'The author does a wonderful job of telling a gripping story that also gives a sense of the complexity of the reign and the period ... Students who read this will be well instructed about a very significant period of English history - and they will be entertained as well.' - Anne McLaren, University of Liverpool, UK

Henry VIII was one of England's most unforgettable monarchs. He was at once inspiring, menacing and perplexing to his contemporaries, and his reputation remains both impressive and enigmatic.

Lucy Wooding's timely study provides an insightful and original portrait of this larger-than-life figure, and of the many paradoxes of his character and reign. Building on significant advances in recent research to put forward a distinctive interpretation of Henry's complex character and remarkable style of kingship, Wooding locates him firmly in the context of the English Renaissance and the fierce currents of religious change that characterized the early Reformation.

Complete with colour illustrations, this compelling new biography gives a fresh portrayal of Henry VIII, cutting away the misleading mythology in order to provide a vivid account of this passionate, wilful, intelligent and destructive king.