The Six Wives of Henry VIII

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir  643 pp.

I started reading this mistakenly thinking it was the book that the 1970 PBS series by the same name was taken from. But the series predated the book by 20 years. Oh well, my junior high age self loved the series. It's still a pretty comprehensive coverage of Henry and his unfortunate wives: 3 Catherines, 2 Annes, and a Jane. Well over half the book involves the Catherine of Aragon/Ann Boleyn drama which was the longest marital episode in the king's life. There are many details throughout the book that correct common assumptions about the various queens including the discrepancies in Anne Boleyn's birthdate and the fact that she was much older than portrayed in many films. This version is frequently rather dry history interspersed with Henry's philandering, trials, torture, beheadings, and unsuccessful births. I listened to the audiobook read by Simon Prebble.