The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant

By John Schofield

Thomas Cromwell was a man of humble origins and outstanding intellect who rose up to become Henry VIII’s chief minister and right-hand man during the English Reformation. He wielded enormous power while he retained the king’s favour, but the failure of Henry’s marriage to Anne of Cleves, which Cromwell had arranged, led to his swift downfall and execution. In this biography, John Schofield reveals that the popular image of Cromwell as a blood-stained henchman is largely fictional. Detailed research into contemporary sources illuminates his brilliant mind and his love for and patronage of the arts and humanities, while short case studies shed new light on his relations with, and his reputation among, Henry VIII’s subjects. In his conclusion, Schofield narrates the drama of Cromwell’s downfall and highlights the king’s posthumous exoneration of the ‘most faithful servant he ever had’.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Oct 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9780752472928

John Schofield

John Schofield teaches Cultural Heritage Management and Archaeology at the University of York, where he is Head of the Archaeology Department. Prior to his appointment at York in 2010 John worked for English Heritage where he coordinated research and heritage protection activities for modern military sites in England. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and has published extensively on heritage as well as conflict and contemporary archaeology.