but not as he became. Rather, I think, she admires the potential that was in the young king, the goodness, basic decency that could have made him England's best (if not greatest) king. The potential for selfishness, greed, paranoia, and self-delusion was also there--unfortunately, the bad side won! After reading Weir's book, I now share both Weir's semi-nostalgic admiration and her regret.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious Social History
Review: While not a biography of Henry VIII per se, this book is a fascinating glimpse into the machinations of his court over time. This lion king, fierce, ruthless, gifted and charming, presided over the first truly Renaissance court in England. Ms. Weir combed obscure sources for hitherto unknown insights and has written them into a cohesive social history. Who knew Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn both favoured cherries and strawberries above all other fruit? I had heard Henry VIII was fastidious in his personal hygiene, but here all is described at length: his daily routines, his eating and exercise habits, how he dined and with whom, the monumental progresses, plus his being the centre of a not very small courtly universe. What protocols his courtiers had to observe! And even Henry VIII does not appear the master of destiny, at least not in the minutae: he, too, was bound by conventional expectations of kingly behaviour. Even as Henry was clean, his courtiers were hardly so: where else would find details such as crosses carved into palace walls to prevent men from urinating against them? Here we see Henry's human side; I am familiar with Scarsbrick's intellectual view of Henry -- the man of policy and passion, the ecclesiastical and political dimensions. Here we see the business of being king; one sees 'Dieu et Mon Droit' in action, the pageantry, the spectacle, the dangers associated of rising too close to this brilliant sun. Much of it all must have been tedious, but Henry was born to the task (even if he were not destined to be king until his elder brother's premature death). And Henry is not the only one addressed from an unconventional angle: Ms. Weir has unearthed details regarding Henry's wives and associates which normally escapes biographers. Occasionally, however, she does go out on an unsupported, unconventional limb, but overall, this is a wonderful companion piece to more difficult scholarly analyses of the period. Indeed, the book is easy to digest, although some unfamiliar with Henry VIII's reign might find the extraordinary amount of detail overwhelming. For the aficionado it is a welcome addition.
|
