Synopses & Reviews
Over the centuries, biographers of Thomas More have always praised him and made him an example for their own times. He was a man for all seasons. This Tudor prelate and Lord Chancellor of England shared human qualities identifiable in all ages--pride, love, ambition, generosity, hypocrisy, and greed. He was less than common because he was witty and a great storyteller--the best between Chaucer and Shakespeare. Truly, he was a Renaissance man with the contradictions such praise imposes on a towering figure. In Richard Marius's authoritative and engaging portrait, Sir Thomas More, the martyr and brilliant public figure, is a lesson for our season.
Review
[Richard Marius's Thomas More] will be the definitive popular biography. Custody of the popular memory of a figure like More is of some real importance, and Marius's custody is exemplary. His book is accessible enough to be read by a wide audience but complete and original enough to merit reading by a specialized audience. It is as subtle and satisfying a portrait as I have encountered in years. Jack Miles
Review
[Richard Marius's Thomas More] will be the definitive popular biography. Custody of the popular memory of a figure like More is of some real importance, and Marius's custody isexemplary. His book is accessible enough to be read by a wide audience but complete and original enough to merit reading by a specialized audience. It is as subtle and satisfying a portrait as I have encountered in years.
Review
A very remarkable and exciting book, full of knowledge and understanding. Los Angeles Times Book Review
Review
[Richard Marius's] principal claim as a biographer is an unrivaled knowledge of More's works. This serves him very well, in my view. For instance, he is the first writer to stress the central importance of More's unfinished biography of Richard III. G. R. Elton - New York Review of Books
Synopsis
Over the centuries, biographers of Thomas More have always praised him and made him an example for their own times. He was a man for all seasons. Truly, he was a Renaissance man with the contradictions such praise imposes on a towering figure. In Richard Marius's authoritative and engaging portrait, Sir Thomas More, the martyr and brilliant public figure, is a lesson for our season.
About the Author
Richard Marius was a historian, novelist, playwright, and a member of the Harvard faculty.