If you are a fan of Philippa Gregory, like myself, and you relish in the scandals and dramatics of King Henry VIII's Court, this may not be the book for you. This reads a lot more like a history textbook. Not exactly salacious or trashy. Just provides a lot of background and facts about this period of time. I just couldn't stay engrossed. I guess I need the fictionalized version, no matter how accurate it may be. Not exactly a short casual read by any means.

A must read if you have been enticed by the interesting tale of the period... Perhaps you have read some of the fluffier books with more romance and fictional license. This is book fills in many of the holes. This book is a nice enjoyable read with great details that touch on the people in a Titan's wake.

The women come to life.
The politics and decisions that baffle us, centuries later, come into focus as you understand the rival nations and religious reform of the era. GREAT NOVEL.

This author did research and portrayed the characters factually and clearly.

Her Eleanor of Aquitaine novel is excellent as well.

I got through this book much quicker than average. I could hardly put it down. Very well written and extremely interesting.

To be a wife of Henry VIII would be great if you were content to not to be an individual with any rights.You would want for nothing.On the other hand if you wanted to express your self and be seen as an equal you would be treading on thin ice.

The book is excellent. So much interesting drama! I am Korean and Korea's Chosun Dynasty is also full of Queens and deceit and back stabbing and I realized how England's Kingdom was very similar to Korea's. I suppose King & Queens are kind of similar in their nature to keep the power given to them. Anyway, I bought 2 other Alison Weir books because she just writes wonderfully. Knowing this is history which can be boring, but not so for this wonderful book. If you are a history buff like myself, you will love this book. One thing though, I read my book on subway trains and on buses while I commute to work, and this book too heaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvy! I guess that would be only minus for this book.

Alison Weir provides a fascinating, richly detailed and penetrating human history of the life of King Henry VIII and his six wives. The work is meticulously researched and provides a deep and intelligent understanding of these six fascinating ladies and of King Henry himself.

While Henry VIII was responsible for some great achievements for England, he developed into a cruel tyrant; anyone who aroused his suspicion or displeasure was likely to be be executed and those who died included nobles, ministers, prelates and 2 of his six wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.

Catherine of Aragon was a proud Spanish princess, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and a deeply pious Roman Catholic. She was betrothed at three years of age to the first son of King Henry VII, Arthur Prince of Wales and became Prince Arthur's wife at 16. Arthur died six months after their marriage and Catherine spent 7 years in poverty and insecurity, abandoned by Spain and despised by Henry VII, robbed of her dowry and never sure of what her fate would be. Catherine bore these years with great faith, strength and dignity.
After Henry VII's death, in 1509, the newly crowned Henry VIII made her his wife, and they lived together for eighteen years.
Of the five children born to Catherine, only Mary lived. She became Queen Mary I ("Bloody Mary"). Henry desperate for a male heir and enchanted by Anne Boleyn, decided to annul his marriage to Catherine.
Catherine resisted the annulment as long as she could, while always declaring her loyalty and love to the king.
After Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church to divorce her, Catherine lived in retirement.

Anne Boleyn was a chamber maid to Catherine of Aragon when the king became interested in her.
Henry secretly married Anne in January, 1533. Henry's Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer pronounced Henry's first marriage null and void.
Anne Boleyn was crowned queen in June and because of circumstances beyond her control was unpopular with the English people and had many enemies.
Anne gave birth to Elizabeth in June.
But Henry a cruel and selfish man had wanted a boy and soon tired of Anne.
After she repeatedly failed to produce a male heir, Henry and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell had Anne framed for adultery and executed.
Anne was an intelligent and courageous women, as well as ambitious and capable at times of ruthlessness.
She was a strong adherent to the Protestant cause and well read in Protestant theology at a time when it was dangerous to do so.
The author reveals that Anne was not however the scheming wanton that some historians have painted her as.

Jane Seymour by contrast was not the good hearted innocent some have seen her as. she copied Anne Boleyn's methods of witholding her sexual favours to the king until she was Queen. She was favoured by the Catholic camp.
She seemed to have remained on the King's good side and bore him his long wanted male heir to be Edward VI.
She died of illness soon after Edward's birth.

Henry was then maneuvered into a marriage by his chief minister Thomas Cromwell, to the Protestant German princess, Anne of Cleves, to bolster the Protestant cause.
Henry had only soon seen Anne of Cleves in a portrait but when he met her he found her unattractive exclaiming "I like her not".
He soon divorced her but because Anne of Cleves did not resists the divorce and was amenable she avoided a tragic fate and lived out a comfortable retirement with a large inheritance, the longest living of Henry's wives.
Ironically the Protestant princess Anne of Cleves was converted to a devout Catholic, by Princess Mary, who became her close friend.

After that the powerful Howard family manipulated one of their young daughters, the 15 year old Catherine Howard to marry the king, and was supported by the Catholic faction. The aging Henry's large ego was thrilled to betroth an attractive girl over thirty years his junior. When he married her, Henry described Catherine Howard as his "rose without a thorn"
Catherine was good hearted, but simple and sexually promiscuous. Described as giddy girl."

The machinations of the court destroyed her and she was not shrewd enough to survive.
She was accused of adultery, whether she was guilty is not known, but she never stood a chance and was executed on the orders of the cruel and vengeful Henry,a truly tragic tale.
Catherine Howard was a powerless pawn used by powerful and unscrupulous forces.

Henry's last wife was the level headed and highly intelligent Catherine Parr. She managed to outlive the king, and befriended the young Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward, showing a kindly character. She was a strong Protestant and believed in church reform (she had secret Lutheran sympathies) and the author believes she would have made a mark as a great thinker in times when women were encouraged to think independentally and make an intellectual contribution.
Her strong religious convictions led her to argue with King Henry about religion, and the author writes that she may have been lucky the King died when he did.

Catherine Parr, later married Sir. Thomas Seymour and was a great friend to the Lady Jane Grey.
she also foretold that the young Princess Elizabeth was destined by Heaven to be a great Queen of England, when she had told Elizabeth to leave her house after Elizabeth had been seduced by Thomas Seymour, showing her powers of vision and her non vengeful nature,
She was a visionary and a good woman.

An interesting historical anecdote. Friar Peto predicted in 1532 that if King Henry cast off Katherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn he would be as Ahab and the dogs would lick his blood.
After Henry's death his lead coffin weakened by the motion of the carriage burst open, and liquid matter from the body seeped out onto the church pavement. A dog was with the plumbers who came the next morning to repair the coffin, and it was seen to lick up the blood from the floor just as Friar Peto had predicted.

Like all of Alison Weir's works this volume combines detailed history with a thrilling and smooth read. Everything you could want in a factual history volume.
It is social and personal history at it's best and captures the essence of the time of Henry VIII's reign and the wider events involving England at the time.

Alison Weir provides a fascinating, richly detailed and penetrating human history of the life of King Henry VIII and his six wives. The work is meticulously researched and provides a deep and intelligent understanding of these six fascinating ladies and of King Henry himself.

While Henry VIII was responsible for some great achievements for England, he developed into a cruel tyrant; anyone who aroused his suspicion or displeasure was likely to be be executed and those who died included nobles, ministers, prelates and 2 of his six wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.

Catherine of Aragon was a proud Spanish princess, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and a deeply pious Roman Catholic. She was betrothed at three years of age to the first son of King Henry VII, Arthur Prince of Wales and became Prince Arthur's wife at 16. Arthur died six months after their marriage and Catherine spent 7 years in poverty and insecurity, abandoned by Spain and despised by Henry VII, robbed of her dowry and never sure of what her fate would be. Catherine bore these years with great faith, strength and dignity.
After Henry VII's death, in 1509, the newly crowned Henry VIII made her his wife, and they lived together for eighteen years.
Of the five children born to Catherine, only Mary lived. She became Queen Mary I ("Bloody Mary"). Henry desperate for a male heir and enchanted by Anne Boleyn, decided to annul his marriage to Catherine.
Catherine resisted the annulment as long as she could, while always declaring her loyalty and love to the king.
After Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church to divorce her, Catherine lived in retirement.

Anne Boleyn was a chamber maid to Catherine of Aragon when the king became interested in her.
Henry secretly married Anne in January, 1533. Henry's Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer pronounced Henry's first marriage null and void.
Anne Boleyn was crowned queen in June and because of circumstances beyond her control was unpopular with the English people and had many enemies.
Anne gave birth to Elizabeth in June.
But Henry a cruel and selfish man had wanted a boy and soon tired of Anne.
After she repeatedly failed to produce a male heir, Henry and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell had Anne framed for adultery and executed.
Anne was an intelligent and courageous women, as well as ambitious and capable at times of ruthlessness.
She was a strong adherent to the Protestant cause and well read in Protestant theology at a time when it was dangerous to do so.
The author reveals that Anne was not however the scheming wanton that some historians have painted her as.

Jane Seymour by contrast was not the good hearted innocent some have seen her as. she copied Anne Boleyn's methods of witholding her sexual favours to the king until she was Queen. She was favoured by the Catholic camp.
She seemed to have remained on the King's good side and bore him his long wanted male heir to be Edward VI.
She died of illness soon after Edward's birth.

Henry was then maneuvered into a marriage by his chief minister Thomas Cromwell, to the Protestant German princess, Anne of Cleves, to bolster the Protestant cause.
Henry had only soon seen Anne of Cleves in a portrait but when he met her he found her unattractive exclaiming "I like her not".
He soon divorced her but because Anne of Cleves did not resists the divorce and was amenable she avoided a tragic fate and lived out a comfortable retirement with a large inheritance, the longest living of Henry's wives.
Ironically the Protestant princess Anne of Cleves was converted to a devout Catholic, by Princess Mary, who became her close friend.

After that the powerful Howard family manipulated one of their young daughters, the 15 year old Catherine Howard to marry the king, and was supported by the Catholic faction. The aging Henry's large ego was thrilled to betroth an attractive girl over thirty years his junior. When he married her, Henry described Catherine Howard as his "rose without a thorn"
Catherine was good hearted, but simple and sexually promiscuous. Described as giddy girl."

The machinations of the court destroyed her and she was not shrewd enough to survive.
She was accused of adultery, whether she was guilty is not known, but she never stood a chance and was executed on the orders of the cruel and vengeful Henry,a truly tragic tale.
Catherine Howard was a powerless pawn used by powerful and unscrupulous forces.

Henry's last wife was the level headed and highly intelligent Catherine Parr. She managed to outlive the king, and befriended the young Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward, showing a kindly character. She was a strong Protestant and believed in church reform (she had secret Lutheran sympathies) and the author believes she would have made a mark as a great thinker in times when women were encouraged to think independentally and make an intellectual contribution.
Her strong religious convictions led her to argue with King Henry about religion, and the author writes that she may have been lucky the King died when he did.

Catherine Parr, later married Sir. Thomas Seymour and was a great friend to the Lady Jane Grey.
she also foretold that the young Princess Elizabeth was destined by Heaven to be a great Queen of England, when she had told Elizabeth to leave her house after Elizabeth had been seduced by Thomas Seymour, showing her powers of vision and her non vengeful nature,
She was a visionary and a good woman.

An interesting historical anecdote. Friar Peto predicted in 1532 that if King Henry cast off Katherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn he would be as Ahab and the dogs would lick his blood.
After Henry's death his lead coffin weakened by the motion of the carriage burst open, and liquid matter from the body seeped out onto the church pavement. A dog was with the plumbers who came the next morning to repair the coffin, and it was seen to lick up the blood from the floor just as Friar Peto had predicted.

Like all of Alison Weir's works this volume combines detailed history with a thrilling and smooth read. Everything you could want in a factual history volume.
It is social and personal history at it's best and captures the essence of the time of Henry VIII's reign and the wider events involving England at the time.

The book is excellent. So much interesting drama! I am Korean and Korea's Chosun Dynasty is also full of Queens and deceit and back stabbing and I realized how England's Kingdom was very similar to Korea's. I suppose King & Queens are kind of similar in their nature to keep the power given to them. Anyway, I bought 2 other Alison Weir books because she just writes wonderfully. Knowing this is history which can be boring, but not so for this wonderful book. If you are a history buff like myself, you will love this book. One thing though, I read my book on subway trains and on buses while I commute to work, and this book too heaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvy! I guess that would be only minus for this book.

This is a great book and very interesting. After seeing The Other Boleyn Sister I was anxious to read what really happened. A little drawn out between his marrage to Katherine and Anne but considering it took almost 7 years I can see why. He was a tyrant!

This is a great book and very interesting. After seeing The Other Boleyn Sister I was anxious to read what really happened. A little drawn out between his marrage to Katherine and Anne but considering it took almost 7 years I can see why. He was a tyrant!

Alison Weir's well-written, easy to read book about the Six Wives of Henry the VIII is an outstanding work of history about England in the 1500s, Henry's six wives, and the role they play in English politics and international relations with Spain, France and Germany. It is definitely a five star work of scholarship and entertainment.

This is an excellent account of Henry and his many wives. Well researched, very well written - there's hardly a boring passage.

Henry VIII is a fascinating man of history. He took six wives, arranged to exchange one wife for another, murdered two, lost one to childbirth, rejected another and died before he could find a way to get rid of wife six. A man of wit, intelligence, excess and greed. He had an enormous appetite for pleasure, riches and love. You'll feel as if you're reading exceptional fiction but it really happened.

Watching the Tudors on Showtime got me interested in Henry VIII. I purchased this book because of the depth of its research and historical accuracy. It was excellent. I could not put it down. I tend to be more of a fiction reader, when I read for enjoyment. This was as engrossing as any novel.

If you want to read about Henry VIII's six wives, there are more titles out there that you can ever read. A lot of the material is a combination of guesses and conjecture, with a slant toward the prurient. This book, however, is very different. Alison Weir spent a lot of time looking at primary sources from the Tudor period. She obviously did her homework, and her fictionalized historical accounts are likely the closest to the truth that we will ever find.

Unlike most accounts that paint Henry as a man driven by lust, Ms. Weir paints him as a deeply religious man driven by a combination of duty and fear. He truly believes that the fate of the Tudor dynasty depends entirely on the appearance of a legitimate son. Henry had at least one illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, whose last name is a sly poke at his bastard status. (FitzRoy = Son of the King, get it?) As time passed, Henry's sense of duty became magnified and overwhelmed by fear that he would die before a legitimate Tudor prince was born. His son Edward was sick and weak from the beginning, and it was apparent to Henry that he needed a healthy, strong son to take on the mantle of leadership should Edward die. He himself only became king because of the untimely death of his sickly brother, Arthur. His treatment of his wives was based on these twin factors.

Alison Weir takes the dry facts and weaves them into a compelling and interesting narrative, and the tragedy of Henry's relationships with all of the women he encountered becomes stunningly clear. I found the book impossible to put down, and although I knew the bare bones of what happened from history books, I had to keep reading to see what might happen next. This is a wonderful introduction to Ms. Weir's books, and if you read this one, be sure to have the others in your shopping cart. You won't want to waste any time getting your hands on them.

I recieved this book in perfect condition and it came a day before the estimated time of arrival. Thank you.

The book is great so far. I ordered it because its my ex girlfriends favorite book and i trust her taste in books.

What I liked most about this book is also what since distresses me most about films circulating on this topic. Weir so thoroughly researches the profusion of biographic material available (besides Britain, courts throughout Europe had documention on the wives of Henry and him) that it is clear there is no need to fictionalise this fascinating story (you wouldn't even try to imagine it). And although it lends itself so well to a series (or a film) once you have read this book the inaccuracies in (Gregory's, for example) fictionalisions on the screen tend to get annoying. Wonderful book -the story is historic and timeless at the same time. (If you can recommend a good, unembellished biographic DVD, please do.)

The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Wonderful book. Very well written. It has increased my desire to know more about Henry the VIII and his times.

Very informative book! Weir manages to give us a detailed description of the personalities of each of these six queens. What makes this book such a success is that its very easy to read making it impossible to get bored!

I haven't been a big history buff in the past (no pun intended) but after seeing a glimpse of a documentary on Henry VIII, I was curious. This book was GREAT! I simply couldn't put it down and lugged the big book with me on the bus, on planes, etc. In fact, it inspired me to continue reading up on the Tudors. Highly recommended!

Impeccably researched, fantastically written, wonderfully enthralling. Anyone interested in British history, monarchs in general, the tudor period, politics, or anyone who just plain likes gossip will love this book. It was really great.

A friend recommended some of Philipa Gregory's books to me. After reading "The Other Boelyn Girl" I decided to try non-fiction. I would have never dreamed that I would enjoy a big, thick, historial, non-fiction book about 16th century England. However, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" was fantastic! I could not put this book down! I have ordered Ms. Weir's other books about Lady Jane Grey, Henry VIII's court and Elizabeth. After reading this book, you will look at the Tower of London, Hampton Court, Hever Castle, etc. in a completely different way when in London. You have to hand it to the Brits; they have the most interesting and fascinating history of all.

If you're in the market for a book that gives a thorough account of each wife of Henry VIII, then this is the book for you. Over 600 pages long, this packs together history and great writing. It's written chronologically, from Henry's days before his betrothal to Katherine of Aragon, up to the death of his last wife, Katherine Parr. It flows together perfectly. It's easy to read, to boot. I think my favorite parts were the quotes taken from personal letters, and hand-written accounts by those closest to the royals themselves.

I've never read a book so quickly and with such interest. This is a must read for anyone who has become involved with the Tutors television show.

I love this book and I hated history all through school--even in college. It reads almost like a novel. I can't put it down! It's giving me a new perspective on history and it makes me want to learn even more about other times as well. Now I want to plan a trip to England. I'd recommend this book to any history teacher or a parent who needs to instill an appreciation for history in their students.

This book is an interesting history and chronology of the court of Henry VIII, his love life and court intrigue. No wonder Showtime is doing a show about the Tudors; no fiction writer could make this up. This book helps understand the dilemmas Henry VIII was under, dispel myths about him (and royalty) and creates some new ones.

Ms. Weir does a fantastic job of bringing historical figures to life, telling us about the women behind the names with intelligence and zest. The author is careful to distinguish between fact and fiction, and even more careful to inform the reader about "educated guesses".

Although contains lots of history, still very readable and interesting. I got it because I got hooked on The Tudors on Showtime. The book is better!

After reading all the Philippa Gregory books about Tudor England I became really interested in that period in English history. I wanted to read some non-fiction so I ordered this after reading all the reviews. I was afraid it would be a little dry. Happily it wasn't!! I found it to be a relatively fast read and very interesting! My only criticism would be that Anne Boleyn's section of the book was a little long and drawn out.

Very informative, sometimes a bit wordy but its vey hard to give the details of certain events without explaining what occurances led up to the fact so well worth the read.

Very informative, sometimes a bit wordy but its vey hard to give the details of certain events without explaining what occurances led up to the fact so well worth the read.

As an advocate of Tudor England and an extreme fan of books by this title (see Antonia Fraiser), and having heard all the positive comments about Alison Weir, I picked this book up anxiously anticipating the plethera of valuable information that was sure to come my way. I must say, I was not entirely dissapointed, though there were several faults.

I cannot comprehend how such a respected author and historian could have such clear biases. Weir is clearly of the "Pro-Catherine, Anti-Anne" camp. I see nothing wrong with forming opinions based on logical interpretations of facts, but reading this text gave me the feeling Weir had had initial opionions before writing this book and saught to prove them, instead of approaching the subject matter with a clear and unbiased mind, like one should. Right off the bat we are told Katherine is a kind but slightly misguided "woman of principle" whilst Anne is an overly ambitious woman with a "taste for vengance". What?! Taste for vengance, I thought, that's weird, never heard that one before? But nonethless I continued plowing through, optimistically hoping Weir would explain and elaborate. Alas, she does not. She continues to assert that Katherine was the epitome of good, and inspiringly admirable, but does not approach it from the other side. No evidence is given into the consummation issue, just Katherine's word-which I guess is fine, but not historical scholarship. Katherine is certainly the Victim of The Piece here and she is not given much other description. Anne, on the other hand, was the clear opposite. Weir tells her from the start that Anne was not guilty of incest or adultery, but she was no saint. This I can agree upon wholeheartedly. But then Weir continues to say that Anne was very black, and the Catholics were probably more right about her personality than her friends. Oh!?! I think, confused? This is odd. Oh well, as long as she proves it. But she does not; she uses Spanish and Catholic sources--to prove what Spanish and Catholics said. This is like proving a hypothesis by giving a list of your own thoughts. It makes no sense.

Weir also has the annoying habit of saying a sentence about a person she does not like, and spinning it into a negative light, even if the fact in the sentence wasn't all that negative. For instance, and this is just one example of many, Weir was talking about how Anne Boleyn had a copy of an English Bible, and that she displayed it in her chambers. When read like "Anne had an English Bible"-there is no bias to it. But the way Weir wrote it, and the context it was in, made it sound like this was supposed to be a horrible thing and that should take away from anyone who liked her. The way I read it in Weir's I inwardly rolled my eyes at what a character Anne was, but then thought about it-is that all that bad?

She has, also, frightening double standards when it comes to the wives. When Katherine questions Henry for his affairs, it is not spun, so therefore we think it is perfectly reasonable that she should. But when Anne does it, or "dares to upbraid him for his dalliances" as Weir so eloquently put it, we are reminded that it is typical of Kings to have affairs and it is spun so that Anne seems completely ridiculous. And why is it that when Katherine Parr tries to convert Henry to Lutheranism it is some brave, noble thing, but when Anne does it, Weir makes her seem silly and needing to be put in her place? When Anne "meddles" in state affairs(and usually it is good things she is doing) she is indiscreet and ill fit for Queen ship, but when Katherine of Aragon, Katherine Parr, and Jane Seymour(Jane is labeled a "strong minded matriarch in the making"-completely ridiculous)do the same, they are once again spun into heroic light?


Other than the obvious bias in some of the material, I would say that Weir has done a good job assesing the Queen's and their actions. The writing style is certainly smooth, and she adds a certain zest to the repetive material history majors see over and over again.

As an advocate of Tudor England and an extreme fan of books by this title (see Antonia Fraiser), and having heard all the positive comments about Alison Weir, I picked this book up anxiously anticipating the plethera of valuable information that was sure to come my way. I must say, I was not entirely dissapointed, though there were several faults.

I cannot comprehend how such a respected author and historian could have such clear biases. Weir is clearly of the "Pro-Catherine, Anti-Anne" camp. I see nothing wrong with forming opinions based on logical interpretations of facts, but reading this text gave me the feeling Weir had had initial opionions before writing this book and saught to prove them, instead of approaching the subject matter with a clear and unbiased mind, like one should. Right off the bat we are told Katherine is a kind but slightly misguided "woman of principle" whilst Anne is an overly ambitious woman with a "taste for vengance". What?! Taste for vengance, I thought, that's weird, never heard that one before? But nonethless I continued plowing through, optimistically hoping Weir would explain and elaborate. Alas, she does not. She continues to assert that Katherine was the epitome of good, and inspiringly admirable, but does not approach it from the other side. No evidence is given into the consummation issue, just Katherine's word-which I guess is fine, but there is certainly a double standard here. Anne Boleyn swore she was a virgin quite a few times-but Weir thinks she was not. Why? Because other people said she wasn't. So Why is Katherine to be ultimately trusted merely because she said she was a virgin but Anne is not. If you think about it, it really is the exact same situation. Katherine is certainly the Victim of The Piece here and she is not given much other description. Anne, on the other hand, was the clear opposite. Weir tells her from the start that Anne was not guilty of incest or adultery, but she was no saint. This I can agree upon wholeheartedly. But then Weir continues to say that Anne was very black, and the Catholics were probably more right about her personality than her friends. Oh!?! I think, confused? This is odd. Oh well, as long as she proves it. But she does not; she uses Spanish and Catholic sources--to prove what Spanish and Catholics said. This is like proving a hypothesis by giving a list of your own thoughts. It makes no sense.

Other than the obvious bias in some of the material, I would say that Weir has done a good job assesing the Queen's and their actions. The writing style is certainly smooth, and she adds a certain zest to the repetive material history majors see over and over again.

As an advocate of Tudor England and an extreme fan of books by this title (see Antonia Fraiser and David Starkey), and having heard all the positive comments about Alison Weir, I picked this book up anxiously anticipating the plethera of valuable information that was sure to come my way. I must say, I was not entirely dissapointed, though there were several faults.

I cannot comprehend how such a respected author and historian could have such clear biases. Weir is clearly of the "Pro-Catherine, Anti-Anne" camp. I see nothing wrong with forming opinions based on logical interpretations of facts, but reading this text gave me the feeling Weir had had initial opionions before writing this book and saught to prove them, instead of approaching the subject matter with a clear and unbiased mind, like one should. Right off the bat we are told Katherine is a kind but slightly misguided "woman of principle" whilst Anne is an overly ambitious woman with a "taste for vengance". What?! Taste for vengance, I thought, that's weird, never heard that one before? But nonethless I continued plowing through, optimistically hoping Weir would explain and elaborate. Alas, she does not. She continues to assert that Katherine was the epitome of good, and inspiringly admirable, but does not approach it from the other side. Did she consummate her marraige with Arthur? one might ask, and Weir answers it, with a crisp and solid "No." and that is the end of that. Weir makes no mention that if she had then she would have been sent home in disgrace and made to marry someone much below her rank, so therefore giving her and her advisors cause for lying. Katherine is certainly the Victim of The Piece here and she is not given much other description. Anne, on the other hand, was the clear opposite. Weir tells her from the start that Anne was not guilty of incest or adultery, but she was no saint. This I can agree upon wholeheartedly. But then Weir continues to say that Anne was very black, and the Catholics were probably more right about her personality than her friends. Oh!?! I think, confused? This is odd. Oh well, as long as she proves it. But she does not; she continually uses Spanish and Catholic souces to describe her personality, never making mention of the Anne that her friends loved and talked about. She trusts these almost certainly innacurrate sources, the majority of whom had never even met Anne, and the rest who would not recognize her as Queen. Why should these pictures of Anne be trusted over the ones she knew best?

Other than the obvious bias in some of the material, I would say that Weir has done a good job assesing the Queen's and their actions. The writing style is certainly smooth, and she adds a certain zest to the repetive material history majors see over and over again.

As an advocate of Tudor England and an extreme fan of books by this title (see Antonia Fraiser and David Starkey), and having heard all the positive comments about Alison Weir, I picked this book up anxiously anticipating the plethera of valuable information that was sure to come my way. I must say, I was not entirely dissapointed, though there were several faults.

I cannot comprehend how such a respected author and historian could have such clear biases. Weir is clearly of the "Pro-Catherine, Anti-Anne" camp. I see nothing wrong with forming opinions based on logical interpretations of facts, but reading this text gave me the feeling Weir had had initial opionions before writing this book and saught to prove them, instead of approaching the subject matter with a clear and unbiased mind, like one should. Right off the bat we are told Katherine is a kind but slightly misguided "woman of principle" whilst Anne is an overly ambitious woman with a "taste for vengance". What?! Taste for vengance, I thought, that's weird, never heard that one before? But nonethless I continued plowing through, optimistically hoping Weir would explain and elaborate. Alas, she does not. She continues to assert that Katherine was the epitome of good, and inspiringly admirable, but does not approach it from the other side. Did she consummate her marraige with Arthur? one might ask, and Weir answers it, with a crisp and solid "No." and that is the end of that. Weir makes no mention that if she had then she would have been sent home in disgrace and made to marry someone much below her rank, so therefore giving her and her advisors cause for lying. Katherine is certainly the Victim of The Piece here and she is not given much other description. Anne, on the other hand, was the clear opposite. Weir tells her from the start that Anne was not guilty of incest or adultery, but she was no saint. This I can agree upon wholeheartedly. But then Weir continues to say that Anne was very black, and the Catholics were probably more right about her personality than her friends. Oh!?! I think, confused? This is odd. Oh well, as long as she proves it. But she does not; she continually uses Spanish and Catholic souces to describe her personality, never making mention of the Anne that her friends loved and talked about. She trusts these almost certainly innacurrate sources, the majority of whom had never even met Anne, and the rest who would not recognize her as Queen. Why should these pictures of Anne be trusted over the ones she knew best?

Other than the obvious bias in some of the material, I would say that Weir has done a good job assesing the Queen's and their actions. The writing style is certainly smooth, and she adds a certain zest to the repetive material history majors see over and over again.

This book is great - very readable and engaging, yet factual. In fact, this is one book to use when deciding how true to actual events other books and DVDs are. Alison Weir is a first-rate writer - and historian. I like her even better than David Starkey, whom I've heard she counts as a mentor.

I stumbled onto this book seven years ago. I was 24 years old and not even remotely interested in anything having to do with history. This book changed everything. Alison Wier is a genius. She brings history to life. Antonia Frasier's biography is good, but Alison Weir's is better. So so sooo much better...

Antonia Fraser, David Starkey and Alison Weir wrote books on the six ladies who were (un)lucky enough to marry Henry VIII of England. And while Starkey's & Fraser's books are a delight I think the definite version is that of Tudor veteran Alison Weir. Written in an engaging & yet professional style you are caught up in the world of Tudor England. I especially loved the chapters on Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon. This also includes several pages of pictures & illustrations which are an amazing addition to the fabulous read provided by this book. Buy it, read it & enjoy!

For a nonfiction historical account, this book is amazingly captivating. I bought it to take on vacation and found myself picking it up every time I had 5 minutes to read. I've read about this period from a variety of nonfiction and fictional accounts, and found it interesting where they don't line up. Weir does an excellent job of pointing out these discrepancies, giving different viewpoints, supporting documentation, and rationale for her choice. I felt her treatment of Katherine Howard was a bit judgemental, but on the whole, her characterizations derived from the facts served to make the book emotionally involving and significantly added to its readability. This is the best account I've read of the period, both from a factual and readability perspective, and one of Weir's best as well. You won't be disappointed.

I bought Alison Weir's THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII to read at the beach. I thought it would be helpful to have a refresher course on Henry VIII and his ladies from one of the best popular historical writers and scholars. I could hardly put this book down. It is excellent and surpasses most novels in readability and intrigue. Since Henry was married to Katherine of Aragon the longest, there is more about her and I learned more than ever before about that stubborn, passionate, implacable queen. Henry seemed to have so much guilt attached to his marriage with her that one concludes that she was, as he himself said "buxom" in the bedchamber. She was a saint but also a woman. When Anne Boleyn enters the story, one tragedy unfolds after another. However, Weir did not explore all of the sufferings the English people experienced due to Henry's dissolution of the monasteries and break with Rome. I got more of a sense of Jane Seymour's personality from this book, and Anne of Cleves as well. I thought the treatment of Katherine Howard was too conventional, with the same old story of the slutty adulterous. Weir claims that Katherine became sexually active at age 12 or 13. I would not call that being sexually active, I call it being molested or raped. She was a child, for heaven's sake, and whatever happened to her, it may have contributed to some of her later behaviors. I felt sorry for Katherine Parr, who survived Henry only to be made to suffer by her true love, Thomas Seymour. An overall fantastic book - highly recommended!

I became entirely absorbed in this book from the moment i turned the first page. Besides the Bible it is the best book I have ever read!!!

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

Alison Weir is a master at turning historical information into well-versed, readable material. I bought this book and could not put it down for two weeks. We all learn such skewed facts about Henry VIII through ill-informed resources. Weir's unbiased, often shockingly truthful account of this period really opened my eyes to what it must have been like to live in King Henry's court. I can't recommend this book enough!

This really is a decent, informative book on such a complex man and the women who shared his life. My only complaint is that the author focused too much on Ann Boleyn and not enough on the other wives. Still a good book, though!

I am a fan of historical fiction, with many books focusing on the women in the time of King Henry VIII. After so much historical fiction, I decided to get my facts straight. This book was fantastic. Though some parts are a little long (the waiting for the annulment of Henry's first marriage) this book is well-written and easy to understand. It was so much fun to learn so much about Henry and his wives. While I was familiar with Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, I enjoyed learning more about Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and the last two Katherines. This book was great, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a historically accurate account of King Henry and his wives. (The photos in the book were an added bonus.)

One of the best, if not the best, books written. Weir wrote about the six wives of Henry VIII in one book instead of six books. It may be thick, but it goes by quickly. It doesn't get old and boring like most books do. Any reader can see the heartbreak Katherine of Aragon and her daughter, Mary, go through. Mary goes through quite a bit of heartbreak when her father discards her mother. Elizabeth gets slightly better treatment.

This is the best history I've read on the subject, and I would recommend any one read it who is interested in the goings-on of the English monarchy in the 16th century. Henry VIII has been protrayed time and again as a wanton,lusting glutton. The bottom line is that he was desperate for a male heir, and he would do anything to have a son. Personnally, I was amazed that he didn't just legitimize his son, the Duke of Richmond. But, then history would have turned out entirely different.

Reads very easy. Contains loads of interesting pictures. If you are interested in Henry and his wives this is must have.

When I purchased this book, I was skeptical because I thought it might be another dull book about English history. I was absolutely wrong - this is a great book! Weir does a great job of telling this story. It is not six separate biographies. Instead, Weir weaves the story of each wife around the life of Henry VIII. Ann of Cleves is a particulary sad story, and she comes across as the most likable of Henry's wives. On the other hand, Ann Boleyn is portrayed as a scheming, ill-tempered snob who constantly meddles in the affairs of state, which ultimately leads to her unfortunate death. Henry is accurately portrayed as a controlling and sometimes distant husband and father. You won't be disappointed in this book - it's one of Weir's best works.

I bought this book to do my mid term for my History class. The author gives views of how the wives of King Henry VIII lived in those time. This is better than a soap Opera!

Okay, I almost hate to admit that I've read this book through several times, but this is only because some people might find this kind of reading too scholarly. Having said that, I LOVE this book. These women are all incredibly fascinating, and Weir takes these historical figures and shows us that they were real women with pride, feelings, motives, and faults. I wouldn't have ever guessed that I could enjoy a historical biography to this extent, but here I am recommending this (and Weir's other works) HIGHLY. I've read several of her other books (see her work under the last name of Plowden, also), and have been pulled in just as strongly with each book. One of her other books about Lady Jane Grey is phenomenal, and I'm currently reading through her work on Elizabeth I.

You won't regret picking this one up, and I doubt you'll be able to put it down. Pick a rainy weekend when you not only want to be entertained but would like to learn something in the process, and you won't be disappointed!!!