Author Description
Definitive, concise, and very interesting... From William Shakespeare to Winston Churchill, the Very Interesting People series provides authoritative bite-sized biographies of Britain's most fascinating historical figures - people whose influence and importance have stood the test of time. Each book in the series is based upon the biographical entry from the world-famous Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This biography investigates the complex political and personal motivations that defined the reign of King Henry VIII. Eric Ives, a distinguished historian and expert on the Tudor period, utilizes primary source documentation to distill the monarch's life into a concise narrative. The text examines how Henry's pursuit of a male heir and his desire for absolute authority reshaped the English state and religious landscape.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological overview of Henry VIII's six marriages and their political consequences.
- Analysis of the English Reformation and the break with the Roman Catholic Church.
- Biographical data derived from the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide an exhaustive military history of the period.
- It offers limited focus on the daily lives of common citizens during the 16th century.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this work as a reliable and accessible entry point for those seeking a scholarly overview of the Tudor monarch. Readers frequently note the clarity of the prose, which effectively condenses decades of complex political maneuvering into a manageable format.
Page Count:
144
Publication Date:
2007-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191551066
ISBN-13:
9780191551062
History
Biography
Social Philosophy
British History
Mind & Body
Monarchy
Tudor History