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Henry VIII

the King and His Court
Feb 27, 2017rpavlacic rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Exhaustive but outstanding review of the life of England's most powerful and most controversial monarch. Author Alison Weir's thorough research produces a book that reads like a novel but tells an entirely true story. Among the surprises are just how extravagant Henry's court was as well as his personal expense account (making today's royal family in Britain seem relatively poor by comparison), while many of his servants got paid meagre wages (how poorly is demonstrated when the author provides currency conversions to today's pounds, usually an increase factor of 300). The book also details the reasons for England's break with Rome, as well as how it is almost certain that Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard were both wrongly executed over accusations of adultery. Having read this book, I look forward to reading Weir's other books about European royalty ... she knows how to tell truthful stories while keeping the reader in suspense.