Detailed view of Henry VIII court and privey council leading up to his death. He went to extreme lengths in his will to have his wishes carried out to secure the Tudor line. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII Dr. Lipscomb does a wonderful job with this little book. Her research is solid and her prose fluid. I will admit that I own all of Dr. Lipscomb's work, and I enjoy her as a historian. Like I said above, this is a little book, but it offers a new look at Henry's mindset approaching his death. Moreover, Lipscomb's well supported conclusions are at odds with those of other historians such as the illustrious David Starkey. I would recommend this to those with than a casual interest in Tudor England. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII WONDERFUL! This book is loaded with details with which I was previously unfamiliar. I loved reading Henry's Will, and enjoyed the power plays that followed Henry's death. If you are a Tudor fan, this is for you! The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII Count me among the professional historians of the Tudor period who are fans of Lipscomb's work. While this book is not as good, IMHO, as her book on 1536 (which is terrific), it is still well worth reading. The primary source research is absolutely solid, and she has something new to say. Lipscomb has completely changed what I now believe about several aspects of Henry VIII's death and his will. She has some devastating things to say about some of the work of previous historians (e.g. David Starkey) and she even gives photographic evidence that they have misrepresented what sources say and/or how the sources appear. This is actually a very slender book only about 100 pages of text, a good deal of which covers ground that will be familiar to scholars but it is well worth acquiring if for no other reason than to have a careful edition of Henry's will, which appears in an appendix. It could be very useful for teaching history students about using primary sources, since it is supplemented with images of a few of the folios. For non specialists, this is easy to recommend as a lively bit of prose almost a page turner. But I wonder if the subject itself would appeal to any but the real hardcore Tudor junkies. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII To be fair, I've just come off a run of reading historical fiction, so this was a jarring switch back to academia. I really, really enjoy Dr. Lipscomb's presentations on Tudor history (speeches, BBC programs, etc), but I did not find her engaging personality find its way into this book. It's a good look at Henry's will, and a good dive into what is probably written at face value vs what may have had deeper implication/meaning, but overall I was left a little bored. There was a large cast of characters involved in Henry's last days (regency counsel, advisors, privy counsel, on and on.) so it gets a bit overwhelming to digest who did what and who was serving whom and why and when. If you like puzzles and sorting details out, this book might really be up your alley. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII
REVIEW The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII
On 28 January 1547, the sickly and obese King Henry VIII died at Whitehall. Just hours before his passing, his last will and testament had been read, stamped, and sealed. The will confirmed the line of succession as Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth; and, following them, the Grey and Suffolk families. It also listed bequests to the kings most trusted counselors and servants.Henrys will is one of the most intriguing and contested documents in British history. Historians have disagreed over its intended meaning, its authenticity and validity, and the circumstances of its creation. As well as examining the background to the drafting of the will and describing Henrys last days, Suzannah Lipscomb offers her own illuminating interpretation of one of the most significant constitutional documents of the Tudor period.Illustrated with portraits of the key figures at Henrys court, The King is Dead is as boldly evocative as it is beautifula work of Tudor history to cherish. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII
Love Suzannah’s book and this one didn’t disappoint. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII I was amazed how much I learned from Henry VIII's will. This is a great resource for anyone interested in the Tudor dynasty. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII A brilliant book..always wonderful to learn about a subject and this book does exactly that.
An excellent author and i have enjoyed all her works. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII Well written and researched. Interesting, informative, good addition to many other Henry VIII biographical materials. Worth the short time to read. The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII Very interesting book.if interested in King Henry VIII this would be a good read for you The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII