Description
Book SynopsisThe complicated personality and dramatic reign of England's King Henry VIII - visionary, tyrant, monarch, bully, defender of the faith, destroyer of monasteries, lover and libertine - have been immortalized (and fictionalized) in literature, on stage, and in film by leading writers of their generations. This catalogue to the Grolier Club exhibition Vivat Rex! (March 3-May 2, 2009) brings the real Henry, his life, reign, and times, to life through books, manuscripts, handwritten letters, and prints. Many of the works described and illustrated are unique in themselves, or belonged to Henry himself, to his family, or to members of his court.
Table of ContentsFamily tree of Henry VIII
Chronology
The personification of power in Henry VIII / by John Guy
The king's "great matter" / by Dale Hoak
The reformation of the English church under Henry VII / by Susan Wabuda
The exhibition. Prince Henry
The young king
King & court & royal palaces
Power & pageantry, magnificence & munificence
"Defender of the faith"
Catherine of Aragon, the "King's great matter" & the fall of Wolsey
The break with Rome
Reforming the Church of England
Kings & Queens, Prince & princesses
The final years
Verdicts on the reign
