Henry VIII: And the Men Who Made Him

Borman (Thomas Cromwell) essentially puts aside Henry VIII’s notorious and well-hashed relationships with women in favor of showcasing stories of the advisers and servants who surrounded the intelligent, mercurial king. Henry relied on these men for everything from privy concerns to matters of state, but betrayals and a series of escalating backstabbing, power-grabbing maneuvers helped transform him from a jovial, fresh-faced king into an aging, paranoid caricature. The tumultuous careers of the four Thomases—Wolsey, Cromwell, Cranmer, and More—help frame the detailed narrative, but Borman also elaborates on lower-status figures such as Will Somer, the beloved fool; trusted royal physician William Butts; and the Reformation-minded court painter Hans Holbein the Younger. While such a large cast of figures could easily allow some to get lost, Borman’s enjoyable narrative revisits many of these men over a span of several years, noting major events or deaths, the latter of which Henry sometimes hastened. Borman’s astute analysis of Henry’s personality demonstrates how both low-born and noble advisers affected his reign. It’s generally agreed that to be a woman in Henry’s circle was to throw caution to the wind in hopes of great reward; Borman’s ambitious narrative shows that being a man in Henry’s court could be just as fraught—and fascinating. Agent: George Lucas, InkWell Management. (Jan.)