Henry VIII: The Mask of Royalty

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971. First American edition. Hardcover. Very Good/fair. Received with praise when first published, this provides an insightfull new portrait of an historical figure that everyone 'thinks' they know well. The common perception of Henry VIII is of a cruel, power-obsessed womaniser - he was that, plus much more. The author shows him to be very much a monarch of his times, confronting the political and social pressures that surrounded him, sometimes with good grace, sometimes with stubborn reluctance, then at other times, proving a bold and radical thinker unafraid to go against the grain of perceived wisdom. What we see is a complicated personality, and not an altogether unlikeable one as he is often portrayed in fiction. A fascinating read for history buffs or anyone wanting a deeper insight into the Tudor dynasty. Contains 335-pages, 23 x 16cm, with 16-pages of b&w illustrations. Red cloth decorated boards in Fair, price-clipped, illustrated dust-jacket. Internally, Very Good: clean, bright and unmarked in excellent bindings.