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Thomas Cromwell

Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781444782882

Price: £12.99

ON SALE: 5th March 2020

Genre: Humanities / History / General & World History

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**Revised edition includes a new chapter on ‘Thomas Cromwell’s London’**

‘This deeply researched and grippingly written biography brings Cromwell to life and exposes the Henrician court in all its brutal, glittering splendour.’ Kate Williams, Independent

Thomas Cromwell’s life has made gripping reading for millions through Hilary Mantel’s bestselling novels Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light. But who was the real Cromwell? In this major new biography, leading historian Tracy Borman examines the life, loves and legacy of the man who changed the shape of England forever.


Born a lowly tavern keeper’s son, Cromwell rose swiftly through the ranks to become Henry VIII’s right hand man, and one of the most powerful figures in Tudor history. The architect of England’s break with the Roman Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries, he oversaw seismic changes in England’s history. Influential in securing Henry’s controversial divorce from Catherine of Aragon, many believe he was also the ruthless force behind Anne Boleyn’s downfall and subsequent execution.


Although for years he has been reviled as a Machiavellian schemer who stopped at nothing in his quest for power, Thomas Cromwell was also a loving husband, father and guardian, a witty and generous host, and a loyal and devoted servant. With fresh research and new insights into Cromwell’s family life, his household and his close relationships, Tracy Borman tells the true story of Henry VIII’s most faithful servant.

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Reviews

Dr Tracy Borman has crafted an exceptional and compelling biography about one of the Tudor age's most complex and controversial figures. With expert insights based on a wealth of research, and riveting detail, she has brought Thomas Cromwell to life as never before.
Alison Weir
Tracy Borman tells us succinctly in 400 pages what we need to know about the man who rose to be the king's highest adviser ... a very good book.
The Times
Tracy Borman's study makes clear his achievements, both admirable and despicable ... Borman has read an impressively wide range of modern historical literature on Cromwell.
Guardian
Borman's is a highly readable account, and will add to the debate surrounding this ultimately elusive character.
Financial Times
Elegant...her prose, as ever, glides beautifully along.
Sunday Times
An engaging biography.
Evening Standard
This deeply researched and grippingly written biography brings Cromwell to life and exposes the Henrician court in all its brutal, glittering splendour.
Kate Williams, Independent
Borman writes admirably; her prose trips along merrily and is full of intriguing titbits.
New Statesman
An excellent and readable biography.
The Tribune
A real and vital portrait, deftly drawn.
Mail on Sunday
Borman combines a mastery of historical detail with past-pace and an accessible style. She doesn't forget that she is dealing with human beings, with their fallibilities and petty motivations, and rather than see him as a man for whom things got out of control, as Mantel does, views him instead as a master of control.
Independent on Sunday
An intelligent, sympathetic and well-researched biography.
Wall Street Journal

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