{"product_id":"the-kings-pleasure-a-novel-of-henry-viii","title":"The King's Pleasure A Novel of Henry VIII","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this extraordinary historical novel, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author hailed as “the finest historian of English monarchical succession writing” (\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e) explores the private side of the legendary King Henry VIII and his dramatic and brutal reign.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A delightful yarn . . . an all-around fun read about a king and a cad.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaving completed her Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII—extensively researched and written from each queen’s point of view—Alison Weir now gives Henry himself a voice, telling the story of his remarkable thirty-six-year reign and his six marriages. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYoung Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his kingship, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others. He died a suspicious, obese, disease-riddled autocrat. His reign is remembered as one of dangerous intrigue and bloodshed—and yet the truth is far more complex. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe King’s Pleasure\u003c\/i\u003e brings to life the idealistic monarch who expanded Parliament, founded the Royal Navy, modernized medical training, composed music and poetry, and patronized the arts. A passionate man in search of true love, he was stymied by the need to produce a male heir, as much a victim of circumstance as his unhappy wives. Had fate been kinder to him, the history of England would have been very different. To his contemporaries, Henry was a great king, a legend in his own lifetime. And he left an extraordinary legacy—a modern Britain.","brand":"OUATB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49271476322559,"sku":"*R0182918*","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0487\/5550\/7364\/files\/6540393482399.jpg?v=1790020440","url":"https:\/\/shop.onceuponatimebooks.com\/products\/the-kings-pleasure-a-novel-of-henry-viii","provider":"Once Upon a Time Books AR","version":"1.0","type":"link"}