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Book Review of The Six Wives of Henry VIII

The Six Wives of Henry VIII
FeliciaJ avatar reviewed on + 136 more book reviews


I first read this book in 1996 and it (along with Margaret George's novel, "The Autobiography of Henry VIII") turned me into a full-blown Tudor maniac.

Henry VIII's six wives were fascinating people, and Alison Weir truly brings them to life. Who knew Anne of Cleves, who had the shortest marriage, would end up the luckiest of Henry's wives? Or that Katherine Parr nearly went to the block, like two queens before her? Besides telling the stories of royalty, Weir's book is chock-full of fascinating tidbits on what life was like in those times.

The book is easy to read yet backed up thoroughly by research and scholarship -- a perfect book for someone who finds history dry and unreadable. Through the engaging biographies of the six wives, Weir illuminates the history of Henry himself and the tumultuous times in which he lived.