King's Secretary
William Paget and the Last Years of the Reign of Henry VIII
Will be published approx. on 22. September 2026
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-0-300-28521-5 (ISBN)
Description
The compelling story of the end of Henry VIII's reign-and how the fate of England was determined by the king's secretary and minister, William Paget
In the closing years of Henry VIII's reign, the future of England hung in the balance. The king's potential heirs consisted of two daughters of disgraced parentage and a young son too inexperienced to rule. With a French invasion imminent and the royal dynasty in crisis, England's noble families vied to manipulate the succession for their own ends.
In this dramatic account, Andrew Johnston shows how one vital member of Henry VIII's court attempted to protect the future of the kingdom, and himself. Of humble origins, William Paget was the successor of Thomas Cromwell as Henry VIII's trusted secretary. He became the king's closest confidant in the chaotic final years of his reign, oversaw the crisis of Tudor succession, and navigated the deadly conflicts of the Henrician court-cutting down to size the powerful Howard family, as well as heading off the French across the Channel.
This is an engrossing story of rivalry and intrigue, of politics and the uncertainties of Tudor statecraft, through the eyes of one of Henry VIII's most powerful and most overlooked courtiers.
In the closing years of Henry VIII's reign, the future of England hung in the balance. The king's potential heirs consisted of two daughters of disgraced parentage and a young son too inexperienced to rule. With a French invasion imminent and the royal dynasty in crisis, England's noble families vied to manipulate the succession for their own ends.
In this dramatic account, Andrew Johnston shows how one vital member of Henry VIII's court attempted to protect the future of the kingdom, and himself. Of humble origins, William Paget was the successor of Thomas Cromwell as Henry VIII's trusted secretary. He became the king's closest confidant in the chaotic final years of his reign, oversaw the crisis of Tudor succession, and navigated the deadly conflicts of the Henrician court-cutting down to size the powerful Howard family, as well as heading off the French across the Channel.
This is an engrossing story of rivalry and intrigue, of politics and the uncertainties of Tudor statecraft, through the eyes of one of Henry VIII's most powerful and most overlooked courtiers.
Reviews / Votes
"This is the book about William Paget we have long needed. Johnston gives us a Paget who was the most gifted politician of his generation, the attentive pupil of Thomas Cromwell, the model for William Cecil, and the man who could understand the mind of King Henry."-Stephen Alford, author of All His Spies"King's Secretary is an exciting new look at the final years of Henry VIII's reign. Based on rigorous original research, this book is both an important contribution to scholarship and a compelling story about a forgotten Tudor mastermind."-Joanne Paul, author of Thomas More
"Arguably the most successful English politician of the 1540s, William Paget is surprisingly little remembered today. Fast paced and compelling, King's Secretary brings to life the man who held the reins of power in the dying days of the Henrician regime."-Elizabeth Norton, author of Women who Ruled the World
"Andrew Johnston brings Paget to life, and leads the reader through the complex and often contradictory politics of the later years of Henry VIII's reign. A must for both Tudor historians and general readers wanting to understand what happened after the execution of Thomas Cromwell."-Natalie Mears, author of Queenship and Political Discourse in the Elizabethan Realms
"The true story of the aftermath of Wolf Hall told through the eyes and career of William Paget, Thomas Cromwell's successor. A masterfully researched, superbly readable account of court intrigue and the struggle for political survival during the perilous last years of Henry VIII."-John Guy, co-author of Hunting the Falcon
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
16 color illus., 2 maps + 1 plan
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-300-28521-5 (9780300285215)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Andrew Johnston taught medieval and modern history at the University of St Andrews, where he completed his PhD. He has taught in schools for over twenty years.