Average Rating:

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Henry: Virtuous Prince

by: David Starkey

October 01, 2008
I was really looking forwards to this book, I am an avid reader of anything to do with Tudor history and the wars of the roses and as there is relatively little written on the early years of Henry VIII I was keen to discover more about his personality, his friendships, his marriage, his life and what made him into the tyrant most people recognise him as. Starkey's introduction was promising, I was chomping at the bit to get into this book, but it never really got going for me. Maybe I have read too much on the subject and it was all old news to me, there were little nuggets but no real meaty information.
It is possible, of course, that there is no documented evidence other than what Starkey bought to his book, or that he did not want ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

by: David Starkey

March 04, 2004
David Starkey's work on the six wives of Henry VIII is a unique biography on these six women. Starkey, unlike some other historians who have approached the same subject, has not reiterated an already well known story, but instead has set out to question the common conceptions of these women whilst also rejecting the need to become too revisionist. This mixture is best observed in the portrayal of the first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine's virtuous position that has been rewarded to her by her devoted fans is questioned and Starkey reveals a more pragmatic and human perception of her. She was a woman of faults, capable of lying (as highlighted in her letter to her father Ferdinand after her first failed pregnancy), capable of immense pride and ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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Elizabeth

by: David Starkey

March 01, 2001
So much has been written about Queen Elizabeth I and her glorious reign, but it seems that her life prior to coronation is glossed over. This book concentrates on her birth, early childhood and adolescence. It helps to explain many of her later idiosyncracies. Her early years were uncertain and changeable. One moment Princess Elizabeth, the next just Lady Elizabeth. In adolescence, years spent in The Tower at her sisters disposition! Such a dramatic childhood and youth need a separate book dedicated solely to them. This is that book. It reads very smoothly and ends tantalisingly just as Elizabeth's reign begins. Highly recommended.

Average Rating:

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The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities and Politics

by: David Starkey

October 03, 2002
`The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities and Politics' is a short examination into the various influential persons and factions that shaped the politics of Henry VIII's reign.

The book at first appears rather short, being only 145 pages long. Yet Starkey is able to chart the rise and decline of various notable figures in Henry's reign and of the groups that tried to exert their ideas upon the king and in official policy.

Starkey first examines the situation early on in Henry's reign, where he presents a young king who is more engrossed in image and in pastimes rather than absorbed in the meticulous running of the state. A comparison is created between Henry and his father Henry VII, who unlike his son, was concerned in curbing the power of ... Read More:

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Monarchy: England and Her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors

by: David Starkey

September 03, 2007
If you are thinking of buying this book then I suggest you read the reviews for the hard back version also. Most reviewers have rated this quite highly.

Average Rating:

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Monarchy: From the Middle Ages to Modernity

by: David Starkey

October 16, 2006
Having admired Mr Starkey's previous works both the written word and his televison work, I found this book very disappointing. Rather than a detailed history of our Royal Houses from the middle ages what he gave us was just a bland and non discript overview. There was no passion in his writing and he did reveal anything new about the various kings and queens that we didn't already know. There were parts of the book which I found interesting but then just pittered out and went onto the monarch's successor without fully exploring his subject.
Mr Starkey obviously loves his subject matter, it is just a pity he didn't do justice to it this time around.

Average Rating:

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Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

by: David Starkey

March 27, 2003
David Starkey's work on the six wives of Henry VIII is a unique biography on these six women. Starkey, unlike some other historians who have approached the same subject, has not reiterated an already well known story, but instead has set out to question the common conceptions of these women whilst also rejecting the need to become too revisionist. This mixture is best observed in the portrayal of the first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine's virtuous position that has been rewarded to her by her devoted fans is questioned and Starkey reveals a more pragmatic and human perception of her. She was a woman of faults, capable of lying (as highlighted in her letter to her father Ferdinand after her first failed pregnancy), capable of immense pride and stubbornness and he accept ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

Henry VIII Virtuous Prince Signed Editio

by: David Starkey

March 27, 2003
David Starkey's work on the six wives of Henry VIII is a unique biography on these six women. Starkey, unlike some other historians who have approached the same subject, has not reiterated an already well known story, but instead has set out to question the common conceptions of these women whilst also rejecting the need to become too revisionist. This mixture is best observed in the portrayal of the first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine's virtuous position that has been rewarded to her by her devoted fans is questioned and Starkey reveals a more pragmatic and human perception of her. She was a woman of faults, capable of lying (as highlighted in her letter to her father Ferdinand after her first failed pregnancy), capable of immense pride and stubbornness and he accept ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

Henry: Virtuous Prince

by: David Starkey

October 01, 2008
I was really looking forwards to this book, I am an avid reader of anything to do with Tudor history and the wars of the roses and as there is relatively little written on the early years of Henry VIII I was keen to discover more about his personality, his friendships, his marriage, his life and what made him into the tyrant most people recognise him as. Starkey's introduction was promising, I was chomping at the bit to get into this book, but it never really got going for me. Maybe I have read too much on the subject and it was all old news to me, there were little nuggets but no real meaty information.
It is possible, of course, that there is no documented evidence other than what Starkey bought to his book, or that he did not want to make any inferences - he is an historian ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

Monarchy: England and Her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors

by: David Starkey

September 10, 2007
I was really looking forwards to this book, I am an avid reader of anything to do with Tudor history and the wars of the roses and as there is relatively little written on the early years of Henry VIII I was keen to discover more about his personality, his friendships, his marriage, his life and what made him into the tyrant most people recognise him as. Starkey's introduction was promising, I was chomping at the bit to get into this book, but it never really got going for me. Maybe I have read too much on the subject and it was all old news to me, there were little nuggets but no real meaty information.
It is possible, of course, that there is no documented evidence other than what Starkey bought to his book, or that he did not want to make any inferences - he is an historian ... Read More: