Great Harry: A Biography of Henry VIII

Written by Carolly Erickson

Narrated by Nelson Runger

In lively, absorbing prose that rivals the finest literary fiction, prize-winning historian Carolly Erickson recreates the life of the notorious Tudor king, Henry VIII. In his youth as a charming national hero, his reign as a monstrous king, and his final days as a tottering old man, Erickson draws a thoroughly convincing portrait of one of English history's most notorious characters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781456125165

Carolly Erickson

Distinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of Rival to the Queen, The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots, The First Elizabeth, The Hidden Life of Josephine, The Last Wife of Henry VIII, and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. Her novel The Tsarina’s Daughter won the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. She lives in Hawaii.

Reviews for Great Harry

[Joey Loeffelbein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

By far my absolute favorite fact finding mission of the young prince turned tyrannical king, Henry VIII. I have listened to this over and over and I still hear something new each time. Well written and entertaining. I highly recommend The First Elizabeth if you liked Great Harry.

[robin · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I’ve dine extensive research on King Henry VIII, and this book if full of discrepancies.. It seems the author has taken info from a variety of fictional books on him and stated them as facts! More like a cross between Carol Erickson and Philippa Gregory.. So many “may have” and “must have” statements make this book a mess!!
If you want a true account of Henry VIII, read an excellent book by Sebastian Guistinian called “Four Years at the Court of Henry VIII”, his account of actually being at the court during this time.. It was first printed in 1854 but reprinted in 1994..
The story is good if you don’t care about actual facts and the narrator is extremely pleasant to listen to..

[dasam-5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting biography but it doesn't seem to have the depth of analysis you could hope for.

[japaul22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very readable biography of Henry VIII. It is basically an overview of his entire life and would be a very good first look at Henry VIII for anyone interested. I enjoyed Erickson's writing style. She really tries to create a balanced picture of Henry and sticks closely to the study of her subject. She rarely goes off on tangents which makes for a very focused book, but left me wanting to know a bit more about the men and women around Henry. She gets a little bit into his relationships as a husband, friend, and father, but I would have liked a little more information on that end. What she does very well is describe daily life at court, from what they ate to the activities they engaged in. Staying true to keeping her focus on Henry, when he dies the book ends. There is no discussion of the political aftermath of his death or details on what happens to the people important in his life after his death.Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and am interested in reading her other biographies. I liked the tight focus for an introductory biography, but will chose something more in-depth if I read another book about Henry VIII.

[rachelfromsarasota · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I prided myself on knowing almost all there was to know about the English king whose obsession with Anne Boleyn changed the course of Christianity forever, but Erickson’s unsparing yet sympathetic examination of this flamboyant personality showed me that the monstrously selfish Great Harry of legend was not the whole story of this Tudor monarch. Intensely competitive, incredibly athletic and energetic, Henry VIII was a man whose many talents were often obscured by his high position. This is an interesting look at the lesser known characteristics of this infamous king.

[sgerbic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed March - Aug 2000 Wow! A through book on H8. I found out a lot about his very young life that is rarely mentioned in other bios. His father kept him a prisoner allowing no one to be near Henry without his knowledge. By the age of 13 he is being instructed in govt...how much influence does this have over the rearing of his own son Edward? Henry VIII is a fascinating character who cannot be pigeonholed, an extremely athletic man who excels in every task. Where does he find the time to achieve so much? Sadly very little is mentioned about his wifes who must have been strong motivators in his life. They are alluded to but little else is said of them. The one thing that really struck me was the trouble Katherine of Aragon caused him after her death. She left no will so Henry tried to claim her estate, but because he had tried for so long to prove that she was not his wife all those years he could not claim her fortune. Ironically the estate reverted back to the Spanish crown. Wonderful book - Each chapter tends to focus on different areas...food...life in court...love...ect...