The Six Wives of Henry VIII

By: Alison Weir

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 22 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

This acclaimed best seller from popular historian Alison Weir is a fascinating look at the Tudor family dynasty and its most infamous ruler. The Six Wives of Henry VIII brings to life England’s oft-married monarch and the six wildly different but equally fascinating women who married him. Gripping from the first sentence to the last and loaded with fascinating details, Weir’s rich history is a perfect blend of scholarship and entertainment.

©1991 Alison Weir (P)2002 Recorded Books

behind the story

This was a book I'd always intended reading so the recorded book gave me great pleasure to listen to and learn from. Many details I didn't know were in this book.

History should always be this great

Perfectly written. Perfectly narrated. Covers a crucial and fascinating period in English history. Weir and Prebble: what could be better?

Very detail oriented

I have always been a student of history. This book went above and beyond to portray the women as human beings, which I found fascinating. It was also noteworthy that the wives were almost never at fault as history would have us believe. Women's History needs rewriting I'm so glad for Alison Weir.

Tudor Geek

Very informative. I have always been fascinated with the Tudors and this book did not disappoint.

Detailed account of Tudor Dynasty

Looked forward to listening to this book each day. What a messy obsession of trying to have an "heir."

Very Educational

This is in no way dry or boring. I was so drawn in to every detail. I want to thank the writer for doing soo much research and the narrator for having such a wonderful reading voice.

Makes modern soap operas seem sedate!

If this book were to be presented as a novel, it would be ridiculed as totally implausible! What do "they" always say? "Fact is stranger than fiction!" [For someone like me who knew nothing about Henry VIII's six wives,] this was a great book. I couldn't stop listening. [Also, it was comforting to read that there have been popes worse than the current one.]

BTW, I became interested in learning more about Henry's wives after listening to the UK studio cast recording of the musical "Six."

Whether you want to learn or be entertained, pick this book -- you'll achieve both.

Thankfully, It's Not All About Henry!

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narration was not exactly consistent - it sounded like a different person for minutes at a time before switching back to the "normal" way, as if Mr. Prebble did his recording from two different sound booths with different equipment. While this isn't a huge deal and has no effect on the quality of the book, it was a bit distracting.

Any additional comments?

I am a big fan of Alison Weir's Tudor books, and this was no exception. Everything is thoroughly researched and clearly presented, and it certainly makes me excited to listen to "The Children of Henry VIII" next! Although Henry certainly had a lot to do with this book, I felt like the focus on the wives was very refreshing. You get a very distinct portrait of each woman and a good understanding of her motivations and personality.

I didn't expect to like this one

I've never really understood the fascination with the British monarchy, but this book really made the characters come alive. There are a few spots where the author goes on and on about seemingly unimportant details, but overall I found the book well researched and well written.

a Great book that would be improved by condencing.

a good overall history of the 6 wives of king henry the right. The story was told by a superb voice the details were fascinating but I admit I began to want the story to hurry a bit after 20 hours. still I'm glad I kept listening. Interesting history to say the least.