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| The Six Wives of Henry VIII | 
 enlarge | Author: Alison Weir
Publisher: Grove Press
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $8.99
You Save: $7.96 (47%)
New (35) Used (28) Collectible (1) from $8.20
Avg. Customer Rating:  141 reviews
Sales Rank: 3690
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Grove Press Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 656
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 0802136834
Dewey Decimal Number: 942.0520922
EAN: 9780802136831
ASIN: 0802136834
Publication Date: January 10, 1991
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
The other halves of Henry the Eighth January 2, 2003
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
In this excellent, thoroughly researched and well-presented history, Alison Weir brings us up close and personal to six women who shared the life of one of England's greatest kings. From his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess to whom he was happily married for 24 years until her failure to produce a male heir to the throne led him to throw her on the dump heap, to Catherine Parr, who managed to survive his temperamental outbursts and suspicion and who ultimately buried him, Weir shows us these women not only as queens and consorts, but as women with distinct personalities and characteristics which helped some to survive while dooming others. The first two wives are presented in greatest detail; we see Catherine of Aragon, devoutly Catholic, not only suffering private agony as a soon-to-be discarded wife about to be thrown over for a younger and more attractive woman, but genuinely concerned that Henry is jeopardizing his immortal soul by divorce and remarriage; and Anne Boleyn, whose one great accomplishment was producing the greatest monarch in English history, Elizabeth I; headstrong, devious, fatally impulsive, rising out of nowhere to the pinnacle of success and ending her days on the execution block. In shorter chapters we also see Jane Seymour, the great love of Henry's life, giving him his only son and dying tragically young; his rebound marriage to Anne of Cleves, whom he loathed at first sight, dumping her for Catherine Howard, a teenage airhead who lost her head on the block for adultery right under the king's nose; and Catherine Parr, amiable, level-headed, sensible enough to put up with the aging king's increasing suspicion and cruelty by keeping a low profile, and ultimately, along with Anne of Cleves, surviving him. In fact, for this reader the most interesting of the six wives was Anne of Cleves, generally dismissed in the history books as a klutz with a passing resemblance to a horse, whose only crime was succeeding Henry's most beloved consort. Anne may not have been a raving beauty, but it's to Henry's discredit that he was unable to appreciate her as a gracious, good-natured, sensible woman, a good stepmother to his three children. Well regarded and respected by the extended royal family, she ended her days as the most successful of the six wives, rich, independent, and generally content. Weir brings 16th century England vibrantly to life, through the lives of these six remarkable women.
 Superb Work February 26, 2006
10 out of 22 found this review helpful
When I purchased this book, I was skeptical because I thought it might be another dull book about English history. I was absolutely wrong - this is a great book! Weir does a great job of telling this story. It is not six separate biographies. Instead, Weir weaves the story of each wife around the life of Henry VIII. Ann of Cleves is a particulary sad story, and she comes across as the most likable of Henry's wives. On the other hand, Ann Boleyn is portrayed as a scheming, ill-tempered snob who constantly meddles in the affairs of state, which ultimately leads to her unfortunate death. Henry is accurately portrayed as a controlling and sometimes distant husband and father. You won't be disappointed in this book - it's one of Weir's best works.
Fascinating read! March 20, 2000
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
As an enthusiast of King Henry VIII life and especially his marriage to Anne Boleyn, Ive read many books on the subject...some totally fiction and biographys also. I would rate this book at the top of my list. From the first page Ms. Weir held my attention captive..she seamlessly goes from one wife to the next without flaw. Even non-history loving readers will enjoy this tale. You can almost imagine yourself being charmed by a young King Henry at his court...then that same emotion would change to apprehension or even fear as the story of his so complicated life unfolds. In my opinion, this book will hold its place for many years to come and be regarded as a learning tool.
 Not a bad book February 18, 2002
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
First I want to applaud Ms. Weir on her research and attention to detail. It was nice to read a more detailed description of Henry VIII than what you usually get in this type book. So much of the book was spent on Katherine of Aragon and so little on the other 5 wives that I was somewhat dissapointed. There seems to be more information available on Katherine of Aragon, however I question the attention paid to some of the sources Ms. Weir has used. Not the validity of them but the obvious bias of the sources. And Ms. Weir continued her unfortunate habit of losing her objectivity part way through the book. I found this thoroughly frustrating in her book "The Princes in the Tower" and almost as frustrating in this book. Still, this is an interesting book if you can overlook the obvious bias she has when writing of Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.
Fascinating, well-written account of the lives of these six amazing women August 11, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Alison Weir is a master at turning historical information into well-versed, readable material. I bought this book and could not put it down for two weeks. We all learn such skewed facts about Henry VIII through ill-informed resources. Weir's unbiased, often shockingly truthful account of this period really opened my eyes to what it must have been like to live in King Henry's court. I can't recommend this book enough!
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