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Dewey Decimal Number: 942.0520922 EAN: 9780345391186 ISBN: 0345391187 Label: Ballantine Books Manufacturer: Ballantine Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 385 Publication Date: July 09, 1996 Publisher: Ballantine Books Release Date: July 09, 1996 Studio: Ballantine Books Editorial Review: 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. Product Description: 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 her brilliantly compelling new book, Alison Weir, author of four highly acclaimed chronicles of English royalty, paints a unique portrait of these four extraordinary rulers, examining their intricate relationships to each other and to history. Weir opens her narrative with the death of Henry and the accession of the boy king Edward VI. Often portrayed as weak and sickly, Edward, in fact had a keen intelligence and a flair for leadership. Had he not contracted a fatal disease at the age of fifteen, Edward might have become one of England's great kings. Instead, his brief reign was marked by vicious court intrigue that took the monarchy to the verge of bankruptcy. Edward's death in 1553 plunged England into chaos, and it was in this explosive atmosphere that the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey was crowned Queen of England. A fragile, intellectual girl, Jane was only too happy to end her nine-day rule when the rioting English populace proclaimed Mary their true and rightful sovereign. Despite her innocence, Jane was brutally executed at the age of sixteen. Mary's reign was marked by her savage persecution of heretics (non-Catholics) and by the emotional turbulence of her marriage to King Philip II of Spain. Weir describes the mounting tensions of the final days of Mary's bloody reign, as the shrewd, politically adroit Elizabeth quietly positions herself to assume royal power. The Children of Henry VIII closes with Elizabeth's accession and the commencement of one of the longest, and most spectacularly successful, reigns in English history. Deeply engrossing, written with grace and clarity, The Children of Henry VIII combines the best of history and biography. Weir's devoted readers will recognize this as her finest book yet. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - I Simple CANNOT Put It Down!!Nothing short of a briliant glimpse into the lives of Henry's hiers. WARNING: This book is NOT about how each had ruled but thier relationship to one another and the people around them, namely, councillers, rebels, and family. Northumberland and Edward, Mary and the Emperor, Jane and her parents, Elizabeth and the widowed Queen Katherine. Plus SO much more! I could not put this book down and Alison is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. From Henry's Death to ... Read More Rating: - Their lives and relationshipsBased on extensive research Alison Weir traces the lives of Henry VIII's 3 children, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth, as well as their cousin, the ill fated nine days queen, Lady Jane Grey. Weir begins the chronicles with the death of Henry VIII in 1547. She stresses that the book is not a history of England during the reign of these 4 monarchs but rather an account of their personal lives and the relations between them in the 11 years after Henry's death. While Mary and Elizabeth ... Read More Rating: - An Historical TreatWhen Alison Weir is the author, the book is unquestionably accurate and a wonderful read. The children of Henry VIIl were exceptional. Elizabeth and Edward were incredibly intelligent. They always fascinate me. Mary, hummmm, maybe not so much. I love anything Alison Weir writes. I have yet to be disappointed in any of her books. Rating: - This is real history - not a whitewashed novel. I loved it!Recently I've become interested in the Tudors. I've been following the series on television and have also read a few historical novels. This book, however, is different because it is not a novel. It is a biography. All I can say is WOW - truth really is stranger than fiction - and much more fascinating. It starts with a short history of the three Tudor siblings. Then, we meet King Edward VI I, a child being manipulated by the men in power. We get to know him as he grows more and more aware ... Read More Rating:  - henry's childrenThis was a very well written and entertaining book. It was not dry and historical. I was very engrossed in it and found it a very good read if you are interested in Tudor history. I am glad she she spent time on Mary Tudor, because not as much is written about her or her brother as Elizabeth. I found this to be a very good book. |
