Henry VIII.
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Henry VIII. Details
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Reviews
The problem with reading an academic book published in 1902 is wondering how much of it has been superseded in the last 114 years.I’m aware of three areas where modern scholars disagree with Pollard’s ideas. One concerns the influence of Cromwell, whom Pollard sees as a marginal entity chiefly known for trying to pack Parliament and urging a disastrous German marriage alliance. Another involves Wolsey, presented as scheming to become Pope and directing foreign policy with little guidance from Henry. The third area deals with Henry’s last war in France. Pollard shrugs it off as merely an attempt to undercut French support to the Scots.Pollard views Henry as “the greatest man to ever sit on the English throne,” a bold and audacious hero who directed the tide of religious revolution in England and saved her from the bloodshed and violence that would have engulfed the country had he not been king. Beside this single, crowning achievement, his many flaws pale--his egotism, ruthlessness, ‘vaulting ambition,’ selfish motives, despotism, and unjust uses of law to eliminate potential threats.Still, Pollard writes with an elegant style that describes in vivid terms the conditions that gave rise to political and religious events in the 16th century, such as the weakened power of the Papacy, continental politics, and the complex dance between Henry and Parliament. Two thirds of the book covers the beginning of the reign through 1529, hovering over the King’s Great Matter before skimming over the last years. The wives are barely mentioned, although it is apparent that Pollard admired Catherine of Aragon and didn’t think much of Anne Boleyn, and Thomas More is scarcely discussed.The conclusion was the most intriguing chapter for me, presenting the view that the English people were partly to blame for Henry’s increasingly tyrannical behavior. They desired above all else material prosperity and domestic stability, and were willing to sacrifice ideals such as justice and liberty to get them. Had they truly objected to Henry’s proposals, they could have vetoed them in Parliament or risen up in protest. That these did not occur proves to Pollard that Henry ruled with the consent of his subjects. Whether modern scrutiny confirms or refutes this view remains a subject for readers to explore.As much as I enjoyed this book, it is perhaps best read as part of the evolution of Henrician scholarship, a stage in our growing understanding of the man and his reign, rather than as a final opinion.