I really enjoy Alison Weir’s book’s about Henry viii’s wives so it was super to get a book based on him & his version of events. I really enjoyed this book & would thoroughly recommend

I have very much enjoyed Alison Weir’s novels about the six wives of Henry 8th and so much looked forward to this one. I wasn’t disappointed. The Tudor history is in safe hands with such an academic author and whilst at times I did feel there was a little too much description of ceremonies ( many references to “ cloth of gold”) this is a great read for fans of the period. It is a long book with nearly half been given to the relationship with Kathryn of Aragon. Overall, it is a book to recommend.Highly enjoyable.

Alison Weir is a true inspiration when it comes to historical fiction and this book is no exception. Utterly brilliant and a book you will relish reading. Total perfection.

I have always thought of Henry VIII as a power-crazed, cruel, vindictive misogynist, so I was intrigued to read this book by Alison Weir, in which she writes from Henry’s point of view. The book is, as always, brilliantly written, informative, interesting, and a fascinating insight into a man who still divides opinion centuries later, and who left an indelible imprint on history. The story starts with the loss of Henry’s mother, Elizabeth of York, which undoubtedly had serious ramifications on his life. He felt her loss greatly, and I think that for the rest of his life, he measured women against his mother, searching for something that couldn’t be found. Growing up under the watchful eye of his father, Henry VII, with whom he did not enjoy an easy relationship, Henry constantly chafed to be his own boss. When that happened, he was determined to live as he wished, basking in the adoration of his subjects, and cutting a romantic figure in his magnificence as a big, tall, handsome King. Surrounded by fawning courtiers hanging on his every word, he could do whatever he wanted, and did. His marital history is well known, as is his abuse of his power. Ultimately, I haven’t changed my opinion of him on the strength of this book - he was spoiled, arrogant and brutal - but also extremely fascinating. He made many mistakes as do we all, it’s just that his mistakes cost people their lives. He was definitely a handsome, majestic King in the beginning, highly intelligent and full of good intentions when the world was his oyster, and watching his descent into the mad man that he became was absolutely compelling reading. He never took ownership of the bad decisions that he made, never took responsibility, and always saw himself as the mighty King even when his health declined and age took over. His passion for building, his love of art and literature, his magnificent court and his fabulous clothes and jewellery paint a glorious picture, but for me, he is a very unlikeable man, and his treatment of women is horrendous. This story is so well told, so vividly descriptive, and completely captured me. It is refreshing to see Henry’s story through his eyes, and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

As a big reader of books set in the Tudor period, I was excited to read this book, and I wasn't disappointed. I have read several of Alison Weir's books previously. This was fascinating to see events through the eyes of Henry VIII, rather than his queens. Thoroughly researched, the characters were very well drawn. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I have been waiting for this book to come out for so long and I was not disappointed. Weir has written a very detailed, mesmerising read and one that differs in its sympathies. Having read the Six Tudor Queens series, I was keen to see how Weir would write about each of the queen's from Henry's perspective and it is masterful. With each one, my sympathies changed and I felt for all the characters involved, in particular Henry. Weir has written Henry VIII as a human with real feelings and I felt for him in ways I have never done so before. All of the personalities are captured well and I enjoyed reading about key historical events.
My only minor criticism is a lot of time is given to the first three queen's and the latter three are rushed. I understand this is to do with the length of time they were married but it may have been nicer to have two books to dedicate more time to them. However, that is probably just me wishing for another book.
I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it for any fan of historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy.

Henry VIII : The Heart and the Crown by Alison Week

At last a book from the prospectus of Henry , in my view a long time coming , and who better to write it than Alison Weir. It's a story that many of us are fascinated by , both in fact , and fiction. Was he mad , bad , or just not husband material ?
Really enjoyed the authors take on the life of Henry and the history around him.

I've read a few books around this era, and from Alison, but this is my first about Henry VIII. Although I really loved this book I found that because he's such a high profile person I already knew most of his story. I really wished I could have gone into this book not knowing about him.

That said I loved how Alison brought him to life and how she mixes historical fact and fiction seamlessly. I loved being able to see what he might have been thinking and how events might have affected him on a personal level. The research gone into all her books is outstanding.

A great addition to her books based around the Tudors.

Firstly, I would like to say how much I have enjoyed the authors other books, however there is something just a bit off with this one, I love the Tudor period, but I felt that this book was rushed somewhat and that some of the details had been covered better in the 6 wives' books. This was a decent read but not as outstanding as I have come to expect from the author

I just didn't enjoy this. The writing style felt amateur which surprised me given how many books the author has written and it felt rushed and not at all fleshed out. It was almost an overview rather than a story.

Written from Henry's point of view, a well researched book, which is one expects from this author. The character of Henry is very well drawn. I would recommend the book highly. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.