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Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life
The long-awaited biography of the genius who masterminded Henry VIII's bloody revolution in the English government, which reveals at last Cromwell's role in the downfall of Anne Boleyn
"This a book that - and it's not often you can say this - we have been awaiting for four hundred years." --Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall
Since the sixteenth century we have been fascinated by Henry VIII and the man who stood beside him, guiding him, enriching him, and enduring the king's insatiable appetites and violent outbursts until Henry ordered his beheading in July 1540. After a decade of sleuthing in the royal archives, Diarmaid MacCulloch has emerged with a tantalizing new understanding of Henry's mercurial chief minister, the inscrutable and utterly compelling Thomas Cromwell.
History has not been kind to the son of a Putney brewer who became the architect of England's split with Rome. Where past biographies portrayed him as a scheming operator with blood on his hands, Hilary Mantel reimagined him as a far more sympathetic figure buffered by the whims of his master. So which was he--the villain of history or the victim of her creation? MacCulloch sifted through letters and court records for answers and found Cromwell's fingerprints on some of the most transformative decisions of Henry's turbulent reign. But he also found Cromwell the man, an administrative genius, rescuing him from myth and slander.
The real Cromwell was a deeply loving father who took his biggest risks to secure the future of his son, Gregory. He was also a man of faith and a quiet revolutionary. In the end, he could not appease or control the man whose humors were so violent and unpredictable. But he made his mark on England, setting her on the path to religious awakening and indelibly transforming the system of government of the English-speaking world.
"This a book that - and it's not often you can say this - we have been awaiting for four hundred years." --Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall
Since the sixteenth century we have been fascinated by Henry VIII and the man who stood beside him, guiding him, enriching him, and enduring the king's insatiable appetites and violent outbursts until Henry ordered his beheading in July 1540. After a decade of sleuthing in the royal archives, Diarmaid MacCulloch has emerged with a tantalizing new understanding of Henry's mercurial chief minister, the inscrutable and utterly compelling Thomas Cromwell.
History has not been kind to the son of a Putney brewer who became the architect of England's split with Rome. Where past biographies portrayed him as a scheming operator with blood on his hands, Hilary Mantel reimagined him as a far more sympathetic figure buffered by the whims of his master. So which was he--the villain of history or the victim of her creation? MacCulloch sifted through letters and court records for answers and found Cromwell's fingerprints on some of the most transformative decisions of Henry's turbulent reign. But he also found Cromwell the man, an administrative genius, rescuing him from myth and slander.
The real Cromwell was a deeply loving father who took his biggest risks to secure the future of his son, Gregory. He was also a man of faith and a quiet revolutionary. In the end, he could not appease or control the man whose humors were so violent and unpredictable. But he made his mark on England, setting her on the path to religious awakening and indelibly transforming the system of government of the English-speaking world.
752 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
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July 22, 2018
As we would expect from MacCulloch this is a finely researched and detailed scholarly study of Cromwell. Given MacCulloch’s own research interests, it’s also one which reads Cromwell through his religious activities: here called ‘evangelical’ rather than the anachronistic ‘Protestant’.
If you want a personality study then this might disappoint: the sources simply don’t give us access to Cromwell the private man (for that go to fiction such as Hilary Mantel), so that when, for example, we learn that Cromwell never married again after his wife’s death, we – and MacCulloch – can’t tell whether that’s due to overwhelming devotion (unlikely) or simply that he’s too busy and, having sons already, simply makes do with housekeepers.
MacCulloch does what he can with Cromwell’s early years: he traces him to Italy and some kind of involvement with the cloth trade but much is still left obscure: where he picked up Latin and Greek, for example, and learnt his love of books - Cromwell was an autodidact without a university education.
Once back in London, we’re on surer ground and MacCulloch has certainly scoured the sources (which, together with the bibliography, take up almost 200 pp. at the end). I like that this is intelligent about its readership and thus doesn’t rehash all the familiar stories of Henry and his various wives, though the narrative can’t side-step them altogether given Cromwell’s involvements with Anne Boleyn, and the ill-fated Anne of Cleves match, especially.
I would say that this is a book targeted at fellow scholars with crossover appeal for those deeply interested in Cromwell – if you have a mere passing interest this may well be too in-depth. As a work of reference – and one which is immensely readable – this will likely be the standard academic life of Cromwell for some time to come.
ARC from Amazon Vine
If you want a personality study then this might disappoint: the sources simply don’t give us access to Cromwell the private man (for that go to fiction such as Hilary Mantel), so that when, for example, we learn that Cromwell never married again after his wife’s death, we – and MacCulloch – can’t tell whether that’s due to overwhelming devotion (unlikely) or simply that he’s too busy and, having sons already, simply makes do with housekeepers.
MacCulloch does what he can with Cromwell’s early years: he traces him to Italy and some kind of involvement with the cloth trade but much is still left obscure: where he picked up Latin and Greek, for example, and learnt his love of books - Cromwell was an autodidact without a university education.
Once back in London, we’re on surer ground and MacCulloch has certainly scoured the sources (which, together with the bibliography, take up almost 200 pp. at the end). I like that this is intelligent about its readership and thus doesn’t rehash all the familiar stories of Henry and his various wives, though the narrative can’t side-step them altogether given Cromwell’s involvements with Anne Boleyn, and the ill-fated Anne of Cleves match, especially.
I would say that this is a book targeted at fellow scholars with crossover appeal for those deeply interested in Cromwell – if you have a mere passing interest this may well be too in-depth. As a work of reference – and one which is immensely readable – this will likely be the standard academic life of Cromwell for some time to come.
ARC from Amazon Vine
May 8, 2020
UPDATE: Now starting on my read through of the trilogy (Wolf Hall for the third time, Bring Up The Bodies for the second) - this is proving an invaluable companion.
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I read this book in preparation for reading the long-awaited third volume of Hilary Mantel’s brilliant already twice-Booker prize winning trilogy about the Tudor-statesman subject of this biography by a renowned historian.
And the biography makes the links between the two authors explicit – not just in the back cover blurb from Mantel but with MacCollouch opening the book with reference to Mantel’s “inspired novel series ... novels which happen to be set in the sixteenth century and with a profound knowledge of how that era functioned …. [although] Novels they remain, as Mantel herself has frequently (and with mounting weariness) emphasized to would-be critics”
He then sets out his complementary aim of inviting the “reader, to find the true Thomas Cromwell of history, by guiding you through the maze of his surviving papers” (an aim to which I will return).
He starts by pointing out that any biographer of Cromwell has both a huge advantage and a huge disadvantage. Cromwell’s papers were confiscated on his arrest (and execution) and are still retained in UK archives – but the picture is decidedly one-way as only letters that Cromwell received are in the collection (presumably he argues to a desperate act of paper burning prior to the house search).
As a result, “amid the torrent of paperwork through which the conscientious biographer wades to recapture what is left of Thomas Cromwell, the man’s own voice is largely missing”.
Rather wonderfully he then links this to Mantel’s use of “he” in what is effectively a first-person novel – with Cromwell “pre-eminently an observer, even of himself”.
The book then takes us on a chronological journey through Cromwell’s life – (or perhaps as accurately) through the stories of the Tudor court and kingdom (and of course most of all the capricious reign of Henry VIII) during that time and the way in which Cromwell was shaped by them, or more commonly shaped them himself.
There are many areas of interest, some I enjoyed/found particularly striking included:
Detailed research into the links that Cromwell made early in his life in Italy and the Low Countries, links (and contacts as well as language skills gained) which played a vital role in his career;
The author’s strong argument that Cromwell was playing a very long game (including sending out young academics to Switzerland) in his efforts at reshaping the religion of England and that not just did he favour Protestant/evangelical Christianity but the Swiss Reformed, rather than German Lutheran – something whose effects only really came to fruition in King Edward’s reign;
A lengthy and repeated (but at least to me, not entirely convincing) argument that Cromwell’s land confiscations were driven by a combination of Henry’s finance needs and Cromwell’s religious aims and that the enrichment of Cromwell himself was just a by product.
MacCullouch is an excellent writer – he has an easy turn of phrase and as a historian an ability to lay out his hypothesis, marshal his evidence and then summarise his arguments.
However the biggest flaw of the book is anticipated in the introduction: MacCullouch does not find his way through the maze of documentation, plunge into the torrent of paperwork and then return to us with his findings – instead he requires us to pick our way through the labyrinth with him, and face drowning in the deluge alongside him. The book is simply too detailed for the non-expert reader – however I found that I was able to judge those parts I needed (and wanted) to read in detail and when I could leave the author to his own exploration confident he would let me know when I needed to return.
Overall a fascinating account but not one I could unreservedly recommend to Mantel fans.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I read this book in preparation for reading the long-awaited third volume of Hilary Mantel’s brilliant already twice-Booker prize winning trilogy about the Tudor-statesman subject of this biography by a renowned historian.
And the biography makes the links between the two authors explicit – not just in the back cover blurb from Mantel but with MacCollouch opening the book with reference to Mantel’s “inspired novel series ... novels which happen to be set in the sixteenth century and with a profound knowledge of how that era functioned …. [although] Novels they remain, as Mantel herself has frequently (and with mounting weariness) emphasized to would-be critics”
He then sets out his complementary aim of inviting the “reader, to find the true Thomas Cromwell of history, by guiding you through the maze of his surviving papers” (an aim to which I will return).
He starts by pointing out that any biographer of Cromwell has both a huge advantage and a huge disadvantage. Cromwell’s papers were confiscated on his arrest (and execution) and are still retained in UK archives – but the picture is decidedly one-way as only letters that Cromwell received are in the collection (presumably he argues to a desperate act of paper burning prior to the house search).
As a result, “amid the torrent of paperwork through which the conscientious biographer wades to recapture what is left of Thomas Cromwell, the man’s own voice is largely missing”.
Rather wonderfully he then links this to Mantel’s use of “he” in what is effectively a first-person novel – with Cromwell “pre-eminently an observer, even of himself”.
The book then takes us on a chronological journey through Cromwell’s life – (or perhaps as accurately) through the stories of the Tudor court and kingdom (and of course most of all the capricious reign of Henry VIII) during that time and the way in which Cromwell was shaped by them, or more commonly shaped them himself.
There are many areas of interest, some I enjoyed/found particularly striking included:
Detailed research into the links that Cromwell made early in his life in Italy and the Low Countries, links (and contacts as well as language skills gained) which played a vital role in his career;
The author’s strong argument that Cromwell was playing a very long game (including sending out young academics to Switzerland) in his efforts at reshaping the religion of England and that not just did he favour Protestant/evangelical Christianity but the Swiss Reformed, rather than German Lutheran – something whose effects only really came to fruition in King Edward’s reign;
A lengthy and repeated (but at least to me, not entirely convincing) argument that Cromwell’s land confiscations were driven by a combination of Henry’s finance needs and Cromwell’s religious aims and that the enrichment of Cromwell himself was just a by product.
MacCullouch is an excellent writer – he has an easy turn of phrase and as a historian an ability to lay out his hypothesis, marshal his evidence and then summarise his arguments.
However the biggest flaw of the book is anticipated in the introduction: MacCullouch does not find his way through the maze of documentation, plunge into the torrent of paperwork and then return to us with his findings – instead he requires us to pick our way through the labyrinth with him, and face drowning in the deluge alongside him. The book is simply too detailed for the non-expert reader – however I found that I was able to judge those parts I needed (and wanted) to read in detail and when I could leave the author to his own exploration confident he would let me know when I needed to return.
Overall a fascinating account but not one I could unreservedly recommend to Mantel fans.
March 10, 2019
I want to say this seemed much more like a history of English Parliament and court happenings during Henry VIII's reign rather than a biography on Thomas Cromwell.Based supposedly on court records and Cromwell's archive of letters I found the lack of these glaringly obvious.While no doubt the author does present some I found the sections focusing on them quickly swept away while the author tended to move on rather than give a true study to them.I also found lots of secondary sources are used in this which i wasn't a huge fan of but there are sources such as Hall,Scarisbrick and Letters and Papers.The writing is dense and difficult to follow which i felt made it difficult to watch for new info though it may be worth a read for long time Tudor lovers.I wouldn't recommend for a general reader or someone just looking for a straight forward bio on Cromwell.However,I did enjoy.
October 8, 2022
This is a mighty work, based on deep scholarship, that demands attention all through its considerable length (550 pages in my edition, plus another 120 or so of notes and index).
MacCulloch’s prose is fluent and occasionally witty, and enables a non-expert reader like me to keep track of the great complexities of Cromwell’s life, of manoeuvrings for power and influence in government and in religion.
I recommend it highly for anyone interested in the Reformation or English history of this period.
His central argument is that Cromwell was a key figure in the English reformation, beginning with the break from Rome and moving through closure of monasteries and convents; production and distribution of an English language Bible to all parishes; and directing official religious direction towards the Protestantism of Swiss theologians rather than to Luther.
Cromwell significantly strengthened the role of Parliament in the short time he was in power, using it to push his own agenda of religious reform. Along the way he amassed great wealth and many titles.
He also acquired many enemies, who eventually brought him down in 1540, when Henry, who he had served so ruthlessly, had him executed.
Here are a couple of quotes on the Amazon site:
“Thomas Cromwell has famously defied his biographers, but no more. Diarmaid MacCulloch’s book is subtle, witty and precisely constructed. He has sifted the vast archive to clear away the accumulated error, muddle and propaganda of centuries, allowing us to see this clever and fascinating man better than ever before, and in the mirror of his times. This a book that—and it’s not often you can say this—we have been awaiting for four hundred years.” —Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies
“Thomas Cromwell is a wonderfully rich, detailed and demanding account of an extraordinary career....It’s a book to satisfy academic historians and the general reader alike. Nothing so dramatically and persuasively conveys the reality of life in these blood-soaked years.”—Wall Street Journal
And a couple of links to reviews that convey some of its strengths and appeal:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201... Jessie Childs
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/09/d... Marcus Nevitt
MacCulloch’s prose is fluent and occasionally witty, and enables a non-expert reader like me to keep track of the great complexities of Cromwell’s life, of manoeuvrings for power and influence in government and in religion.
I recommend it highly for anyone interested in the Reformation or English history of this period.
His central argument is that Cromwell was a key figure in the English reformation, beginning with the break from Rome and moving through closure of monasteries and convents; production and distribution of an English language Bible to all parishes; and directing official religious direction towards the Protestantism of Swiss theologians rather than to Luther.
Cromwell significantly strengthened the role of Parliament in the short time he was in power, using it to push his own agenda of religious reform. Along the way he amassed great wealth and many titles.
He also acquired many enemies, who eventually brought him down in 1540, when Henry, who he had served so ruthlessly, had him executed.
Here are a couple of quotes on the Amazon site:
“Thomas Cromwell has famously defied his biographers, but no more. Diarmaid MacCulloch’s book is subtle, witty and precisely constructed. He has sifted the vast archive to clear away the accumulated error, muddle and propaganda of centuries, allowing us to see this clever and fascinating man better than ever before, and in the mirror of his times. This a book that—and it’s not often you can say this—we have been awaiting for four hundred years.” —Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies
“Thomas Cromwell is a wonderfully rich, detailed and demanding account of an extraordinary career....It’s a book to satisfy academic historians and the general reader alike. Nothing so dramatically and persuasively conveys the reality of life in these blood-soaked years.”—Wall Street Journal
And a couple of links to reviews that convey some of its strengths and appeal:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201... Jessie Childs
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/09/d... Marcus Nevitt
December 10, 2019
I had a plan. It was a beautiful and logical plan that I was so excited to start. Having tried and failed to read Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” several years ago because I felt confounded by the politics of the Tudor period, I thought reading a biography about Thomas Cromwell would give me an informed background to start reading the novel again. “The Mirror and the Light”, the third part of Mantel’s much-lauded trilogy about Cromwell’s epic rise and fall is due to be published in March. So I want to catch up on the first two novels. Reading Mantel and MacCulloch side by side should be the perfect pairing because both authors compliment each other’s writing in their respective books. But wading through this biography was a big effort. MacCulloch conducted a lot of research using period documents and letters to piece together a narrative about Cromwell’s life detailing his instrumental role in the court of Henry VIII and the English Reformation. While this did give me a broad overview of the events surrounding his life and his political manoeuvres during this period of radical reform, it felt to me more like an academic book for people who have a specialist interest and knowledge about this historical period. As an amateur who wanted some basic understanding I felt alienated.
Read my full review of Thomas Cromwell by Diarmaid MacCulloch on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of Thomas Cromwell by Diarmaid MacCulloch on LonesomeReader
April 21, 2020
A fantastic biography of one of my favourite historical figures.
I'm not sure what got me interested in Cromwell in the first place. Though a fun fact, Cromwell died on the 28th July which is my birthday so I feel a little link with him on this account.
Tudor history was only covered in minimal depth when I was at school. Though it is something I enjoy reading about for pleasure. I studied modern history whilst I was in higher education, something that I do regret now. I loved my modern history course, but I think this period suits my taste better.
So i think I'll make an effort to brush up on my Tudor knowledge in the future.
This isn't the first biography on Thomas Cromwell that I have read either. I read one by Tracy Borman a couple of years ago now. To be honest I'd advise starting there if you haven't already. This one is much more in depth and also much more academic in my opinion. Both of them are damn good though.
I think if you want to read a biography of anyone, you need to have a real interest them. It helps if they were as talented as Thomas, and were alive in a fascinating time such as tudor England.
He accomplished so damn much, and coming from humble beginnings it makes for even more of a interesting tale. Especially in a time where position and power meant everything.
I do plan on making a go of the Wolf Hall series now that I've refreshed myself on this time and the last book in that trilogy is out.
What more can I say. If you looking at a review for this book. Then you're already interested aren't you. Considering that this is more academic, it is still very easy to read. I made steady progress on it over a number of weeks, which is my preferred method of reading nonfiction. Give it a try. There is always more to learn.
I'm not sure what got me interested in Cromwell in the first place. Though a fun fact, Cromwell died on the 28th July which is my birthday so I feel a little link with him on this account.
Tudor history was only covered in minimal depth when I was at school. Though it is something I enjoy reading about for pleasure. I studied modern history whilst I was in higher education, something that I do regret now. I loved my modern history course, but I think this period suits my taste better.
So i think I'll make an effort to brush up on my Tudor knowledge in the future.
This isn't the first biography on Thomas Cromwell that I have read either. I read one by Tracy Borman a couple of years ago now. To be honest I'd advise starting there if you haven't already. This one is much more in depth and also much more academic in my opinion. Both of them are damn good though.
I think if you want to read a biography of anyone, you need to have a real interest them. It helps if they were as talented as Thomas, and were alive in a fascinating time such as tudor England.
He accomplished so damn much, and coming from humble beginnings it makes for even more of a interesting tale. Especially in a time where position and power meant everything.
I do plan on making a go of the Wolf Hall series now that I've refreshed myself on this time and the last book in that trilogy is out.
What more can I say. If you looking at a review for this book. Then you're already interested aren't you. Considering that this is more academic, it is still very easy to read. I made steady progress on it over a number of weeks, which is my preferred method of reading nonfiction. Give it a try. There is always more to learn.
November 29, 2018
Finished with, but not finished. I read a lot of English history and think of myself as a buff, but I gave up on this biography of Thomas Cromwell after a couple of hundred pages. I don’t question the books contribution to Cromwell scholarship, but it’s not an easy read. Hence the three star rating.
Hilary Mantel, where is volume three?
Hilary Mantel, where is volume three?
March 31, 2019
At the beginning of his biography of Thomas Cromwell (the chief Minister of Henry VIII from 1532 to 1540), author Diarmaid MacCulloch laments loudly on the tremendous gaps in the archival material. He then proceeds into 500 pages of daring inferencing which allows him to transform Thomas Cromwell with his thoroughly black soul into a great hero of the Anglican Church.
While singing Cromwell's praises, Diarmaid MacCulloch does acknowledge that Cromwell was a devious opportunist who advanced his own cause at every turn and was responsible for the deaths of many people the most famous of whom are probably Anne Boleyn the mother of Queen Elizabeth I and Thomas More author of Utopia. Cromwell's career of evil-doing came to a sudden end when he arranged for Henry VIII to marry Anne Cleves on January 6, 1540. As Anne was the daughter of the Duke of Jülich which belonged to the Schmalkaldic League, a military alliance of Lutheran states in Northern Germany opposed to the Holy Roman Empire, Cromwell had hoped the marriage would bring England closer to Protestant Europe. Unfortunately, according to Henry's testimony in court, Anne was so ugly that she induced erectile dysfunction on his part. The court awarded Henry an annulment based on non-consummation on July 9, 1540. Cromwell was beheaded on July 28, 1540.
MacCulloch, however, argues vigorously that Cromwell should not be considered as a mere intriguer who got his just deserts. MacCulloch applies the term "Nicodemite" to Cromwell: that is to say, MacCulloch views Cromwell as a radical protestant who while publicly professing to be a traditional Catholic laid the foundations for the Anglican faith. It was Cromwell who presided over the dissolution of monasteries in England and who engineered the split of the English Church from Rome. Cromwell arranged for the publication and broad distribution of an English-language Bible in England. He suppressed pilgrimages and cult sites in the British Isles. He encouraged the Church of England to remove paintings and sculptures from its Churches. He also tried to convince the Anglican Church to reject the Roman Catholic dogma of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to adopt the doctrine that Christ was only symbolically present.
It is MacCulloch's view that the Church of England is the finest of all Christian churches. With this assumption, Cromwell becomes a great man as he clearly played a huge role in its creation as well as the elaboration of its doctrines and practices. MacCulloch is of course entitled to his opinions. To his credit, while praising Cromwell for his accomplishments MacCulloch also presents his sins in a very direct, honest fashion.
I am giving this admirably researched book only four stars because I found it very difficult to read. MacCulloch's book is very short on expository material which means I constantly had to consult Wikipedia in order to find out what he was talking about and what point he was trying to make. Possibly someone who has read more than I have on Tudor England would not have found it to be such tough going.
While singing Cromwell's praises, Diarmaid MacCulloch does acknowledge that Cromwell was a devious opportunist who advanced his own cause at every turn and was responsible for the deaths of many people the most famous of whom are probably Anne Boleyn the mother of Queen Elizabeth I and Thomas More author of Utopia. Cromwell's career of evil-doing came to a sudden end when he arranged for Henry VIII to marry Anne Cleves on January 6, 1540. As Anne was the daughter of the Duke of Jülich which belonged to the Schmalkaldic League, a military alliance of Lutheran states in Northern Germany opposed to the Holy Roman Empire, Cromwell had hoped the marriage would bring England closer to Protestant Europe. Unfortunately, according to Henry's testimony in court, Anne was so ugly that she induced erectile dysfunction on his part. The court awarded Henry an annulment based on non-consummation on July 9, 1540. Cromwell was beheaded on July 28, 1540.
MacCulloch, however, argues vigorously that Cromwell should not be considered as a mere intriguer who got his just deserts. MacCulloch applies the term "Nicodemite" to Cromwell: that is to say, MacCulloch views Cromwell as a radical protestant who while publicly professing to be a traditional Catholic laid the foundations for the Anglican faith. It was Cromwell who presided over the dissolution of monasteries in England and who engineered the split of the English Church from Rome. Cromwell arranged for the publication and broad distribution of an English-language Bible in England. He suppressed pilgrimages and cult sites in the British Isles. He encouraged the Church of England to remove paintings and sculptures from its Churches. He also tried to convince the Anglican Church to reject the Roman Catholic dogma of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to adopt the doctrine that Christ was only symbolically present.
It is MacCulloch's view that the Church of England is the finest of all Christian churches. With this assumption, Cromwell becomes a great man as he clearly played a huge role in its creation as well as the elaboration of its doctrines and practices. MacCulloch is of course entitled to his opinions. To his credit, while praising Cromwell for his accomplishments MacCulloch also presents his sins in a very direct, honest fashion.
I am giving this admirably researched book only four stars because I found it very difficult to read. MacCulloch's book is very short on expository material which means I constantly had to consult Wikipedia in order to find out what he was talking about and what point he was trying to make. Possibly someone who has read more than I have on Tudor England would not have found it to be such tough going.
June 13, 2021
I don‘t think it gets much more thorough than this biography. I listened while reading Mantel‘s The Mirror & the Light. Working through these at the same time was really interesting and helpful, and a little confusing when things didn't quite align. Thomas Cromwell had a whirlwind sort of reign as Henry VIII‘s primary and closest and most powerful advisor. So much happened. Most is actually in Mantel. MacCulloch offers sources, thorough documentation, endless details and some variations in personalities and themes. He very closely reflects Mantel's end of her trilogy, and many of the key things he quotes or sites here are in Mantel, and, I guess, it's a little surprising some are factual.
The first thing I noticed, when listening, was the amount of detail and the endless introduction of new names...something which never seems to slow down till the book ends. David Rintoul reads it all relentlessly, not catching his own breath, and it felt to me like that is the correct way to read it.
The largest theme here is one Mantel first seems to quietly not acknowledge, then later brings in but down plays. Thomas Cromwell was a religious man and a devout Evangelical reformer. This meant he had some specific and heretical ideas about the mass and a few other details, and also that he felt strongly the bible should be translated into English. (He supported William Tyndale, the executed provocative translator who's work makes up about 90% of the King James bible) When he came into political life, switching from his business life, Cromwell wasn't just hired as a lawyer. He had a mission. When his employer and protector, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, once a potential pope, came down, Cromwell stuck with Wolsey to the end of his fall, but miraculously wasn't destroyed. Instead he caught the attention of Henry VIII. He began to gain favor personally with the king. He would eventually become the dominant force in Henry's reign until the capricious king was convinced to turn on him - and did in a manner consistent to how Henry handled his wives. Cromwell is kind of another divorce. But before this fall Cromwell pushed throughout England, Wales and even Ireland his own Evangelical agenda - and he did right in the open, under the kings nose, and yet without the king fully realizing what was happening. Cromwell kept is name out of all this activity, but remained the force, the mover and shaker of English Christian reform.
But it was an odd thing where it everyone except the king seemed to know Cromwell was driving this reform, and there was a lot of fall out. While it's hinted at in Mantels novel, the Pilgrimage of Grace uprising was specifically targeted at Thomas Cromwell and his closing of monasteries (allowing the king and nobles to usurp the wealthy productive church lands); and the intellectual drive of this uprising was a conservative religious movement that ran counter to Cromwell's ideas. (Both evangelical and the religious conservatives of this era supported King Henry VIII fully as both king and head of the church. If they didn't see Henry at head of the church, they were considered papist, closer to today's Catholic). The rebellion wanted Cromwell destroyed. He survived this uprising still in Henry's good graces, but with significantly less power. He would get his revenge (as Mantel covers). Cromwell was eventually undermined by religious conservatives.
Other extra details here were how Cromwell's brewer/blacksmith father was actually respected enough that people spoke well of him, nothing really hinting at Mantel's monster. And the exploration of Cromwell's true character seems to come out a little contrary to Mantel's version. Instead of a cerebral, problem solver, the historical Cromwell seems to have been an obsessive control freak with an uncontainable anger. He badgered everyone verbally and harshly and with an almost angry gusto. Those attacked included very powerful people with whom he need to stay on his good side.
The most moving is Cromwell's fall. His arrest is a dramatic display of anger and physical violence and insulting. Eventually he was physically overpowered and arrested. His letters to the king from his prison in the Tower of London are preserved, including his endnote where he wrote, "Most gracious Prince, I cry for mercy, mercy, mercy!" Cromwell had taken a lot people down, including orchestrating Anne Boleyn's fall, and beheading, along with the execution of her brother and several political enemies of his, all accused of liaisons with the supposedly sex-crazed queen. And he took down, or compromised many of most powerful noble families, and left the others in fear of him, and therefore either active in his fall, or uninterested in assisting him after. Actually Cromwell is essentially abandoned by everyone after his fall, except the archbishop he had worked with so closely, Thomas Cranmer, who wrote Henry a moving plea for Cromwell that avoided exposing himself to danger. Ultimately Cranmer would vote for his conviction, but he had no choice. Those closest to Cromwell could not support him without endangering themselves, including his own son. It's a little tricky to know which of his supporters mainly protected themselves, and which simply were not terribly upset at his fall, but the general silence is notable. Cromwell would make a graceful death, giving important speeches within the tight limits that would not endanger his family, but also gave no ground and ultimately challenged his religious opponents, albeit gently.
Anyway, I've gotten lost here. Tons of overwhelming detail within, and also a lot of fascinating stuff.
-----------------------------------------------
24. Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life by Diarmaid MacCulloch
reader: David Rintoul
published: 2018
format: 26:38 audible audio (728 pages in hardcover)
acquired: April 28
listened: Apr 28 – Jun 11
rating: 4½
locations: mostly 1520-1540 London
about the author: Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford, born in Kent, 1951
The first thing I noticed, when listening, was the amount of detail and the endless introduction of new names...something which never seems to slow down till the book ends. David Rintoul reads it all relentlessly, not catching his own breath, and it felt to me like that is the correct way to read it.
The largest theme here is one Mantel first seems to quietly not acknowledge, then later brings in but down plays. Thomas Cromwell was a religious man and a devout Evangelical reformer. This meant he had some specific and heretical ideas about the mass and a few other details, and also that he felt strongly the bible should be translated into English. (He supported William Tyndale, the executed provocative translator who's work makes up about 90% of the King James bible) When he came into political life, switching from his business life, Cromwell wasn't just hired as a lawyer. He had a mission. When his employer and protector, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, once a potential pope, came down, Cromwell stuck with Wolsey to the end of his fall, but miraculously wasn't destroyed. Instead he caught the attention of Henry VIII. He began to gain favor personally with the king. He would eventually become the dominant force in Henry's reign until the capricious king was convinced to turn on him - and did in a manner consistent to how Henry handled his wives. Cromwell is kind of another divorce. But before this fall Cromwell pushed throughout England, Wales and even Ireland his own Evangelical agenda - and he did right in the open, under the kings nose, and yet without the king fully realizing what was happening. Cromwell kept is name out of all this activity, but remained the force, the mover and shaker of English Christian reform.
But it was an odd thing where it everyone except the king seemed to know Cromwell was driving this reform, and there was a lot of fall out. While it's hinted at in Mantels novel, the Pilgrimage of Grace uprising was specifically targeted at Thomas Cromwell and his closing of monasteries (allowing the king and nobles to usurp the wealthy productive church lands); and the intellectual drive of this uprising was a conservative religious movement that ran counter to Cromwell's ideas. (Both evangelical and the religious conservatives of this era supported King Henry VIII fully as both king and head of the church. If they didn't see Henry at head of the church, they were considered papist, closer to today's Catholic). The rebellion wanted Cromwell destroyed. He survived this uprising still in Henry's good graces, but with significantly less power. He would get his revenge (as Mantel covers). Cromwell was eventually undermined by religious conservatives.
Other extra details here were how Cromwell's brewer/blacksmith father was actually respected enough that people spoke well of him, nothing really hinting at Mantel's monster. And the exploration of Cromwell's true character seems to come out a little contrary to Mantel's version. Instead of a cerebral, problem solver, the historical Cromwell seems to have been an obsessive control freak with an uncontainable anger. He badgered everyone verbally and harshly and with an almost angry gusto. Those attacked included very powerful people with whom he need to stay on his good side.
The most moving is Cromwell's fall. His arrest is a dramatic display of anger and physical violence and insulting. Eventually he was physically overpowered and arrested. His letters to the king from his prison in the Tower of London are preserved, including his endnote where he wrote, "Most gracious Prince, I cry for mercy, mercy, mercy!" Cromwell had taken a lot people down, including orchestrating Anne Boleyn's fall, and beheading, along with the execution of her brother and several political enemies of his, all accused of liaisons with the supposedly sex-crazed queen. And he took down, or compromised many of most powerful noble families, and left the others in fear of him, and therefore either active in his fall, or uninterested in assisting him after. Actually Cromwell is essentially abandoned by everyone after his fall, except the archbishop he had worked with so closely, Thomas Cranmer, who wrote Henry a moving plea for Cromwell that avoided exposing himself to danger. Ultimately Cranmer would vote for his conviction, but he had no choice. Those closest to Cromwell could not support him without endangering themselves, including his own son. It's a little tricky to know which of his supporters mainly protected themselves, and which simply were not terribly upset at his fall, but the general silence is notable. Cromwell would make a graceful death, giving important speeches within the tight limits that would not endanger his family, but also gave no ground and ultimately challenged his religious opponents, albeit gently.
Anyway, I've gotten lost here. Tons of overwhelming detail within, and also a lot of fascinating stuff.
-----------------------------------------------
24. Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life by Diarmaid MacCulloch
reader: David Rintoul
published: 2018
format: 26:38 audible audio (728 pages in hardcover)
acquired: April 28
listened: Apr 28 – Jun 11
rating: 4½
locations: mostly 1520-1540 London
about the author: Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford, born in Kent, 1951
September 18, 2018
If you want to know everything there is to know about Thomas Cromwell, this is the book: 5 stars. As it turned out, I didn't, and quit after 200 pages: 1 star
March 1, 2019
This is one of the best critical one volume biographies I have ever read. It is a huge detailed book that covers everything relevant to a complicated and important life with great style and an admirable focus. This book requires much context and is not for everyone. Cromwell was one of the major figures in early modern British history and had aspects of his life that are relevant to Brexit era Britain as well as Trump era America, although I do not want to stretch the point too much.
Cromwell was Henry VIII’s chief fixer at a critical time in his reign. Imagine a work setting and a career that offered enormous wealth and power to those who succeeded - large estates, money and jewels, fame, contacts with everyone who is important. But ... the median life expectancy was around 30-25. If you made it to 40, you were a senior citizen. Public health was nonexistent, plague came and went. You could go off on a trip for a week and come back to find your wife and children dead. Along with such an environment, the society was violent in the extreme. The murder rate was a dozen times or more what it is today (murder was an event that was recorded). ...so if you pursue a job serving the King, you do well if you succeed. If you do not succeed or run afoul of the King or key nobles, then you might meet a ghastly end on the block, gallows, or at the stake. What kind of person rises from a common background in Pitney to become Henry’s chief minister and the supervisor of the largest land transfer in Britain since the Norman Conquest? Thomas Cromwell had a fascinating life. He did not invent the modern minister position, but he is about as clear an example of one as there is and he arguably lived the new rules of courier behavior promoted by Machiavelli and Castiglione and others.
I first learned about Cromwell by reading Hilary Mantel’s historical novels about him - Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, which cover Cromwell’s life up through the end of Anne Boleyn. Mantel has not published the last book in the series, and MacCulloch’s fine book explains why, by showing the complexities of Cromwell’s later career. (I still hope she will publish it.) I have to wonder if a third volume of the trilogy will be as effective as the first two.
MacCulloch’s biography is long and detailed. I could not possibly summarize the story. There are lots of references and they are judiciously placed to not interfere with the flow of the book. It is hard to say that a book like this was an easy read, but it was worth the effort. The recent BBC miniseries of Wolf Hall is outstanding and might prime interest in further reading about Cromwell.
Cromwell was Henry VIII’s chief fixer at a critical time in his reign. Imagine a work setting and a career that offered enormous wealth and power to those who succeeded - large estates, money and jewels, fame, contacts with everyone who is important. But ... the median life expectancy was around 30-25. If you made it to 40, you were a senior citizen. Public health was nonexistent, plague came and went. You could go off on a trip for a week and come back to find your wife and children dead. Along with such an environment, the society was violent in the extreme. The murder rate was a dozen times or more what it is today (murder was an event that was recorded). ...so if you pursue a job serving the King, you do well if you succeed. If you do not succeed or run afoul of the King or key nobles, then you might meet a ghastly end on the block, gallows, or at the stake. What kind of person rises from a common background in Pitney to become Henry’s chief minister and the supervisor of the largest land transfer in Britain since the Norman Conquest? Thomas Cromwell had a fascinating life. He did not invent the modern minister position, but he is about as clear an example of one as there is and he arguably lived the new rules of courier behavior promoted by Machiavelli and Castiglione and others.
I first learned about Cromwell by reading Hilary Mantel’s historical novels about him - Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, which cover Cromwell’s life up through the end of Anne Boleyn. Mantel has not published the last book in the series, and MacCulloch’s fine book explains why, by showing the complexities of Cromwell’s later career. (I still hope she will publish it.) I have to wonder if a third volume of the trilogy will be as effective as the first two.
MacCulloch’s biography is long and detailed. I could not possibly summarize the story. There are lots of references and they are judiciously placed to not interfere with the flow of the book. It is hard to say that a book like this was an easy read, but it was worth the effort. The recent BBC miniseries of Wolf Hall is outstanding and might prime interest in further reading about Cromwell.
November 9, 2023
A meticulously-researched biography that enfleshes Geoffrey Elton’s thesis of Cromwell’s bureaucratization of English government. It also documents his contributions to the direction of the English Reformation with shades of complexity and nuance that defined it as a whole as much as it did the man himself.
February 28, 2020
The stories of King Henry VIII and the men around him have fascinated generations of historians, but there was one man who has received a negative reputation for his actions. He was the supposed son of a butcher who rose to be Henry VIII’s right-hand man, until his dramatic fall in July 1540. Thomas Cromwell was credited for helping Henry with his Great Matter, the fall of Anne Boleyn, the establishment of the Church of England, and the disastrous marriage between Henry and Anna of Cleves. Diarmaid MacCulloch has taken on the challenge to figure out who Thomas Cromwell really was by sifting through all remaining archival records that we have from this extraordinary man. It is in this book, “Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life” that MacCulloch masterfully explores the story of this man who changed English and European history forever.
Personally, I have never read a book about Thomas Cromwell, but I did want to learn more about his role in Henry VIII’s government. I had heard great things about this particular book and I wanted to read a definitive biography about Cromwell. Although at first, I was a bit intimidated reading something so academically written, I am really glad that I embarked on this journey to discover the truth of this much-maligned historical figure.
MacCulloch dives into the life of Cromwell by trying to piece together his early years and his Italian connections in the clothing trade. Cromwell did not receive a normal education of the day as he almost taught himself, which made him appreciate books and literature even more. It was these connections and his hard work which allowed Cromwell to rise to a position where he was working under Thomas Wosley. The lessons that Cromwell learned from Wosley would be beneficial as he took over as the King’s right- hand man after Wolsey’s fall from grace.
It is the decade that Cromwell served as Henry’s administrative polymath that is MacCulloch’s main focus. This part might trip up casual history students as it is very academic. My suggestion, if you are a casual history student, is to take your time to fully understand the steps that Cromwell took to change the political and religious landscape of England to make sure Henry was happy. It was not always an easy task, but with great risks came great rewards, such as the title of Vice-Gerent in Spirituals. Cromwell’s fingerprints could be seen all over the establishment of the Church of England, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the expanding powers of Parliament. There were those who were not exactly thrilled with all of these changes, however, the only opinion that truly mattered was the one that belonged to Henry VIII, and he was happy with Cromwell’s work.
Cromwell was not just a politician, he was a father to a son named Gregory Cromwell. It was interesting to learn that even after his wife died, Thomas Cromwell never remarried and raised Gregory as a single father. It was when Cromwell got involved in Henry’s personal life that matters got tricky for Cromwell. Obviously, many people are familiar with Cromwell’s role with Anne Boleyn’s fall from grace. However, it was the marriage between Henry and Anna of Cleves that would be the incident that brought Cromwell from the pinnacle of power to death’s door.
MacCulloch’s biography is truly a triumph. It is academic, both in its meticulously researched contents and its writing style, yet it remains engaging and thought-provoking. Although at times, this book was challenging, it was one of those books that you feel proud to read. If you want a fabulous book about the life of Thomas Cromwell as well as the changes that he helped create in the Tudor government and the establishment of the Church of England, “Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life” by Diarmaid MacCulloch should be included in your collection.
Personally, I have never read a book about Thomas Cromwell, but I did want to learn more about his role in Henry VIII’s government. I had heard great things about this particular book and I wanted to read a definitive biography about Cromwell. Although at first, I was a bit intimidated reading something so academically written, I am really glad that I embarked on this journey to discover the truth of this much-maligned historical figure.
MacCulloch dives into the life of Cromwell by trying to piece together his early years and his Italian connections in the clothing trade. Cromwell did not receive a normal education of the day as he almost taught himself, which made him appreciate books and literature even more. It was these connections and his hard work which allowed Cromwell to rise to a position where he was working under Thomas Wosley. The lessons that Cromwell learned from Wosley would be beneficial as he took over as the King’s right- hand man after Wolsey’s fall from grace.
It is the decade that Cromwell served as Henry’s administrative polymath that is MacCulloch’s main focus. This part might trip up casual history students as it is very academic. My suggestion, if you are a casual history student, is to take your time to fully understand the steps that Cromwell took to change the political and religious landscape of England to make sure Henry was happy. It was not always an easy task, but with great risks came great rewards, such as the title of Vice-Gerent in Spirituals. Cromwell’s fingerprints could be seen all over the establishment of the Church of England, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the expanding powers of Parliament. There were those who were not exactly thrilled with all of these changes, however, the only opinion that truly mattered was the one that belonged to Henry VIII, and he was happy with Cromwell’s work.
Cromwell was not just a politician, he was a father to a son named Gregory Cromwell. It was interesting to learn that even after his wife died, Thomas Cromwell never remarried and raised Gregory as a single father. It was when Cromwell got involved in Henry’s personal life that matters got tricky for Cromwell. Obviously, many people are familiar with Cromwell’s role with Anne Boleyn’s fall from grace. However, it was the marriage between Henry and Anna of Cleves that would be the incident that brought Cromwell from the pinnacle of power to death’s door.
MacCulloch’s biography is truly a triumph. It is academic, both in its meticulously researched contents and its writing style, yet it remains engaging and thought-provoking. Although at times, this book was challenging, it was one of those books that you feel proud to read. If you want a fabulous book about the life of Thomas Cromwell as well as the changes that he helped create in the Tudor government and the establishment of the Church of England, “Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life” by Diarmaid MacCulloch should be included in your collection.
September 14, 2021
752 pages
5 stars
I believe that Thomas Cromwell has been given a bad rap from history.
I was so pleased to read Hilary Mantel’s treatment of him. She fleshed him out and humanized him. Thomas loved his children and even adopted more. He did a great deal for them. He facilitated the rise of his son Gregory and “adopted” son Rafe Sadler. He was kind to women and greatly regretted the partial estrangement from his illegitimate daughter.
Although he stridently disagreed with the Catholic Church, Thomas was very religious. Not exactly a Protestant (as we know it today), but rather an evangelical, his belief was honest and strong.
Henry ordered Thomas to find a way to resolve his “Great Matter,” that is to dissolve the marriage with Catherine of Aragon. An innocent suggestion by Thomas Cranmer, an up and coming evangelical “priest,” was for Henry to declare himself the head of the church in England. No religious authority should be above the authority of the King.
And so Henry created the Church of England and broke with Rome. What follows is the upheaval of religious life in England and centuries of strife and murder.
While it is true that Thomas devastated the monasteries, it was at Henry VIII’s orders. As was true of the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Anne was not acting as a wife should. She was not meek and compliant. Since she had failed to give Henry a son, and Henry now had his sights set on a more “acceptable” Jane Seymor, Anne had to go. He told Thomas to get rid of her. Apparently, he didn’t care how. Thomas even told his friend Chapuys that the King ordered her removal.
I was confused at this point because it was clear to everyone at court that Henry had had an affair with Anne’s elder sister Mary. So why couldn’t the marriage have been annulled on the affinity basis? Is it because that was very similar to his excuse for ridding himself of Catherine, his first wife? It would have been a far simpler and cleaner solution. He could have sent Anne to a nunnery, or pensioned her off as he did Anne of Cleves.
Mr. MacCulloch’s meticulous and exhaustive research shows that Thomas was far more than a scheming, vainglorious man. I had to wonder how much of his bad reputation was because of propaganda engendered by those who hated him. For there was a large clique of nobles and other hangers-on at court who wanted him out for their own reasons. Some saw him as too powerful, some resented his humble beginnings and I believe that some were just plain jealous. Thomas was brilliant and a very fine lawyer.
Perhaps his greatest contribution that we still see in our modern times is that Thomas Cromwell was an initial creator, or founder, of the modern state and system of government.
I may be alone in admiring the man for he lived in a very dangerous time and served a capricious and violent master. The others at court were scheming for their own agendas and with their usually temporary allies. We must not forget the times in which he lived and served. Is it no wonder he did some of the things he did? After all, a man could lose his head - as he sadly found out.
Diarmaid MacCulloch is perhaps one of the greatest historians alive today. His scholarship is beyond reproach. While this book is very detailed, and those details may derail some readers, it is nonetheless easy to read. The author uses words that can be easily understood.
Mr. MacCulloch closes with pages and pages of notes and bibliographical citations showing his meticulous research.
5 stars
I believe that Thomas Cromwell has been given a bad rap from history.
I was so pleased to read Hilary Mantel’s treatment of him. She fleshed him out and humanized him. Thomas loved his children and even adopted more. He did a great deal for them. He facilitated the rise of his son Gregory and “adopted” son Rafe Sadler. He was kind to women and greatly regretted the partial estrangement from his illegitimate daughter.
Although he stridently disagreed with the Catholic Church, Thomas was very religious. Not exactly a Protestant (as we know it today), but rather an evangelical, his belief was honest and strong.
Henry ordered Thomas to find a way to resolve his “Great Matter,” that is to dissolve the marriage with Catherine of Aragon. An innocent suggestion by Thomas Cranmer, an up and coming evangelical “priest,” was for Henry to declare himself the head of the church in England. No religious authority should be above the authority of the King.
And so Henry created the Church of England and broke with Rome. What follows is the upheaval of religious life in England and centuries of strife and murder.
While it is true that Thomas devastated the monasteries, it was at Henry VIII’s orders. As was true of the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Anne was not acting as a wife should. She was not meek and compliant. Since she had failed to give Henry a son, and Henry now had his sights set on a more “acceptable” Jane Seymor, Anne had to go. He told Thomas to get rid of her. Apparently, he didn’t care how. Thomas even told his friend Chapuys that the King ordered her removal.
I was confused at this point because it was clear to everyone at court that Henry had had an affair with Anne’s elder sister Mary. So why couldn’t the marriage have been annulled on the affinity basis? Is it because that was very similar to his excuse for ridding himself of Catherine, his first wife? It would have been a far simpler and cleaner solution. He could have sent Anne to a nunnery, or pensioned her off as he did Anne of Cleves.
Mr. MacCulloch’s meticulous and exhaustive research shows that Thomas was far more than a scheming, vainglorious man. I had to wonder how much of his bad reputation was because of propaganda engendered by those who hated him. For there was a large clique of nobles and other hangers-on at court who wanted him out for their own reasons. Some saw him as too powerful, some resented his humble beginnings and I believe that some were just plain jealous. Thomas was brilliant and a very fine lawyer.
Perhaps his greatest contribution that we still see in our modern times is that Thomas Cromwell was an initial creator, or founder, of the modern state and system of government.
I may be alone in admiring the man for he lived in a very dangerous time and served a capricious and violent master. The others at court were scheming for their own agendas and with their usually temporary allies. We must not forget the times in which he lived and served. Is it no wonder he did some of the things he did? After all, a man could lose his head - as he sadly found out.
Diarmaid MacCulloch is perhaps one of the greatest historians alive today. His scholarship is beyond reproach. While this book is very detailed, and those details may derail some readers, it is nonetheless easy to read. The author uses words that can be easily understood.
Mr. MacCulloch closes with pages and pages of notes and bibliographical citations showing his meticulous research.
November 26, 2018
MacCulloch shows once again how and why he is the dean of British Reformation historians with this magnificent, magisterial biography.
At core, MacCulloch shows that, while there would not have been an English Reformation without Henry VIII and his concern for his succession (obviously) that Reformation happened as it did do to the activity of Cromwell more than any other single person. And, that was with Cromwell regularly pushing the bounds and envelopes of both his official power, and even more, of Henry's intent for what the Church of England should look like.
In his earlier years in power, Cromwell did that mainly through his title of Vice-Gerent, which officially made him Henry's right-hand man for religious regulation in England. Cromwell started the process of monastic dissolutions and mergers and later extended that to friaries. At the same time, by the monasteries he did not consolidate, he used this in connection to bestowing political favors. He went on to to that with the award of leading bishoprics.
MacCulloch also shows that while Cromwell and Anne Boleyn worked at somewhat similar purposes, they were not allies and that, for a variety of reasons religious and non-religious, he took a leading role in her downfall.
He reached his peak of power when Henry then married Jane Seymour, aided in large part by his son Gregory marrying Jane's sister.
But the fall eventually came. Not so competent in foreign affairs in general, he pushed the idea of a foreign marriage, and that of Anne of Cleves in particular, onto Henry. When Henry found zero bond with her and resolved immediately on annulment, Cromwell was in trouble. One or two unforced errors by him aided Henry and Cromwell's enemies.
That said, Henry did not put his head on a pike, and soon thereafter, regretted his decision — as he did the rest of his reign.
Beyond the above, MacCulloch shows how Cromwell had two major controls on the direction of the Reformation in England.
One was, as hinted above, to move the movement beyond Henry's idea of an Anglo-Catholicism to something that was truly Protestant. To do this, Cromwell made extensive connections with the movement in the Low Countries and Germany, talking to leaders of both the Lutheran side in North Germany and Reformed leaders in the Rhineland (Bucer mainly) and Switzerland (eventually centering on Bullinger).
He tied this to political efforts, looking at an alliance with the German Lutheran Schmalkaldic League. However, due to a mix of German arrogance and Hapsburg HRE Charles V making peace with France, the League looked like it might be a thin reed.
Meanwhile, as MacCulloch shows, Cromwell himself was becoming more explicitly Reformed in his beliefs during this time. And, before he died, he had tilted enough this way, with enough intervention, that the Reformed side of Protestantism had definite roots. This was probably helped by the Reformed, not Lutherans, also taking the lead in the Netherlands, though MacCulloch doesn't go too much into relations there in the latter part of the book, other than how they involved English Protestants in exile there.
This contradicts what I had learned in my conservative Lutheran seminary years, namely, the idea that the Lutheran movement still had some influence under Edward VI and only totally lost its chance under Elizabeth. Some other light reading further confirms MacCulloch is right, and my old profs, for whatever reasons, were wrong.
I won't write any more, so I don't get into spoiler alert territory.
At core, MacCulloch shows that, while there would not have been an English Reformation without Henry VIII and his concern for his succession (obviously) that Reformation happened as it did do to the activity of Cromwell more than any other single person. And, that was with Cromwell regularly pushing the bounds and envelopes of both his official power, and even more, of Henry's intent for what the Church of England should look like.
In his earlier years in power, Cromwell did that mainly through his title of Vice-Gerent, which officially made him Henry's right-hand man for religious regulation in England. Cromwell started the process of monastic dissolutions and mergers and later extended that to friaries. At the same time, by the monasteries he did not consolidate, he used this in connection to bestowing political favors. He went on to to that with the award of leading bishoprics.
MacCulloch also shows that while Cromwell and Anne Boleyn worked at somewhat similar purposes, they were not allies and that, for a variety of reasons religious and non-religious, he took a leading role in her downfall.
He reached his peak of power when Henry then married Jane Seymour, aided in large part by his son Gregory marrying Jane's sister.
But the fall eventually came. Not so competent in foreign affairs in general, he pushed the idea of a foreign marriage, and that of Anne of Cleves in particular, onto Henry. When Henry found zero bond with her and resolved immediately on annulment, Cromwell was in trouble. One or two unforced errors by him aided Henry and Cromwell's enemies.
That said, Henry did not put his head on a pike, and soon thereafter, regretted his decision — as he did the rest of his reign.
Beyond the above, MacCulloch shows how Cromwell had two major controls on the direction of the Reformation in England.
One was, as hinted above, to move the movement beyond Henry's idea of an Anglo-Catholicism to something that was truly Protestant. To do this, Cromwell made extensive connections with the movement in the Low Countries and Germany, talking to leaders of both the Lutheran side in North Germany and Reformed leaders in the Rhineland (Bucer mainly) and Switzerland (eventually centering on Bullinger).
He tied this to political efforts, looking at an alliance with the German Lutheran Schmalkaldic League. However, due to a mix of German arrogance and Hapsburg HRE Charles V making peace with France, the League looked like it might be a thin reed.
Meanwhile, as MacCulloch shows, Cromwell himself was becoming more explicitly Reformed in his beliefs during this time. And, before he died, he had tilted enough this way, with enough intervention, that the Reformed side of Protestantism had definite roots. This was probably helped by the Reformed, not Lutherans, also taking the lead in the Netherlands, though MacCulloch doesn't go too much into relations there in the latter part of the book, other than how they involved English Protestants in exile there.
This contradicts what I had learned in my conservative Lutheran seminary years, namely, the idea that the Lutheran movement still had some influence under Edward VI and only totally lost its chance under Elizabeth. Some other light reading further confirms MacCulloch is right, and my old profs, for whatever reasons, were wrong.
I won't write any more, so I don't get into spoiler alert territory.
January 7, 2019
Thomas Cromwell has always defied biographers because so little is known of much of his life and many of his papers went missing, probably burnt, after his fall from power in 1540. Diarmaid MacCulloch has gone a long way toward redressing that situation by producing an exhaustive whopper of a book that gets as close as anybody is going to in portraying the life and career of Thomas Cromwell. There is quite a bit on his Putney childhood, and how it shaped his whole life, and the role that Italy played after he spent some years in that part of the world, although the detail is sketchy, as it must be.
The main thrust of the book is Cromwell's reformist beliefs, indeed the whole upheaval of Henry VIII's break from Rome and what it meant, both for Cromwell personally and for England. Those parts of the book are extremely detailed and a must read for anyone interested in the subject. MacCulloch also spends a fair bit of time on Cromwell the man, especially his relationship with his only surviving legitimate child Gregory, as well as all his professional relationships, especially those with Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey.
I would've liked more time to be spent on Cromwell's downfall as it felt slightly rushed compared to other aspects of the book but that is a minor criticism. Really, this biography is a massive achievement and an essential read for any student of the Tudor period.
The main thrust of the book is Cromwell's reformist beliefs, indeed the whole upheaval of Henry VIII's break from Rome and what it meant, both for Cromwell personally and for England. Those parts of the book are extremely detailed and a must read for anyone interested in the subject. MacCulloch also spends a fair bit of time on Cromwell the man, especially his relationship with his only surviving legitimate child Gregory, as well as all his professional relationships, especially those with Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey.
I would've liked more time to be spent on Cromwell's downfall as it felt slightly rushed compared to other aspects of the book but that is a minor criticism. Really, this biography is a massive achievement and an essential read for any student of the Tudor period.
March 26, 2024
Wow, there was so much great detail in this book, things that just get glossed over in shorter books. Like Cromwell's various incentives for pressing for the Cleves marriage, given that his son was married to a Seymour and an English marriage would weaken his connection to the throne. The whole thing is just fascinating.
October 11, 2025
A fascinating look into the real man behind Henry the VIII’s reformation of the English Church. Or at least what’s left of him after Henry had his head chopped off.
July 11, 2022
I'm not gonna lie, I'm here because of Hilary Mantel. After reading her Thomas Cromwell trilogy I wanted to find some well researched histories on the man himself. I found this unexpectedly while perusing my library's biography section..
This book is what it says on the tin. It is well researched and provides extensive details on the life of TC. The bulk of the book focuses on the years 1529-1540 since those are the years we have the best record of his life.
This book runs about 550ish pages with the remaining page count dedicated to notes and references. It is incredibly informative and fascinating. I have a greater appreciation for the sheer amount of work that went into Mantel's trilogy and a desire to read more of the authors other works on Christianity and the reformation.
This book is what it says on the tin. It is well researched and provides extensive details on the life of TC. The bulk of the book focuses on the years 1529-1540 since those are the years we have the best record of his life.
This book runs about 550ish pages with the remaining page count dedicated to notes and references. It is incredibly informative and fascinating. I have a greater appreciation for the sheer amount of work that went into Mantel's trilogy and a desire to read more of the authors other works on Christianity and the reformation.
September 6, 2025
Absolutely exquisite. Beyond top shelf writing and biography of a man whose biography was selectively pruned for any number of reasons around the time of his beheading, which is why reading biography is like reading fiction about dogs and I was very sad at the end.
Enclosure and dams were already an issue in the Tudor era and the crown opposed them because they don't benefit the people? Wow!
Absolutely wish I'd retained more of this information but it's difficult to keep tract of everyone at court while listening to an audiobook.
Thomas Cromwell grew up, of course, far enough away from anything to be termed provincial but also right up on the Thames where everything was connected. After a poorly recorded time in Italy (that turns up in a novel of the time) he returned to England where he became the man of successively more powerful men until he became the king's man, during Henry VIII's happy marriage to Anne Boleyn. Some of this is muddy because I was listening on audio and some of it is muddy because the details of where Cromwell had his thumb in any part of the machinations of the court or how his evangelicalism influenced the decision to pursue the divorce or how he was involved in parts of the disillusion of the monasteries. The disillusion chunk was fascinating: the assumption that monks and nuns would be thrilled to escape the monasteries, the practicalities, the knowledge that dissolving monasteries was normal for the crown to do when monasteries lost too many personnel or funding, so the scale and pace Henry implemented was insane but hypothetically precedented.
In the end, people turned against Cromwell, and convinced Henry that he should too. Henry was told that Cromwell was acting too independently. After Cromwell was arrested, Henry was kept away from him at all costs, because those sequestering Cromwell rightly figured that he would be able to talk his way out of the situation if he was allowed to plead his case. And after Cromwell was killed, the kingdom suffered. The bureaucracy was never quite as good as it had been. It turned out Cromwell was operating too independently, but on the boring stuff that nobody else wanted to do, and when he was gone, nobody did it, and the Crown lurched through a series of financial crises.
Amazing writing. I would happily read this again in paper form even though it is ten thousand pages long. Cannot recommend highly enough. Loved it.
Enclosure and dams were already an issue in the Tudor era and the crown opposed them because they don't benefit the people? Wow!
Absolutely wish I'd retained more of this information but it's difficult to keep tract of everyone at court while listening to an audiobook.
Thomas Cromwell grew up, of course, far enough away from anything to be termed provincial but also right up on the Thames where everything was connected. After a poorly recorded time in Italy (that turns up in a novel of the time) he returned to England where he became the man of successively more powerful men until he became the king's man, during Henry VIII's happy marriage to Anne Boleyn. Some of this is muddy because I was listening on audio and some of it is muddy because the details of where Cromwell had his thumb in any part of the machinations of the court or how his evangelicalism influenced the decision to pursue the divorce or how he was involved in parts of the disillusion of the monasteries. The disillusion chunk was fascinating: the assumption that monks and nuns would be thrilled to escape the monasteries, the practicalities, the knowledge that dissolving monasteries was normal for the crown to do when monasteries lost too many personnel or funding, so the scale and pace Henry implemented was insane but hypothetically precedented.
In the end, people turned against Cromwell, and convinced Henry that he should too. Henry was told that Cromwell was acting too independently. After Cromwell was arrested, Henry was kept away from him at all costs, because those sequestering Cromwell rightly figured that he would be able to talk his way out of the situation if he was allowed to plead his case. And after Cromwell was killed, the kingdom suffered. The bureaucracy was never quite as good as it had been. It turned out Cromwell was operating too independently, but on the boring stuff that nobody else wanted to do, and when he was gone, nobody did it, and the Crown lurched through a series of financial crises.
Amazing writing. I would happily read this again in paper form even though it is ten thousand pages long. Cannot recommend highly enough. Loved it.
October 1, 2018
Until Hilary Mantel wrote “Wolf Hall”, I had almost no knowledge of the extraordinary English “Reformation”; the Anglican Church only impinged on Scotland when that tyrannical Charles I and his son tried to impose their personal “papacy” on us, with murderous results.
Diarmaid MacCulloch has produced an informative and entertaining biography of Cromwell, who managed to survive working for that impossible, cruel, narcissistic, unpredictable King Henry VIII for longer than anyone could have imagined, in spite of his modest origins, and influenced English government and the emergence of an idiosyncratic English church.
Henry VIII considered himself a theologian, but his doctrine followed his whims. Nobody could be sure that they wouldn’t be burned as a heretic and/or traitor (regarded as interchangeable capital crimes). Tomorrow’s heresy could be today’s orthodoxy.
Cromwell was no saint, and this is no hagiography. He was also a more sympathetic person than many of his contemporaries, including those who have been canonised, or commemorated as martyrs. He was loyal to his old employer, Cardinal Wolsey, to the extent of supporting Wolsey’s children, and successfully shielded his own family from the fallout from his condemnation. He managed to implement several reforms under the radar of his monstrous monarch, and sometimes softened the punishments of those condemned by the unjust “justice” of those times.
Cromwell’s story is of broader import than any of those popular accounts of Henry’s unedifying marital adventures and his legacy hasn’t been adequately acknowledged.
Still, I can’t help wondering what might have happened if the Pope, at the time of Henry’s self-serving crisis of conscience about his first marriage, hadn’t been under siege and imprisonment by the “Holy Roman” Emperor, close relative of the unwanted wife.
Perhaps, like the escalation of the Luther disputes into Reformation, wiser management by the Vatican could have maintained the unity of western Christianity and much bloodshed could have been avoided.
I learned a lot from this book, which is never dry and dusty, not just about Thomas Cromwell, but about England, and why it is as it is. I’ve lived down here a while now, but if you don’t know the start of the story..
Diarmaid MacCulloch has produced an informative and entertaining biography of Cromwell, who managed to survive working for that impossible, cruel, narcissistic, unpredictable King Henry VIII for longer than anyone could have imagined, in spite of his modest origins, and influenced English government and the emergence of an idiosyncratic English church.
Henry VIII considered himself a theologian, but his doctrine followed his whims. Nobody could be sure that they wouldn’t be burned as a heretic and/or traitor (regarded as interchangeable capital crimes). Tomorrow’s heresy could be today’s orthodoxy.
Cromwell was no saint, and this is no hagiography. He was also a more sympathetic person than many of his contemporaries, including those who have been canonised, or commemorated as martyrs. He was loyal to his old employer, Cardinal Wolsey, to the extent of supporting Wolsey’s children, and successfully shielded his own family from the fallout from his condemnation. He managed to implement several reforms under the radar of his monstrous monarch, and sometimes softened the punishments of those condemned by the unjust “justice” of those times.
Cromwell’s story is of broader import than any of those popular accounts of Henry’s unedifying marital adventures and his legacy hasn’t been adequately acknowledged.
Still, I can’t help wondering what might have happened if the Pope, at the time of Henry’s self-serving crisis of conscience about his first marriage, hadn’t been under siege and imprisonment by the “Holy Roman” Emperor, close relative of the unwanted wife.
Perhaps, like the escalation of the Luther disputes into Reformation, wiser management by the Vatican could have maintained the unity of western Christianity and much bloodshed could have been avoided.
I learned a lot from this book, which is never dry and dusty, not just about Thomas Cromwell, but about England, and why it is as it is. I’ve lived down here a while now, but if you don’t know the start of the story..
December 9, 2025
The Clerk’s Clerk.
Diarmaid MacCulloch’s *Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life* (2018) is the definitive modern biography of Henry VIII’s most indispensable minister, the blacksmith’s son who rose to orchestrate the English Reformation, dissolve the monasteries, and keep the wheels of a volatile regime turning until they finally crushed him. MacCulloch has spent a lifetime immersed in Tudor archives, and the book is a monument to that immersion: exhaustive, scrupulously sourced, and bristling with footnotes that often feel longer than the chapters they serve. If you want to know precisely which clerk copied which memorandum on which day in 1536, this is your book.
The portrait of Cromwell the historical actor is genuinely impressive. MacCulloch convincingly rescues him from the cartoon villain of Mantel’s novels and the pious thug of some Catholic historiography. Here is a man of prodigious administrative talent, a genuine believer in evangelical reform (not just a cynical enabler of Henry’s libido), and a continental sophisticate who spoke Italian like a native, read the Bible in the original languages, and corresponded with European reformers while simultaneously squeezing the monasteries for every last chalice. The chapters on the 1530s (the break with Rome, the dissolution, the drafting of revolutionary legislation) are masterly. You finish them understanding exactly why contemporaries thought Cromwell was the most powerful commoner in England since Thomas Becket, and why many believed he was the devil incarnate.
So Cromwell himself remains fascinating. The book, alas, does not.
MacCulloch writes like the senior civil servant Cromwell himself might have become had he lived to enjoy a quiet retirement: precise, methodical, and utterly allergic to drama. Events that should thunder across the page (the fall of Anne Boleyn, the Pilgrimage of Grace, Cromwell’s own terrifyingly swift collapse in 1540) are recounted in the same measured, bloodless register as the reorganization of the Augmentations Office. One almost longs for a single exclamation mark, a raised eyebrow, anything to signal that the author notices he is narrating the most tumultuous decade in English religious history. Instead we get paragraph after paragraph of bureaucratic genealogy: who succeeded whom in which revenue court, which ex-monastic manor was granted to which courtier in which quarter-session. It is rather like reading an extraordinarily learned accountant’s report written by a man who has forgotten that human beings are involved.
Personal texture is almost entirely absent. We learn that Cromwell loved his wife and children, that he was generous to his extended family, that he enjoyed fine clothes and a laugh. But MacCulloch rarely lingers on any of it. There are no scenes, no reconstructed conversations, no attempt to get inside the man’s head beyond what the ledgers explicitly tell us. Even Cromwell’s evangelical faith, surely the engine of much of his revolutionary energy, is presented as a series of doctrinal positions rather than a lived passion. The result is a 700-page biography in which the subject never quite comes alive as a personality. He remains, to the last page, what he was in life to most contemporaries: a distant, terrifyingly efficient administrator whose inner self was visible only to a trusted few.
This is not a failure of research; it is a failure of storytelling. MacCulloch knows everything there is to know about Thomas Cromwell, and he has chosen to present that knowledge in the exact tone and structure Cromwell himself might have used when submitting a departmental report to the king: complete, accurate, and dry as the dust of the dissolved abbeys.
If you need the definitive scholarly account of Cromwell’s career, the administrative history of the Henrician Reformation, or a shelf-bending reference work that will settle any argument about dating or precedence, buy this book without hesitation. If you want to feel the sweat, fear, and exhilaration of living through those years alongside one of history’s most extraordinary operators, you will close it, as I did, impressed, instructed, and oddly unmoved. Cromwell deserved a biography with a pulse. What he has received is the most meticulous minute-book ever written about a life that was anything but minute.
Diarmaid MacCulloch’s *Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life* (2018) is the definitive modern biography of Henry VIII’s most indispensable minister, the blacksmith’s son who rose to orchestrate the English Reformation, dissolve the monasteries, and keep the wheels of a volatile regime turning until they finally crushed him. MacCulloch has spent a lifetime immersed in Tudor archives, and the book is a monument to that immersion: exhaustive, scrupulously sourced, and bristling with footnotes that often feel longer than the chapters they serve. If you want to know precisely which clerk copied which memorandum on which day in 1536, this is your book.
The portrait of Cromwell the historical actor is genuinely impressive. MacCulloch convincingly rescues him from the cartoon villain of Mantel’s novels and the pious thug of some Catholic historiography. Here is a man of prodigious administrative talent, a genuine believer in evangelical reform (not just a cynical enabler of Henry’s libido), and a continental sophisticate who spoke Italian like a native, read the Bible in the original languages, and corresponded with European reformers while simultaneously squeezing the monasteries for every last chalice. The chapters on the 1530s (the break with Rome, the dissolution, the drafting of revolutionary legislation) are masterly. You finish them understanding exactly why contemporaries thought Cromwell was the most powerful commoner in England since Thomas Becket, and why many believed he was the devil incarnate.
So Cromwell himself remains fascinating. The book, alas, does not.
MacCulloch writes like the senior civil servant Cromwell himself might have become had he lived to enjoy a quiet retirement: precise, methodical, and utterly allergic to drama. Events that should thunder across the page (the fall of Anne Boleyn, the Pilgrimage of Grace, Cromwell’s own terrifyingly swift collapse in 1540) are recounted in the same measured, bloodless register as the reorganization of the Augmentations Office. One almost longs for a single exclamation mark, a raised eyebrow, anything to signal that the author notices he is narrating the most tumultuous decade in English religious history. Instead we get paragraph after paragraph of bureaucratic genealogy: who succeeded whom in which revenue court, which ex-monastic manor was granted to which courtier in which quarter-session. It is rather like reading an extraordinarily learned accountant’s report written by a man who has forgotten that human beings are involved.
Personal texture is almost entirely absent. We learn that Cromwell loved his wife and children, that he was generous to his extended family, that he enjoyed fine clothes and a laugh. But MacCulloch rarely lingers on any of it. There are no scenes, no reconstructed conversations, no attempt to get inside the man’s head beyond what the ledgers explicitly tell us. Even Cromwell’s evangelical faith, surely the engine of much of his revolutionary energy, is presented as a series of doctrinal positions rather than a lived passion. The result is a 700-page biography in which the subject never quite comes alive as a personality. He remains, to the last page, what he was in life to most contemporaries: a distant, terrifyingly efficient administrator whose inner self was visible only to a trusted few.
This is not a failure of research; it is a failure of storytelling. MacCulloch knows everything there is to know about Thomas Cromwell, and he has chosen to present that knowledge in the exact tone and structure Cromwell himself might have used when submitting a departmental report to the king: complete, accurate, and dry as the dust of the dissolved abbeys.
If you need the definitive scholarly account of Cromwell’s career, the administrative history of the Henrician Reformation, or a shelf-bending reference work that will settle any argument about dating or precedence, buy this book without hesitation. If you want to feel the sweat, fear, and exhilaration of living through those years alongside one of history’s most extraordinary operators, you will close it, as I did, impressed, instructed, and oddly unmoved. Cromwell deserved a biography with a pulse. What he has received is the most meticulous minute-book ever written about a life that was anything but minute.
March 8, 2021
A lovely way to ruin your belief in the historical accuracy of Hilary Mantel.
No no that’s glib - this is an entertaining and gossipy book about one of the most interesting men in the world, where you miss the ability of a writer like Mantel to really inhabit the fellow. The fact that history has mostly left us his in tray - not his out tray - means he can sometimes feel like a stranger in his own narrative, a man who influences everyone around him a great deal but seems uninfluenced himself.
Even without the fictional flourishes of something like Wolf Hall, it’s hard not to think of him as someone too accomplished to have really lived. Some of my favourite bits of this book are the slight deflations - the hits where the author notes that Cromwell is actually being a dummy, or is far too inexperienced.
It also deals well with the bursting but still incomplete record of the time - particularly with commentary about the politics of what has been saved and what hasn’t. I’m not an academic historian but I never felt either talked down to or talked over.
No no that’s glib - this is an entertaining and gossipy book about one of the most interesting men in the world, where you miss the ability of a writer like Mantel to really inhabit the fellow. The fact that history has mostly left us his in tray - not his out tray - means he can sometimes feel like a stranger in his own narrative, a man who influences everyone around him a great deal but seems uninfluenced himself.
Even without the fictional flourishes of something like Wolf Hall, it’s hard not to think of him as someone too accomplished to have really lived. Some of my favourite bits of this book are the slight deflations - the hits where the author notes that Cromwell is actually being a dummy, or is far too inexperienced.
It also deals well with the bursting but still incomplete record of the time - particularly with commentary about the politics of what has been saved and what hasn’t. I’m not an academic historian but I never felt either talked down to or talked over.
January 1, 2020
It is very hard to find any fault with this biography of Thomas Cromwell. The author judiciously examines Cromwell’s life from his birth and youth in Putney, through his travels in Europe and his work with Wolsey to his ascent to power. His contribution to the governance of England through the political basis of the King in Parliament was fundamental to the stability of the country which survived the upheavals of the 17th century. He strikes a balance between the importance of describing the criticality of the revolution in the religious world in England and maintaining a flowing narrative. I can’t see this being overtaken for a very long time.
April 8, 2019
This is a tome only for those who feel like getting deep and sweaty into the nitty-gritty...not only of Cromwell's life, but the inner workings of the Tudor government, both secular and religious. Highly detailed and vastly referenced. My only note is that the very brief mention of Jane Boleyn came across as inordinately contemptuous, which made that particular chapter difficult for me to read.
January 5, 2019
A very detailed, gossipy account of Cromwell that takes great care to reveal its sources, not just in footnotes but in explanation of what we know and don't know, and what documents reveal just what. Not easy reading, but given my ardent love of Wolf Hall, I found it very engaging.
January 15, 2025
This is an exhaustive, and exhausting, biography of Cromwell, the centrepiece of Mantel’s superb Wolf Hall trilogy. The book is not for the general reader. It is too dense, full of detailed narrative with the author showing his intricate scholarship and appearing, particularly in the Chapter on the Pilgrimage of Grace, to mention every scrap of evidence, indeed every acquaintance of Cromwell, with the narrative quoting dozens of obscure names often only once. Do we really need to know that Thomas took over an obscure priory far from his lands and for no obvious reason. This is certainly meticulous, but rather unenlightening. There are some fascinating glimpses of the King’s great matter- Anne Boleyn- and Cromwell’s role in the affair. Yet Cromwell himself still seems a shadowy figure in the biography. We do not get to know the man that Mantel tried to depict, and indeed the book discounts some of her assertions - that his father was a blacksmith, and violent one at that, that his lineage was all common, that Wriothesley was taken into his household as a young man.
So wonderful scholarship here. Is there a letter or piece of surviving evidence that MacCulloch has not read? But general reader, watch out!
So wonderful scholarship here. Is there a letter or piece of surviving evidence that MacCulloch has not read? But general reader, watch out!
December 23, 2019
The great Tudor historian Sir Geoffrey Elton thought that Thomas Cromwell was unbiographable. Very few documents written by Cromwell survive and MacCulloch speculates that his household/supporters destroyed his ‘out tray’ on his arrest. What we have is the ‘in tray’. This provides fertile ground for a novelist, but makes the task of a biographer much harder.
What we have here is a detailed account of the politics and administration of England in the late 1520s/1530s. As always, MacCulloch made me think afresh about subjects I thought I knew a lot about, such as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. I would have liked to know more about why Cromwell pursued the religious policies that he did, but the lack of documents means we can’t know. Neither do we have any almost contemporaneous accounts, as we do with Cavendish’s life of Cardinal Wolsey.
I would recommend this book, but probably more for a specialist/academic audience than for the general reader.
What we have here is a detailed account of the politics and administration of England in the late 1520s/1530s. As always, MacCulloch made me think afresh about subjects I thought I knew a lot about, such as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. I would have liked to know more about why Cromwell pursued the religious policies that he did, but the lack of documents means we can’t know. Neither do we have any almost contemporaneous accounts, as we do with Cavendish’s life of Cardinal Wolsey.
I would recommend this book, but probably more for a specialist/academic audience than for the general reader.
March 28, 2019
This is way too advanced a history to be read cold, I.e., without any background of the era or the people. Although the reviewer at the Financial Times spoke highly of it, I now realize such person probably read at Oxford or Cambridge, or, in any case has substantially more knowledge of this period of English history than little ol’ me. I found myself running into a deep forest of English place names, families and characters in the first 25 pages and thought I would stop while I could still see the exit. I will be looking for something with a bit more “runway” before I have another go at this.
February 5, 2021
The English historian, Diarmaid MacCulloch obviously enjoyed writing the biography of Thomas Cromwell who served as King Henry's chief minister. I learned many new interesting insights into the history of the times. Cromwell was a necessary tool for King Henry VIII to break the power of the church so he could get his marriage annulled from Catherine of Aragon. The book describes in great detail just how the brilliant and ruthless Cromwell managed to change the church and his country forever. Anyone who enjoys Tudor history will relish this book. Four stars.
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