Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

By David Starkey

No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer but someone seeking happiness -- and a son. Knowingly or not, he elevated a group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.

Six Wives is a masterful work of history that intimately examines the rituals of diplomacy, marriage, pregnancy, and religion that were part of daily life for women at the Tudor Court. Weaving new facts and fresh interpretations into a spellbinding account of the emotional drama surrounding Henry's six marriages, David Starkey reveals the central role that the queens played in determining policy. With an equally keen eye for romantic and political intrigue, he brilliantly recaptures the story of Henry's wives and the England they ruled.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061842160

David Starkey

David Starkey is Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and the author of many books including ‘Elizabeth’; ‘Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII’ and ‘Monarchy: England and Her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors’. He is a winner of the WH Smith Prize and the Norton Medlicott Medal for Services to History presented by Britain’s Historical Association. He is a well-known TV and radio personality. He was made a CBE in 2007. He lives in London.

Reviews for Six Wives

[karenduff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this, a very good and interesting read. I like that David Starkey has tried to portray the various Queens as human beings, not as either the saints or sinners that they have been painted as previously.
Parts of it do get repetitive as it deals with each wife in turn and of course certain events effected more than one wife. Starkey does try to present the overlapping events differently for each wife, as these events such as the divorce from Catherine of Aragon would have had a different effect on Catherine than it would on Anne.
So despite playing a major role in the divorce Thomas Cromwell doesn't feature in Catherine's part of the story, he makes his first appearance in Anne Boleyn's story. I'd be quite interested to read Thomas Cromwell's biography I think he is one of the most interesting people in Henry VIII's life.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Didn't contain any new info or insights.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bit unbalanced - long detailed history of first 2 wives of Henry VIII & briefer content on the rest. Authoritative.Read Feb 2005

[desilu42 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was very dry and starkey challenges things that most authors accept as true.

[startingover_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My overall feeling about this book is that it successfully bridges the gap between serious academic (but rather dry) tomes and more populist histories. Starkey does a good job of bringing the six wives to life, explaining their actions within the context of the (dangerous) times. Although the bulk of the book is taken up with the stories of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, I think this makes sense. Henry VIII was married to Catherine of Aragon for over 20 years, and the divorce - occasioned by the king's relationship with Anne Boleyn - was obviously historically significant, to put it mildly.Catherine of Aragon comes across as a woman with a good deal of backbone, happier during times of conflict than during peacetime. Starkey explodes some common misconceptions about all the wives (for example, that Katherine Parr was an inoffensive little woman and essentially Henry's nursemaid). Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves are dealt with briefly (Jane died shortly after the birth of a son, and the marriage to Anne of Cleves never really got off the ground, although Starkey provides evidence that she remained on largely friendly terms with the king).My one quibble with the first section of the book is that the detailing of the process by which Henry divorced Catherine are given in extraordinary detail, to the point where it becomes difficult to understand exactly what was going on. Similarly, throughout the book Starkey rather over-indulges himself with blow-by-blow descriptions of every procession and ceremony.Nevertheless I think this is an excellent book for anyone who wants a relatively succinct account of Henry VIII's marriages, where the emphasis is very much on the personalities and strengths (and weaknesses) of the women themselves, rather than on the king. [December 2009]

[bibliophile26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A VERY detailed history of Henry VIII's six wives. I learned a lot and was interested, but this book took forever to read. It was 765 pp. and very arduous at times; I had to leave it and come back to it several times.

[janine2011 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my favourite books. David Starkely does an amazing job with this massive book. He destroys some well known myths about the queens of Henry the III and does it in style. He notes that in at least one instance Katherine of Aargon did indeed lie and to her father as well. She was capable of lying just as much as anyone else. I found it impossible to put the book down and have in fact read it several times.Highly recommended. It is very well written and researched.

[bridgetmarkwood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I cannot believe this is non-fiction! It reads like an historical novel, but with citations. This story, from history, is beyond believable... all six wives were interesting! The book really shows the influence these women had on the history of England and, quite frankly, much of the world.It is a very large book, but I was actually a little sad when it was over. I can't wait to read Elizabeth by Starkey and I will probably be looking for more after that. He has a fantastic way of piecing together all recorded conversations, letters, documents, etc. to bring his readers right back to that era... only with a real inside track on what is going on. He is also fabulous at explaining the particular phrases and/or meaning behind what an average person today might otherwise overlook.Looking for a great (and juicy) book and to learn something? Read this!

[luckycharm6139 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

David Starkey is a Tudor historian who deeply gets into his subjects mindset. He very intricately takes you into the lives of each of Henry Vllls wives and into the intrigue of The Tudor court and its machinations. A truley good and interesting book for any fan of Englands Tudor history, or for reading the life story of any of Henry Vllls famous wives from Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Queen Isabell of Spain, to the infamous Anne Boleyn who brought Henry to his knees and brought about the reformation of England each wife different in her own way.

[unadillacats · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I put off starting the book because of its length but had a great interest in Henry VIII and his wives. I knew more about Anne Boleyn than the others but was fascinated with the information provided about Catherine of Aragon. What a remarkable woman! Once I got started, I finished the book in three days and plan to read it again. An amazing amount of information is laid out for you. The whole situation where Henry manages to finally rid himself of his first marriage is very lengthy but really shows the strong character of Catherine of Aragon and how politically savvy both she and Henry were. I'm very glad I was not the enemy of Henry or either of his first two queens. What a dangerous time to live. Don't be afraid of the heft of this book - it really is worth the read.

[angelic55blonde · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book from start to finish. I love the way David Starkey writes and he is thorough in his research. The largest sections of the book are dedicated to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. However, Catherine Parr (Henry VIII's last wife) was short but very well written.This book definitely gives insight to the women Henry VIII married and what they did (or didn't do) to survive. His marriages (and their endings) are notorious and David Starkey writes about them expertly. I couldn't put it down. This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in Tudor England.If you liked this book, you should read his other book "Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne"