Specifications
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| ISBN 13 | 9780753823613 |
| ISBN 10 | 0753823616 |
| Book Subtitle | The Rise And Fall Of Henry VIII's Most Notorious Minister |
| Book Description | The rise and fall of Henry's notorious minister - the most corrupt Chancellor in English history The son of a brewer, Cromwell rose from obscurity to become Earl of Essex, Vice-Regent and High Chamberlain of England, Keep of the Privy Seal and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He maneuvered his way to the top by intrigue, bribery and sheer force of personality in a court dominated by the malevolent King Henry. Cromwell pursued the interests of the king with single-minded energy and little subtlety. Tasked with engineering the judicial murder of Anne Boleyn when she had worn out her welcome in the royal chamber, he tortured her servants and relations, then organised a 'show trial' of Stalinist efficiency. He orchestrated the 'greatest act of privatisation in English history': the seizure of the monasteries. Their enormous wealth was used to cement the loyalty of the English nobility, and to enrich the crown. Cromwell made himself a fortune too, soliciting colossal bribes and binding the noble families to him with easy loans. He came home from court literally weighed down with gold. |
| Editorial Review | From Publishers Weekly Rising to power with Anne Boleyn's decapitation and losing his own head over the Anne of Cleves debacle, Thomas Cromwell (1485–1540) was Henry VIII's loyal hatchet man—dissolving Catholic monasteries, breaking with the pope and finding ever more loopholes to justify Henry's marital and financial whims. Hutchinson (The Last Days of Henry VIII) effortlessly explains the business side of the Tudor court in which Cromwell's legal mind excelled while giving a one-sided portrait of controversial Anne Boleyn. Of the five royal wives Cromwell knew, the pockmarked and sadly malodorous Anne of Cleves receives most of Hutchinson's meager sympathy. In spite of considerable research, the focus on Cromwell's professional life means that the man from humble beginnings still eludes readers as anything more than a petty and rapacious loan shark. Unlike contemporaries More and Cranmer, Cromwell seems uninterested in religion, friends or family. But those more interested in the nuts and bolts of Henry's court rather than the monarch's soap opera antics will find this a welcome respite from fictionalized Tudor drama. 8 pages illus., 8 pages of color photos. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review “Hutchinson effortlessly explains the business side of the Tudor court in which Cromwell's legal mind excelled.” ―PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “Anyone who sees history as boring should be given Robert Hutchinson's book post haste. Without sacrificing facts and research, he has the ability to construct and absolutely compelling narrative and, though I never thought I'd say this of a book on Thomas Cromwell, one that is impossible to put down. He is one of the few authors who keep you up till 3am.” ―THE BOOKSELLER “Gripping . . . Hutchinson tells his story with infectious relish and vividly evokes the politics and personalities of this extraordinary decade.” ―LITERARY REVIEW “Hutchinson tells the horrible story admirably and compellingly.” ―THE GUARDIAN “A rollicking good read.” ―THE HERALD (Scotland) “Vigorous, pacey and focused…an effective portrait.” ―BBC HISTORY Magazine “This brilliant biography gives a vivid and utterly chilling account of this fascinating but deadly man.” ―GOOD BOOK GUIDE |
| About the Author | Robert Hutchinson is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and the author of THE LAST DAYS OF HENRY VIII, ELIZABETH'S SPYMASTER, THOMAS CROMWELL, HOUSE OF TREASON, YOUNG HENRY, THE SPANISH ARMADA and THE AUDACIOUS CRIMES OF COLONEL BLOOD. He was Defence Correspondent for the Press Association before moving to Jane's Information Group to launch JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY. He has a doctorate from the University of Sussex, and was appointed OBE in the 2008 Honours List. |
| Language | English |
| Author | Robert Hutchinson |
| Publication Date | 2-Apr-09 |
| Number of Pages | 368 |
Thomas Cromwell paperback english - 2-Apr-09
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