The Autobiography of Henry VIII : With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

Rating:
Summary: Henry VIII is no Cleo!
Review: Although a stunningly well-written, well-researched book, "The Autobiography of Henry VIII" falls short of George's "The Memoirs of Cleopatra". Margaret George has an amazing ability to bring her characters to life, make you feel their triumphs and heartaches and dread the ending of the book. The book did seem to falter near the end as she reached periods of Henry's life that were not as well documented (the marriage to Katherine Parr); however, it is a read you won't want to miss!

Rating:
Summary: Henry came charging over the tor on his steed.
Review: I picked up this book in the Lake District in l986, and read it on our 6 week trek throughout Great Britain. I felt Henry's presence. It was tangible. I stood by the scaffolding where Ann Bolyn was executed and felt such sadness. Walking through the great halls of Hampton Court, one could hear the heavy shuffling of the Cardinal's foot. This is the greatest book I;ve ever read about Henry VIII. At Hever Court, I stood at the upstairs window, where Ann stood, as Henry came to court her. What a fabulous trip. What a fabulous book.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding historical novel of a colorful figure
Review: This novel was brillantly written by Margaret George. Set as an autobiography, the novel traces the life of Henry the VIII from his adolencense to his death. The Autobiography of Henry VIII invites the reader to share all of Henry's strengths and weaknesses as both a man and as King of England. Start this book, and you won't be able to put it down. Well done, Margaret George!

Rating:
Summary: AGAIN GEORGE COMES THROUGH!
Review: Like Mary Queen... this historical novel is lengthy. The pay off is that it is teeming with textures and sensuality that enable the reader to experience 16th century England from a rare perspective. Ms. George's extensive research made the story very plausible and inspired me to look at Henry VIII in a very different light. Well worth the time it takes to get through it!

Rating:
Summary: Hands down the best book I have ever read!
Review: A remarkable presentation of one of history's most compelling characters. Margaret George has taken the facts we have all read in dry history books and made them vital and alive. A daunting task with a character such as Henry VIII who has so much story to tell. Don't let the size of the book put you off - you'll be thankful to have such an amazing read last for so long. It is hard to believe that this is not from the journal of the King himself! I was so happy with this read, that I immediately went on to her "Mary, Queen of Scots" and "Cleopatra" - and am anxiously awaiting her next book.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't seem quite convincing; but a good read
Review: A HUGE can't put downable NOVEL.[capitalized because I once saw this in the biography section of my local bookstore. The clerk thought it was actually by the king]. My only complaints are that Ms. George's Henry, whilst at Sir Thomas More's home, wandered about in the midnight air by himself. I found it unbelievable that the king could get away from his entourage, when in those days a page would be sleeping in his room and guards would be posted outside. Ms. George's Henry also expresses himself like a twentieth century type of guy. Her Cleopatra was much better written; but Henry is a very good read.

Rating:
Summary: Very Readable!
Review: If you enjoy learning about historical figures and hate dealing with footnote after footnote -- this is a book for you! This book is so readable and enjoyable that I had a very hard time in putting it down. Much like Gore Vidal's "Lincoln", "The Autobiography of Henry VIII" is filled with day to day life and conversations that bring more substance to the character than a factual work. Although this can't and shouldn't be a substitute for a well-researched biography, it provides for a few enjoyable evenings of reading and after I was finished -- I felt as though I had learned something about this remarkable monarch.

Rating:
Summary: This book brings history TO LIFE!!!
Review: I have learned more about this part of English history from this book, than I ever learned in school. The book is well written, interesting and portrays a believable account of the life of Henry VIII. The story starts from when Henry was a boy,and goes up until a little after his death. The detail in the book and the way it was written make it difficult to forget the history. Do not be swayed by the length of the book, it is enthralling and interesting in its entirety. Ms. George has given me a new perspective on King Henry VIII and all his wives.

Rating:
Summary: Everyone seems to love this book but...
Review: This is a great read. Margaret George has done a fabulous job of spinning a historically based novel,which is great as long as it doesn't get mistaken for real history. Although she gets only a few actual facts wrong,(most notably, she thinks that thee/thou is the formal pronoun)she falls into the trap of showing Henry and his wives as their most extreme traditional sterotypes.If you're interested in reading about Henry VII as something other than the sex and food obsessed buffoon he is commonly depicted as, try reading Jasper Ridley's penetrating and fascinating biography of this remarkable king.

Rating:
Summary: A well-written look into the mind and heart of Henry Tudor
Review: Always a fan of the lives of the British Monarchs, I was so enthralled by this novel that I became sympathetic, and in a way, a confidante of King Henry VIII though the well-written words of Margaret George. Her research was apparently inexhaustible and the result, golden. The sights, smells, and sounds of his era is so alive and real that you feel yourself transported to Henry's time. This is a novel that is difficult to put down and I recommend it as a book for those with time to spare, as it becomes all-encompassing. It brings to life in a manner those of us in this century can understand, the life of a great king, and the people who mattered to him most. I am still under the spell of this book as I write this review. To say anymore about Ms. George's novel would be to spoil a great and delicious surprise.