History brought to life with pace and scholarship

The basic story of Henry VIII and his troubled marital history is well-known, but where this book scores is in fleshing out the details of the six women’s early life and the involvement of their extended families in conspiring to get a female relative noticed by the King and then exploiting their new privileged position, but when things went wrong heartlessly deserted the Queen to save their own skin.

Much research has obviously gone into this long book, and there is a copious amount of detail, but it never flags from being a engrossing account of how a golden young man turned into a bloated monster who connived to discard wives who failed to produce a male heir. One is reminded how high-born women were pawns in the marriage market and what a lot of skulduggery was done by their male relatives aided and abetted by sanctimonious church-men and ambitious courtiers.

The Tudors left a trail of cruelty and religious persecution that’s a blight on England's history, though often horrifying, it nevertheless makes for a riveting listen that I greatly enjoyed.

The narrator is excellent.

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14 people found this helpful

Life’s brought to life

Really enjoyed this was always in a happy to hear more made me think learnt things I never knew and made me cry.

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A most enjoyable and informative book

The timeline along with the detail makes for an enjoyable listen this is matched by the excellent narration

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Extensively researched and enjoyable read

This book reflects the author’s thorough research as it narrativises the lives of Henry’s wives (and other members of the Tudor family). The accounts of the women’s lives are weaved together through the chapters, and overall I really enjoyed this read.

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First Class

Wonderful piece of history with a great deal of detail. The narrator was very good indeed. And I would throughly recommend this title and narrator.

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Fabulous in every respect

A truly great history. A must read for anyone interested in the 16th century history of Europe.

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2 people found this helpful

Everything the school textbook never told you

If you could sum up The Six Wives of Henry VIII in three words, what would they be?

Informative, humorous, well researched

Who was your favorite character and why?

I've always had a soft spot for Anna of Cleaves just because she's always been the cast aside one, jammed between the dead mother and the flighty young girl.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's far to big to listen to in one go, but it's very engaging to listen too how ever many sessions it takes to reach the end.

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1 person found this helpful

A great insight into the wives of Henry VIII

If you could sum up The Six Wives of Henry VIII in three words, what would they be?

Detailed, informative, entertaining

What other book might you compare The Six Wives of Henry VIII to, and why?

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What does Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He has great intonation

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

A great way to learn the real story behind each of the wives of Henry VIII! The listener is led through the marriages in chronological order (the main focus naturally being on Catherine of Aragon and Ann Boleyn). The author provides excellent detail of the period and a real insight into the life of a queen and a noble lady in the 1500s. The reader is left with the distinct feeling that both the King and his Queens are at various points both player and played with the church and establishment pulling most of the strings. A worthy listen.

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The the lives of the wives of Henry VIII laid bare.

I thought I knew the stories of the wives of Henry VIII but this history had shown me I’ve hardly scratched the surface of the lives they led. This is a fascinating insight, not only to the women themselves, but into the period in which they lived, the court and it’s intrigues and the players on the medieval stage that surrounded them. This is a history, not a novel, and as such has been deeply researched to be factually accurate. Who knew that Catherine of Aragon was treat so terribly after Arthur died and before she married Henry? Who knew that far from being “elderly” when she married him, Katherine Parr was barely into her thirties and that after Henry died she had a child, a girl she called Mary, before dying of fever? This history is a treasure trove of information that will delight anyone with a liking for the period. It is not a stiff and stuffy read, the narrative is straightforward and very easy to follow. The narrator has a clear voice and precise style although some place name pronunciation should have been checked before recording eg Alnwick, the seat of the Dukes of Northumberland is pronounced “annic” Overall I would highly recommend this book, not just to those who enjoy history but to book groups to try something different. Brilliant.

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Great book

This is a wonderfully fluid book. The narration and detail combine to make it a treat for audio book listeners.

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3 people found this helpful