Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and brutal reign in this extraordinary historical novel. “A delightful yarn . . . an all-around fun read about a king and a cad.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Having completed her Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII, extensively researched and written from each queen's point of view, Alison Weir now gives Henry himself a voice, telling the story of his remarkable thirty-six-year reign and his six marriages. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his kingship, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others. He died a suspicious, obese, disease-riddled tyrant, old before his time. His reign is remembered as one of dangerous intrigue and bloodshed—and yet the truth is far more complex. The King's Pleasure brings to life the idealistic monarch who expanded Parliament, founded the Royal Navy, modernized medical training, composed music and poetry, and patronized the arts. A passionate man in search of true love, he was stymied by the imperative to produce a male heir, as much a victim of circumstance as his unhappy wives. Had fate been kinder to him, the history of England would have been very different. Here is the story of the private man. To his contemporaries, he was a great king, a legend in his own lifetime. And he left an extraordinary legacy—a modern Britain.

Full Product Details

9780593355060

Table of Contents

Reviews

Praise for The Last White Rose Superbly readable and engaging . . . I doubt we will ever tire of the Tudors, not while we have novelists like [Alison] Weir to bring them to life. -Historical Novel Society Elizabeth of York is a fascinating character in history, as the daughter, sister, niece and ultimately wife of an English king. Her tale during the War of the Roses is one of intrigue and survival. A notable Tudor historian, Weir vividly brings her story to life in The Last White Rose. -The Free Lance-Star The story gives a coherent, convincing picture of the treacherous political climate and its many players. . . . Weir's thorough approach to her subject is impressive, as is the sumptuously re-created atmosphere of late-medieval royal life. -Booklist I was gripped from the first page to the last. With Elizabeth of York, Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet. . . . This is where the story of the Tudors begins and is historical fiction at its absolute best. -Tracy Borman, author of Crown and Sceptre This is Alison Weir's best novel yet. A queen too often seen as a blank slate, a cipher, emerges from the shadows as a living, breathing, acting human being. -Sarah Gristwood, author of The Tudors in Love

Praise for The Last White Rose “Superbly readable and engaging . . .  I doubt we will ever tire of the Tudors, not while we have novelists like [Alison] Weir to bring them to life.”—Historical Novel Society “Elizabeth of York is a fascinating character in history, as the daughter, sister, niece and ultimately wife of an English king. Her tale during the War of the Roses is one of intrigue and survival. A notable Tudor historian, Weir vividly brings her story to life in The Last White Rose.”—The Free Lance–Star “The story gives a coherent, convincing picture of the treacherous political climate and its many players. . . . Weir’s thorough approach to her subject is impressive, as is the sumptuously re-created atmosphere of late-medieval royal life.”—Booklist “I was gripped from the first page to the last. With Elizabeth of York, Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet. . . . This is where the story of the Tudors begins and is historical fiction at its absolute best.”—Tracy Borman, author of Crown and Sceptre “This is Alison Weir’s best novel yet. A queen too often seen as a blank slate, a cipher, emerges from the shadows as a living, breathing, acting human being.”—Sarah Gristwood, author of The Tudors in Love

“Weir takes the abundant history and weaves imagined conversations and motivations into a delightful yarn. . . . An all-around fun read about a king and a cad.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)   “Weir meticulously illustrates [Henry VIII’s] significant relationships with not just his six wives but also his political allies and rivals and such shrewd advisers. . . . This believable tale is a solid choice for historical fiction devotees.”—Booklist

Praise for The Last White Rose Superbly readable and engaging . . . I doubt we will ever tire of the Tudors, not while we have novelists like [Alison] Weir to bring them to life. -Historical Novel Society Elizabeth of York is a fascinating character in history, as the daughter, sister, niece and ultimately wife of an English king. Her tale during the War of the Roses is one of intrigue and survival. A notable Tudor historian, Weir vividly brings her story to life in The Last White Rose. -The Free Lance-Star The story gives a coherent, convincing picture of the treacherous political climate and its many players. . . . Weir's thorough approach to her subject is impressive, as is the sumptuously re-created atmosphere of late-medieval royal life. -Booklist I was gripped from the first page to the last. With Elizabeth of York, Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet. . . . This is where the story of the Tudors begins and is historical fiction at its absolute best. -Tracy Borman, author of Crown and Sceptre This is Alison Weir's best novel yet. A queen too often seen as a blank slate, a cipher, emerges from the shadows as a living, breathing, acting human being. -Sarah Gristwood, author of The Tudors in Love

Author Information

Alison Weir is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Rose and the novels in the Six Tudor Queens series: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife; Katheryn Howard, The Scandalous Queen; Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait; Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen; Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession; and Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen, as well as numerous earlier novels. She has also written historical biographies that include Queens of the Age of Chivalry; Queens of the Crusades; Queens of the Conquest; The Lost Tudor Princess, and Elizabeth of York. She lives in Surrey, England.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available