Synopses & Reviews
Few kings are as familiar as King Henry VIII and few kings have popular images created out of so much misinformation
- One of the best-known and most notorious of British monarchs Henry VIII uncovers the real man behind the froth and the images
- Deals extensively with the marital record of the King challenging some of the accepted wisdom about the reasons behind it.
- Examines Henry's role in his Parliament - an important milestone in royal relations with the House.
Go to London and you will find Henry's image on tea towels, tins of sweets, coffee mugs and teacups. But was he the national hero remembered by the heritage industry, or simply a really nasty piece of work? Henry VIII was a maze of contradictions and the object of much contemporary praise and criticism, adulation and condemnation. He had impressive strengths but also formidable weaknesses, among them were inconstancy, financial irresponsibility, and a capacity for brutality. At the same time, his rule was vibrant, often exciting and dramatic, and of major significance for England's future. Michael Graves examines this complex personality and sorts out the reality from the myths to provide an engaging study of early modern kingship as practiced by one man.
Michael A. Graves is at Auckland University
Synopsis
Few historical figures are as familiar as King Henry VIII. Few kings have popular images created out of so much misinformation: that he was short, had six wives and a legion of mistresses, contracted syphilis and became a Protestant.
Henry was a maze of contradictions and the object of much contemporary praise and criticism, adulation and condemnation. He had impressive strengths but also formidable weaknesses, amongst them inconstancy, financial irresponsibility, and a capacity for brutality. At the same time, his rule was vibrant, often exciting and dramatic, and of major significance for England's future.
Michael Graves examines this complex personality and sorts out the reality from the myths to provide a highly readable study of early modern kingship as practised by one man.
About the Author
Michael Graves is Associate Professor of History at the University of Auckland. His previous books include Burghley: William Cecil Lord Burghley (1998) and Parliaments of Early Modern Europe, 1400-1700 (2001).