| The Wives of Henry VIII |  | Author: Lady Antonia Fraser
Publisher: Books on Tape
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Media: Audio Cassette
Number Of Items: 14
ISBN: 555710786X
EAN: 9785557107860
ASIN: 555710786X
Publication Date: January 1992
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Amazon.com
When we think of the wives of Henry VIII, we tend to think of women who literally lost their heads. But Antonia Fraser opens the door to the political and cultural demands that shaped the destinies of the king and his royal wives. Romance, unfortunately, rarely had anything to do with it. And if you think the modern American media is too tough on political leadership, you oughta READ about the royal court in King Henry's day! That's one family you'd never want to marry into.
Product Description
The six-week New York Times bestselling history of the legendary six wives of Henry VIII--from an acclaimed biographer. "Admirably succeed(s) in bringing to life the six women who married England's ruler. . . ."--New York Times Book Review. 16 color plates. 32 pages of illustrations.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Of all the books on Henry VIII's wives, this is the best August 5, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A few years ago David Starkey wrote a book on Henry VIII's three wives which received much publicity. It was even turned into a PBS documentary. I read that book and while I found some of his research compelling, his arrogant style and dubious conclusions irritated me. The book is overlong (880 pages), and lopsidedly devoted to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Out of the 750 odd pages of actual text, a whopping 800 are devoted to Catherine and Anne! In particular, Catherine of Aragon's seven years of being the sort-of-fiance of Henry VIII after her first husband's death is chronicled in excruciatingly boring detail. Starkey is also fond of making pronouncements such as "In short, it rewrites history." Henry's other four wives are mentioned in a rushed, careless way.
Antonia Fraser's book is half Starkey's length but it's quality, not quantity, that counts. Whereas Starkey holds most of Henry's wives with a fair degree of contempt, Fraser is more sympathetic. You can tell she cares about her characters, even Henry. She too draws some conclusions that I might not agree with (her insistence that Catherine of Aragon's first marriage was not consummated for instance -- I'm on the fence about that one), but overall her book rings true. She surmises, for instance, that Henry and Anne during their 7 year courtship probably used coitus interruptus as birth control. She details Catherine of Aragon's sad descent from a plump and spirited bride into a lonely, embittered woman is poignant. Her style is witty, engaging, and heartfelt. After reading her book I felt like I knew the queens as old friends. The book is beautifully illustrated with a section of photographs for each queen.
But more importantly, she devotes much care to Henry's other four wives, and not just Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. She follows their stories all the way to the end. In Starkey's book, Anne of Cleves is shuttled off to become Henry's "sister" after a disastrous short marriage. And as he writes, "that was that." Fraser by contrast mentions that Anne of Cleves continued to occasionally visit the court, developed rather expensive tastes, and hoped to be "taken back" as Henry's wife after Henry beheaded the sweet but careless and indiscreet Katherine Howard. She mentions Henry's children's relationships with their stepmothers -- Mary and Anne Boleyn were openly hostile to each other, but Mary liked Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr, Henry's last wife. Elizabeth too was fond of Catherine Parr.
I should say that I am not an unqualified admirer of Antonia Fraser. Her most recent work, on Marie Antoinette, I thought veered into hagiography. But none of these faults are in evidence in this book. For a more detailed look at Henry's most fascinating wife, Anne Boleyn, Eric Ives' study is considered definitive, but for a more general book about Henry's wives, I would consider Fraser's the book to get.
Better than Fiction March 29, 2008
Great book about the many interesting women married to the famous Monarch. Ms Fraser is a great writer breathing life into each one of the Queen's, showing their vulnerability as well as strength. I will be reading more by this author.
 Off with 'er head! and other love stories March 28, 2008
As I described it to my friend, Fraser's work reads like a novel with footnotes. There's definitely research, and she has an excellent grasp on what she is saying, but as a biography of the wives, there isn't much of the usual dense analysis to grapple with. Fraser's strength as an author is in the narrative. Her narrative is lively and well informed - her background in writing novels definitely comes through. She is also successful at ensuring that she has given you all the background information to attempt to explain the context - it was, after all, more than just a husband's wandering eye. This work of popular history is definitely accessible and entertaining, and even though you might already know how it ends, the narrative still keeps you coming back to it, waiting for the next high emotion scene where heads will quite literally roll.
For those of you who enjoy history, this will be a delightful, easy read.
If you are considering going to see The Other Boleyn Girl [Theatrical Release] or you're a fan of the Showtime series The Tudors - The Complete First Season, or even if you aren't, I would definitely recommend picking up Fraser's book. At the very least the book will allow you to be watch such recent Hollywood hits and say, "Hey! They totally got the timeline and context wrong on this whole situation." It will also probably make you wonder why Hollywood has bothered to change the story at all - when the real one is dramatic and entertaining enough on its own.
Different view of an Infamous King October 7, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was the first Antonia Fraser book I read and from the "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" I was hooked. I read it after hearing her speak at Peterborough Cathedral about Catherine of Aragon. The book looks at Henry VIII's from his wives' perspective. What drove them to marry this man especially after he beheaded Anne Boleyn. Also, it is great introduction to Tudor England.
Brings History Back To Life March 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
For those who say history is boring. Better than reading a novel, with real characters sometimes going beyond the imaginary. An amazing study of the six wives, and the power crazed king they called husband. Used every means imaginable to justify ridding himself of one wife, to marry another. Even to the point of falsely accusing one of commiting incest with her own brother (Anne Boleyn), and having her beheaded. A powerful study of the British monarchy, and one of its most shameful periods.
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