A Lesser-Known But Fascinating King

Not having been to school in the UK, I had never heard of Henry VII, and purchased this title on a whim, based on other reviewers' praise for this audiobook. I do not regret it.



On the one hand it is a perfect "prequel" to the life of Henry VIII and sheds much light into the context in which Henry VIII became king (in particular his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the immense wealth he found when acceding to the throne, and the wild popularity he enjoyed at the beginning of his reign).



On the other hand it depicts Henry VII, an immensely interesting king in his own right. At a time when all European monarchs were cash-strapped due to their incessant wars, Henry VII studiously avoided wars and became the only cash-rich king of Europe. His attention to details (micromanagement) was probably also a plus as compared to other kings who let councilors run amok.



The book is a bit frustrating at times as it often doubles-back to tell the story of a new protagonist, just at the time when we are getting to a crucial point (such as the wedding of Arthur to Catherine of Aragon).



One point I liked about the book is that it did not end abruptly with the death of Henry VII, and goes on for about 30 minutes with the aftermath of his reign. Having had other biographies (Jean Edward Smith's FDR and Eisenhower come to mind) stop within half a page of the death of the biography's subject, it was nice to have the author's take on the transition to come.



The reader is excellent and nicely emphasizes the quoted, old English, parts of the text, so that one always knows what is a quote and what is the author's text.

13 people found this helpful

Classy reconstruction of the period

Fascinating but selective. A  very enjoyable history of Henry VII and how he managed to size the English throne, and keep it,  in very unsure times.  The Battle of Bosworth is skated over very quickly, as is how Henry secured the throne.  But longer passages are devoted to more  obscure persons such as the  poet Skelton who became Henry VIII tutor.  It gives a good back ground to the early lives of Henry VIII and Catherine, and all the machinations around their eventually marriage. The final passages on the the death of Henry VII are some of the best, in showing what it was like to be around a dying king.   In the  end Henry VII still remains an  elusive character. A knowledge of the ins and outs of the period is useful, Wikipedia was very helpful.

12 people found this helpful

Winter King

I am an avid reader of all aspects of history, I have studied Henry V11's reign at A Level and read other material to supplement my interest. This is a well researched, intelligent and easy to listen/read book. I found the narrative on the many colouful characters of the Tudor court particularly interesting and Mr Penn succeeds in humanising them for good or ill in a way that I have not experienced before. A refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable read which avoids the current trend of authors to follow practically every sentence with 'they probably attended', 'probably thought'. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in Tudor History. The audio version is one of the best i've listened to.

11 people found this helpful

A different perspective on the wrong side

What did you like most about Winter King?

Thomas Penn has done a very good job in not only investigating this period but peeling back the layers of history to make it an informative, enjoyable and accessible listen. As a Yorkist Wars of the Roses reenactor my interest has often ended after Bosworth but to hear the rest of the story once Henry VII is on the throne makes me see how much I was missing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

With all the intrigue and politics going on favourite is not the right word. The portrayal of Henry VII in relation to the continental kings with his supposedly bottomless pot of gold was certainly very interesting.

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

Keeping my attention held on the story and adapting his portrayal of the characters to more easily reflect who was who.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Usually films of historical events are done very badly so the tag line might well be:

"Don't watch this drivel where the director and production team has no knowledge or respect for history. Go listen to Simon Vance read the intrigue to you instead!"

Though that isn't very catchy.

Any additional comments?

A very enjoyable book indeed and I will certainly be looking for more by both author and reader.

8 people found this helpful

Dodgy geezer steals throne and bleeds country dry

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Great stuff ... Illuminated Henry VII very well. Good style, easy and informative listen. Great narration. Finished it in a few days, just didnt want to stop.
Yup, recommended.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard done by princess? Evil vizier tax-men? His ol' mum? His hero in the waiting son? The perfidious foreigners? Underrated outsider in rags to riches real-life story?
Got it all, really :)

5 people found this helpful

Fascinating link between Plantagenets and Tudors

What did you like most about Winter King?

Following on from the recent TV series on Elizabeth Woodville, the book filled a gap in my knowledge of the period between the Wars of the Roses and the mass of books written about Henry VIII and later Tudors. The author gives a convincing story of how Henry VII's complex personality, and obsession with hoarding money, was formed during his childhood exile. I really liked the way that meticulous research and contemporary quotes were woven into the story so that one could envisage the colour and spectacle of great Court occasions as well as feel the terror of loyal subjects who were baffled by the King's secretiveness. I found the most interesting elements concerned what was going on in England at the high point of the Renaissance in Italy. I knew that Henry VII was deeply engaged in European trade, but the book gives insights into his machinations, as well as to the squandering of huge sums to try to 'buy' security from Plantagenet rivals for the English throne.

Would you be willing to try another book from Thomas Penn? Why or why not?

I like the way solid research and contemporary quotes that were woven seamlessly into the storyline. If this author has written anything else about a little-known period of history, I would enjoy reading it.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Philip of Burgundy was shipwrecked on the English south coast when he was trying to get to Spain to claim the crown of Castile from Ferdinand (of Aragon) after Isabella's death. The book illustrates how the usually sombre Henry VII created a series of extravagant Court pageants to lock Philip into a 'gilded cage' until he agreed to give up the main Plantagenet 'pretender' to the English throne that he had protected for years. Henry was an incredibly astute politician.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Our first Renaissance King

3 people found this helpful

Difficult material well handled.

This is difficult material concerning an important period, which has all but vanished under the mass of fluff and scholarship which attends the later Tudor era. It is however a very important period in the development of the power of the state, and deserves to be studied for this fact if no other. Thomas Penn has made a very good job of organising a wealth of information and detail, and if he falls into the trap of listing too many names of people and places from time to time, it's hardly surprising. These occasional longueurs and confusions do not really detract from an otherwise informative and stimulating work. Simon Vance's narration is absolutely first class, smooth, measured and fluent throughout. Five stars for the telling and four for the story; jolly good, all in all.

2 people found this helpful

Struggled..

Didn't hold my attention even though it was full of information. Too long and too many unnecessary characters. Sadly returned it :( Would listen to Simon Vance again though.

1 person found this helpful

Winter King: Henry VII not just a stop-gap!

The reign of Henry VII is often seen as rather dull compared with the Wars of the Roses and the glories of the Tudor Court under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I but this book makes it very clear that the cautious Henry VII consolidated his victory at Bosworth by careful financial management as well as bringing together the houses of Lancaster and York by marrying the eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. This is history at its best: strategy and politics as well as human tragedy. The narration makes it a real 'audio page turner'

1 person found this helpful

Very interesting and totally engaging.

I didn't know much about Henry VII so this was an excellent introduction. It was really well read and filled in so many gaps in my historical knowledge. I'm not sure I liked Henry but I really do admire his ability to govern and bring a measure of peace and stability. Being about Henry VIII's father it also details Henry VIII's childhood and early life including his courtship of Catherine which is very sad when you know how it ends. What a sad lonely life Catherine had.

I would highly recommend this audio book which once started is quite addictive!

1 person found this helpful