The Children of Henry VIII [Paperback]

Alison Weir (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 1997

"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 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.

"Like anthropology, history and biography can demonstrate unfamiliar ways of feeling and being. Alison Weir's sympathetic collective biography, The Children of Henry VIII does just that, reminding 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  

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The royal family may have its problems these days, but as Alison Weir reminds us in this cohesive and impeccably researched book, the nobility of old England could be both loveless and ruthless. Weir, an expert in the period and author of a book on Henry's VIII wives, focuses on the children of Henry VIII who reigned successively after his death in 1547: Edward VI, Mary I ("Bloody Mary") and Elizabeth I. The three shared little--living in separate homes--except for a familial legacy of blood and terror. This is exciting history and fascinating reading about a family of mythic proportions. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The tragedy of four accidental rivals to a throne, three of them children?by different mothers?of a much-married despot, seems to lose none of its drama by frequent retelling. Along with the royal siblings, Weir (The Six Wives of Henry VIII) includes their cousin, the doomed Lady Jane Grey. Guiltless of the intrigues committed in the name of religion, power and property, Queen Jane was forced at 15 to reign for nine days in a futile attempt to block the accession of the fanatically Catholic Princess Mary. The 300 burnings for heresy during the five years Mary ruled were eclipsed statistically by the hangings and beheadings for conspiracy and treachery. In the 11 years between the death of Henry VIII and the survival of his adroit daughter Elizabeth into the succession in 1558, rapacity had at least as much to do with the turbulence and the terror as religion. So many ennobled miscreants grasped for land, loot and legitimacy that readers will need a scorecard to match their names with their new titles. Weir adds nothing fresh to the story, but her sweeping narrative, based on contemporary chronicles, plays out vividly against the colorful backdrop of Tudor England. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345407865
• ISBN-13: 978-0345407863
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > King Henry VIII
  • #32 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Irish
  • #61 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Royalty

More About the Author

Alison Weir is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Innocent Traitor and The Lady Elizabeth and several historical biographies, including Mistress of the Monarchy, Queen Isabella, Henry VIII, Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Life of Elizabeth I, and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. She lives in Surrey, England with her husband and two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fine Piece of Tudor History from Alison Weir, December 19, 2000

By 

Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Children of Henry VIII (Paperback)

Alison Weir has created another fine addition to her group of histories surrounding the Tudors. The Children of Henry VIII will fit quite nicely between the Wives of Henry VIII and The Life of Elizabeth. This particular volume covers the period from the death of Henry VIII to the beginning of the rule of Elizabeth. It is a wonderful period to study and read about as it covers the reigns of Edward and Mary and the almost reign of Jane Grey (not a child of Henry, of course, but a fine addition to this history). This tumultous period is seen through the eyes of the children themselves and the religion confusion occuring at this time is truly brought to life. Ms. Weir does no disservice to this rich tapestry she is given and in her usual readable and exiciting style brings all of this royal madness directly to the reader. A wonderfully entertaining read. I was sorry when it was over.

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, January 30, 2000

By 

Kelly Muncy (Jackson, TN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Children of Henry VIII (Paperback)

The Children of Henry VIII was a wonderful book. Alison Weir gave accurate historical information while keeping the book on a personal level. She really got in touch with the relationships of Henry VIII's four heirs: Prince Edward, his only son; Princess Mary, his daughter by his first wife Katherine of Aragon; Princess Elizabeth, his daughter by his unfortunate wife Anne Boleyn; and Lady Jane Grey, granddaughter of Henry's sister Mary of France. Not only did the book show the relationships between the heirs, but it showed how they related to and got along with important men and women in the era of British history that took place during the reformation. The devoutly Catholic Mary and her faction was hardly a match for the protestant views of Edward, Elizabeth and Jane. The book also shows how the people of England felt about the changes taking place in their homeland while not leaving out the effects of foreign powers on the decisions of the kings, queens and powerful men in Britain at the time. Overall the book was easy to follow although Alison Weir called the same person by different names on several different occasions which made things a little confusing. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in British royalty, other royalty of the era, Holy Roman Popes of the era, and the reformation.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating study of the Tudors, July 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Children of Henry VIII (Paperback)

A wonderful account of the eventful period between Henry VIII death and Elizabeth I succession. By focussing on the characters, their private lives and motivations, it read like a thriller and awoke a new interest in history for me! N.B. In response to other customer reviewers of this book who commented on its misleading title (as Jane Grey was not Henry VIII daughter) this only occurs with the American edition; my British edition is titled "Children of England; The Heirs of King Henry VIII".