i have never before spent so long reading a book and having less to say about it at the end. before reading this book, what i knew about henry VIII came mostly from one pbs (week-long)special and the herman's hermits song, which turns out to be historically inaccurate and not actually about henry VIII at all. kids, don't get your historical information from novelty songs what i know: henry may be one of history's shittiest spouses - after reading this, i find myself able to cut warren zevon some [...]

Extensively researched and fascinating - a must-read for anyone interested in the women behind Henry VIII, aka the patron saint of man-whores. (I just made that up on the spot, but it works so I'm keeping it)Weir isn't completely unbiased in her description of Henry and his various women, but I can't blame her. With this family, it's hard not to take sides. This is especially clear when Weir describes the way Henry felt about Anne of Cleves, his wife for about ten minutes. Weir talks about how H [...]

Watch "The Other Boleyn Girl." Then watch an episode of "The Tudors." Afterward, immediately go to confession for such shameful and useless acts. Do penance by reading "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" to save your soul lest ye go through life thinking that the Tudors were all about bad acting and awkwardly placed sex scenes. Be warned that ye may lose friends when someone tries to talk to you about an episode of "The Tudors" and you turn it into a teachable moment about what *really* happened becau [...]

Where I got the book: purchased on UK.Ah, I do enjoy an Alison Weir. I am not enough of a historian to have Opinions about history, so my comments are about the writing rather than historical merit, and the writing is good. Weir is always lively and entertaining, perfect for a recreational history reader like me, and I found myself zipping through this as if through a novel, even though I knew how each character's story ended!It's strange, though, that my interest is always greatest up to the p [...]

A Kirkus review I read ages and ages ago, back in those days when their reviews were reliable, i.e. before it had been purchased by a publishing company whose aim is to sell books, said the book was meticulously researched but a bit dry. So unfortunately, I put it off until now. I did not find it in the least dry! The book's content is based on meticulous research, but in that Alison Weir, author and historian of British Royalty, is so very knowledgeable in her field, she has the ability to pres [...]

I’ve read some Phillipa Gregory and Hillary Mantel titles about Henry VIII and was totally entranced. Which is weird because I’m Afrikaans, live in South Africa, and never even had history at school. The only problem with the historical fiction titles, is that they only deal with one or two wives at a time, so I could never get a complete picture. I also wasn’t sure how much of the stories I’ve read was fictionalized. So I decided to try a non-fiction, and I was very impressed by Alison [...]

This prodigiious work on the wives of King Henry the 8th of England is so well written. It reads like a novel of suspense, passion, treachery, European History, betrayal, obedience, faith, God and love. It did what I really enjoy in books--made me want to read more about other characters mention such as Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. Also to review maps and learn of the royalty of Spain, France, and Germany. Many words to be looked up to enhance your vocabulary as well. Learn about the fir [...]

Henry VIII, England's most famous and rougish king, takes somewhat of a back seat (though still figures prominently) while his six wives (their courtship, marriage, and their fate) are front and center by one of England's most preeminent storyteller of royal history. Intrigue, duplicity, executions, and, of course, Henry's marital infidelities that led to a major and cataclysmic reformation of religion in England, Weir weaves her spell that gives breath and personality to each of Henry's wives, [...]

Ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο που αφηγείται τη σχεδόν θρυλική ιστορία των έξι γυναικών που είχαν την τύχη - ή την ατυχία αν προτιμάτε - να στεφθούν βασίλισσες στο πλευρό του Ερρίκου του 8ου. Μέσα από την ιστορία αυτών των γυναικών η συγγραφέας μας μεταφέρει με εξαιρετικό τρόπο � [...]

This was a very lucidly written and entertaining history of Henry VIII's six wives. Weir's style is straightforward and factual, but her warm, wry tone come through occasionally in her word choice. This makes for a very conversational story, easy to follow, and engaging. In fact, it's what I had hoped Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France would be like. Weir tries very hard to be balanced and manages for the most part not to pick sides between Protestant/Catholic/Church of England. Th [...]

ערפו את ראשה. זה המוטו על פיו חי הנרי ה 8 אחד המלכים הססגוניים, המרתקים, המוכשרים והאכזריים ביותר בהיסטוריה האירופאית.הספר סוקר את תקופת חיו ופועלו הפוליטי, הבינלאומי, הכלכלי ואת יחסיו הבינאישיים עם נשותיו ופלגשיו. הספר מקדיש חלק נרחב לתיאור חייהן, פועלן והתפיסות הדתיות של נש� [...]

I am notoriously slow reading non-fiction (I still have not finished John Adams). So I gave this book 5 stars as I could not put it down. I read it in a week (and it is a substantial size book). It reads as nicely as any fiction (much like I thought seabiscuit was). I learned so much about stories that I was a little familiar with already -- I just had no idea that they were in reality even crazier than I learned. Politics, deception, ambition, religion, and a tad bit of "crazy" make for some of [...]

Okay, it was amazing. 7 REASONS OF WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.• If you like to know about history THIS is your book. It is so so so so great!!!! • It’s a huge book but you can read it very very fast.• The historical characters! Their stories are amazing, you can like them or not but i’m sure that at least you will try to “understand” their choices and theirs personalities.• It is about The Tudors.• You can learn A LOT. • You will not get bored.• You will love Alison Weir [...]

Although the fact that Henry VIII had six wives is remarkable alone; even more interesting is the unique personalities and lives of these six women. Alison Weir opens the door to the marital ups and downs of Henry and his partners in, “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”. Note: I initially read this book over a decade ago when I was less versed in Tudor history than I am now. Thus, this review is based on the impressions of one who has more knowledge on the topic during a second reading. Alison Wei [...]

England zu Beginn des 16. Jahrhunderts. Kronprinz Arthur soll mit der spanischen Königstochter Katharina von Aragon verheiratet werden. Doch wenige Monate nach der Hochzeit stirbt der Prinz. Da Henry VII. die Verbindung zum spanischen Königshaus unbedingt aufrechterhalten möchte, wird Arthurs jüngerer Bruder Henry, der nun auch der Thronfolger ist, mit Katharina verlobt. Die Verbindung steht jedoch von Beginn an unter keinem guten Stern, denn es gibt Gründe, die gegen ihre Rechtmäßigkeit [...]

“Off with their Heads” . . . Oh wait that wasn’t Henry the VIII or was it? Find out why Henry had the heads of two of his wives lopped off. Was it that they were unfaithful or because they were not considerate of the French term Ménage à trios or was he simply looking for a way out of a bad relationship and couldn’t bring himself to tell them that “it was over”?What motivated these women to marry Henry knowing that if they didn’t please him they could/would be killed? Was the las [...]

Excellent read. I have read several books that cover the lives of the Tudors and more specifically Elizabeth, Mary and Henry. However, none had done much with the wives of Henry VIII beyond Jane Seymour having been the mother of Edward VI. So I picked this one up and thoroughly enjoyed it.Weir has written several first class histories on this period so there is much overlap. The first third of the book was not only familiar, but in some cases a direct re-tracing of steps. However, the details we [...]

The rhyme that has stuck with me since school is divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Which of course refers to the final outcome of each of Henry VIII wives.This is a well reasserted book, packed full of details and anecdotes about the martial affairs of Henry VIII. Weir has gone into great depth, especially on the first two wives, Katherine of Aragon and Anne Bolyen. The book goes into detail on the character of the six ladies, and all the court intrigue and political postur [...]

Well, that was a lot of history. This was a new genre for me: serious non-fiction (humor is what has made non-fiction palatable for me in the past). It was certainly a little dry, but the Tudor court adds spice. The introduction presents an overview of life in the Tudor court, particularly for women. I was hoping more of the book would be like that, and for some kind of conclusion that sums up the lives of the six wives. I'm not entirely sure why I was hoping for a sixth grade essay, but the boo [...]

I became interested in the reign of Henry VIII after watching the Showtime series, "The Tudors." After reading Alison's Weir's well-researched book about the six wives of Henry VIII, I can understand why so much has been written about the period and why it still fascinates more than 500 years later. King Henry was married to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, by far the longest, and I'd always assumed it was simply his infatuation with Anne Boleyn that made him discard Katherine. Katherine was [...]

THIS WAS ONE LONG BOOK TO SAY THE LEAST BUT I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. A FEW MONTHS AGO WATCHED THE TUDORS ON NETFLIX AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SHOW, AS I HAVE THE WHOLE SEASON ON BLU RAY NOW :) THEN I HAVE SLOWLY STARTED GETTING BOOKS ON THIS SUBJECT. I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED READING THIS BOOK AND LEARN A LITTLE MORE THAN THE SHOW. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS DYNASTY.

I really liked this, and especially liked the fairly even handed treatment Weir gave to these people. But there is one notable exception. Compared with everyone else, Weir seemed to take delight in Thomas Cromwell's execution and even in the fact of the executioner botching the job and taking two swings of the axe to finally sever his neck. With others, Weir seems to see both sides of a person's character. But, for her, Cromwell was Henry's evil genius, and she seems to think ill of Cromwell eve [...]

If you have any interest in history and the Tudors then you need to buy this book, it is fantastic. I was so impressed by the attention to detail, it gives you such a great understanding of Henry VIII and the Tudor court and of course his six wives. It is not like reading a text book, it is biographical and therefor very interesting. I borrowed it from the library and had it on audio, I started listening to it but switched over to reading it. By the time I was half way through the book I had ord [...]

4.5 stars!5 stars for the narration (Well, the internet page just closed, and I lost a review that I worked on for about an hour and a half.So I am greatly peeved.)The Six Wives of Henry VIII is an excellent, accessible nonfiction historical biography. Considering that this is my second time reading it, I can easily call this book a page-turner!! It unfolds like a carefully-crafted novel; a fabulous retelling of the allegorical Bluebeard. Thus, The Six Wives of Henry VIII definitely lends credib [...]

Another Alison Weir, another book I loved. If you're looking to learn more about the Tudor period, this is a good way to do it. She presents the story of the wives in a pretty readable format, even for those who aren't usually into reading historical books for fun. :) Well researched, well put together, very informative. And not at all a struggle to read!

My respect for Anne of Cleves is strengthened.

A very interesting and thought provoking read about the 6 Wives of Henry VIII. For anyone that loves biographies, this hits it on numerous levels. For lovers of history, this is a must read.

It's always fun re-visiting this book. So much great historical detail and perfect narration. Henry VIII was an ogre. The most interesting wives are of course the first 3.

The six wives of Henry VIII are a source of endless fascination for me. They are definitely among my favourite historical figures. I sincerely admire most of them, and even those to whom I relate less, like Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard, have always held a great interest for me. So of course I knew I had to read The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir sooner or later; and, after waiting for quite a lot of time, I finally gave in and bought it as a Christmas present for myself.I immensely [...]

Alison Weir’s “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” is a monumental work. It is a history book, not a historical novel. It is a serious work of non-fiction. Ms. Weir spent four years researching for this book. The bibliography takes 37 pages, and the list of actual sources takes 28 pages. She must have spent over a year just writing this voluminous book. The quality of the book clearly reflects the tremendous amount of research work.I do not believe it is particularly appropriate to review this se [...]