This is a great book, a fascinating book, and a very educational book. It is also a very long book, and is sometimes a little hard to get into, but ultimately leaves you wondering about the inevitable differences between history as it actually was and history as it is portrayed.

This novel tells the story of the rise of Thomas Cromwell, from his early days as a blacksmith's son to the years he spent in service to Cardinal Wolsey and through to his emergence as King Henry VIII's most trusted counselor. Cromwell, a great uncle to the infamous Oliver Cromwell, is at first a sympathetic figure who becomes more and more cunning and snake-like as he gets closer to the seat of power. In his fervor to aid Henry in obtaining his divorce from Katherine of Aragon, he butts heads with some of the preeminent legal and religious figures of his time, including Sir Thomas More. The portrayal of the dynamic between More and Cromwell is thought provoking to say the least, and to one who was educated in the Jesuit tradition such as myself, provides an interesting contextual look at one of Catholicism's more recent saints.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone with an interest in history in general, religious history, and the history of England. At 600+ pages long, it is a definite time investment, but one that is well worth it.