Books like Henry VIII by Jasper Godwin Ridley

Alison Weir examines the four heirs left to Henry VIII—Edward, Mary, Elizabeth, and Jane Grey—revealing their relationships and roles in Tudor history, and how they shaped the succession and legacy of the dynasty.

Henry VIII's forceful personality dominated his age and continues to fascinate our own. In few other reigns have there been developments of such magnitude—in politics, foreign relations, religion, and society—that have so radically affected succeeding generations. Above all the English Reformation and the break with Rome are still felt more than four centuries on. First published in 1968, J. J. Scarisbrick's Henry VIII remains the standard account, a thorough exploration of the documentary sources, stylishly written and highly readable. In an updated foreword, Professor Scarisbrick takes stock of subsequent research and places his classic account within the context of recent publications. "It is the magisterial quality of J.J. Scarisbrick's work that has enabled it to hold the field for so long."—Steve Gunn, Times Literary Supplement

A new, authoritative biography of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife, that reassesses her motives, social milieu, and the courtly forces that led to her execution.