This is the story of England's most famous & notorious king. The facts of Henry VIII's life & reign were more astonishing poignant & outlandish than the plot twists of most fiction. Henry's character was complex: he was a charismatic ardent -- & brash -- young lover who married six times; a scholar with a deep love of poetry & music; an energetic hunter who loved the outdoors; a monarch whose lack of a male heir haunted him incessantly; & a ruthless leader who would stop at nothing to achieve his desires. His monumental decision to split from Rome & the Catholic Church was one that would forever shape the religious & political landscape of Britain. Combining magnificent storytelling with an extraordinary grasp of the pleasures & perils of power Margaret George delivers a vivid portrait of Henry VIII & Tudor England & the powerhouse of players on its stage: Thomas Cromwell Cardinal Wolsey Thomas More & Anne Boleyn. It is also a narrative told from an original perspective: Margaret George writes from the King's point of view injecting irreverent comments from Will Somers -- Henry's jester & confidant.