Thomas Cromwell: The Rise and Fall of Henry VIII's Most Notorious Minister

Hutchinson is at his strongest when he describes Cromwell's actions with wit and flair. The author has an opinion and is not shy to make it known, which makes this book an entertaining read. The reader is under no illusion that Hutchinson approves of Cromwell, in fact one gets a sense that he despises the man. This adds humour to a book which might otherwise be accused of being dry, his remarks often had me laughing out loud.

I did however spend much time slogging through chapters with endless descriptions of minutae which felt unnecessary if the goal is to paint a general picture of Cromwell's life. Notably, chapter 6. Whilst I appreciate the presentation of evidence and the clear chronology for how Hutchinson formulated his narrative, show more I found myself muttering 'get on with it' when presented with the exact amount that Cromwell spent buying one of his buddies a nice coat. Perhaps he could have invited the reader to do their own research if they needed the specifics?

That being said, as an introductory whistle stop tour into Cromwell's rise and downfall, I would recommend looking no further. show less

A well paced and generally well written biography, though the author has a tendency to write in a slightly sensationalist style on occasion. I think one of the most significant features about Cromwell was that he was one of the first (along with Wolsey) to rise to high office from humble origins. It is a pity that that fact means we know so very little about his early life, which leaves the book feelign a little inevitably unbalanced in the extent of its coverage.

Intriguing, easy to read account of the career of Thomas Cromwell, notorious chief minister to Henry VIII. Robert Hutchinson sets out the main events of Cromwell's life and times without going into much detail. This book is very much a once over lightly account, for instance there is only the bare bones on Cromwell's role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn, an event he played a major part in. Hutchinson does bring to life the Tudor court in all its madness and corruption, illustrating how easy it was to fall foul of the king and meet a gruesome end. Hutchinson plainly does not like his subject, nor Henry VIII, very much. He does not have much good to say about either. However, he does write in an engaging style and this book would be a good show more starting point for anyone interested in Henry VIII's world. show less