THE LIFE AND WORLD OF HENRY VIII

by Roberts Strauss Feuerlicht ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 26, 1970

An appraising view of Henry as ""all appetite and all ego,"" growing from a much-loved young monarch to an ulcerated, much-married older man. With a keen ear for anecdote, the author traces the personal and political maneuverings that marked his reign: the attempted manipulation and ultimate split with Rome; devious diplomacy with France and Spain; long and short courtships of his six queens; battles of the budget. Not neglected, although less carefully scrutinized, are broader social developments: the changing status of the middle class; the dissolution of the monarchies and loss of incomes nearby; growing popular suspicion for the monarchy; the attractions of Lutheran doctrine. Wolsey is enormously ambitious, charitable toward the poor not from love but from contempt for the rich. The ladies are notable: Catherine of Aragon's chilling obstinacy; Anne Boleyn's chronic virtue; Catherine Parr's late comforts. A justly detailed portrait, this catches Henry in the act of inflating personal whim into matters of principle, without the dubious fictionalization of Vance's Six Queens. And there's a 17-page gallery in the center.

Pub Date: Oct. 26, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Crowell-Collier

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1970

Categories: FICTION