“Fascinating . . . Alison Weir does full justice to the subject.”—The Philadelphia InquirerAt his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, the nine-year-old Prince Edward; the Lady Mary, the adult daughter of his first wife Katherine of Aragon; the Lady Elizabeth, the teenage daughter of his second wife Anne Boleyn; and his young great-niece, the Lady … great-niece, the Lady Jane Grey. In this riveting account Alison Weir paints a unique portrait of these extraordinary rulers, examining their intricate relationships to each other and to history. She traces the tumult that followed Henry’s death, from the brief intrigue-filled reigns of the boy king Edward VI and the fragile Lady Jane Grey, to the savagery of “Bloody Mary,” and finally the accession of the politically adroit Elizabeth I.
As always, Weir offers a fresh perspective on a period that has spawned many of the most enduring myths in English history, combining the best of the historian’s and the biographer’s art.
“Like anthropology, history and biography can demonstrate unfamiliar ways of feeling and being. Alison Weir’s sympathetic collective biography, The Children of Henry VIII does just that, reminding us that human nature has changed–and for the better. . . . Weir imparts movement and coherence while re-creating the suspense her characters endured and the suffering they inflicted.”—The New York Times Book Review
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Recounted with her usual lively thoroughness by Alison Weir, my favourite Tudor historian.
Alison Weir is one of our best popular historians and one, moreover, with an impressive scholarly pedigree in Tudor history.
Weir provides immense satisfaction. She writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as well as the mind. This, her fourth book on the Tudors, affirms her pre-eminence in that field.
Ever since I watched Anne of a Thousands Days when I was a little, I’ve been fascinated by Henry VII and Anne Boleyn. Then I read Victoria Holt’s My Enemy the Queen (completely inappropriate for a 10-year-old, btw) and my fascination grew. And then…the Tudors.
But all these are fictional retellings of real events. Alison Weir managed to write …
I have long been fascinated by stories of King Henry VIII. This book about his children was really interesting to read. It kept me awake at night. I can’t wait to get started on the next book by this writer!
This is more like a history book with a lot of facts & information, and takes a long time to read. It’s very detailed about Edward, Jane Grey & Mary, but abruptly ends when Mary dies. It seems that the author has a book on Elizabeth already, but I felt very cheated since the book title is about his children & she is shown on the cover, and I have …
Alison does extensive research to uncover the true facts prior to writing her books. Always informative, fact based, historically perfect from locations to people to events. Loved it from page 1 to the end!
Interesting, very informative and the explanation of the political aspect was a great insight to the relationships of the royal family.
I read everything I get my hands on about the Tudor dynasty.
a great read for any history buff
Looking at the royal children (however born and ranked) in relation to each other as well as to their royal father.
If you enjoy learning or just reading about King Henry and his wives the I suggest this book.
Almost everything you want and need to know about them is in this book. Because is not a novel sometimes could be tedious. But for Henry VIII fans is a most read.
Alison Weir is the most knowledgeable and readable English historian I’ve ever read. She always notes where historical evidence is slim and how she reaches the conclusions she presents.
I learned much I didn’t know about these tragic characters. Well worth the read if you’re interested in this time in history & like this author, both for which I qualify! Good.
Alison Weir’s works concerning the Tudor’s are a must for any fan of the era. Both her fiction and non-fiction are well researched, and yet easy for anyone to read.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. My biggest criticism would be the stilted vocabulary. I began to feel that the author went out of her way to use as many obscure words as she could manage. They became rather tedious. But it was a nice historical read about one of my favorite times in history.
A powerhouse novel. the author ties together the life and times of King Henry VIII’s children. It is both evenly- and fast-paced. The reader is taken on a journey that is unpredictable. Nonetheless, it is historically fascinating.
I love anything by Alison Weir!
Very factual and hard to get into at first. Interesting to learn of how events unraveled in England so long ago.