Author:Derek Wilson
Derek Wilson examines a set of relationships which illustrate just how dangerous life was in the court of the Tudor lion. He tells the interlocking stories of six men - all, curiously, called Thomas - whose ambitions and principles brought them face to face with violent death. Thomas Wolsey was an accused traitor on his way to the block when a kinder death intervened. Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, whose convictions and policies could scarcely have been more different, both perished beneath the headman's axe. Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, would have met the same end had the king's own death not brought him an eleventh-hour reprieve. Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, though outliving the monarch, perished as a result of that war of ambitions and ideologies which rumbled on after 1547. Wriothesley succumbed to poison of either body or mind in the aftermath of a failed coup. Cranmer went to the stake as a heretic at the insistence of Mary Tudor, who was very much the daughter of the father she hated. In the Lion's Court is an illuminating examination of the careers of the six Thomases, whose lives are described in parallel - their family and social origins, their pathways to the royal Council chamber, their occupancy of the siege perilous, and the tragedies which, one by one, overwhelmed them. By showing how events shaped and were shaped by relationships and personal destinies, Derek Wilson offers a fresh approach to the political narrative of a tumultuous reign.
A complex, rich narrative, covering not only Henry's reign but that of his father
—— Sunday TimesHe writes with... a breathtaking attention to the kind of personal detail that makes his books such compelling reading
—— Alison WeirFascinating and enjoyable
—— Bernard Donoughue, author of Downing Street DiaryRequired reading for anyone with an interest in modern history, it must surely go on to all the best reading lists
—— Bill RobinsonSplendid. A heady mix of social, economic, and intellectual history, written in an engaging style. It offers a counterpoint to the many studies of the Mediterranean, arguing for the importance of the North Sea. Exciting, fun, and informative
—— Michael Prestwich, Professor of History, Durham UniversityBrilliant. Pye is a wonderful historian . . . bringing history to life like no one else. Who knew that the Irish invented punctuation?
—— Terry JonesA masterly storyteller
—— VoguePye has a great journalist's eye for a story and the telling anecdote as well as a great historian's ability to place it in the bigger picture. Here he fuses those talents in a hugely eclectic study of the very first stirrings of modernity in northern Europe
Pye draws on a dizzying array of documentary and archaeological scholarship, which he works together in surprising ways . . . He advances on several fronts at once, following the overlapping currents of customary, religious and empirical ways of thinking. He writes about difficult concepts with vivid details and stories, often jump-cutting from exposition to drama like a film. It's complicated, but fun
—— EconomistHugely enjoyable. it is the measure of Pye's achievement that he can breathe life into the traders of seventh-century Frisia or the beguines of late-medieval Flanders as well as into his more celebrated subjects . . . Grey the waters of the North Sea may be; but Pye has successfully dyed them with a multitude of rich colours
—— Tom Holland , GuardianA dazzling historical adventure
—— Daily TelegraphAn extraordinary book . . . Pye makes astonishing discoveries. Brevity is the bane of the reviewer; the best books are impossible to summarise in just 900 words. That's especially true with a treasure chest like this one . . . The end result is brilliantly illuminating. Pye's creativity brings light to this once dark time
—— The TimesA multi-layered book that demands time to read and be digested but rewards by giving one plenty to chew on
—— ObserverExcellent. The Edge of the World does what good non-fiction should, in making the reader see the world in a different light
—— Scotland on SundayAn inspiring book, full of surprises . . . this is the kind of book that can open up new vistas. It might just rekindle a sense that Britain really is a North Sea nation and not just a rootless post-Imperium searching for a niche in the global emporium
—— IndependentBristling, wide-ranging and big-themed ... Pye's view of the North Sea and European history succeeds in reorienting our thinking about the past
—— New York Times Book ReviewA joy to read and reread. Pye challenges all our notions of the Dark Ages and shows the vast accomplishments completed long before the Renaissance. This book must be ranked right up there with the works of Mark Kurlansky and Thomas Cahill as a primer of the steps that led to modern civilization
—— Kirkus, starred reviewRefreshing. Pye excels at painting a unique portrait of the political, economic, and cultural transformation that has occurred on the shores of the North Sea. His frequent use of primary sources as well as fictional literary works gives the work an ethereal nature
—— Library JournalAn eye-opening reexamination of of Europe during the Dark Ages, and delightfully accessible. Pye's style is leisurely yet authoritative, scholarly but engaging; his approach resembles that of a docent leading a group through a vast museum, with each section devoted to a different aspect of society
—— Publishers WeeklyWhite’s book is a true piece of art
—— Susannah Perkins , NudgeA sparkling and fascinating account
—— David E. HoffmanWell-paced narrative...of great relevance today, when such conflicts seem (but only seem) to have disappeared.
—— Richard Pevear and Larissa VolokhonskyImmensely compelling
—— Fred Hiatt , The Pat BankerMeticulously researched
—— Duncan White , Irish IndependentThe true strength of this meticulously researched book is the placing of the revelations into the context of a compelling human drama
—— Weekly TelegraphEngrossing
—— Andrew Lynch , Sunday Business Post[An] outstanding treasure of literature
—— Market OracleImpeccably researched, and moving, this book breaks new ground
—— 5 stars , Sunday Telegraph