The Other Tudors, by Philippa Jones
Little did I know that Henry VIII, one of my favorite characters in all of history, had multiple illegitimate children, let alone plenty of potential male heirs, had they been legitimate. I suppose that reveals my naivete toward his lifestyle (and the lifestyle of many in his position in that day). However, this book opened my eyes, to say the least. Not in a sensational way; Jones merely presents her research, devoting each chapter to the individuals: mistress or bastard or both, as not every affair resulted in a child. Though Jones' writing is not sensational, it is sentimental. Take her conclusion for instance:
Henry VIII was a man who longed for love. His tragedy was that he was looking for love that could never exist. He had a vision of the perfect woman, an image of his mother, and no woman could measure up to this fantasy. Apart from this was the obsessive need for a male heir. These two, together with the power struggles going on amongst the noble families and foreign diplomats, distorted Henry's natural desire to love and, most of all, to be loved.
Yuck, really? Please! Even I, a fan of Henry's, want to gag at this schmalz. Beyond this, she seems to consider herself the authority on every matter. Too many paragraphs begin, "Historian So-and-So states such-and-such a timeline, or what's-her-name was close to the king at this point, but that is incorrect...." I didn't take a lot of time to peruse her endnotes, but not many of her assertions are backed up in order to truly disprove the actual historians' findings.
That all being said, I enjoyed this book immensely. Henry is fascinating, sentimental lovesick sap or not, and so are his subsequent children, real or alleged.
