The tempestuous, bloody, and opulent reign of Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) is without doubt one of the such a lot interesting in all historical past, now not least for his marriage to 6 peculiar girls. On this out there paintings of sensible scholarship, Alison Weir attracts on early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reviews to convey those girls to existence. Catherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch although inaccurate girl of theory; Anne Boleyn, an bold adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a powerful-minded matriarch within the making; Anne of Cleves, a just right-natured and blameless girl naively blind to the court docket intrigues that decided her destiny; Catherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Catherine Parr, a heat-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.
