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Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour
Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.
In his ambition to provide a male heir to the throne, Henry VIII married six times. Divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, caused England’s break from the Catholic church in Rome. He went on to divorce Anne of Cleves and behead Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard for infidelities. Jane Seymour died and Catherine Parr survived Henry.
Henry VIII’s Wives in an Hour will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fates. You will learn which wife had what impact on Henry and England and understand why Henry and his six wives form the most popular period of Tudor history.
Know your stuff: read about Henry VIII’s wives in just one hour.
In his ambition to provide a male heir to the throne, Henry VIII married six times. Divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, caused England’s break from the Catholic church in Rome. He went on to divorce Anne of Cleves and behead Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard for infidelities. Jane Seymour died and Catherine Parr survived Henry.
Henry VIII’s Wives in an Hour will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fates. You will learn which wife had what impact on Henry and England and understand why Henry and his six wives form the most popular period of Tudor history.
Know your stuff: read about Henry VIII’s wives in just one hour.
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2011
53 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
January 21, 2023
The Henry VIII is famously or rather infamously known for his six marriages. Why should a man marry six ladies? For male heir? For love? For pleasure? Whatever was the reason, it is never justifiable. Just think about the abysmal despair these ladies had to go through due to their husbands skylarking marital life. History was also was not kind to Henry VIII for his acrimonious relationships with his wives.
Let us see each of his six wives and what happened to them
1) Catherine of Aragon
Reason for marriage - He married her because he was betrothed to her by his father.
Children - They had six children, but only daughter Mary survived who later became Queen Mary. His efforts for the annulment of this marriage led to the separation of the Church of England from Papal authority. He was continually on the verge of financial ruin due to his extravagant lifestyle.
Marital life - Henry divorced her saying that she had failed to produce male heir.
2) Anne Boleyn
Reason for marriage - He fell in love with her and also needed a male heir
Children - Gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth
Marital life - Henry accused her of witchcraft and had her beheaded
3) Jane Seymour
Reason for marriage - He still needed a male heir
Children - One son who later succeeded Henry to become Edward VI
Marital life - Died shortly after childbirth
4) Anne of Cleves
Reason for marriage - Due to diplomatic reasons
Children - None
Marital life - He divorced her because the political alliance for which he married her was no longer to be his advantage
5) Catherine Howard
Reason for marriage - He fell in love again.
Children - None
Marital life - He accused her of adultery and had her beheaded
6) Katherine Parr
Reason for marriage - He was old and sick and needed a companion and a nurse
Children - None
Marital life -She outlived Henry
Marriage is something which should bring a lot of happiness to a person's life. It is harrowing to know that one person's quest for power and male heir had made it one of the most painful experiences in these six women's life. Julie Wheeler did an excellent job in delineating the lives of these six ladies in this book.
Let us see each of his six wives and what happened to them
1) Catherine of Aragon
Reason for marriage - He married her because he was betrothed to her by his father.
Children - They had six children, but only daughter Mary survived who later became Queen Mary. His efforts for the annulment of this marriage led to the separation of the Church of England from Papal authority. He was continually on the verge of financial ruin due to his extravagant lifestyle.
Marital life - Henry divorced her saying that she had failed to produce male heir.
2) Anne Boleyn
Reason for marriage - He fell in love with her and also needed a male heir
Children - Gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth
Marital life - Henry accused her of witchcraft and had her beheaded
3) Jane Seymour
Reason for marriage - He still needed a male heir
Children - One son who later succeeded Henry to become Edward VI
Marital life - Died shortly after childbirth
4) Anne of Cleves
Reason for marriage - Due to diplomatic reasons
Children - None
Marital life - He divorced her because the political alliance for which he married her was no longer to be his advantage
5) Catherine Howard
Reason for marriage - He fell in love again.
Children - None
Marital life - He accused her of adultery and had her beheaded
6) Katherine Parr
Reason for marriage - He was old and sick and needed a companion and a nurse
Children - None
Marital life -She outlived Henry
Marriage is something which should bring a lot of happiness to a person's life. It is harrowing to know that one person's quest for power and male heir had made it one of the most painful experiences in these six women's life. Julie Wheeler did an excellent job in delineating the lives of these six ladies in this book.
July 29, 2018
ספרון קצר ומרתק שמסכם את ההיסטוריה של ששת נשותיו של המלך הנרי השמיני. כתוב בצורה בהירה וברורה. נהניתי לקרוא וללמוד.
December 29, 2024
erkek bir varis uğruna 6 kadınla evlenip ikisini idam ettirip kalanının da hayatını zindana çevirmenin bir zamanlar normal olduğu düşüncesi olduğum yüzyılın ayaklarına kapanmama yetiyor ki olduğumuz yüzyıla bakın
bu adamın, iki gün boyunca süren doğumdan sonra dünyaya gelen erkek çocuğunun da 15 yaşında ölmesiyle hanedanlığının son bulması ve şimdi korkunç ivan ve çarpık kentleşmeye sebep olan herkesle beraber cehennemin 7. katında olduğunu düşünmek bu pazar günü bana derin bir huzur veriyor, catherine, anna, jane, diğer catharine, diğer diğer katherine ama k ile ve diğer anne UNUTULMAYACAKSINIZ, iyi pazarlar
bu adamın, iki gün boyunca süren doğumdan sonra dünyaya gelen erkek çocuğunun da 15 yaşında ölmesiyle hanedanlığının son bulması ve şimdi korkunç ivan ve çarpık kentleşmeye sebep olan herkesle beraber cehennemin 7. katında olduğunu düşünmek bu pazar günü bana derin bir huzur veriyor, catherine, anna, jane, diğer catharine, diğer diğer katherine ama k ile ve diğer anne UNUTULMAYACAKSINIZ, iyi pazarlar
December 30, 2012
A good brief overview, though not much attention is paid to Cromwell in the Anne of Cleves section. Pretty good for what it it. Of particular use is the outline at the end of the book.
October 9, 2018
A very fine summary if you’re looking for a quick history. Having just been to England and having visited many places of the Tudor monarchy I feel it covers quite a good deal of history in a short time. Well done!
February 28, 2013
(The following is excerpted from the full review at Marginalia.)
Henry VIII's Wives provides basic biographical overviews of all six of the famed "divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived" ladies who were (un)lucky enough to marry the English king. Each chapter gives information on the women's family backgrounds and lineage, their upbringing, their personalities, how they became Henry's wives, what their experiences were like as consort, and how they met their ends. Portraits are included to give visual to the reader.
I was pleasantly surprised by Henry VIII's Wives. I was expecting to only learn basic data points, but Wheeler does a great job of contextualizing the information. She gives just the right amount of political and social background on the period to weave a broader story of English royalty and public life at the time, instead of simply writing narrowly about the women and their personal experiences. The reader learns not just about the six women, but also about the wider nation and culture. She also helps the reader understand the psyche of the king and his ladies, without going down the dangerous road of unverifiable speculation.
That aversion to speculation is perhaps the strongest point of the book. So many Tudor enthusiasts like to work their own weak theories into their works, but Wheeler sticks to proven facts and only the most widely accepted analyses of her subjects. Although the book isn't footnoted or endnoted and contains no bibliography, I didn't find any factual errors in the reading.
The lack of at least a bibliography was the only major disappointment I had. It would be nice for future History in an Hour volumes to contain a bibliography as well as perhaps suggested additional readings. The only appendix matter in Henry VIII's Wives is a timeline of each woman's life; adding in the reference list would make the book all the more appealing. A brief biography of the author would also be appreciated.
Henry VIII's Wives is a great choice for anyone who wants to learn more than an encyclopedia entry but not sit through an entire full-length book. Students taking history courses will especially find it to be useful as a study aid. It can't be compared to a full-length text in terms of its rating, but in its category of primers, it is nearly perfect.
Henry VIII's Wives provides basic biographical overviews of all six of the famed "divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived" ladies who were (un)lucky enough to marry the English king. Each chapter gives information on the women's family backgrounds and lineage, their upbringing, their personalities, how they became Henry's wives, what their experiences were like as consort, and how they met their ends. Portraits are included to give visual to the reader.
I was pleasantly surprised by Henry VIII's Wives. I was expecting to only learn basic data points, but Wheeler does a great job of contextualizing the information. She gives just the right amount of political and social background on the period to weave a broader story of English royalty and public life at the time, instead of simply writing narrowly about the women and their personal experiences. The reader learns not just about the six women, but also about the wider nation and culture. She also helps the reader understand the psyche of the king and his ladies, without going down the dangerous road of unverifiable speculation.
That aversion to speculation is perhaps the strongest point of the book. So many Tudor enthusiasts like to work their own weak theories into their works, but Wheeler sticks to proven facts and only the most widely accepted analyses of her subjects. Although the book isn't footnoted or endnoted and contains no bibliography, I didn't find any factual errors in the reading.
The lack of at least a bibliography was the only major disappointment I had. It would be nice for future History in an Hour volumes to contain a bibliography as well as perhaps suggested additional readings. The only appendix matter in Henry VIII's Wives is a timeline of each woman's life; adding in the reference list would make the book all the more appealing. A brief biography of the author would also be appreciated.
Henry VIII's Wives is a great choice for anyone who wants to learn more than an encyclopedia entry but not sit through an entire full-length book. Students taking history courses will especially find it to be useful as a study aid. It can't be compared to a full-length text in terms of its rating, but in its category of primers, it is nearly perfect.
March 1, 2020
it’s funny because this was originally going to be 4 stars because i think it’s well-written and it kept me engaged and interested throughout and i enjoyed my time reading but i cannot and i mean, CANNOT, sit through another book painting katherine howard as a slut and a sexually-charged woman when she was literally THIRTEEN YEARS OLD when henry mannox SEXUALLY ABUSED HER. call it what it is. SEXUAL ABUSE. this was then followed by more sexual abuse from francis dereham when she was again, a YOUNG GIRL, and this is the part that drove me nuts because the author had the audacity to say that francis, on his way to his death, ‘was merely a man who had laid in bed with a willing girl’ IM SORRY? WILLING? this is such a narrow-minded and disgusting view of a thirteen year old girl but also just historically inaccurate?? like it just wasn’t true?? the historical inaccuracies continue with HOO BOY thomas culpeper and the fact that it, again, was described as a young love affair or whatever the fuck as if katherine howard didn’t discreetly ask her lady to not be in the same room with him unaccompanied. HISTORIANS STOP CALLING KATHERINE HOWARD A WHORE CHALLENGE SHE WAS LITERALLY A CHILD. AND WHAT MADE ME EVEN MORE MAD is the even worse historical inaccuracy that elizabeth i had developed an ‘adolescent love/attraction’ to thomas seymour, her stepfather, which is again NOT AT ALL TRUE. SHE WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED BY HIM. SHE DIDN’T ‘LOVE’ HIM AT ALL AND IM NOT JUST SAYING THIS IT’S LITERALLY FALSE. she literally wrote a letter saying ‘let him not touch me’ and she would wake up early so he couldn’t find her in bed. ENOUGH WITH THIS BULLSHIT ! IM BIG MAD LMFAO stop painting a teenage girl who couldn’t consent as a slut and a whore and a ‘wanton’. don’t write a history book that isn’t historically accurate?? nah fuck this
January 26, 2013
Concise. Clear-cut. Straight to the point. No opinions or outside commentary. Just a basic telling of the 6 wives of Henry VIII. Still, very interesting, at least it is to me. I'm fascinated by all of this. The one part that always confuses me and makes so me upset is how so many of the women have such similar names: Anne, Mary, Katherine, Jane. They didn't have a lot of variations as far as names for women went in the 16th Century. It's no wonder that even someone like me who loves all things British can easily get confused as to which woman is which at what time and which woman did what when. Overall, this book is a nice simple explanation of Henry VIII's wives that helps keep the women straight, at least better than some other sources I've read in the past. It even includes some pictures. None of which are very attractive, but, well, it was the 16th century.....
February 5, 2016
History in an Hour series: short reads to enhance your knowledge about a subject in under an hour. More like 20 minutes for this one.
Tough gig, being the wife of Henry VIII. As the rhyme goes: Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. No thanks, Henry. I've seen the Holbein paintings. You were not much of a catch. Too much pressure to produce a male heir. Too much infidelity and Royal Court nonsense. I wouldn't have done well in that time. Too much sass in me.
Straightforward information about each of the six wives. A good primer to get you started.
Tough gig, being the wife of Henry VIII. As the rhyme goes: Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. No thanks, Henry. I've seen the Holbein paintings. You were not much of a catch. Too much pressure to produce a male heir. Too much infidelity and Royal Court nonsense. I wouldn't have done well in that time. Too much sass in me.
Straightforward information about each of the six wives. A good primer to get you started.
December 27, 2012
You know you are a slow reader when it takes you 90 minutes to read "History in an Hour". lol
A lovely refresher in Henry VIII's wives. I kept reminiscing about The Tudors from HBO. I could picture each wife and as the story was revealed, I could recall it from the TV show. Probably pretty pathetic, but nonetheless true! lol
I recommend this short book for anyone interested in brushing up on some Tudor history.
A lovely refresher in Henry VIII's wives. I kept reminiscing about The Tudors from HBO. I could picture each wife and as the story was revealed, I could recall it from the TV show. Probably pretty pathetic, but nonetheless true! lol
I recommend this short book for anyone interested in brushing up on some Tudor history.
August 9, 2014
For someone who doesn't read a lot of history books or doesn't have the time to read about 300+ pages, it's a good starting point. It lays out all the facts you need to know in an easy to read manner.
For me, it was more of a very quick recap into the 6 wives. It was nicely written and covered all of the main points but I didn't get a lot out of it which is why I gave it 3 stars.
For me, it was more of a very quick recap into the 6 wives. It was nicely written and covered all of the main points but I didn't get a lot out of it which is why I gave it 3 stars.
August 13, 2014
This was the perfect read during a short flight back home from Orlando. I love reading anything related to the Tudors. This did not disappoint! And, I must say Anne Boleyn is still my favorite out of all the wives.
February 4, 2013
Shame he dies in the end.
April 13, 2019
As expected to the point with brief overviews of each woman
March 12, 2021
Temat mocno zawiły. Małżeństwa, śmierć żon Henryka VIII, jego dążenie do tego aby mieć potomka męskiego, silna osobowość doprowadziły do oderwania się królewska Anglii od Rzymu, ale również oznaczało tragedię kilku kobiet. Właśnie tragedie żon Henryka VIII są głównym tematem tej książki. Sporo znajdziemy tutaj szczegółów z życia i śmierci wszystkich żon Henryka VIII. Henryk VIII trochę przypomina mi postać Augusta Mocnego. Los niektórych żon Henryka VIII przypomina mi los hrabiny Cosel.
March 18, 2022
This is a well written and flawlessly narrated summary of Henry VIII's love (mis)adventures. I felt a rapidly increasing desire to bitch-slap some sense into the foolish man as I listened. I want this one. No, that one. Now this one's too much. So let me have that one. Oh, no, now this one. Too boring. Now this wild one. Again, too much. I'd better have that one over there. Luckily for everyone involved, Henry VIII died before this could go on any further.
A great listen. Highly recommended!
A great listen. Highly recommended!
September 16, 2022
I couldn't wish for a better book for someone like me, who doesn't know much about the topic. Although the book is small, it covers a good deal of information about Henry's wives and their relationships. It's a perfect summary - it's neither dry nor superficial, and after two hours I've learned who was who and who did what. Honestly, I would prefer having been born anyone but a royal. It was tough for royal women back then.
February 25, 2018
Super easy to read and interesting I loved all of the separation sometimes history is not in order most chapters were super intriguing
Super easy to read and interesting I loved all of the separation sometimes history is not in order most chapters were super intriguing
Super easy to read and interesting I loved all of the separation sometimes history is not in order most chapters were super intriguing
March 7, 2018
I forgot I had this little gem, but in the process of trying to read all of my books, I discovered it. It's no more and no less than what it claims- Henry VIII's wives in an hour. The book is short and concise, but left me, as a true anglophile and history buff, wanting more. For someone who just wants the basics on each of his wives, this book does the trick and does it well.
April 29, 2018
A perfect summary
Enjoyed reading this one hour history. Written at a good pace and a refresher of all that knowledge drummed in to us 50 years ago in school, except 50 years ago it took months...not an hour! What's up next? Gunpowder plot anyone?
Enjoyed reading this one hour history. Written at a good pace and a refresher of all that knowledge drummed in to us 50 years ago in school, except 50 years ago it took months...not an hour! What's up next? Gunpowder plot anyone?
November 24, 2018
A very dry but informative book.
Lived up to the title of History in an Hour. Felt I was getting through it rather than enjoying the read. I'm sure there are better history books around but I've also read much worse.
Lived up to the title of History in an Hour. Felt I was getting through it rather than enjoying the read. I'm sure there are better history books around but I've also read much worse.
June 21, 2021
Historical Knowledge
I chose this book to give me a brief account of Henry XIII's wives. It was very straightforward, gives the reader everything in a nutshell, to start off a basic history lesson.
I chose this book to give me a brief account of Henry XIII's wives. It was very straightforward, gives the reader everything in a nutshell, to start off a basic history lesson.
August 2, 2023
Short but interesting book on the lives of Henry VIII's Wives. I learnt a lot about them. There were a couple of turns of phrase I wasn't keen on, and I was disappointed there was no mention of the darker side of Katherine Parr, but a useful book none the less.
January 22, 2025
After watching Wolf Hall and The Mirror and The Light, I was curious to see what was real and what was fiction. This very short book contains a lot of information and it’s refreshing to have the focus on the women for a change.
July 9, 2017
An informative and interesting overview of the lives and fates of the six wives of Henry VIII.
December 23, 2017
Good read
Good brief history of Henry the VIII. Enjoyed reading this book. Would recommend it to anyone who like their history
Good brief history of Henry the VIII. Enjoyed reading this book. Would recommend it to anyone who like their history
November 19, 2018
This was a good book. It gave bref history of each one of Henry viii wives. I enjoyed the book but I could have used more information on the woman. Not a quick history.
February 1, 2019
Snacka om att denna kung hade storhetsvansinne...jösses
October 14, 2019
A very brief résumé of King Henry's wives and the fate that befell them. Further reading encouraged.
March 18, 2020
Aaaaaaaaawesome
Very interesting indeed if a little short could of been a little more in-depth but was very interesting all the same
Very interesting indeed if a little short could of been a little more in-depth but was very interesting all the same
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews