Henry VIII (English Monarchs Series) [Paperback]

J. J. Scarisbrick (Author)

Book Description

Series: English Monarchs Series | Publication Date: October 1, 1972

Henry VIII's forceful personality dominated his age and continues to fascinate our own. In few other reigns have there been developments of such magnitude—in politics, foreign relations, religion, and society—that have so radically affected succeeding generations. Above all the English Reformation and the break with Rome are still felt more than four centuries on.

First published in 1968, J. J. Scarisbrick's Henry VIII remains the standard account, a thorough exploration of the documentary sources, stylishly written and highly readable. In an updated foreword, Professor Scarisbrick takes stock of subsequent research and places his classic account within the context of recent publications.

"It is the magisterial quality of J.J. Scarisbrick's work that has enabled it to hold the field for so long."—Steve Gunn, Times Literary Supplement

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. J. Scarisbrick is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Bristol.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 561 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (October 1, 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520011309
• ISBN-13: 978-0520011304
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,342,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > King Henry VIII

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive and exhausting, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Henry VIII (English Monarchs Series) (Paperback)

Prof. Scarisbrick has written the definitive biography of Henry VIII and his times, even though this book is about 30 years old. Scarisbrick brought an interesting view to the subject: as a Roman Catholic he was the first British author granted access to Vatican archives for his research on the subject. The result is a still cogent, absolutely exhaustive book on the subject. Entailing a practically week by week account of Henry VIII's reign is overwhelming but of the upmost help for students of the subject. If you are looking for a light introduction to Henry VIII, this is probably not the place. But if you want *all* the (mind-numbing) details on Henry VIII, look no further than Scarisbrick's brilliant work.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solidly researched and well-written, February 15, 2003

By 

Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Henry VIII (English Monarchs Series) (Paperback)

I read this book right after reading Carolly Erickson's biography of Henry VIII, and on balance this book is better and easier to read. I love that Scarisbrick has modernized the spelling and punctuation of the original documents he quotes. I think the picture of Henry presented is well-balanced, and does not minimize the faults of the subject of the biography. The careful examination of the question of the validity of the marriage of Henry and Catherine of Aragon is the best I have ever read, and partisans on either side of that question will see that there is indeed another side to the view they favor. The examination of the religious views of Henry is detailed and enlightening. I have always had a negative view of Henry VIII and I still have after reading this book, but the book was instructive and enlightening. The footnotes are where they belong (at the bottom of each page) and the bibliography is detailed though of course a bit dated in the 1968 edition I read. After you read this book you will know that you have read a really good biography of this important figure in world history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A uniquely valuable work, August 19, 2008

By 

Elizabeth A. Root (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Anyone wanting to seriously study Henry VIII will need to read this book. I think that it takes a number of books to get an idea of "Great Harry's" life, but this has unique information. I believe that Scarisbrick was the first historian permitted to use the Vatican archives to research Henry's annulment/divorce. Scarisbrick, for example, analyzes the divorce/annulment of Henry and Catharine of Aragon in careful details, and comes to a somewhat surprising conclusion. Also very carefully examined are the course of the Henrician church, and Henry's ever-shifting foreign policy.

I have one small comment. Scarisbrick expresses surprise that Henry persisted in using the somewhat eccentric argument from Leviticus. I think the reason is clear: Henry wanted something that could not be resolved by dispensation. As Retha Warnicke says in The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn: Family Politics at the Court of Henry VIII (Canto): "[...] Cardinal [Wolsey] [...] could and did find better reasons than Henry's for ending his marriage, but his arguments (like those of other scholars) can all be characterized as legal technicalities that are by their nature subject to retroactive dispensation. In contrast, Henry's reasoning is straightforward: the pope could not dispense from Biblical law [...]." This cavil does not diminish Scarisbrick's achievement.