Author:John Guy,John Banks
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame by John Guy, read by John Banks.
Henry VIII's reign transformed the physical and spiritual landscape of England. Magnificent, tyrannical, a strong ruler, a 'pillager of the commonwealth', this most notorious of kings remains a figure of extreme contradictions: a devout traditionalist who oversaw a cataclysmic rupture with the church in Rome; a talented, charismatic, imposing figure who nevertheless could not bear to meet people's eyes when he talked to them. In this revealing new account, John Guy explores how Henry himself understood the world and his place in it - from his sheltered and increasingly isolated upbringing and the blazing glory of his accession; to his desperate quest for recognition, fame and an heir, and the terrifying paranoia of his last, agonising, 54-inch-waisted years - and in doing so casts new light on his choice of wives and ministers, his impact on the European stage, and his extraordinary legacy.
An immensely satisfying introduction to the large and moody monarch ... John Guy is a very good historian who knows Henry VIII better than almost anyone.
—— Diarmaid MacCulloch , GuardianAn extraordinary, harrowing story of loss, survival and love
—— GuardianDeeply moving, this is a remarkable memoir
—— Sunday TimesPowerful . . . extraordinary
—— Irish TimesBrought to life with family photographs and diary entries that add further impact to Lien's harrowing memories and testimony - this deeply affecting and fascinating story is guaranteed to haunt you
—— Sunday MirrorRemarkable - the story of one traumatic childhood, deeply moving, and told with great dexterity, allowing the wisdoms of today to run parallel with the absorbing narrative of wartime events
—— Penelope LivelyCompassionate and thoughtfully rendered, the book is both a memorable portrait of a remarkable woman and a testament to the healing power of understanding. A complex and uplifting tale
—— KirkusA nuanced, moving, and unusual "hidden child" account
—— Publishers WeeklySuperb. This is a necessary book - painful, harrowing, tragic, but also uplifting
—— The Times Book of the WeekFascinating, beautifully written. Van Es carefully salvages Lien's story and creates a deeply moving and complex book about war, atrocity and human suffering
—— The OldieSensational and gripping . . . shedding light on some of the most urgent issues of our time
—— Judges of the Costa Book of the Year Prize 2018Luminous, elegant, haunting - I read it straight through
—— Philippe Sands, Author of East West StreetDeeply moving. Writes with an almost Sebaldian simplicity and understatement
—— GuardianHarrowing and beautiful
—— BooksellerAn awe-inspiring account of the tragedies and triumphs within the world of the Holocaust's "hide-away" children, and of the families who sheltered them
—— Georgia Hunter, author of We Were the Lucky OnesThe Cut Out Girl is a reminder of the extraordinary richness of archives and the treasures released by scholarly research
—— TLSAn extraordinary story, harrowing, deeply affecting. This fascinating story is guaranteed to haunt you
—— PeopleA moving story of personal and family history, with a scholar's objective eye for the bigger picture.
—— Irish TimesHarrowing . . . profoundly moving
—— Daily ExpressSatisfyingly detailed, yet with a convincing overarching thesis.
—— Books of the Year , History Today[Heffer] has really excelled himself with this epic study of Britain in the years before the First World War. Majestic in its scope, meticulous in its scholarship, compelling in its thesis and stylish in its prose, his heavyweight book challenges the familiar historical tale of confidence and swagger and presents the age in a more complex, sombre light . . . The author has done an extraordinary amount of research, unearthing a wealth of new material from archives. . . . It is impossible to read this magnificent work without gaining a deep new understanding of a unique and troubled age.
—— Daily Express[One of] the best historical books to gift others this Christmas.
—— Daily MailHeffer has turned himself into one of Britain’s most accomplished and formidable men of letters . . . Heffer is a genuine intellectual with a shelf of books to his credit.
—— Peter Oborne , SpectatorAn epic survey . . . Simon Heffer’s intricately detailed account ends with Britain diminished and on the brink of catastrophe.
—— Jane Shilling, ‘Must Reads’ , Daily MailLondon's Big Read wants to get the capital talking about [Brit(ish)] ... a personal and provocative exploration of British history, race, identity and belonging.
—— Jessie Thompson , Evening StandardAfua Hirsch's new book uses the personal and political to take a good look at what it's like to be a person of colour here, now. Here's where you'll get an insight into what it means to be a mixed race and univocally British, yet continuously plagued with the question 'but where are you really from?'
—— Jazmin Kopotsha , DebriefAn excellent read.
—— Stephen Bush , Telegraph[A] personal and admirably honest account of her journey towards self-realisation as a woman of colour.
—— Camden New JournalA fascinating...deeply intelligent, witty and often moving exploration of race in modern Britain
—— Samira Ahmed , Mail on SundayAfua Hirsch's first book, Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, was published to wide acclaim at the start of 2018. She looks at the many, multi-faceted questions that surround identity - both on a personal and societal scale - to pen a thought-provoking read.
—— Katie Berrington , VogueIt is a life-shaping read.
—— Chine McDonald , Church Times, **Readers' Books of the Year**Brit(ish) stands out from a crop of books on growing up mixed race in 70s Britain.
—— Gaby Hinsliff , Guardian, **Books of the Year**Brit(ish) is an essential read for all. Hirsch's exploration of her identity brings to light the difficulties of growing up as mixed-race and black in Britain. She also challenges the British perception of race, and how our inability to confront our past has profoundly affected our ability to coherently understand and discuss race in our present. Brit(ish) is a call to action, if we genuinely want to progress as a society, we must change our discussions and understanding of race.
—— Louisa Hanton , PalantinateA personal, political and challenging account of what it means to be British when you are racialised as Black. Hirsch is a brilliant and fearless intellect who deftly handles the complexity of the issues
—— Bernadine Evaristo, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER , Guardian