The books of King Henry VIII and his wives
British Library, London, (2004)Abstract
"Celebrated for his magnificence, daring in his defiance of papal authority and restless in his choice of wives, Henry VIII was also one of the most intelligent and widely read monarchs of the Renaissance. With typical verve and gusto, he acquired a vast quantity of books in the wake of the destruction of the monasteries and with them filled the shelves of his many palace libraries. What is less well known is that most of Henry's wives were also readers and book owners: their books mirror their religious orientations and intellectual concerns or, in one case, decorative interests." "In this new book, James P. Carley, a leading scholar in the emerging field of book history, describes Henry VIII's libraries and shows their key role in providing a more intimate understanding of this seemingly familiar monarch and his consorts. The books of the wives, moreover, show them to have been as independent and innovative as the king himself. The extensive illustrations allow us to examine both the bindings and the contents of the collection, and also provide us with examples of his immediate voice in the form of the marginalia that he inserted into his books."--Jacket.
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