Henry VIII - The Heart & The Crown by Alison Weir

 Henry VIII - The Heart & The Crown by Alison Weir


Six wives. One King. You know their stories. Now it is time to hear his

Henry VIII - The Heart & The Crown by Alison Weir was published on 11th May 2023 by Headline. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.




Synopsis

A second son, not born to rule, becomes a man, and a king...

In grand royal palaces, Prince Harry grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry - and the golden age of kings that awaits his older brother. But Arthur's untimely death sees Harry crowned King Henry of England.

As his power and influence extends, so commences a lifelong battle between head and heart, love and duty. Henry rules by divine right, yet his prayers for a son go unanswered.

The great future of the Tudor dynasty depends on an heir. And the crown weighs heavy on a king with all but his one true desire.

HENRY VIII. HIS STORY.
Alison Weir's most ambitious Tudor novel yet reveals the captivating story of a man who was by turns brilliant, romantic, and ruthless: the king who changed England forever.

A note from Alison Weir… After writing the Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII, all written from each queen’s point of view, I thought it would be interesting to give Henry himself a voice in fiction. The result is this novel, Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown, which imagines the story of his life as he saw it. My aim was to explore not only his relationships with his wives from a very different viewpoint, but also his interactions with the men who dominated his reign: Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer and a host of others who were close to the King. I also wanted to show what made Henry the man he later became, whom some perceive as a tyrant or even a monster; my aim was to draw a more balanced portrait, and to analyse and understand Henry’s complex character. So meet Harry, golden prince and legendary king, the product of a fractured childhood and later a victim of a cruel fate that denies him the heirs he needs to secure the succession of the Tudor dynasty. The book begins when he is eleven years old and has been dealt the most painful blow of all. It follows him through his youth and reign, taking an epic journey through forty-four years of one of the most turbulent periods in history – as seen by England’s most famous, or (for some) notorious, King. It’s a riveting tale, but ultimately a poignant one, and my hope is that readers will be left with a more sympathetic – and empathetic – view of a man who is all too often portrayed as a caricature of his true self. 




My Review

This is a story told from the perspective of Henry VIII and to be honest it did not improve my total abhorrence of the man. Even though this is a story that is incredibly well written, and I wouldn't expect anything else from Alison Weir as I thoroughly enjoyed the series about the Six Tudor Queens, I found myself hoping against all hope that there must be some saving grace in there somewhere that I had missed during previous historical readings. Sadly this was not to be and , like I said, although this is a very well written, and readable book , it didn't do my emotions much good as I spent so much time feeling anger and disgust at this man who had been King.

This is a lengthy read and I had to read it in stages, especially as I don't think my blood pressure would have held out if I had read it consistently, however, you do have that feeling that you are with Henry at all times and witness his reaction, along with the reactions of those around him to different events and ailments that befall him during his life.

For students, and lovers, of Tudor history this is an excellent book and incredibly well-written both from the historical  and  literary perspectives.

 

About the Author

Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and the leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than thirty books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide. Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history’s most iconic family – the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers. Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces. www.alisonweir.org.uk/ @AlisonWeirBooks






 

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