Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him cover art

Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him

The secret history behind the Tudor throne, perfect for fans of WOLF HALL

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him

By: Tracy Borman
Narrated by: Julie Teal
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

About this listen

 A THRILLING LOOK AT THE MEN BEHIND HENRY VIII'S THRONE: PERFECT FOR FANS OF WOLF HALL

'An outstanding work of historical artistry' Alison Weir

-------

Henry VIII is well known for his tumultuous relationships with women, and he is often defined by his many marriages. But what do we see if we take a different look? When we see Henry through the men in his life, a new perspective on this famous king emerges.

Henry's relationships with the men who surrounded him reveal much about his beliefs, behaviour and character. They show him to be capable of fierce, but seldom abiding loyalty; of raising men only to destroy them later. He loved to be attended and entertained by boisterous young men who shared his passion for sport, but at other times he was more diverted by men of intellect, culture and wit. Often trusting and easily led by his male attendants and advisers during the early years of his reign, he matured into a profoundly suspicious and paranoid king whose favour could be suddenly withdrawn, as many of his later servants found to their cost. His cruelty and ruthlessness would become ever more apparent as his reign progressed, but the tenderness that he displayed towards those he trusted proves that he was never the one-dimensional monster that he is often portrayed as.

In this fascinating and often surprising new biography, Tracy Borman reveals Henry's personality in all its multi-faceted, contradictory glory.

---------

Readers LOVE Tracy Borman:

'Tracy Borman's book must rank among the very best [Tudor history books].' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Tracy Borman is an excellent author and you can guarantee anything she writes is very well researched.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
' I love Tudor history and this book was phenomenal.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 16th Century Europe Great Britain Modern Politics & Activism Royalty England Tudor

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Elizabeth I and Her Circle cover art
The Six Wives of Henry VIII cover art
Lancaster and York cover art
Anne Boleyn cover art
Power Forward cover art
The Dissolution of the Monasteries cover art
Henry VIII cover art
The Charioteer cover art
Rise to Rebellion cover art
Symphony for the City of the Dead cover art
Henry VIII cover art
Isabella cover art
The Turbulent Crown cover art
King's Counsellor cover art
The Summer Queen cover art
Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All cover art

Critic reviews

In this stunning book, Tracy Borman proves yet again that she is at the top of her field. It's an outstanding work of historical artistry, a brilliantly woven and pacy story of the men who surrounded, influenced and sometimes plagued Henry VIII. Borman is in complete command of the vast source material, and affords us a new perspective on a king who has dominated the national consciousness for centuries - no mean achievement. Masterful, and hugely impressive, this is one Tudor book you must not miss!
An arching overview of Henry's reign with small surprises on virtually every page. Why wait for the final installment of Wolf Hall, when the real tale is every bit as compelling? We meet a Henry who for once is a wholly convincing man - neither a monster, nor the monolith of the Holbein portrait [Borman] unpacks so deftly.
A fresh and interesting approach to Henry VIII's story, revealing a new side to the famous king's character through the lives of the men who surrounded him.
Henry VIII and The Men Who Made Him is a meticulously researched and compellingly presented narrative, which presents the infamous Tudor King in a whole new light from the eyes of the men who knew him: family, friends, servants and enemies. It's a refreshingly brilliant approach to a well known story, which is beautifully and engagingly written.
This is a superbly told and impeccably researched account of Henry VIII's reign and the men who surrounded him. At the centre of Borman's narrative is the majestic horror created, and inflicted, by Henry's charisma.
All stars
Most relevant
The best book on henry yet loved it could not put it down learned a lot from it

Great book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
After being impressed with Tracy Borman's Private Lives of The Tudors, I purchased this book. Borman's attention to detail had greatly impressed me and this work from her follows suit. However, readers of this and the aforementioned Private Lives of The Tudors might feel the way i did about the first couple of chapters. I almost considered returning this book, disappointed by the seemingly almost verbatim content. With minor deviations, this book mirrors the opening chapter or two of Borman's prior book I had read, and I thought I had somehow began reading the wrong book. The next thing I thought after confirming I was reading the correct book, was how a writer could get away with this. However, I gave Borman the benefit of the doubt, continued and was very glad I did. It's clear now that both books mentioned have a common beginning and thus this is reflected in the writing. it starts with Henry VII, a logical opening to a book about the men that surrounded and affected Henry VIII.

Borman covers all the familiar names here as well as a few I hadn't heard of before, or at least, those that historians tend not to cover so much. Thomas Woolsey and Thomas Cromwell are covered in particular detail as one would expect of both these highly influential and powerful men. As mentioned before, Borman provides a more granular and detailed account of key events than I had come across before, which cleared up some nuanced behaviour exhibited by Henry as well as clarifying prior misunderstandings I had about Henry's religious policies and how they shifted back and forth. Thomas Cranmer, perhaps a man who could be better served by historians, was included here in greater detail than I had come across before. His easy going manner is what likely saved his neck, something I had not been aware of. Borman has a book dedicated to Thomas Cromwell, but I'd also like it if she, or Alison Weir, could do their magic and bring forth the less covered men in history such as Cranmer and Gardiner. She does a sterling job with both these interesting characters, but I'd like to see separate works on them if there's sufficient source material from which to research such books.

All in all, this is a superbly researched and richly detailed work by Tracy Borman and is well worth adding to your Tudor library.

The Devil is in The Detail

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent and brilliantly researched work, told with conviction and experience which illustrates to the reader how Henry’s court worked

Terrific!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fascinating to those interested in British history and Henry viii. Probably the only audiobook which I listened to the end and then wanted to hear all again. Tragic and amazing!

Fascinating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Tracy always does her homework and this I read and listened to, it’s not just about Henry but about the men who did make him so known. The fights and what led to so many downfalls and how . Excellent

Brilliant and so informative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews