Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII (original 2003; edition 2004)

This book was really everything I look for in a non-fiction book about history. It was so engagingly written that it could have been non-fiction, but sources were all cited and deviations from accepted wisdom among Henry VIII scholars were mentioned. The story was presented chronologically, with a few, well integrated digressions to give us the history of each of Henry’s wives. Chapters were short and the introduction of new characters was kept to a minimum, creating a very lucid narrative. New characters were always given context, both in the writing and by some great family trees, and we were often reminded who recurring characters were. This made the massive amounts of information in this 880 page book fairly manageable.

Overall the book was very approachable, especially for something that clearly involves an awful lot of scholarly research. The straightforward writing style and family trees helped, as did the author’s lack of assumptions about the reader’s previous knowledge. It also helped, of course, that the book was just fun. The author is clearly enthusiastic about his subject and in addition to dates and events, there was speculation about people’s feelings and motivations, obviously separated from but based on historical records such as personal correspondences. Quotes from these sources were integrated into the story very nicely, adding to the narrative without disrupting it.

Finally, the story itself was full of enough drama for a TV show. And, in fact, it has been made into a show called Tudor, which I tried watching but couldn’t get into for lack of a sympathetic character in the first episode. The book, however, made if very easy to feel for each of Henry’s wives, even as they replaced each other. I think that’s what made the book so great – its stuck the perfect balance between historical accuracy and engaging personal stories. ( )

This is one of my favourite books. David Starkely does an amazing job with this massive book. He destroys some well known myths about the queens of Henry the III and does it in style. He notes that in at least one instance Katherine of Aargon did indeed lie and to her father as well. She was capable of lying just as much as anyone else.

I found it impossible to put the book down and have in fact read it several times.

Highly recommended. It is very well written and researched. ( )

My overall feeling about this book is that it successfully bridges the gap between serious academic (but rather dry) tomes and more populist histories. Starkey does a good job of bringing the six wives to life, explaining their actions within the context of the (dangerous) times. Although the bulk of the book is taken up with the stories of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, I think this makes sense. Henry VIII was married to Catherine of Aragon for over 20 years, and the divorce - occasioned by the king's relationship with Anne Boleyn - was obviously historically significant, to put it mildly.

Catherine of Aragon comes across as a woman with a good deal of backbone, happier during times of conflict than during peacetime. Starkey explodes some common misconceptions about all the wives (for example, that Katherine Parr was an inoffensive little woman and essentially Henry's nursemaid). Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves are dealt with briefly (Jane died shortly after the birth of a son, and the marriage to Anne of Cleves never really got off the ground, although Starkey provides evidence that she remained on largely friendly terms with the king).

My one quibble with the first section of the book is that the detailing of the process by which Henry divorced Catherine are given in extraordinary detail, to the point where it becomes difficult to understand exactly what was going on. Similarly, throughout the book Starkey rather over-indulges himself with blow-by-blow descriptions of every procession and ceremony.

Nevertheless I think this is an excellent book for anyone who wants a relatively succinct account of Henry VIII's marriages, where the emphasis is very much on the personalities and strengths (and weaknesses) of the women themselves, rather than on the king. [December 2009] ( )

David Starkey presents a different take on a well-known part of Tudor history. Very detailed and descriptive throughout, my interest was held by the subject matter rather than the writing style, which was heavy in repetitive language ('squaring the circle' appears far too often in the text, for example) and his contrasting of past events with Diana, Princess of Wales.

That aside, I enjoyed the sections on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. The rest of the book has less original material to refer to regarding the other wives and thus is shorter than the portion covering the first two wives. ( )

I cannot believe this is non-fiction! It reads like an historical novel, but with citations. This story, from history, is beyond believable... all six wives were interesting! The book really shows the influence these women had on the history of England and, quite frankly, much of the world.

It is a very large book, but I was actually a little sad when it was over. I can't wait to read Elizabeth by Starkey and I will probably be looking for more after that. He has a fantastic way of piecing together all recorded conversations, letters, documents, etc. to bring his readers right back to that era... only with a real inside track on what is going on. He is also fabulous at explaining the particular phrases and/or meaning behind what an average person today might otherwise overlook.

Looking for a great (and juicy) book and to learn something? Read this! ( )