Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII
Oct 2009 · Harper Collins
4.6star
11 reviewsreport
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898
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About this ebook
The dramatic, legendary story of Henry VIII, his six wives, and the England they ruled—told by one of the world’s preeminent historians of the Tudor era.
“Extraordinary. . . . It is a tribute to Starkey’s narrative drive, his puckish wit, and sharp discrimination that it doesn’t seem a page too long. . . . With each queen, Starkey offers a vivid character study but also has fresh discoveries that subtly alter the picture he started out with.” —Sunday Times (London)
No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer but someone seeking happiness—and a son. Knowingly or not, he elevated a group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.
Six Wives is a masterful work of history that intimately examines the rituals of diplomacy, marriage, pregnancy, and religion that were part of daily life for women at the Tudor Court. Weaving new facts and fresh interpretations into a spellbinding account of the emotional drama surrounding Henry’s six marriages, David Starkey reveals the central role that the queens played in determining policy. With an equally keen eye for romantic and political intrigue, he brilliantly recaptures the story of Henry’s wives and the England they ruled.
“The best study of Henry’s wives ever published. . . . A masterly and persuasive narrative.” —The Evening Standard (London)
“Eminently interesting. . . . A boon to fans of English royal history, full of murder and mayhem, but also of solid analysis of a maddeningly complicated era.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Extraordinary. . . . It is a tribute to Starkey’s narrative drive, his puckish wit, and sharp discrimination that it doesn’t seem a page too long. . . . With each queen, Starkey offers a vivid character study but also has fresh discoveries that subtly alter the picture he started out with.” —Sunday Times (London)
No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer but someone seeking happiness—and a son. Knowingly or not, he elevated a group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.
Six Wives is a masterful work of history that intimately examines the rituals of diplomacy, marriage, pregnancy, and religion that were part of daily life for women at the Tudor Court. Weaving new facts and fresh interpretations into a spellbinding account of the emotional drama surrounding Henry’s six marriages, David Starkey reveals the central role that the queens played in determining policy. With an equally keen eye for romantic and political intrigue, he brilliantly recaptures the story of Henry’s wives and the England they ruled.
“The best study of Henry’s wives ever published. . . . A masterly and persuasive narrative.” —The Evening Standard (London)
“Eminently interesting. . . . A boon to fans of English royal history, full of murder and mayhem, but also of solid analysis of a maddeningly complicated era.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Ratings and reviews
4.6
11 reviews
A Google user
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March 29, 2011
GREAT READ! If you haven't read it and you are interested in the Tudor dynasty, read it. It shall better your understanding on a lot.
Jesse Morgan
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August 25, 2019
Another great book by David Starkey that I couldn't stop reading
Faith Smith
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October 3, 2021
cool book.
About the author
David Starkey is the Bye Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and winner of the W. H. Smith Prize and the Norton Medlicott Medal for Services to History presented by Britain's Historical Association. He is best known for writing and presenting the groundbreaking and hugely popular series Elizabeth and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. He lives in London.
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