The long-awaited biography of the genius who masterminded Henry VIII’s bloody revolution in the English government, which reveals at last Cromwell’s role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn“This a book that – and it’s not often you can say this – we have been awaiting for four hundred years.” –Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallSince the sixteenth century we have been fascinated by Henry VIII and the … have been fascinated by Henry VIII and the man who stood beside him, guiding him, enriching him, and enduring the king’s insatiable appetites and violent outbursts until Henry ordered his beheading in July 1540. After a decade of sleuthing in the royal archives, Diarmaid MacCulloch has emerged with a tantalizing new understanding of Henry’s mercurial chief minister, the inscrutable and utterly compelling Thomas Cromwell.
History has not been kind to the son of a Putney brewer who became the architect of England’s split with Rome. Where past biographies portrayed him as a scheming operator with blood on his hands, Hilary Mantel reimagined him as a far more sympathetic figure buffered by the whims of his master. So which was he–the villain of history or the victim of her creation? MacCulloch sifted through letters and court records for answers and found Cromwell’s fingerprints on some of the most transformative decisions of Henry’s turbulent reign. But he also found Cromwell the man, an administrative genius, rescuing him from myth and slander.
The real Cromwell was a deeply loving father who took his biggest risks to secure the future of his son, Gregory. He was also a man of faith and a quiet revolutionary. In the end, he could not appease or control the man whose humors were so violent and unpredictable. But he made his mark on England, setting her on the path to religious awakening and indelibly transforming the system of government of the English-speaking world.
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Thomas Cromwell has famously defied his biographers, but no more. Diarmaid MacCulloch’s book is subtle, witty and precisely constructed. He has sifted the vast archive to clear away the accumulated error, muddle and propaganda of centuries, allowing us to see this clever and fascinating man better than ever before, and in the mirror of his times. This a book that—and it’s not often you can say this—we have been awaiting for four hundred years.
I found this insightful, thoroughly well researched book a real joy to read. I’ve only a passing interest in the Tudor period, but this has given me the desire to read more about the era. A must for all those still pondering over the character of the man they met in Wolf Hall – but beware! You’ll still be pondering after reading this marvellous book.
752 pages
5 stars
I believe that Thomas Cromwell has been given a bad rap from history.
I was so pleased to read Hilary Mantel’s treatment of him. She fleshed him out and humanized him. Thomas loved his children and even adopted more. He did a great deal for them. He facilitated the rise of his son Gregory and “adopted” son Rafe Sadler. He was kind to women and greatly regretted the partial estrangement from his illegitimate daughter.
Although he stridently disagreed with the Catholic Church, Thomas was very religious. Not exactly a Protestant (as we know it today), but rather an evangelical, his belief was honest and strong.
Henry ordered Thomas to find a way to resolve his “Great Matter,” that is to dissolve the marriage with Catherine of Aragon. An innocent suggestion by Thomas Cranmer, an up and coming evangelical “priest,” was for Henry to declare himself the head of the church in England. No religious authority should be above the authority of the King.
And so Henry created the Church of England and broke with Rome. What follows is the upheaval of religious life in England and centuries of strife and murder.
While it is true that Thomas devastated the monasteries, it was at Henry VIII’s orders. As was true of the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Anne was not acting as a wife should. She was not meek and compliant. Since she had failed to give Henry a son, and Henry now had his sights set on a more “acceptable” Jane Seymor, Anne had to go. He told Thomas to get rid of her. Apparently, he didn’t care how. Thomas even told his friend Chapuys that the King ordered her removal.
I was confused at this point because it was clear to everyone at court that Henry had had an affair with Anne’s elder sister Mary. So why couldn’t the marriage have been annulled on the affinity basis? Is it because that was very similar to his excuse for ridding himself of Catherine, his first wife? It would have been a far simpler and cleaner solution. He could have sent Anne to a nunnery, or pensioned her off as he did Anne of Cleves.
Mr. MacCulloch’s meticulous and exhaustive research shows that Thomas was far more than a scheming, vainglorious man. I had to wonder how much of his bad reputation was because of propaganda engendered by those who hated him. For there was a large clique of nobles and other hangers-on at court who wanted him out for their own reasons. Some saw him as too powerful, some resented his humble beginnings and I believe that some were just plain jealous. Thomas was brilliant and a very fine lawyer.
Perhaps his greatest contribution that we still see in our modern times is that Thomas Cromwell was an initial creator, or founder, of the modern state and system of government.
I may be alone in admiring the man for he lived in a very dangerous time and served a capricious and violent master. The others at court were scheming for their own agendas and with their usually temporary allies. We must not forget the times in which he lived and served. Is it no wonder he did some of the things he did? After all, a man could lose his head – as he sadly found out.
Diarmaid MacCulloch is perhaps one of the greatest historians alive today. His scholarship is beyond reproach. While this book is very detailed, and those details may derail some readers, it is nonetheless easy to read. The author uses words that can be easily understood.
Mr. MacCulloch closes with pages and pages of notes and bibliographical citations showing his meticulous research.
See my published review: http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/thomas-cromwell-a-revolutionary-life
Mac Culloch never, never disappoints. If you are fascinated by the career of Henry VIII or loved Wolf Hall, this is a must for you. Cromwell has been called “unbiographable” by historians, but MacCulloch sifts through the innumerable clues in 16th century documents and paints a portrait of the man – real, sympathetic and honest, with all his failings and triumphs.
Wonderfully written by a consistently outstanding writer.