Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

by David Starkey

Book Overview

"Extraordinary. . . . It is a tribute to Starkey's narrative drive, his puckish wit, and sharp discrimination that it doesn't seem a page too long. . . . With each queen, Starkey offers a vivid character study but also has fresh discoveries that subtly alter the picture he started out with." -- Sunday Times (London)

The dramatic, legendary story of Henry VIII, his six wives, and the England they ruled--told by one...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060005505
• ISBN13: 9780060005504
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 896 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

A through waste of time

A tedious boring read. A book written in the same snarky style in which the author speaks. Nothing new was presented except the author's conceited idea of his intelligence. I should have known better having read and listened to him prior to purchasing this paperweight.

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

So pleased to have found a book relating about the lives of Henry VIII's wives. Recently attended a Masquerade Ball - a group of us portray he and his wives. Regars, Siamnancy

Good Read

Well written. Factually accurate. If you are interested in Henry VIII, this is the book for you.

Excellent Account of the Six Wives of Henry VIII

I agree with unsolved fan and J.A. Miller, this book was by far the best book about the wives of King Henry than any others I've read. Starkey presents facts in such a way as to keep the reader thouroughly engaged, and looking forward to reading the next chapter. This book is quite fascinating. I've learned so much more from Starkey's book than from any history course. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn some of England's history and, to enjoy doing so. I wish he had spent more time on Katherine Parr, who seems to have been the most influential in bringing about reform in the churches of that day. That wife, Henry's last, was probably the most interesting and of a deep-thinking mind, than all his other wives, except for Catherine of Aragon, his first. I also totally disagree with the popularity of Anne Boleyn, now, in the movie theatres. Boleyn was not as worthy of attention and study, as are Catherine and Katherine. READ THIS BOOK! You'll be glad you did!

A Masculine Touch

Much as I deplore gender stereotypes it must be admitted that Dr. Starkey's book with its man's eye view of the wives serves as a valuable corrector for the woman's or even Feminist view in the best known books on this subject by Antonia Fraser and Alison Weir. He is less than reverent towards Catherine of Aragon and perhaps exaggerates the influence of Anne Boleyn but he successfully makes the point that women had their own kind of power and if so inclined could make even so absolute a patriarch as Henry VIII miserable and frustrated.

drama, intrigue, betrayal, love, politics -- it's all here!

I first encountered author David Starkey through his "Six Wives of Henry VIII" documentary on PBS (based on this book). The documentary is informative and very entertaining -- Starkey has a gift of bringing history to life and making it fun, with his interesting anecdotes about the characters and humanizing these events. That gift is also evident in this book.This book, upon which the documentary is based, goes into much more detail than the documentary, of course. At first, I only read the first two chapters (which make up 80% of the book): the chapters on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Henry's other four wives are, of course, interesting in their own right but let's face it -- Catherine and Anne are where the real drama unfolded. Upon going back and reading the remaining chapters on wives 3-6, the stories/background of how/why Henry married these women and the result of these marriages is nearly as interesting as the drama surrounding Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. I also commend Mr. Starkey for his lack of demonstrating any bias. It is impossible to tell from his writings whether he sympathizes more with one character than another.I particularly recommend this book if you're interested in learning how the Reformation came about (I also recommend Hillaire Belloc's "How the Reformation Happened.") Sadly, the reader realizes that, rather than being borne out of a sincere, pious desire to reform the Church, the Reformation seems to have been born out of political power struggles and desire for financial gain, instead. The book is not really just a study for six women but rather a love triangle (or "power" triangle) which altered the course of history. A fascinating read -- a highly recommend it!!!