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20th out of 51 books
—
26 voters
The Divorce of Henry VIII: The Untold Story from Inside the Vatican
by
Catherine Fletcher (Goodreads Author)
In 1533 the English monarch Henry VIII decided to divorce his wife of twenty years Catherine of Aragon in pursuit of a male heir to ensure the Tudor line. He was also head over heels in love with his wife’s lady in waiting Anne Boleyn, the future mother of Elizabeth I. But getting his freedom involved a terrific web of intrigue through the enshrined halls of the Vatican th...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
June 19th 2012
by Palgrave Macmillan
(first published February 2nd 2012)
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2.5 stars
I tell you something, after reading this book, I think I could write a dissertation on the machinations and intricacies in the papal court of the 16th century with enough detail and scholarship to merit a Ph.D. Okay, so perhaps I'm exaggerating, but not by much. This is not an easy book. This is not a book for the general public, for someone who's read a Tudor novel or two and wants to find out a bit more about the subject. For those persons I'd recommend an accessible history as writte...more
I tell you something, after reading this book, I think I could write a dissertation on the machinations and intricacies in the papal court of the 16th century with enough detail and scholarship to merit a Ph.D. Okay, so perhaps I'm exaggerating, but not by much. This is not an easy book. This is not a book for the general public, for someone who's read a Tudor novel or two and wants to find out a bit more about the subject. For those persons I'd recommend an accessible history as writte...more
I was kindly sent a copy of Catherine Fletcher's "The Divorce of Henry VIII: The Untold Story from Inside the Vatican" by the publisher, Palgrave Macmillan, and I'm so glad that they sent me a copy.
I have been researching Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII for three years now, but I must admit to only looking at the English sources and the letters of men like Eustace Chapuys, in Letters and Papers or the Spanish Calendar of State Papers, when digging into Henry's Great Matter, the struggle for the annul...more
I have been researching Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII for three years now, but I must admit to only looking at the English sources and the letters of men like Eustace Chapuys, in Letters and Papers or the Spanish Calendar of State Papers, when digging into Henry's Great Matter, the struggle for the annul...more
I was intrigued by the premise of this book. There are numerous books out there on this topic, mainly that just focus on Henry, Anne, and Catherine. However, this is the first book I came across that focuses on Henry's ambassador and what he had to go through during this important time period. I actually had not thought much about Henry's ambassador. That was the reason I was excited to read this book. This is a good book that was well researched but I found it difficult to read. Part of that is...more
The Divorce of Henry VIII (UK title: Our Man in Rome) by Professor Catherine Fletcher of Durham University is an indispensable addition to the library of any serious scholar of Tudor history. I say "serious" scholar because, while the book is not overlong, it is not light reading. It might be challenging for some to keep track of all the various players and intertwining events unless one is already deeply immersed in the politics of the King's Great Matter. However, after glancing at the author'...more
This book is highly recommended for those interested in Henry VIII and the Tudors, the Vatican, and history lovers who enjoy learning behind-the-scenes details. Thoroughly researched and annotated, The Divorce of Henry VIII divulges the machinations his diplomats employed in their ultimately unsuccessful attempts to obtain Papal permission for Henry to divorce Catherine of Aragon. In this high-stakes world, anything was possible, and that includes kidnapping, bribery and theft.
Author Catherine...more
Author Catherine...more
This is somewhat misnamed. It should be Codename "Little Bald Man": Gregorio Casali and the Adventures of a Renaissance diplomat. When Henry VIII was still just a wanna-be in the scale of European monarchies, he employed an envoy to the Pope to handle his and Wolsey's business. Quickly, this regular business was entangled in the war between and papacy and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as complicated by the king's demands for an annulment, and then a divorce from Catherine of Aragon (who was the...more
In 1533 the English monarch Henry VIII decided to divorce his wife of twenty years Catherine of Aragon in pursuit of a male heir to ensure the Tudor line. He was also head over heels in love with his wife’s lady in waiting Anne Boleyn, the future mother of Elizabeth I. But getting his freedom involved a terrific web of intrigue through the enshrined halls of the Vatican that resulted in a religious schism and the formation of the Church of England. Henry’s man in Rome was a wily Italian diplomat...more
This book was an ARC.
I have a fairly avid interest in Henry VIII and especially the history of the Church in England. So I began this book with an open attitude towards this subject matter: Henry's divorce. Unfortunately, this author lost me pretty quickly. So many cronies of both the King and the Pope, the intensive description of their lives and behaviors and how they all interact...it was too much for my tiny mind! This is clearly a book written for someone much smarter than myself. I just co...more
I have a fairly avid interest in Henry VIII and especially the history of the Church in England. So I began this book with an open attitude towards this subject matter: Henry's divorce. Unfortunately, this author lost me pretty quickly. So many cronies of both the King and the Pope, the intensive description of their lives and behaviors and how they all interact...it was too much for my tiny mind! This is clearly a book written for someone much smarter than myself. I just co...more
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This is the first time in many years that I have been compelled to not finish a book. I usually devour everything Tudor-related, and I did give this a solid chance, 150 pages. But it just didn’t keep my interest. The political implications behind Henry VIII’s attempts to divorce Catherine of Aragon are certainly well documented here, but the correspondences between various diplomats, ambassadors, and the curia read like petty, whining brats wrote them. The book mainly focuses on Henry’s Italian...more
I won this book through First Reads.
This intensely detailed history followed Gregorio Casali through the machinations involved in Henry VIII's attempt to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Fletcher ripped through the Vatican side of this momentous event, covering the serpentine twists and turns of Vatican politics at lightning speed. Fletcher's history is impeccable, though her narrative is sometimes lacking. Though often too dry for my tastes, Fletcher covered this momentous event very succinctly, an...more
This intensely detailed history followed Gregorio Casali through the machinations involved in Henry VIII's attempt to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Fletcher ripped through the Vatican side of this momentous event, covering the serpentine twists and turns of Vatican politics at lightning speed. Fletcher's history is impeccable, though her narrative is sometimes lacking. Though often too dry for my tastes, Fletcher covered this momentous event very succinctly, an...more
This book was tough to get through. I enjoyed the supplemental background to the infamous Henry VIII story and I was excited to see history from a completely new perspective but this book read like a college history textbook. Though I have always had an interest in the Henry VIII story and I've read a lot about his life ranging from Queen Catherine to Henry's death, this book was not something I would generally pick up just to read. I do appreciate all the work that Catherine Fletcher put into h...more
Jul 19, 2012
Mary
added it
Although this book is full of facts, it lacks a sense of closure upon the death of Catherine. How and why did she die? The only reference is that she may have been poisoned. By whom? I understand there was a huge amount of information gathered in the writing of this book, but it lacks that certain something that would keep the average reader reading. Someone who is interested in facts, and just facts would be interested in reading this.
Aug 09, 2012
Teresa
marked it as abandoned
This is a very informative book that really gives you a sense of how political the decisions in Rome surrounding Henry VII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon really were. But there are too many names and dates to keep track of, and the writing is so dry that it's difficult to remember who is who. Someone with a strong background in the period who wants more (lots more!) details might appreciate this, but it's not so great for the general reader. I might return to this at some point, when I'm mor...more
Ouch!! No stars for this one; couldn't even get past the prologue! Thought it was gonna be Henry's story from a different perspective but .... got fooled. This was a very dry, very densely written history book about an obscure Italian that was the guy working to secure the divorce. Still would have been interesting if it had been written in first-person or even as a narrative; but was a straight history (and not a well written one at that). Gave up ... way way too many other books on my list!
4-9-12
Got a copy of this one through the Early Reviewers group on LibraryThing. Informative and detailed (perhaps too much so, at times), but could use some tighter organization. A bit of a different take on a much-told story.
A tough book to get through. Wanted it to read more like an historical novel, but it was almost a term paper that deserved a C grade. Disappointing if you're a Tudor fan.
This is the fascinating story of Gregorio Casali, who found himself Henry VIII's 'Man in Rome' at the time of Henry's attempts to divorce Catherine of Aragon. As Casali was emeshed in the King's 'great matter' he attempted to plead Henry's case with Pope Clement. When Wolsey fell, Casali's power was curtailed and it soon became apparent that Henry intended to divorce not only his wife, but the Church itself. Tudor power and politics - what could be better?!
When I saw the title and read the synopsis of the book, I was excited to read it. But after getting it and diving into the book, it was rather boring and dry. It was interesting to read what the people involved with the "King's great matter", but I found myself skipping paragraphs and pages, just to get to the good parts.
I liked it, but it just wasn't interesting enough to really hold my attention.
I liked it, but it just wasn't interesting enough to really hold my attention.
Jul 19, 2012
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
marked it as maybe-read-sometime
Recommended to Snail in Danger (Sid) by:
GR June 2012 recommendation
I started reading this but stalled out. It's this weird combination of super-dry and trying to make things seem exciting. Constantly referred to the local consultant (as distinguished from the English ambassadors) as "our man in Rome." This was jarring when compared to the rest of the book.
This is a well researched book, which gives a detailed and unique view of Henry VIII's divorce. It was, however, very dry, although to be fair to the author, it's a difficult topic to make particularly entertaining. It's not light reading, but more to be read as a research book, and for that purpose it won't disappoint.
Wish I could give it 3½.
I've read lots of books on Henry VIII's 'Great Matter'(his divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon) but this is the first one from the Italian Ambassador's point of view.
Well researched and very well written although the huge cast of characters sometimes got a little confusing.
I've read lots of books on Henry VIII's 'Great Matter'(his divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon) but this is the first one from the Italian Ambassador's point of view.
Well researched and very well written although the huge cast of characters sometimes got a little confusing.
I've never been particularly interested in the Tudor period; however, Fletcher presents an interesting perspective of Henry VIII's divorce and a brief history of 16th Century diplomatic relations through this specific event.
I agree with a lot of the reviews here - not an easy read, even for a Tudor history fan. Not casual reading material, it would be more useful for scholarly reference. Well-researched, though.
So many names and it was very confusing - I could only make it through half way before I gave up.
An excellent read that doesn't get too bogged down in lists of dates and names. An interesting perspective on a well known period.
Jun 11, 2013
Elisha
marked it as to-read
Jun 09, 2013
Heather Trahan
marked it as to-read
May 30, 2013
Rebecca Snead
marked it as to-read
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Catherine Fletcher holds a PhD in history from the University of London. She is the recipient of many awards and fellowships at the British School at Rome and the European University Institute in Florence and takes up a position as a Teaching Fellow in History at the University of London in the Fall. Divorce of Henry VIII is her first book.
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Jul 09, 2012 07:27pm
Jul 09, 2012 10:23pm