The Children of Henry VIII - by Alison Weir (Paperback)

About the Book

At his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, Prince Edward; his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; and his great-niece, Lady Jane Grey. In this riveting account, Alison Weir paints a unique portrait of these extraordinary rulers, examining their intricate relationships to each other and to history. of photos.

Book Synopsis

An "engrossing narrative history" (The Boston Globe) of the tempestuous years before the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Rose

"Fascinating . . . Alison Weir does full justice to the subject."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

At his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, the nine-year-old Prince Edward; the Lady Mary, the adult daughter of his first wife Katherine of Aragon; the Lady Elizabeth, the teenage daughter of his second wife Anne Boleyn; and his young great-niece, the Lady Jane Grey. In this riveting account, Alison Weir paints a unique portrait of these extraordinary heirs, examining their intricate relationships to each other and to history. She traces the tumult that followed Henry's death, from the brief intrigue-filled reigns of the boy king Edward VI and the fragile Lady Jane Grey, to the savagery of "Bloody Mary," and finally the accession of the politically adroit Elizabeth I.

As always, Weir offers a fresh perspective on a period that has spawned many of the most enduring myths in English history, combining the best of the historian's and the biographer's art.

"Alison Weir's sympathetic collective biography [reminds] us that human nature has changed--and for the better. . . . Weir imparts movement and coherence while re-creating the suspense her characters endured and the suffering they inflicted."--The New York Times Book Review

From the Back Cover

At his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, the nine-year-old Prince Edward; the Lady Mary, the adult daughter of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon; the Lady Elizabeth, the teenage daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn; and his young great-niece, the Lady Jane Grey. In this riveting account Alison Weir paints a unique portrait of these extraordinary rulers, examining their intricate relationships to each other and to history. She traces the tumult that followed Henry's death, from the brief intrigue-filled reigns of the boy king Edward VI and the fragile Lady Jane Grey, to the savagery of "Bloody Mary", and finally the accession of the politically adroit Elizabeth I.

As always, Weir offers a fresh perspective on a period that has spawned many of the most enduring myths in English history, combining the best of the historian's and the biographer's art.

Review Quotes

"Weir focuses on the uneasy relationships among Henry's heirs, whose upbringing was strongly influenced by the king's marital misadventures. . . . Drawing mainly on contemporary documents, [Weir] provides captivating glimpses of the daily experiences that shaped her young subjects' personalities."--Newsday

"[Weir] writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the hearts as well as the mind. This, her fourth book on the Tudors, affirms her preeminence in the field."--The Independent

"This fascinating tale of murder, jealousy, religious fanaticism, and political scandal among sixteenth-century British royals makes the modern dysfunctional royal family appear quaint b comparison. . . . Weir's narrative brings to live both the tangled relationships of these figures and the violent religious tensions that dominated England during the sixteenth century."--Kirkus Reviews

"Weir can always be counted on to tell a superb story as she relates particularly dramatic episodes in English royal history."--Booklist

About the Author

Alison Weir is the author of four other books on English history. She lives outside London with her husband and two children. She is currently working on a biography of Elizabeth I that will focus on the queen's private life and intrigues.