sarahbryson's review
4.0
As the title suggests this book is filled with five hundred short facts about Henry VIII and the history surrounding one of England’s most well known Sovereigns. This is a really fun, enjoyable book which is easy to read and packed with lots of information.
The book is divided into ten chapters:
1) Henry the man: Gives facts about Henry’s appearance, his interest in music, his passion for fine clothing, his interest in medicines, illnesses he suffered, Henry as a Knight and warrior, Henry’s love interests and his personality.
2) Henry the husband: Looks at the six wives of Henry VIII and gives facts about each woman, their rise, their life and their deaths.
3) Henry the father: Gives information about each of Henry’s children as well as a few facts about his wider family.
4) Henry the ruler: This section gives details about the famous Abbey’s that Henry had destroyed, the artefacts of significance he took from these Abbeys, ten important battles during Henry’s reign and also gives details about ten important journey’s that Henry made in his lifetime. There is also some information about important acts passed in parliament.
5) Henry’s court: Lots of fun facts about the best and worst jobs in the Tudor court and how and what people ate at court. It also looks at ten palaces which Henry used during his reign which have been lost to history, rooms of importance within Henry’s palaces and furniture used. This chapter also details five people whom did well under Henry’s reign and five whom did not fare so well. There are also some fun facts about swearing during the Tudor period!
6) Henry’s world: This chapter looks at the greater world surrounding Henry VIII. It looks at famous books, rulers, world events, towns of importance and inventions such as the interest in guns.
7) Henry’s image: This section challenges common myths about Henry Tudor, as well as looking at how the man has been portrayed throughout history in movies. It also looks at different portraits painted of Henry throughout this life.
8) Henry’s legacy: A very interesting chapter which looks at how the decisions made by Henry VIII have affected people living in today’s times. It also looks at the palaces and objects which have survived hundreds of centuries for us to enjoy today.
9) Twelve great books: As the title suggest this short chapter lists twelve books of interest regarding Henry VIII and his life.
10) Name that wife!: A fun quiz which challenges the reader to answer some questions about Henry and his six wives.
I really enjoyed this book; it was fun and easy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in Henry VIII and the wider history of the Tudor times. More specifically I think this is a fantastic book for anyone whom is starting off in learning about Henry VIII. The facts are only a few sentences long, simple to read and straight to the point. The facts are a great starting point where the reader can take the information, do some research and further their learning about Tudor history. This book is a great addition to any bookshelf!
The book is divided into ten chapters:
1) Henry the man: Gives facts about Henry’s appearance, his interest in music, his passion for fine clothing, his interest in medicines, illnesses he suffered, Henry as a Knight and warrior, Henry’s love interests and his personality.
2) Henry the husband: Looks at the six wives of Henry VIII and gives facts about each woman, their rise, their life and their deaths.
3) Henry the father: Gives information about each of Henry’s children as well as a few facts about his wider family.
4) Henry the ruler: This section gives details about the famous Abbey’s that Henry had destroyed, the artefacts of significance he took from these Abbeys, ten important battles during Henry’s reign and also gives details about ten important journey’s that Henry made in his lifetime. There is also some information about important acts passed in parliament.
5) Henry’s court: Lots of fun facts about the best and worst jobs in the Tudor court and how and what people ate at court. It also looks at ten palaces which Henry used during his reign which have been lost to history, rooms of importance within Henry’s palaces and furniture used. This chapter also details five people whom did well under Henry’s reign and five whom did not fare so well. There are also some fun facts about swearing during the Tudor period!
6) Henry’s world: This chapter looks at the greater world surrounding Henry VIII. It looks at famous books, rulers, world events, towns of importance and inventions such as the interest in guns.
7) Henry’s image: This section challenges common myths about Henry Tudor, as well as looking at how the man has been portrayed throughout history in movies. It also looks at different portraits painted of Henry throughout this life.
8) Henry’s legacy: A very interesting chapter which looks at how the decisions made by Henry VIII have affected people living in today’s times. It also looks at the palaces and objects which have survived hundreds of centuries for us to enjoy today.
9) Twelve great books: As the title suggest this short chapter lists twelve books of interest regarding Henry VIII and his life.
10) Name that wife!: A fun quiz which challenges the reader to answer some questions about Henry and his six wives.
I really enjoyed this book; it was fun and easy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in Henry VIII and the wider history of the Tudor times. More specifically I think this is a fantastic book for anyone whom is starting off in learning about Henry VIII. The facts are only a few sentences long, simple to read and straight to the point. The facts are a great starting point where the reader can take the information, do some research and further their learning about Tudor history. This book is a great addition to any bookshelf!
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