Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown: ‘this novel makes Henry VIII’s story feel like it has never been told before’ (Tracy Borman)
£7.10£9.50 (-25%)
The Sunday Times top 10 bestseller
‘Alison Weir makes Henry VIII’s story feel like it has never been told before… This novel will open your eyes and, at times, break your heart. By the end of it, I felt like I had met Henry for the first time’ Tracy Borman
Six wives. One King. You know their stories. Now it’s time to hear his.
Prince Harry is born the second son, his brother destined to rule. But Arthur’s untimely death sees Harry crowned King Henry of England.
As Henry’s power and influence extends, so commences a lifelong battle between head and heart, love and duty. The fate of the Tudor dynasty depends on an heir, but his prayers for a son go unanswered.
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.
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PRAISE FOR ALISON WEIR’S TUDOR FICTION
‘This is where the story of the Tudors begins and is historical fiction at its absolute best’ Tracy Borman
‘History has the best stories and they should all be told like this’ Conn Iggulden
‘A serious achievement’ The Times
‘Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life’ Guardian
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by Kitty
So enjoyed this book it was different as it was all from his perspective. He was the typical angry red head his way or the block a despot in every way.
by Mrs A
I have always been fascinated by Tudor history particularly around the reign of Henry VIII and read many books about him and his six wives but this one is from Henry’s perspective. Obviously nobody knows exactly what went on during this time but Weir’s attention to detail does give the reader a good insight into life in Henry’s court and you can see a different side to the man.
He was never meant to be King but Arthur’s untimely death saw Henry rise to in his eyes, greatness. In the early years of his marriage to his first wife he is seen as a loving caring husband but his obsession with needing a son changes everything. It’s ironic that his first two daughters were girls yet were seen to be unworthy of the crown yet Elizabeth was one of the greatest Queens in history.
I think Henry was at his most content in his older years, married for the sixth time he did appear to find some happiness.
An excellent book, filled with historical details and Weir’s writing flows well so it’s easy to follow. This is probably one book I’ll read again
by Ant
Not much to say really apart from I really loved this book, really addictive and exciting. Couldn’t put it down for long, highly recommended as it is absolutely brilliant and amazing
by Peter
Just finished reading this latest offering in Alison Weir’s Tudor series.
As a historian she includes many details that the average fiction reader might find boring but it is all part of Henry VIII’s story as one of the great Kings of England. I enjoyed it very much, but unlikely to tackle it a second time, but I shall be keeping it on my bookshelf.
by Francesca Bellamy
I enjoyed this book. Henry The Eighth certainly had his faults, but things are very rarely black and white.
Yes, he was a terrible husband, and not much of a father, but everything he did was because of his desperate need for a son and heir. Henry did not want to see England plunged in to another ‘Wars Of The Roses’ whereby cousins fought each other for decades in an attempt to sit on the English throne. Does this excuse the terrible decisions that he made? Of course not, but to label him as a monster is too simplistic. I have studied the Tudors for decades, and I happen to believe that Anne Boleyn (much as I adore her), WAS guilty of SOME of the crimes levelled against her. I won’t dwell too much on Anne Boleyn or any of Henry’s wives, because that is another book altogether. Alison Weir has attempted to portray these tumultuous events of Henry’s reign from HIS viewpoint, and I think that she has done a good job in doing so. The reason I have not given this book 5 stars is because I think that it is overly long, and Ms. Weir often writes of things that are not particularly relevant to Henry’s story. I also do not believe that Henry did not have sex for seven years once he began wooing Anne Boleyn. Yes, he was besotted, yes he was deeply in love, but come on now……..SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT SEX? A man in the prime of his life? No way. I suspect that Henry and Anne were intimate long before that, or IF Anne was holding him off till she got the wedding ring, then he was almost certainly ‘getting his needs met’ with the many women at court who were willing to ‘be nice’ to their King. Another thing that I disagree with with Ms. Weir on is Anne Boleyn’s date of birth being 1501. I personally believe that Anne was born in 1507, but again, that is another story and another subject. Henry was a very complex Man with a great many facets to his character. To those he loved, he was kind, extremely generous, attentive, considerate and loyal…….but woe betide those people who got on the wrong side of him. What we know for sure is that many of the people that Henry loved and trusted ended up betraying him. Small wonder that he became so paranoid and bitter in his later years. I recently read a ‘book’ whereby the ‘author’ labelled Henry as a ‘sociopath with Multiple Personality Disorder’. Is there such a thing?????? Naturally I consigned this ‘book’ to the bin, with a determination that NEVER again will I read anything by this completely inept and incompetent author.
Alison Weir gives us a more rounded and PROFESSIONAL view of Henry, in which she does not attempt to sugarcoat the truly awful things he did, but neither does she go to the other extreme by branding him as a complete monster with no redeeming qualities at all. We must look at Henry and his reign from the context of his time. We are talking about a man who lived half a millennium ago, and who can not possibly be judged by the standards of the 21st century mind-set. Henry’s opinions of women being the ‘weaker’ sex’ and ‘feeble in mind’ was the attitude that ALL Men had towards women back then, be they a KIng or a Peasant. If Henry was a misogynist, then so was every other Man that lived during that time. I suspect that in another half a millennium, people will STILL be fascinated by Henry The Eighth and his six wives. It is a subject that will never go out of fashion. I recommend this book. I very much enjoyed it.
by Victoria T.
Alison Weir has proven herself enough as a historian to be able to now create novels with her interpretations included. However Henry was a strong and keen king. His ‘thoughts’ written by Alison make him weak and malleable.
by Eunice Harben
Very good book looking at Henry 8th life through his eyes
How he felt about his wives how people around him connived
To get rid of anyone even his best friends and how he went along
With it.
It’s a big book but it’s a great read
by Lady Thompson
This book is very readable but I would not read again, and it did not change my perception of this King.