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The Children of Henry VIII

Front Cover
220 Reviews
Random House Digital, Inc., Jul 8, 1997 - History - 416 pages
"Fascinating . . . Alison Weir does full justice to the subject."
--The Philadelphia Inquirer

At 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 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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User ratings

5 stars
44
4 stars
124
3 stars
31
2 stars
9
1 star
4

Her research and writing is impeccable. - Goodreads
Good overview of their childhoods. - Goodreads
Weir does a terrific job of storytelling. - Goodreads
well written; good references; good pace - Goodreads
A solid four-stars for research and readability. - Goodreads
I really liked this book and Weir's writing style. - Goodreads

Review: The Children of Henry VIII

User Review  - Darcysmom - Goodreads

Alison Weir writes highly accessible popular history. I always enjoy her books and see them as a gateway to getting deeper into research. Her scholarship is good and her language is straightforward ... Read full review

Review: The Children of Henry VIII

User Review  - Alyssa Tobin - Goodreads

This book tells the life of Henry VIII's three children and his niece. The book is very length but tells a great story instead of just giving you information. The main story is about the fight for the ... Read full review

All 220 reviews »

Related books

Contents

28 January 1547 23
21
The Kings Uncles
27
Amorous Intrigues
41
A Royal Scandal
65
The Most Unstable Man in England
81
Keeping the Faith
102
Pining Away
130
Jane and Mary 7 Jane the Queen 157
155
Heretics and Traitors
227
Much Suspected of Me
247
The Spanish Marriage
268
True Religion Restored
287
A Miracle Will Come to Pass
301
Bloody Mary
318
Little Children Like Angels
341
Elizabeth
362

Gods Miracle
170
Mary and Elizabeth 9 A Merciful Princess 195
193
The Marriages of Princes
211
The Heirs of Henry VIII
376
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About the author (1997)

Alison Weir is the author of four other books on English history.  She lives outside London with her husband and two children.  She is currently working on a biography of Elizabeth I that will focus on the queen's private life and intrigues.


From the Hardcover edition.

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