Henry the Eighth

by Francis Hackett

1929. Illustrated. The story of Henry the Eighth who became heir to the throne when he was not yet quite eleven years old. Henry VIII is one of the most famous and controversial kings of England. His fickle passions and demand for a male heir led him to marry six different women. Henry's divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, led to his split with the Catholic Church and set the stage for the English Reformation and for religious battles which lasted for centuries. Henry VIII was the father of Elizabeth I, who became one of England's most powerful and longest-reigning monarchs. He was succeeded by his son, Edward VI, born to Jane Seymour.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1929

About the author

Francis Hackett was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1883 to the daughter of a farmer and a medical officer. He is most famous for writing a detailed book about Henry VIII but was also a noted critic and published several other books most of which were either non-fiction or biographies.

He was educated in St Kieran's College, where Thomas MacDonagh was his teacher.

He married the Danish writer Signe Toksvig, and the couple lived in Ireland in the early years of the State, and then moved to Denmark, to the US during World War II, and back to Denmark.

"Hackett immigrated to the United States in 1901 for various reasons, among them being his dissatisfaction with the British Government ruling Ireland, and his family’s inability to finance his college education. When he arrived in New York he published articles in Standish O’Grady’s All Ireland Review, Arthur Griffith’s United Irishman, and Samuel Richardson’s The Gael. Hackett took a series of jobs as a clerk in a law firm, for the advertising department of Cosmopolitan Magazine, and literary editor of various periodicals, such as the Chicago Evening Post. In 1906 Hackett moved into Hull-House and taught English to Russian Immigrants. As writer and critic, Hackett attacked Chicago’s genteel and commercial cultures, racism, and the subordination of women. He left his position as literary editor of the Post in 1911 to pursue a career as a novelist."

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na een gedeelte waarin de achtergrond van de toenmalige situatie in Europa beschreven wordt, met name vooral de situatie van Frans I van Frankrijk, Hendrik VIII van Engeland dus, en Keizer Karel V, allemaal tijdsgenoten en zelfs leeftijdsgenoten van elkaar, wordt het boek verdeeld over de periodes van de huwelijken met Hendrik en zijn 6 vrouwen.
Het gaat dus niet zozeer over deze vrouwen zelf, maar eerder over de politieke toestand in Engeland en de rest van Europa tijdens hun huwelijk met Hendrik. Al kunnen we wel zeggen dat vooral de huwelijken met Katharina van Aragon en Anne Boleyn allebei een zware stempel gedrukt hebben op het Engeland van Hendrik.
Hoewel dit een boek is waarvan de eerste uitgave reeds van 1949 dateert, vond ik het toch heel interessant. Ondanks de soms lange zinnen en vele uitweidingen, was het verhaal toch goed te volgen en leverde verschillende details op die het onthouden waard zijn.

[Laila Krause · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written 90 years ago. It provides much more contextual depth and detail and less focus on Henry alone than many modern books. It is also representative in style, language and underlying assumptions of its time. And so it offers a different lens.

I found it to be fascinating and a great reminder of why I became interested in this period of history in the first place. The transformation from medieval to dynastic kings and national competitions, along with the continuing implications into the 20th century, the Plantagenets and Tudors, Maximilian and Charles, Louis and Francis, Ferdinand and Isabella, the Borgias and Medicis and Sforzas, Leo and Clement and Julius, the Venetian oligarchy, the Turks, the Moors. Erasmus and Luther, Torquemada, Loyola, the Popes. Wolsey and More and Cromwell and Cranmer. The Plagues. Holbein and Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Machiavelli. Columbus. Wow

[Sikato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly eloquent, often breathtaking. Not ideal for people unfamiliar with the subject.

[Irka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standardowo 1* w dół za literówki. Poza tym książka jest ciekawa, łatwo się czyta.... I dowiedziałam się z niej czegoś nowego, a mianowicie że Anna z Klewe miała dziecko...niestety nie ma bibliografii więc trudno to zweryfikować, ale w mojej pokaźnej bibliotece na temat Henryka tylko ta książka wspomina o dziecku...
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It's an easy read. But some sort of bibliography would have been useful. This is the only book I own that mention a child in context of Anne of Cleve and I would love to learn more...

[Helene Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like Hackett's work as I felt that it was quite outdated. He adds a lot of description and feelings to the writing, which we don't actually know about for the period. It comes across in places more as a fictional narrative or story than a work of non fiction. Having been written in 1929 it does offer a different lens on Henry VIII's reign than many modern texts.

Hackett did use a lot of primary sources, quoting from the love letters, other letters, and reports from foreign ambassadors. However, he does give things as fact that we now know aren't true, or at the very least are questionable or debated. For example, Hackett claimed that Anne didn't go to France until 1522 after the affair with Henry Percy, when she was actually there as early as 1514. He claims that it was Mary Boleyn who travelled to the court of Margaret of Austria in 1512 and not Anne. He also has Jane Boleyn with Katherine Howard at Syon until she was moved to the Tower where we know that Jane was in the Tower prior to Katherine's arrival there. These are things which perhaps have been discovered since the 1920s when Hackett wrote, but the book just feels out of date.

Possibly this book is more useful for those exploring the historiography, than actually looking for an account of the commonly accepted 'fact'. It is always important to understand how perceptions have changed and I think Hackett's work gives an interpretation from earlier in the 20th century which is interesting to compare to more modern 21st century texts to see where things have changed in our understanding.

[GoldieReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having studied a 1935/6 copy of this I found it fascinating , both the descriptions and language used by the author, how differently people processed events from the past in such a different era and the events that unfolded within the reign of Henry VIII , I'm so glad I stuck with this as found it tricky to pick up with the difference of language and being new to historical non fiction, I had already read another review which warned it would be a difficult read with those who are unfamiliar with the language but it helped me to study and re read where needed and take notes.... If you can find this ....I totally recommend this education... I have found a new love for history and have already started my next read.. the great fire of London.

[Zareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was REALLY interesting. Sometimes the wording is a little flowery, but it was a great read.

[lyrik · Rating 1 out of 5]

fattie henry

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in the 1920's, and it very much shows, as Hackett indulges in the worst kinds of stereotypes and generalizing, sweeping all of X group into one type.

But amidst all the extrapolation about emotions, Hackett does hit the nail on the head sometimes. When deciding on if Catherine could be betrothed to henry after being married to Henry "because France was attacking Perpignan, it became increasingly clear that Catherine was a virgin." Yes, exactly - facts don't really matter when it comes to politics.

Overall, a very florid and purple prose biography of Henry VIII, but as fascinating look into both his life as well as unintentional insight into the time period of the author.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives insight into the life of Henry and his personality and how it changed over time.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just watched "The Other Boleyn Girl" and became facinated by Henry the VIII and his wives. I decided to read up on his life and of his many wives.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

a history book of the life and times of Henry the eighth showing his passion commitment and desire to make a dynasty last.