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  • The Six Wives of Henry VIII

  • By: Alison Weir
  • Narrated by: Simon Prebble
  • Length: 22 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (584 ratings)
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The Six Wives of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Summary

This acclaimed best seller from popular historian Alison Weir is a fascinating look at the Tudor family dynasty and its most infamous ruler. The Six Wives of Henry VIII brings to life England’s oft-married monarch and the six wildly different but equally fascinating women who married him. Gripping from the first sentence to the last and loaded with fascinating details, Weir’s rich history is a perfect blend of scholarship and entertainment.

©1991 Alison Weir (P)2002 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Six Wives of Henry VIII

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Nothing short of excellent

I cannot commend this book enough - it is everything you want from a history book - well read - perfectly written and executed - a comprehensive history of each of Henry VIII wives, from the pride of Catherine of Aragon, the boldness and arrogance of Anne Bolyne, the short lived and subdued reign of the Jane Seymour, the sadness of Anne of Cleeves, the naivety and calamity of Catherine Howard and the grace of Catherine Parr. Each one having a very special place in Henry's life - his seemly disregard for each and every one of them and the family, friends and characters that surround them. The barbarity of the Era and the beginning of the Church of England and all its pomp. Brilliantly researched and worth every penny of your money. Buy it, read it, listen to it, enjoy it.

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23 people found this helpful

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History brought to life with pace and scholarship

The basic story of Henry VIII and his troubled marital history is well-known, but where this book scores is in fleshing out the details of the six women’s early life and the involvement of their extended families in conspiring to get a female relative noticed by the King and then exploiting their new privileged position, but when things went wrong heartlessly deserted the Queen to save their own skin.

Much research has obviously gone into this long book, and there is a copious amount of detail, but it never flags from being a engrossing account of how a golden young man turned into a bloated monster who connived to discard wives who failed to produce a male heir. One is reminded how high-born women were pawns in the marriage market and what a lot of skulduggery was done by their male relatives aided and abetted by sanctimonious church-men and ambitious courtiers.

The Tudors left a trail of cruelty and religious persecution that’s a blight on England's history, though often horrifying, it nevertheless makes for a riveting listen that I greatly enjoyed.

The narrator is excellent.


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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Pure Pleasure

An excellent book which introduces us to all King Henry's wives. I thought I knew a good deal about this subject but saw some of his relationships in a new light. Excellently written and well narrated. It is one of those books you don't want to end.

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12 people found this helpful

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Accessible History

I am using Audible Credits at the moment to fill in the many gaps in my history knowledge, starting with the Tudors. This book was a very accessible way to quickly (well, OK it's not a quick listen, but it was easy!) gain a great insight into the incredible life of Henry Vlll via his many infamous marriages. You really do get a taste of life in his court, and of his character - monster, tyrant, charmer - or just the product of his surreal existence. The characters of his wives are well presented - I especially appreciated Anne of Cleves, lucky Anne, got away with it and had the best of all worlds!

I liked the narration which is unstated, just short of academic, never 'acted', which, as this is not one AW's fiction-histories, was just right.

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10 people found this helpful

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Superb read

What made the experience of listening to The Six Wives of Henry VIII the most enjoyable?

The author, has a unique talent to connect with the reader, by stoping to take the time to put things and attitudes in relations to today's thinking, such as the limitations women had in both speech and dress.

What other book might you compare The Six Wives of Henry VIII to, and why?

I would compare it to her other work such as Isabella the female werewolf. In as much as it explains the woman's role in the society.

Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favourite?

It would have to be ann of cleaves.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If only I could, but it is very long, which is also a blessing.

Any additional comments?

Well executed on all levels.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book

This is a wonderfully fluid book. The narration and detail combine to make it a treat for audio book listeners.

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3 people found this helpful

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Fabulous in every respect

A truly great history. A must read for anyone interested in the 16th century history of Europe.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant book to listen to

What made the experience of listening to The Six Wives of Henry VIII the most enjoyable?

Giving great detail of how he conducted his life

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Six Wives of Henry VIII?

Knowing Anne Bolyn was not as white as we had supposed when they married

What does Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Great knowledge

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No I listened over several days/weeks and enjoyed it as it went along

Any additional comments?

Good reader

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Everything the school textbook never told you

If you could sum up The Six Wives of Henry VIII in three words, what would they be?

Informative, humorous, well researched

Who was your favorite character and why?

I've always had a soft spot for Anna of Cleaves just because she's always been the cast aside one, jammed between the dead mother and the flighty young girl.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's far to big to listen to in one go, but it's very engaging to listen too how ever many sessions it takes to reach the end.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely loved it...a fascinating factual story

What did you like most about The Six Wives of Henry VIII?

The whole story. It was told in a very factual way, with lots of references to historical records, but the characters were all brought to life in a very believable way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Six Wives of Henry VIII?

The marriage of King Henry to Ann of Cleves, and the repercussions that followed. It all worked out well for them both in the end though.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Too many to pick just one

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Although this is all based on fact, you still couldn`t help but feel sadness at the way that some of the characters were treated or met their ends.

Any additional comments?

I have to admit that this isn`t the usual genre of audiobook that I choose, but I`m so very glad that I had a dabble into our history for a change. The narration was excellent, the story flowed and the characters were all well rounded, so that you got a sense of who they were. I didn`t want a romanticised version with lots of "voices", I wanted a factual account of what life would have been like in the Tudor Court. That being said, you get all the facts...but it`s still a great story to listen to.

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1 person found this helpful