Dissapointing November 13, 2008 13 out of 21 found this review helpful
I was really looking forwards to this book, I am an avid reader of anything to do with Tudor history and the wars of the roses and as there is relatively little written on the early years of Henry VIII I was keen to discover more about his personality, his friendships, his marriage, his life and what made him into the tyrant most people recognise him as. Starkey's introduction was promising, I was chomping at the bit to get into this book, but it never really got going for me. Maybe I have read too much on the subject and it was all old news to me, there were little nuggets but no real meaty information. It is possible, of course, that there is no documented evidence other than what Starkey bought to his book, or that he did not want to make any inferences - he is an historian after all and not a novelist - but I just cannot help feeling that the reader doesn't really get an insight into the boy or the young man. There is very little on his relationships with More or Catherine of Aragon, which I would consider pretty fundemental considering the parts they both played in his life and it would have been good to have had more of a background on this in order to appreciate the enormity his actions had on his own personality, not just the consequences for the country and the church. Assuming that you are familiar with the backgound into which Henry VIII was born; the wars of the roses, Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII and the other main players then you can cut out two thirds of the book. I wanted to know about the man, what made him tick, his passions, his personality, his friendships, his enemies, his lifestyle and just as Starkey got going the book ended. The reader gets little more than a glimpse of 'The Virtuous Prince'. On the plus side it is an easy read, if you know little or nothing about Henry VIII's early life then go for it.
Young Henry - a perfect read November 10, 2008 8 out of 11 found this review helpful
David Starkey is said to be Britain's highest-paid historian and this book is prove why that is.
It is a mere pleasure to read, entertaining, but never shallow and giving you a real inside into the young Henry - the boy prince, the heir and the young king.
I especially liked that Starkey never looses the focus on Henry. Very often historians present the developments of the time in art, education, religion, politics in length but one have to make the connection to the person oneself. But not here. Starkey shows what this meant for Henry, what effects it had on him and his personality.
The chapters are very short and very easy to read.
All in all, this a book filling a real gap in the literature on Henry VIII. 100% recommended!!!
The other Henry Tudor October 30, 2008 6 out of 12 found this review helpful
I bought this and started with anticipation. I can honestly say I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, you can see how much David Starkey loves his subject matter. I must admit that after reading it I have new questions and not sure where to go to ask!! Currently waiting on part 2 but have the sneaky feeling I will have to wait till christmas for that.
Definitive and superb October 21, 2008 34 out of 41 found this review helpful
It seems as though there is a never-ending flow of books around the Tudor dynasty, including both the fiction of Phillipa Gregory and Alison Weir to the fiction of David Starkey and others. This book, the first of two (the latter edition will cover the later and more well know part of his life) is superb. Historical biographies can sometimes be "heavy" reading. Starkey's passion for his subject is obvious and his often anecdotal style of writing makes this an immensely pleasurable read. If Henry VIII life is of interest to you, there is no better book out there. Simply excellent.
