Henry VIII

This new edition of Lucy Wooding’s Henry VIII is fully revised and updated to provide an insightful and original portrait of one of England’s most unforgettable monarchs and the many paradoxes of his character and reign. Henry was a Renaissance prince whose Court dazzled with artistic display, yet he was also a savage adversary, who ruthlessly crushed all those who opposed him. Five centuries after his reign, he continues to fascinate, always evading easy characterization. Wooding locates Henry VIII firmly in the context of the English Renaissance and the fierce currents of religious change that characterized the early Reformation, as well as exploring the historiographical debates that have surrounded him and his reign. This new edition takes into account significant advances in recent research, particularly following the five hundredth anniversary of his accession in 2009, to put forward a distinctive interpretation of Henry’s personality and remarkable style of kingship.

It gives a fresh portrayal of Henry VIII, cutting away the misleading mythology that surrounds him in order to provide a vivid account of this passionate, wilful, intelligent and destructive king. This compelling biography will be essential reading for all early modern students.

Lucy Wooding is Senior Lecturer in early modern history at King’s College, London. She is the author of Rethinking Catholicism in Reformation England.