Six Wives

 Book 45 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from March 25 - May 18

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

by David Starkey

Summary (via the book jacket)

No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer but someone seeking happiness - and a son. Knowingly or not, he elevated a group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.

My Opinion

3 stars

I picked this book up for more information after reading a historical fiction novel based around these marriages, and more information I definitely got.  I chipped away at it slowly and there were many natural places to pause so I didn't feel bogged down.  

I knew it was going to be lopsided but I was very very surprised that the divorce of his first wife didn't occur until around page 460, his second wife was beheaded around page 583, and then the next four wives were wrapped up in the final 200 pages.  This devotion meant there were lots of details about matters I wasn't necessarily interested in and skimmed.  It's good to lay the groundwork of the times but there were so many names and positions I knew I wouldn't be able to keep them straight and didn't even try.

A thorough study of an interesting topic, the author did his research and showed his work by explaining how he reached his conclusions in the many cases of conflicting stories.