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1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII
A revolutionary slice-of-life biography of one of England's most fascinating monarchs
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
70 people are currently reading
1635 people want to read
About the author
Suzannah Lipscomb
16 books743 followersProf Suzannah Lipscomb is Professor Emerita in History at the University of Roehampton. She is the author of 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England, The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII, Witchcraft, and The Voices of Nimes: Women, Sex and Marriage in Reformation Languedoc. She edited, with Helen Carr, What is History, Now? (out 2021). She also writes and presents television programmes, including series on Henry VIII and his Six Wives, Witches: A Century of Murder, and Elizabeth I; hosts the podcast Not Just the Tudors from History Hit, and writes a regular column for History Today.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 20, 2021
Perhaps not surprising given its brevity, this book is narrowly built around the author's premise: that Henry VIII's rule and character changed during this year. Since I like the intersection of counseling and history, so far, so good.
This was more like a bulked-up paper, though, than a fully developed narrative, though, in the reading experience. I didn't FEEL what it was like to be in Henry's court or in his mind.
My suggestion? Dive into a full-length biography first and supplement it with this.
This was more like a bulked-up paper, though, than a fully developed narrative, though, in the reading experience. I didn't FEEL what it was like to be in Henry's court or in his mind.
My suggestion? Dive into a full-length biography first and supplement it with this.
January 31, 2025
Excellent read, and a very interesting and plausible explanation of how the year 1536 changed and affected Henry VIII
May 7, 2017
1536 by Suzannah Lipscomb is a very interesting read, because of the theories explored explaining how the year of 1536 changed Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn's downfall, Pilgrimage of Grace, Henry Fitzroy's death, marriage to Jane Seymour, Katherine of Aragon's death, the onset of the Reformation, etc. ensured that this year was a turning point in the history of England, as well as a personal turning point for Henry.
The book has some interesting tidbits that I really enjoyed. I also learned new things and enjoyed the learning process. The book was well written and structured nicely, so it is easy for even someone not well-versed with Henry's history to read and enjoy.
Where I disagreed with Lipscomb is when she began quoting Derek Wilson to show that Henry was a tyrant. Interestingly, she had outlined in the first chapters why Henry was not a tyrant, and then she discusses how he was a tyrant in the last chapter, which was rather surprising to me. I would rather go with a reputable historian like G.R. Elton rather than a sham like Derek Wilson when it comes to theories, but the author apparently believes the opposite. However, I shall certainly agree that 1536 changed Henry and made him more serious and less likely to be indulgent.
There were also a couple of mistakes in the book. One which stood out glaringly for me was the claim that Norfolk was released by Edward, which isn't true. He had to wait for Mary to take the throne.
Apart from these, the book is interesting and definitely worth a read. It's the small details in the first few chapters that really made this book interesting for me.
The book has some interesting tidbits that I really enjoyed. I also learned new things and enjoyed the learning process. The book was well written and structured nicely, so it is easy for even someone not well-versed with Henry's history to read and enjoy.
Where I disagreed with Lipscomb is when she began quoting Derek Wilson to show that Henry was a tyrant. Interestingly, she had outlined in the first chapters why Henry was not a tyrant, and then she discusses how he was a tyrant in the last chapter, which was rather surprising to me. I would rather go with a reputable historian like G.R. Elton rather than a sham like Derek Wilson when it comes to theories, but the author apparently believes the opposite. However, I shall certainly agree that 1536 changed Henry and made him more serious and less likely to be indulgent.
There were also a couple of mistakes in the book. One which stood out glaringly for me was the claim that Norfolk was released by Edward, which isn't true. He had to wait for Mary to take the throne.
Apart from these, the book is interesting and definitely worth a read. It's the small details in the first few chapters that really made this book interesting for me.
September 3, 2017
I loved this. Suzannah is so eloquent and puts her point across perfectly. She's managed to make me feel sympathy for Henry VIII, encouraging us to see more than the one dimensional caricature of him that is so common today. Sure, he was a tyrant - but why? That's the interesting question. Psycho-analysing historical figures is tricky but Suzannah succeeds where others trying similar approaches to other figures have failed. She uses the events of 1536 to illuminate Henry's character and his later reign, and though one year seems rather little in the grand scheme of his whole reign, she really does illuminate how this one year "changed" Henry VIII.
But it's not all about Henry. She puts forth a very interesting theory about Anne Boleyn's downfall - the one I've been, unwittingly, looking for all this time. I've never been able to fully form an idea of what happened, or of why it happened. Suzannah puts forth that Cromwell and Henry genuinely believed her guilty and rumours were taken as evidence due to their genuine belief she was guilty. Her actions convinced them of her guilt despite her innocence. This, to me, is very, very plausible. She's presented me with exactly what I didn't know was missing in my own thoughts about Cromwell and Anne.
This book is illuminating and remarkable. Easy to read and very well written, Suzannah confirmed with this book all the reasons why she is one of my favourite historians out there right now.
But it's not all about Henry. She puts forth a very interesting theory about Anne Boleyn's downfall - the one I've been, unwittingly, looking for all this time. I've never been able to fully form an idea of what happened, or of why it happened. Suzannah puts forth that Cromwell and Henry genuinely believed her guilty and rumours were taken as evidence due to their genuine belief she was guilty. Her actions convinced them of her guilt despite her innocence. This, to me, is very, very plausible. She's presented me with exactly what I didn't know was missing in my own thoughts about Cromwell and Anne.
This book is illuminating and remarkable. Easy to read and very well written, Suzannah confirmed with this book all the reasons why she is one of my favourite historians out there right now.
August 2, 2015
Henry VIII was born in 1491, over 500 years ago, and yet we seem as fascinated by him as ever. The stream of books, plays and TV programmes about him seems never ending.
I suppose it is tempting for writers and historians to try and think of a new slant on his life to write about. Lipscomb's book definitely does that - by choosing the year 1536 and arguing that it was pivotal in Henry's life, his annus horribilis.
The series of events in that year, starting early on with the death of his first wife Katherine of Aragon. are shown to have an irreversible and very negative effect on Henry.
The handsome, kind, athletic and fun loving king swiftly morphs into a corpulent, ruthless tyrant - the image so engrained in our consciousness these days.
Of course it is nowhere near as simple as that - but Lipscomb's arguments are well thought out and compelling.
She even makes me wonder if Anne Boleyn COULD have been guilty of the charges levelled against her - and up to now I've always been convinced that they were entirely trumped up!
I suppose it is tempting for writers and historians to try and think of a new slant on his life to write about. Lipscomb's book definitely does that - by choosing the year 1536 and arguing that it was pivotal in Henry's life, his annus horribilis.
The series of events in that year, starting early on with the death of his first wife Katherine of Aragon. are shown to have an irreversible and very negative effect on Henry.
The handsome, kind, athletic and fun loving king swiftly morphs into a corpulent, ruthless tyrant - the image so engrained in our consciousness these days.
Of course it is nowhere near as simple as that - but Lipscomb's arguments are well thought out and compelling.
She even makes me wonder if Anne Boleyn COULD have been guilty of the charges levelled against her - and up to now I've always been convinced that they were entirely trumped up!
March 5, 2015
Henry is a very complex character, partly because he was so inconsistent when it came to wives, religion, but most of all... Temperament. So many people close to him at different stages of his life, met with grisly ends- More, Fisher, Cromwell, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. And of course Wolsey and first with Catherine of Aragon- who he'd been married to for nearly twenty years, died in disgrace and despair. What Suzannah Lipscomb does so well here, is she looks at one specific year- 1536- the pivotal year in which Henry changed from the Adonis, universally adorned 'virtuous prince' that came to the throne, 27 years earlier in 1509, into the infamous large, bloated, bad tempered tyrant that the general public, even those without much interest in history, know so well of today.
First Lipscomb sets the scene brilliantly by the beliefs that underpinned Tudor England, the divinely created order; the importance of religion, the belief that women were inferior to men, being "weaker in mind and more prone to sin", and "the cause of sexual sin". Then she looks at the general public's image of Henry, the bloated wife-killer (Charles Laughton), comparing it to the Henry of 1509. Lipscomb looks at the different theories put forward over the years as when he changed, giving her own theory that his change "eccelerated the events of 1536".
Lipscomb looks at the young Henry, from birth to childhood, change from second son to heir-apparent, accession, marriage to Catherine of Aragon- pointing out that the famous cruel streak that we see from 1536 and onwards, was not present at this stage.
She then covers Henry's divorce, his great anxiety over the lack of male heir, and his genuine belief he was being punished by God for marrying his dead brothers wife. Lipscomb covers the deaths of More and Fisher, the famous break with Rome, his belief that he was "Supreme Head of the Church" and the rise of Anne Boleyn- pointing out that on the eve of 1536, he was happy and hopeful of an heir.
Then Lipscomb looks at 1536, in a short chapter, listing the major events which made it so significant.
Moving into 1536, Lipscomb explains why why the events "cut right to the core of how Henry saw himself as "a man" and why the traumatic events which occurred between January-July had a "cumulative impact" on him, changing him to a man who was perceived to be "growing old" and tried to fight this in a way which made him 'a caricature of virility'.
Moving onto the impact Catherine's death in January of 1536, impacted Henry, before moving on to examine the characteristics of masculinity- how the importance of the joust in demonstrating that masculinity- giving a fresh and important understanding in his behaviour, and the effect his jousting accident had on his life and health from now on.
After this Lipscomb examines in the infamous and bloody fall of Anne Boleyn, and the different factors that have to be taken into account- her miscarriage, Jane Seymour, their relationship at the time, before and after the fatal miscarriage of a son. Then looks at why Anne fell, pointing out how crucial the answer is, due to how it "rests on our picture of Henry VIII and the effect of this years events". Then looks at the investigation- Smeaton's confession, Anne's altercation with Norris, the arrests of the men, and the trials and executions of Anne and the men. Lipscomb points out the charge of Anne and George "supposedly" laughing at Henry's dress and "accusations" of impotency, had a massive effect on his honour and masculinity, in a time when he was perceived to be "growing old" (45 in those days was seen as old, compared to now), and extreme anxiety over a lack of male heir. Lipscomb does point out, "the several pieces of evidence that speak strongly of Anne's innocence", why she was still found guilty and put to death.
Then Lipsomb looks at Henry's heirs in 1536- his daughters Mary and Elizabeth had been made illegitimate, his niece Margaret Douglas was imprisoned in the Tower, and the death of his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy.
An interesting chapter is on the masculinity and image, with the Holbein and Thyssen portraits, and how they gave Henry "strong, ultra-masculine qualities" possibly to "compensate for the events of 1536".
Finally Lipscomb gives a great examination into religion at this time- the reformation, Henry's role in it (and in later reformation), why Henry was actually neither Protestant nor Catholic, but somewhere in between. How the impact of "the Pilgrimage of Grace" effected his character and behaviour, the criticism of courtiers, and "The Mouldwarp Prophecy"- how seriously it was take, it's level against Henry from 1536, and how it signified the transition of a "splendid young King to the conjecture that he had become a tyrant".
Finally Lipscomb questions- did Henry become a tyrant? Looking at what a tyrant meant in the 16th century, compared to modern day definition. Looking at various examples of his behaviour before making her conclusion. She also looks at his temper, his "spiteful interest in the manner of Anne's death", the way he dealt with the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace, and his use of the Parliamentary Attainder, and his "savage" reaction to betrayel.
The book concludes with an epilogue, appendices containing a timeline of 1536, brief bios of his wives, and a very useful "cost of living in 1536". Along with full notes, section on further reading and an index.
Suzannah Lipsomb is a brilliant scholary historian who makes history accessible to everyone. Unlike some historians, who can push their views a little patronisingly on the general reader, Lipscomb does not do that. 1536 is brilliantly unravels the psychology of Henry VIII and what drove him to turn maliciously against friends and wives.
First Lipscomb sets the scene brilliantly by the beliefs that underpinned Tudor England, the divinely created order; the importance of religion, the belief that women were inferior to men, being "weaker in mind and more prone to sin", and "the cause of sexual sin". Then she looks at the general public's image of Henry, the bloated wife-killer (Charles Laughton), comparing it to the Henry of 1509. Lipscomb looks at the different theories put forward over the years as when he changed, giving her own theory that his change "eccelerated the events of 1536".
Lipscomb looks at the young Henry, from birth to childhood, change from second son to heir-apparent, accession, marriage to Catherine of Aragon- pointing out that the famous cruel streak that we see from 1536 and onwards, was not present at this stage.
She then covers Henry's divorce, his great anxiety over the lack of male heir, and his genuine belief he was being punished by God for marrying his dead brothers wife. Lipscomb covers the deaths of More and Fisher, the famous break with Rome, his belief that he was "Supreme Head of the Church" and the rise of Anne Boleyn- pointing out that on the eve of 1536, he was happy and hopeful of an heir.
Then Lipscomb looks at 1536, in a short chapter, listing the major events which made it so significant.
Moving into 1536, Lipscomb explains why why the events "cut right to the core of how Henry saw himself as "a man" and why the traumatic events which occurred between January-July had a "cumulative impact" on him, changing him to a man who was perceived to be "growing old" and tried to fight this in a way which made him 'a caricature of virility'.
Moving onto the impact Catherine's death in January of 1536, impacted Henry, before moving on to examine the characteristics of masculinity- how the importance of the joust in demonstrating that masculinity- giving a fresh and important understanding in his behaviour, and the effect his jousting accident had on his life and health from now on.
After this Lipscomb examines in the infamous and bloody fall of Anne Boleyn, and the different factors that have to be taken into account- her miscarriage, Jane Seymour, their relationship at the time, before and after the fatal miscarriage of a son. Then looks at why Anne fell, pointing out how crucial the answer is, due to how it "rests on our picture of Henry VIII and the effect of this years events". Then looks at the investigation- Smeaton's confession, Anne's altercation with Norris, the arrests of the men, and the trials and executions of Anne and the men. Lipscomb points out the charge of Anne and George "supposedly" laughing at Henry's dress and "accusations" of impotency, had a massive effect on his honour and masculinity, in a time when he was perceived to be "growing old" (45 in those days was seen as old, compared to now), and extreme anxiety over a lack of male heir. Lipscomb does point out, "the several pieces of evidence that speak strongly of Anne's innocence", why she was still found guilty and put to death.
Then Lipsomb looks at Henry's heirs in 1536- his daughters Mary and Elizabeth had been made illegitimate, his niece Margaret Douglas was imprisoned in the Tower, and the death of his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy.
An interesting chapter is on the masculinity and image, with the Holbein and Thyssen portraits, and how they gave Henry "strong, ultra-masculine qualities" possibly to "compensate for the events of 1536".
Finally Lipscomb gives a great examination into religion at this time- the reformation, Henry's role in it (and in later reformation), why Henry was actually neither Protestant nor Catholic, but somewhere in between. How the impact of "the Pilgrimage of Grace" effected his character and behaviour, the criticism of courtiers, and "The Mouldwarp Prophecy"- how seriously it was take, it's level against Henry from 1536, and how it signified the transition of a "splendid young King to the conjecture that he had become a tyrant".
Finally Lipscomb questions- did Henry become a tyrant? Looking at what a tyrant meant in the 16th century, compared to modern day definition. Looking at various examples of his behaviour before making her conclusion. She also looks at his temper, his "spiteful interest in the manner of Anne's death", the way he dealt with the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace, and his use of the Parliamentary Attainder, and his "savage" reaction to betrayel.
The book concludes with an epilogue, appendices containing a timeline of 1536, brief bios of his wives, and a very useful "cost of living in 1536". Along with full notes, section on further reading and an index.
Suzannah Lipsomb is a brilliant scholary historian who makes history accessible to everyone. Unlike some historians, who can push their views a little patronisingly on the general reader, Lipscomb does not do that. 1536 is brilliantly unravels the psychology of Henry VIII and what drove him to turn maliciously against friends and wives.
December 20, 2012
Henry VIII is one of the best-known Monarchs in British History. Numerous novels and films have told how two of his six wives were executed for treason, while a third died shortly after childbirth. However, Suzannah Lipscomb, has pieced together several incidents during 1536, which imply this year was a turning point in the King’s life.
Having read several novels about Henry VIII, I felt I knew everything I needed to know on the subject, but it seems I was wrong. Author Suzannah Lipscomb has focused on this one year in Henry’s life. After much research she has introduced some new ideas as to why the king’s attitude suddenly changed to everyone around him during this period. Anyone interested in the Tudor period will find this to be a very interesting read. However, though the author has tried to explain the events of 1536 in a language fairly easy to understand, I did feel that there were some places where there was perhaps just a little too much information.
Having read several novels about Henry VIII, I felt I knew everything I needed to know on the subject, but it seems I was wrong. Author Suzannah Lipscomb has focused on this one year in Henry’s life. After much research she has introduced some new ideas as to why the king’s attitude suddenly changed to everyone around him during this period. Anyone interested in the Tudor period will find this to be a very interesting read. However, though the author has tried to explain the events of 1536 in a language fairly easy to understand, I did feel that there were some places where there was perhaps just a little too much information.
July 16, 2013
I think in the hands of someone like Starkey or Weir this could have been great - here it is just OK. Really amazing content, research, analysis and theories, but the writing is so-so, not well structured and fails to really suck you in.
However - loved the psychological possibilities behind Henry's actions and OMG the discourse on how he was "compensating" with that painting!
March 18, 2012
This was a short book but a meaty one. I particularly enjoyed the author's discussion of the events surrounding the execution of Anne Boleyn.
May 22, 2025
The problem (or not) with this book is that every 30 seconds I have to stare out into space thinking about English history. Henry VIII is probably my least favorite English monarch (note: English. I think John, Richard 3, and more are up there. This is also not counting British monarchs because the Nazi is perhaps by far the worst.). I just frown upon the killing of multiple wives. Crazy cause his dad, Henry VII, is my favorite monarch. ♥️ That being said, this book is good because it talks about the complexities of Henry VIII. Like with Richard 3 and some others, I can think through their thought process on why they thought something was the logical choice, but that doesn't make it okay. Like I understand how important it is to have a son, especially in the context of the 1500s, but don't kill your wives.
June 24, 2025
This book is important because it shows that Henry VIII was a flawed human being with poor emotional intelligence. Which makes more sense than dismissing Henry’s behaviours and actions as mere theatrics or even claiming that he was incapable of love.
At the core of understanding Henry VIII’s character is whether you believe he knew if Anne Boleyn was innocent and this book supports the theory that Henry VIII genuinely believed she was guilty and the book goes on to explain Henry’s later tyranny and sets Anne Boleyn’s downfall and the rest of the events of 1536 as the major catalysts that would shape Henry as a paranoid tyrant that he is famed off. The book also highlight his early character and how he changed.
The one draw back of this book is that it’s not a serious academic analysis of Henry’s character and the events of 1536, but more a persuasive paper and I feel that more could have been done to test the waters of the widely held beliefs that we have of Henry VIII that I often feel have painted him as an unemotional man, hellbent on destruction for no apparent reason other than “it’s just the way he was”, whereas the book gives us a glimmer of a man with a multitude of complexities that needs to be taken more seriously by anyone interested in Tudor history and the six queens of Henry VIII.
I do not feel like this detracts from Anne Boleyn’s story whatsoever as no matter the truth she will always be an unfortunate victim
At the core of understanding Henry VIII’s character is whether you believe he knew if Anne Boleyn was innocent and this book supports the theory that Henry VIII genuinely believed she was guilty and the book goes on to explain Henry’s later tyranny and sets Anne Boleyn’s downfall and the rest of the events of 1536 as the major catalysts that would shape Henry as a paranoid tyrant that he is famed off. The book also highlight his early character and how he changed.
The one draw back of this book is that it’s not a serious academic analysis of Henry’s character and the events of 1536, but more a persuasive paper and I feel that more could have been done to test the waters of the widely held beliefs that we have of Henry VIII that I often feel have painted him as an unemotional man, hellbent on destruction for no apparent reason other than “it’s just the way he was”, whereas the book gives us a glimmer of a man with a multitude of complexities that needs to be taken more seriously by anyone interested in Tudor history and the six queens of Henry VIII.
I do not feel like this detracts from Anne Boleyn’s story whatsoever as no matter the truth she will always be an unfortunate victim
Read
February 14, 2014Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb takes a look at the year 1536 which is, as she puts it, The Year
That Changed Henry VIII. Detailing the various events of the year and the impact that
they had on Henry, Lipscomb provides not only a fascinating historical insight into the
politics and intrigue of the Tudor period, but also a deep and personal biography of one
of our most famous kings. I picked this up with little prior knowledge of the Tudors,
and Lipscomb captivated me with her intelligent historical writing and the period is
now a regular fascination of mine. Definitely a must-read history book.
Shaun
That Changed Henry VIII. Detailing the various events of the year and the impact that
they had on Henry, Lipscomb provides not only a fascinating historical insight into the
politics and intrigue of the Tudor period, but also a deep and personal biography of one
of our most famous kings. I picked this up with little prior knowledge of the Tudors,
and Lipscomb captivated me with her intelligent historical writing and the period is
now a regular fascination of mine. Definitely a must-read history book.
Shaun
October 3, 2014
I've no doubt that Suzannah Lipscomb knows her subject matter, but I do feel this got lost in translation. The writing was just ok, the premise of the book was interesting but unproven and the temptation to edit the book into something that hanged together better was great. I was sufficiently engaged that I will read other books by the author, but I'm a little.. disappointed. A case of 'Can do better', but still worth reading.
December 16, 2015
Incredibly well written, this book delves into the psyche of Henry VIII and explains the major changes that occurred during his reign: how he came to be the tyrannical beast that is depicted in popular culture.
Suzannah Lipscomb is a great scholar who has a gift for writing and explaining this ambiguous era which saw the Reformation, the fates of six queens, humanism, the birth of Renaissance and the powers that were playing in Europe.
Suzannah Lipscomb is a great scholar who has a gift for writing and explaining this ambiguous era which saw the Reformation, the fates of six queens, humanism, the birth of Renaissance and the powers that were playing in Europe.
January 3, 2012
An informative read....if you really want to understand just why 1536 was Henry VIII's 'annus horribilis' you must read Lipscomb highly readable book. Her clear and concise writing helps the reader to understand how that terrible year changed Henry from Prince Charming into the monster he became. An excellent read!
August 1, 2012
A very interesting book that flies in the face of popular belief. Suzannah sets out her argument in laymans terms. 1536 was definitely Henry VIIIs 'annus horriblus' (sp) Whether Suzannah has answered the reasons for Henrys alleged decline into tyranny is open to argument. I for one think she's onto something here.
December 22, 2015
Likely to be the closest we'll get to discovering why Henry VIII became the man that he did. Lipscomb employs a range of contemporary social ideals and gender ideologies whilst constructing this convincing work. A massive help with my dissertation!
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2010
Fascinating, intelligent and original. I loved this book and urge anyone with an interest and/or thorough knowledge to read this book. It taught me a thing or two!
January 29, 2014
Suzannah offers a scholarly view of potential theories on the causes of the changes in Henry's personality. Allows the reader to draw her own conclusions.
June 21, 2020
Very easy read for the general public, broad enough to not be overwhelming, yet well researched and detailed enough to get some learnin' on.
December 6, 2014
Her theories are interesting and well supported, but the writing style was not what I was expecting from someone who has a doctorate degree. It sounds like she really dumbed her writing down.
August 10, 2019
An in-depth look at the events of 1536 and how they changed Henry VIII.
February 13, 2014
Poor chap!
October 26, 2015
fantastic read!
November 3, 2015
The author makes
January 24, 2025
Not really a fan when historians use the phrase "only possible explanation", or "these 5 are the ONLY possible explanations". The author uses both of these rather generously. As for myself, I can easily think of alternatives to what she has presented.
That Henry honestly believed that Anne was guilty of such absurd accusations, is not likely in my mind.
The fact that he goes on to say "she has known 100 men carnally", is such a preposterous exaggeration, to me that indicates that he knows he was in the wrong, and that he was aware an innocent woman was put to death for his own purposes.
I also find it relatively annoying when people read into things that clearly aren't there. For example, in the Henry portrait, he has his arms akimbo with his elbows sticking out.
She is supposedly quoting art historian, making all kinds of bizarre conclusions drawn from this elbow. Apparently, the elbow is all about masculinity and virility etc. etc.
Or… As an artist myself… It is a way to make a figure appear much wider at the top, which we know they were already doing with his heavily padded garments, to take away from the fact of his enlarged bulk of his waist.
She also is the first and only historian to say that having an adult is affair with the queen is “not treasonous“. I have read dozens and dozens of books on British history, and every single one of them states quite explicitly that sex with the queen is a reasonable affair, because it brings into question the legitimacy of the lineage. It’s a huge deal. The fact that she waves it off as some kind of non-issue makes me question the rest of her conclusions.
Another annoying point is that she simply seems to regurgitate the modern party line that Henry had dissolved the monasteries simply to increase his own coffers and feelings of supremacy.
While in part of this may be the case…and without an in-depth psychological treatment of a long dead figure, we can hardly suppose that this is the absolute and ONLY truth – she appears to indicate that all of these monks and nuns were pure as snow, that they “had their reputations blackened“.
Considering the constant newsfeed of priests abusing boys to the point where it is not even shocking anymore -and financial scams perpetrated by the church, I wonder at her blatant and deliberate blindness. She obviously didn’t bother to research whether these accusations were correct… She simply takes it faced value that they were not.
We know for certain that all “artifacts and relics“ were frauds.
No less than three monasteries claimed to have the head of John the Baptist. Not to mention the blood of Christ, the milk of Mary, half a dozen claimed to have Jesus’s foreskin, and enough churches and monasteries had a “sliver of the true cross“ but if you put them all together, would constitute a ship larger than the Queen Mary. But apparently the author wants to disregard all of these fraudulent activities, wanting to view priests and nuns as holy, innocent victims of Henry VIII.
Nothing in the slim volume is new. You can read all of this information and much better and more thorough books. Honestly it seems like she simply published it because she had to, to have something to put on her resume as recent.
I also kind of wish the author had broken up the text into more paragraphs. This may seem like a weird criticism, but pages and pages was just straight walls of text is, at least to me, difficult to plow through. There's no reason she could not have broken up these walls into more consumable paragraphs.
That Henry honestly believed that Anne was guilty of such absurd accusations, is not likely in my mind.
The fact that he goes on to say "she has known 100 men carnally", is such a preposterous exaggeration, to me that indicates that he knows he was in the wrong, and that he was aware an innocent woman was put to death for his own purposes.
I also find it relatively annoying when people read into things that clearly aren't there. For example, in the Henry portrait, he has his arms akimbo with his elbows sticking out.
She is supposedly quoting art historian, making all kinds of bizarre conclusions drawn from this elbow. Apparently, the elbow is all about masculinity and virility etc. etc.
Or… As an artist myself… It is a way to make a figure appear much wider at the top, which we know they were already doing with his heavily padded garments, to take away from the fact of his enlarged bulk of his waist.
She also is the first and only historian to say that having an adult is affair with the queen is “not treasonous“. I have read dozens and dozens of books on British history, and every single one of them states quite explicitly that sex with the queen is a reasonable affair, because it brings into question the legitimacy of the lineage. It’s a huge deal. The fact that she waves it off as some kind of non-issue makes me question the rest of her conclusions.
Another annoying point is that she simply seems to regurgitate the modern party line that Henry had dissolved the monasteries simply to increase his own coffers and feelings of supremacy.
While in part of this may be the case…and without an in-depth psychological treatment of a long dead figure, we can hardly suppose that this is the absolute and ONLY truth – she appears to indicate that all of these monks and nuns were pure as snow, that they “had their reputations blackened“.
Considering the constant newsfeed of priests abusing boys to the point where it is not even shocking anymore -and financial scams perpetrated by the church, I wonder at her blatant and deliberate blindness. She obviously didn’t bother to research whether these accusations were correct… She simply takes it faced value that they were not.
We know for certain that all “artifacts and relics“ were frauds.
No less than three monasteries claimed to have the head of John the Baptist. Not to mention the blood of Christ, the milk of Mary, half a dozen claimed to have Jesus’s foreskin, and enough churches and monasteries had a “sliver of the true cross“ but if you put them all together, would constitute a ship larger than the Queen Mary. But apparently the author wants to disregard all of these fraudulent activities, wanting to view priests and nuns as holy, innocent victims of Henry VIII.
Nothing in the slim volume is new. You can read all of this information and much better and more thorough books. Honestly it seems like she simply published it because she had to, to have something to put on her resume as recent.
I also kind of wish the author had broken up the text into more paragraphs. This may seem like a weird criticism, but pages and pages was just straight walls of text is, at least to me, difficult to plow through. There's no reason she could not have broken up these walls into more consumable paragraphs.
August 11, 2018
This book closely examines one year - 1536 - in the life of Henry VIII, how it affected him and the implications it held for the rest of his reign. It's a fascinating way to deal with it: this year seems to have affected him dramatically, whether it be the jousting fall, the emotional distress of Anne Boleyn's miscarriage, 'betrayal' and death, the death of his son, the Pilgrimage of Grace or any combination of the above. She moves through the year chronologically, following the effects of each event and the result is a really interesting and engaging read. Lipscomb places him firmly within the context of the sixteenth century and explains clearly how cultural expectations of masculinity and kingship made these events so damaging and traumatic. I particularly found this side of things interesting: it felt like something that had been a little overlooked in some of the other histories of Henry. The analysis was particularly interesting to read and a definite strength of the book: rather than just being a chronological account of events, she looks closely at the effect of events and what this might indicate about Henry's state of mind and body.
Obviously this is not the same as reading a full biography of Henry VIII - and it never claims to be - but I really enjoyed reading it and think it is a must read for any Tudor history fans who want a closer examination of Henry's changes.
Obviously this is not the same as reading a full biography of Henry VIII - and it never claims to be - but I really enjoyed reading it and think it is a must read for any Tudor history fans who want a closer examination of Henry's changes.
May 12, 2020
3.5 After the smashing success of The King is Dead I couldn't stop myself from diving into this book (they're both so short!). I liked it. I did. But I think Suzannah Lipscomb did a better job convincing me that it wasn't just the events of 1536 that changed Henry, but rather the events leading up to and then culminating in 1536 that profoundly impacted him. 1536 didn't just happen in a bubble; there was over a decade of events that all stacked together and took Henry to this final climax of horror...and then set him on the path he would follow until his death. So, I don't ultimately agree with her conclusion, but I loved the journey she took me on to get there.
May 19, 2020
Interesting analysis of Henry VIII's character and why and how it changed. Immensely readable, especially compared to Lipscomb's 'Voices of Nimes'. Lipscomb's exploration of all potential theories before laying out her own argument was really well done, as was the analysis of contemporary art and architecture to add to her analysis of Henry VIII. Some of the psychological inferences felt a bit far-fetched but on the whole, they were really helpful and helped to explain some of Henry's more erratic behaviour.
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