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Henry: Virtuous Prince
Bestselling royal historian David Starkey’s captivating biography is a radical re-evaluation of Henry VIII, the British monarchy’s most enduring icon.
Larger than life in every sense, Henry VIII was Britain’s most absolute monarch – but he was not born to rule. In this brilliantly readable history, David Starkey follows the promising young prince – a Renaissance man of exceptional musical and athletic talent – as he is thrust into the limelight after the death of his elder brother. His subsequent quest for fame was as obsessive as that of any modern celebrity, and his yearning for a male heir drove him into dangerous territory.
The culmination of a lifetime’s research, David Starkey’s biography is an unforgettable portrait of the man behind the controversies, the prince turned tyrant who continues to tower over history.
Larger than life in every sense, Henry VIII was Britain’s most absolute monarch – but he was not born to rule. In this brilliantly readable history, David Starkey follows the promising young prince – a Renaissance man of exceptional musical and athletic talent – as he is thrust into the limelight after the death of his elder brother. His subsequent quest for fame was as obsessive as that of any modern celebrity, and his yearning for a male heir drove him into dangerous territory.
The culmination of a lifetime’s research, David Starkey’s biography is an unforgettable portrait of the man behind the controversies, the prince turned tyrant who continues to tower over history.
437 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2008
27 people are currently reading
1637 people want to read
About the author
David Starkey
133 books462 followersDavid Robert Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British historian, a television and radio presenter, and a specialist in the Tudor period.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 7, 2017
Abysmal. I am shocked how poor this book is. The author, David Starkey, I have seen on several television documentaries and have always enjoyed them for what they are, popular history that those without the need to read can enjoy. Yes he comes across as a sanctimonious, pompous know-all but he, at least, told a good story.
This, my first read of any of his books has left me cold. I could not wait to finish this as it was so poorly presented and so badly written as to be of little use to the serious scholar interested in the youthful Henry VIII.
The introduction alone should have had the alarm bells ringing as we get a faecal matter joke. Seriously? Onwards and upwards this reader thought. Nope! There is constant supposition with poorly backed footnotes, nor a bibliography I might add, and some of the most pompous prose I have ever read. Take this for example when a very young Prince Henry is made Duke of York by his father.
“What, if anything, did the three and half year Henry understand of all this and remember? The higher symbolism – of physical cleansing, spiritual purification, sleep and awakening as a (re)new(ed) man – would have been beyond him, as indeed it was probably beyond adult fellow postulants as well. Perhaps instead the even lingered in his memory as a series of intense sensory experiences: cold and heat; wetting and being towelled dry; the scratchy fabric of his hermits gown; the mysterious gloom of the chapel in the small hours and the weariness of staying up later than he’d ever done before; and, in the morning the exhilaration of showing, once more, that he could ride all by himself”
And it don’t finish there! We get another 124 words of dribble about his nurse, his mistress and women, vigils and watches and other complete rot that is utterly superfluous to the story of his dukedom and the machinations behind it.
And the analogies. When discussing William Compton, Henry VIII’s Groom of the Stool, Starkey compares their relationship to Sancho Panza and Don Quixote, Figaro and Count Almaviva and Jeeves and Wooster! “….to play the rear legs and be the brains of the enterprise”
In the introduction Starkey makes it clear that this is a book on the youthful Henry VIII and as such is titled Henry Virtuous Prince. I suspect that he has bitten of more than he could chew because this book should have finished with his crowning as king. Instead it is padded out with his life up to the coming of Thomas Wolsey. The last chapter comes to an abrupt halt while discussing Wolsey and is so sudden, a short meaningless sentence to the future is at the end, that I would have thought that even more forgiving readers than me may have been surprised.
In the end a terrible book and for anyone interested in the fascinating life of Henry VIII steer well clear of this pretentious drivel.
This, my first read of any of his books has left me cold. I could not wait to finish this as it was so poorly presented and so badly written as to be of little use to the serious scholar interested in the youthful Henry VIII.
The introduction alone should have had the alarm bells ringing as we get a faecal matter joke. Seriously? Onwards and upwards this reader thought. Nope! There is constant supposition with poorly backed footnotes, nor a bibliography I might add, and some of the most pompous prose I have ever read. Take this for example when a very young Prince Henry is made Duke of York by his father.
“What, if anything, did the three and half year Henry understand of all this and remember? The higher symbolism – of physical cleansing, spiritual purification, sleep and awakening as a (re)new(ed) man – would have been beyond him, as indeed it was probably beyond adult fellow postulants as well. Perhaps instead the even lingered in his memory as a series of intense sensory experiences: cold and heat; wetting and being towelled dry; the scratchy fabric of his hermits gown; the mysterious gloom of the chapel in the small hours and the weariness of staying up later than he’d ever done before; and, in the morning the exhilaration of showing, once more, that he could ride all by himself”
And it don’t finish there! We get another 124 words of dribble about his nurse, his mistress and women, vigils and watches and other complete rot that is utterly superfluous to the story of his dukedom and the machinations behind it.
And the analogies. When discussing William Compton, Henry VIII’s Groom of the Stool, Starkey compares their relationship to Sancho Panza and Don Quixote, Figaro and Count Almaviva and Jeeves and Wooster! “….to play the rear legs and be the brains of the enterprise”
In the introduction Starkey makes it clear that this is a book on the youthful Henry VIII and as such is titled Henry Virtuous Prince. I suspect that he has bitten of more than he could chew because this book should have finished with his crowning as king. Instead it is padded out with his life up to the coming of Thomas Wolsey. The last chapter comes to an abrupt halt while discussing Wolsey and is so sudden, a short meaningless sentence to the future is at the end, that I would have thought that even more forgiving readers than me may have been surprised.
In the end a terrible book and for anyone interested in the fascinating life of Henry VIII steer well clear of this pretentious drivel.
September 21, 2011
'Henry-Virtuous Prince', published 2008, is the first book that I have read by this author. Starkey is not just a famous writer on the Tudor period, but is a well known media personality here in the U.K. His popular television productions also feature this dynasty, i.e. 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' and 'Henry VIII:The Mind of a Tyrant.' He was also an advisor to 'The Tudors', a t.v. series I found to be simplistic and riddled with historical inaccuracy. From Starkey's many television and radio appearances the man comes across to me as a highly opinionated loathsome spotted reptile. I have endeavoured to not let this feeling get in the way of my review of this book. No really!
I agree with the author when he writes that there were two Henrys, the old and the young, (but isn't that the case with us all?) therefore the idea behind this book, a study of the young prince, is valid. However I found this part biography to be somewhat concise and far from the 'magisterial biography of Henry's early life' that the dust cover purports. Although it contains 370 pages of text, the font is Janet and John size. His brief summation of the Wars of the Roses contains some slander of characters, who fortunately for Mr Starkey have been dead for some six hundred years and cannot sue for defamation. He is either overly biased in his views or too reliant on Shakespearian propaganda. In too many instances throughout this book I found the narrative wanting. Too shallow and lacking in detail and primary source evidence.
Having said that, if Starkey were to publish 'Henry VIII:The Mind of a Tyrant' I could still be interested.
I agree with the author when he writes that there were two Henrys, the old and the young, (but isn't that the case with us all?) therefore the idea behind this book, a study of the young prince, is valid. However I found this part biography to be somewhat concise and far from the 'magisterial biography of Henry's early life' that the dust cover purports. Although it contains 370 pages of text, the font is Janet and John size. His brief summation of the Wars of the Roses contains some slander of characters, who fortunately for Mr Starkey have been dead for some six hundred years and cannot sue for defamation. He is either overly biased in his views or too reliant on Shakespearian propaganda. In too many instances throughout this book I found the narrative wanting. Too shallow and lacking in detail and primary source evidence.
Having said that, if Starkey were to publish 'Henry VIII:The Mind of a Tyrant' I could still be interested.
October 9, 2017
Youth ends where marriage and fatherhood begin. Starkey's definition is sensible enough and all though he may make a psychological assumption too many where the source material gets sketchy, his easy-going narrative style befits the theatrical nature of Tudor kingship.
We see Henry growing up in a female household, separated from his older brother, the carefully groomed Crown Prince, but not lacking neither attention or a rounded upbringing. Indeed, the overall impression is the status of Second Son as a luxury; all the perks, none of the obligations. Between an old-fashioned flowery Latin teacher and the starker humanist of Erasmus (via Thomas Moore), Henry knew his classics. Tall and naturally heavy-set like a wrestler, Philip of France nurtured his love of jousting, all tough for the safety of the dynasty, he was mostly confined to staking rings with precision rather than duelling with sword and lance.
It's a very optimistic biography which, whether you like it or not, contains almost no hints at the goudy tyrant of later years. Starkey remains wedded to his verdict in the introduction to "Six Wives" : Henry expected his marriages to make him happy, in a very 20th century fashion. The only veiled allusion is the contrast between him and his father. The former was a money-saver who never forgot that he won his throne by force. The latter was a big spender who aspired to greatness by the standard of late medieval kingship.
We see Henry growing up in a female household, separated from his older brother, the carefully groomed Crown Prince, but not lacking neither attention or a rounded upbringing. Indeed, the overall impression is the status of Second Son as a luxury; all the perks, none of the obligations. Between an old-fashioned flowery Latin teacher and the starker humanist of Erasmus (via Thomas Moore), Henry knew his classics. Tall and naturally heavy-set like a wrestler, Philip of France nurtured his love of jousting, all tough for the safety of the dynasty, he was mostly confined to staking rings with precision rather than duelling with sword and lance.
It's a very optimistic biography which, whether you like it or not, contains almost no hints at the goudy tyrant of later years. Starkey remains wedded to his verdict in the introduction to "Six Wives" : Henry expected his marriages to make him happy, in a very 20th century fashion. The only veiled allusion is the contrast between him and his father. The former was a money-saver who never forgot that he won his throne by force. The latter was a big spender who aspired to greatness by the standard of late medieval kingship.
November 26, 2021
Henry and I go a long way.. That's how this book starts. And I was thrilled cos Henry and I go a long way too. There is nothing that escapes my attention if the name Henry VIII is mentioned. Somehow there's a little I knew of his early years. Knowing Starkey, I picked it with such enthusiasm.
I didn't enjoy it at all. I wanted to know more about Henry as a chid before he became all important Henry the VIII. It's good to know the backgrounds too but not 250 pages out of 400 pages. Honestly, if I want to read a long scroll about all the damn Edwards and Elezabeths and Charles's, I would find a book written about them. In between all the long draggy drama of English monarchy, there was a little bit about Henry and I'm grateful for that.
More that that, I'm not really happy with this book. I strongly believe this book could've been much better.
Book #64 of 2021..
I didn't enjoy it at all. I wanted to know more about Henry as a chid before he became all important Henry the VIII. It's good to know the backgrounds too but not 250 pages out of 400 pages. Honestly, if I want to read a long scroll about all the damn Edwards and Elezabeths and Charles's, I would find a book written about them. In between all the long draggy drama of English monarchy, there was a little bit about Henry and I'm grateful for that.
More that that, I'm not really happy with this book. I strongly believe this book could've been much better.
Book #64 of 2021..
May 7, 2017
Henry VIII and David Starkey - this book had to be a topper. And it was. Not only did it give some background information on the War of the Roses for the uninitiated, but as a major Henry fan, all the information about baby Henry's christening, infant Henry's creation as Duke of York, little Henry and his love for jousting, and teenage Henry inheriting the throne was a fabulous read.
September 25, 2016
An interesting look at Henry VIII - but before he was king. A look at Prince Henry from birth to the rise of Cardinal Wolsey.
Interesting. A big plus for me was that I learned a few things about the Tudors that I hadn't known before, so that always endears a book to me.
Recommended if you are interested in the nurturing of the man who became, arguably, England's most notorious monarch.
Interesting. A big plus for me was that I learned a few things about the Tudors that I hadn't known before, so that always endears a book to me.
Recommended if you are interested in the nurturing of the man who became, arguably, England's most notorious monarch.
July 3, 2012
Well-written and engaging, this book delves into the early life of Henry VIII.
November 18, 2019
The more I read about Henry the more I view him as a character quite close to 21 century`s ambitions.
Starkey may be a posh ass and his writing in this one isn't really top notch, though what I esp like about his books is the vast factual knowledge.
Given all the context from his entire lifespan, few things are pretty clear to me:
- He wasn't brought up to be king, and thus became much more entitled later on. He lived as a royal child in the household of his mother and enjoyed the benefits that come with that.
- He wasn't really changed after 1536. The alleged contrast between the younger and older henry stems from the fact that Henry became King when he was a teenager. His entitlement was fueled by insecurity as the Tudor claim wasn't the best per se and the more his father had to stand his ground. Their legacy wasn't secure at all.
Maybe for this reason, he wanted to approach this problem more bigger and better than Henry VII. The "goodness" during his youth soon faded with the responsibilities that come with being King.
He didn't like council meetings, he prefered sports and hunting (understandably so in his age tbh). When Wolsey came to court and assisted him, all of his ambitions soon came to a hold and changed for the better or worse.
- ...nor was he really "Sir loyal heart" towards Catherine. The fact that they stayed together the longest doesn't imply anything - annulling the marriage to her wasn't an option (yet). He wanted to have an affair with Anne Stafford during Catherine's first pregnancy, and he soon came to have more mistresses along the way.
- he wasn't crazy, he had ulcerus legs, became fat and bald and had no heir. Welcome to midlife crisis.
Starkey may be a posh ass and his writing in this one isn't really top notch, though what I esp like about his books is the vast factual knowledge.
Given all the context from his entire lifespan, few things are pretty clear to me:
- He wasn't brought up to be king, and thus became much more entitled later on. He lived as a royal child in the household of his mother and enjoyed the benefits that come with that.
- He wasn't really changed after 1536. The alleged contrast between the younger and older henry stems from the fact that Henry became King when he was a teenager. His entitlement was fueled by insecurity as the Tudor claim wasn't the best per se and the more his father had to stand his ground. Their legacy wasn't secure at all.
Maybe for this reason, he wanted to approach this problem more bigger and better than Henry VII. The "goodness" during his youth soon faded with the responsibilities that come with being King.
He didn't like council meetings, he prefered sports and hunting (understandably so in his age tbh). When Wolsey came to court and assisted him, all of his ambitions soon came to a hold and changed for the better or worse.
- ...nor was he really "Sir loyal heart" towards Catherine. The fact that they stayed together the longest doesn't imply anything - annulling the marriage to her wasn't an option (yet). He wanted to have an affair with Anne Stafford during Catherine's first pregnancy, and he soon came to have more mistresses along the way.
- he wasn't crazy, he had ulcerus legs, became fat and bald and had no heir. Welcome to midlife crisis.
September 1, 2023
3.5 stars rounded down
I knew, as probably many do, the history around Henry the Eighth in the later years of his reign. His 6 wives and the many people he put to death. But I didn't know much about his life as a child and the early years of his reign. A decent chunk is dedicated to his family tree which given that names were reused over again got a bit confusing. Henry emerges as a king who didn't have a whole lot of power to start with, a man in love with his wife Katherine. It was easy to forget sometimes that this is history it felt like a tale of fiction. It was also sad to read knowing the man that Henry became
I knew, as probably many do, the history around Henry the Eighth in the later years of his reign. His 6 wives and the many people he put to death. But I didn't know much about his life as a child and the early years of his reign. A decent chunk is dedicated to his family tree which given that names were reused over again got a bit confusing. Henry emerges as a king who didn't have a whole lot of power to start with, a man in love with his wife Katherine. It was easy to forget sometimes that this is history it felt like a tale of fiction. It was also sad to read knowing the man that Henry became
March 22, 2021
It was fun and lively
October 10, 2017
An interesting look into the younger Henry. I'm looking forward to seeing the author speak tonight.
October 19, 2024
Being one of the more recent Henry VIII biographies, and being specifically about Henry's youth, this was a popular choice when widespread interest became fuelled by 'that' TV series with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. I checked it for comparison with the 5 others I've read on Henry.
I rate it on par with the good ones for dynastic background and incidental (impersonal) detail, but not for character study. If more drily and stuffily presented than personally accessible, this is academically fine and faultless in its fine detail.
Not the first Starkey biography I've read, this is his pet dynasty. He specialised in Tudor history at Cambridge, writing a thesis on Henry VIII's household. His knowledge, as would be expected, is impressive, while his reader-connection is standoffish. This makes for a drier, less authentic result than I seek in any biography.
Focusing on young Henry rather than his life, this might have been a more personal look at the 'spare' heir whose apparent destiny changed course for the better with the death of his older brother Arthur. No matter how meticulously researched and presented, personal supply inventories and monetary accounts do not suffice, in my mind, as 'personalisation'. Rather, a more intimate style of penmanship than Starkey's is the key.
While, admittedly, generalisations can be invalid, the notary female historical biographers I've read (mostly, not all) have achieved more evocative results than their male contemporaries. Such women have been criticised for being overly emotive in approach and Starkey seems to be making a point around this in his own more remote, albeit supremely erudite, style. If, like me, you like blood pumped into a study's cheeks, tones given to their voice, rationale explained around their more private decisions, then Starkey disappoints.
Only fair to consider that the 'heart and soul' we might be prospecting for in this has been reaped over and over from Starkey's most formidable biographical predecessors - there was no point in his aiming to replicate, but rather to find an original take on this weightily covered topic. In this unenviable task he succeeds, leaving his own hallmark on the vastly sprawling genre of Tudor biography.
This slightly prickly addition to any Tudor reading shelf will contribute balance and sophistication.
I rate it on par with the good ones for dynastic background and incidental (impersonal) detail, but not for character study. If more drily and stuffily presented than personally accessible, this is academically fine and faultless in its fine detail.
Not the first Starkey biography I've read, this is his pet dynasty. He specialised in Tudor history at Cambridge, writing a thesis on Henry VIII's household. His knowledge, as would be expected, is impressive, while his reader-connection is standoffish. This makes for a drier, less authentic result than I seek in any biography.
Focusing on young Henry rather than his life, this might have been a more personal look at the 'spare' heir whose apparent destiny changed course for the better with the death of his older brother Arthur. No matter how meticulously researched and presented, personal supply inventories and monetary accounts do not suffice, in my mind, as 'personalisation'. Rather, a more intimate style of penmanship than Starkey's is the key.
While, admittedly, generalisations can be invalid, the notary female historical biographers I've read (mostly, not all) have achieved more evocative results than their male contemporaries. Such women have been criticised for being overly emotive in approach and Starkey seems to be making a point around this in his own more remote, albeit supremely erudite, style. If, like me, you like blood pumped into a study's cheeks, tones given to their voice, rationale explained around their more private decisions, then Starkey disappoints.
Only fair to consider that the 'heart and soul' we might be prospecting for in this has been reaped over and over from Starkey's most formidable biographical predecessors - there was no point in his aiming to replicate, but rather to find an original take on this weightily covered topic. In this unenviable task he succeeds, leaving his own hallmark on the vastly sprawling genre of Tudor biography.
This slightly prickly addition to any Tudor reading shelf will contribute balance and sophistication.
May 9, 2009
Fascinating and infuriating. I genuinely enjoyed parts of this book, but Starkey's gossipy style really grates with me and I felt he tried to cover so much that he spread himself too thinly. It was cleary a complicated time in England's history, with the political intrigue surrounding the end of the War of the Roses and the rise of the House of Tudor, and Starkey does a good job of explaining this, but most of the rest of this book feels like he has included anything vaguely of interest to him about Henry's childhood that he found in comtemporary sources. I also felt he over-egged the importance of the views about Henry expressed in contemporary sources. Many of those were intended for Henry himself to read and I'd take what they said about Henry the man with a massive pinch of salt, whereas Starkey mainly assumes the sentiments expressed to be true.
September 8, 2009
This is authored by the renowned UK historian who is currently the curator of a special Henry VIII exhibition at the British Library (at least as of August 2009). I have read some of his other books, and what I consistently find refreshing about his writing is that it reads more like a narrative story than the usual dry historical biographies.
March 19, 2010
I like that the book concentrates in time before Henry became king or seeks divorce from Katherine.
But I find his writing style annoying. It also made me think that does he think he's Henry or his best fiend?
But I find his writing style annoying. It also made me think that does he think he's Henry or his best fiend?
September 18, 2009
I love David Starkey he writes wonderfully and is much easier to follow than a lot of historical biographers. This is the first part of his Henry series and is really interesting and detailed...would you expect anything less???
September 8, 2020
This book probably could be 4 stars however since I hate David Starkey for being a terrible human being I’ve knocked it a star. That isn’t to say he isn’t good at his job, he is a good historian. However, he sucks and I detest him.
June 28, 2025
I’m afraid I got distracted whilst reading this book and so it demoted to 3 stars when it’s probably a 3. Just started reading a different book and then struggled to get back into this one and felt myself wanting it to just end so I could move on :/
But from what I can remember it started well and had my attention. David Starkey certainly brings a ‘fresh’ (I realise this book is now over a decade old) way of talking about history instead of droning on about all old facts with no narrative or creativity.
So I learned a lot of new facts about Henry, was taken aback at how much his father had to fight to get the throne, I never knew he had a brother (the king) and all the other interesting things about his childhood upbringing.
If you’re interested in this era I’d start with this book then move on to the others… I’m still yet to buy the others though.
But from what I can remember it started well and had my attention. David Starkey certainly brings a ‘fresh’ (I realise this book is now over a decade old) way of talking about history instead of droning on about all old facts with no narrative or creativity.
So I learned a lot of new facts about Henry, was taken aback at how much his father had to fight to get the throne, I never knew he had a brother (the king) and all the other interesting things about his childhood upbringing.
If you’re interested in this era I’d start with this book then move on to the others… I’m still yet to buy the others though.
May 29, 2019
This book is quite informative, if you want detail regarding Henry VIII's lifestyle whilst he was a prince. Starkey presents a fairly well researched and (thankfully) readable account of Henry's early life. However, he tends to delve into unnecessary detail that can become tedious, especially at the beginning, where he explains exactly how Tudor nurseries functioned. But if you're looking for that type of academic research that is actually easy to read (yet rather pretentious at times?), then Starkey is your guy. The only particularly interesting part of this book is in how the key aspects of Henry VII's reign are shown from a different angle, the one of his younger son. I am not sure I could have read this if I hadn't forced myself.
June 20, 2017
I really enjoyed this biography of the young Henry. The reason I've only given it the 4 stars is because the content was just not gripping enough, though Starkey set himself a tough task in tackling Henry's early life because it's simply not as interesting as when he becomes the 'older, greater, badder Henry' that Starkey refers to on the final page.
The part that really grabbed me was the mention of an attempted affair when Henry was just 18. That's what I wanted throughout, though I guess for that I'll need a biography focussing on the later portion of his reign.
That said, if not the rollercoaster I was after, this was a solid and interesting swing.
The part that really grabbed me was the mention of an attempted affair when Henry was just 18. That's what I wanted throughout, though I guess for that I'll need a biography focussing on the later portion of his reign.
That said, if not the rollercoaster I was after, this was a solid and interesting swing.
May 3, 2018
Review - I thought that this was a good overview of the early years of Henry VIII. I think, however, that it could have ended at a more definite point, as it just sort of tailed off rather than ending per ce. Sources are clearly referenced and events are often explained in detail. I think that the chapter on ancestors could have done with more explanation on why these people had such an affect on Henry, but otherwise a great read.
General Subject/s? - History / Biography / Tudors / Henry VIII
Recommend? – Yes
Rating - 16/20
General Subject/s? - History / Biography / Tudors / Henry VIII
Recommend? – Yes
Rating - 16/20
July 2, 2018
A really interesting history of the early years of Henry VIII from birth to becoming a young man and then king. Most historians are more interested in the latter period of his life, when he was wife-hopping and generally being a tyrant, so it was interesting to learn more about this oft-neglected period of his life when he showed real promise and bore no resemblence to the tyrant of later years. Looking forward to reading the second biography about his later years - David Starkey does tell a good story, his books are very easy to read compared to most historians.
May 25, 2020
David Starkey is a historian who wears his learning lightly. Here is a very easy to read work which examines Henry VIII upbringing and his early years as a monarch which is clearly based on deep research but which is far from being a dry historical tome. This is the young, athletic and extremely well-educated prince who for his first 15 years was brought up as the spare not the heir. I have read a great deal about the Tudors but I learned a lot that was new here, not only about Henry but his father Henry VII.
July 1, 2021
A really interesting work going into the early life and education of the King from birth till the age of 20. Starkey is a very interesting historical writer. I became interested in him after seeing some interviews on YouTube, and then very interested after he was called out by small minded progressives as a "racist". Isn't everybody these days? Anyway, the book details the peol\ple and places that influenced him in these formative years, which seem to have little to do with who he became later. Looking forward to the next installment.
December 29, 2023
Gossipy profiling of King Henry VIII's formative years and of the retinue that helped shape his reign. Written in the style of casual pub talk, this would not seem out of place in a tabloid; and the persistent detours to spotlight a key noble can be dull, besides the haphazard timeline. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.
May 28, 2024
An excellent biography focusing just on Henry VII's boyhood, princedom, and just his first few years as king, as well as his family background, to put into context where he came from rather than the usual emphasis on what he became. Excellent ground eye view of the nitty gritty details and people of the time period - a great biography to further flesh out this fascinating king.
January 6, 2025
Hugely detailed account of Henry’s early life upto the point where he acceded to the throne aged 18. It is sometimes difficult to keep track of all the different characters and their complex relationships but the early influences on Henry and the kind of king he wanted to be are explored and explained in an interesting and engaging way.
July 16, 2017
This was very interesting, as I'd only ever previously had details about the Tudors from my school lessons.
Definitely one to read if you like Henry, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book
Definitely one to read if you like Henry, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book
April 29, 2018
Interesting book exploring the lesser known early years of Henry’s life. Starkey is good on the personalities but for me there was a little too much speculation (did he think/do xyz....?). A strong narrative but no real analysis
December 10, 2017
The WORST book ever. The spelling and grammatical errors alone made it a pain to read. Do not recommend. Zero stars.
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