The King is Dead
Published on 3. September 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-83893-743-0 (ISBN)
Description
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 king's most trusted councillors and servants.
Henry's 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 Henry's last days, Suzannah Lipscomb offers her own, illuminating interpretation of one of the most significant constitutional documents of the Tudor period.
'A bold and original attempt to unravel one of the great mysteries of English history' DAVID STARKEY
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 king's most trusted councillors and servants.
Henry's 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 Henry's last days, Suzannah Lipscomb offers her own, illuminating interpretation of one of the most significant constitutional documents of the Tudor period.
'A bold and original attempt to unravel one of the great mysteries of English history' DAVID STARKEY
Reviews / Votes
I was gripped by Suzannah Lipscomb's The King is Dead, an elegantly written forensic examination of Henry VIII's last will and testament -- Saul David, Book of the Year in the Evening Standard This is a book that deserves to be read. Lipscomb has produced an entirely credible interpretation of a contentious issue. Her sober but still engaging prose thankfully lacks that sweet sentimentality that so often characterises popular histories of the Tudors... With admirable authority, she provides an interesting allegory about how misplaced trust can undermine the best-laid plans of a powerful king' * The Times * As generous with its detail as it is with its beautifully reproduced images... a must-read for those fascinated by the Tudor world' * History Revealed * Learn of Henry's last days and the drafting of the will in this beautiful, illuminating - and illuminated - tome * Historical Trips UK * A bold and original attempt to unravel one of the great mysteries of English history -- David StarkeyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
208 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83893-743-0 (9781838937430)
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
Other editions
Additional editions
Suzannah Lipscomb | Wolf & Dagger Ltd
The King is Dead
E-Book
11/2015
1st Edition
Head of Zeus
€9.49
Available for download
Previous edition
Suzannah Lipscomb | Wolf & Dagger Ltd
The King is Dead
Book
05/2018
Apollo
€33.61
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Suzannah is a historian and TV presenter, and a Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the New College of the Humanities. She is the author of 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII, and A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England.