Thank God for that! After my disappointment, about which I moaned a few months back, after I bought a biography of Thomas Cromwell which almost resembled his daily diary given the sheer amount of detail in it, I have now found a new biography by John Schofield which is concise and informative and, thus, readable. Already I can see why 'our Tom' is a tricky subject given that he had to follow a path of intricate difficulties where one miss-step might take you up the stairs to the chopping block!
Mr. Schofield tends to the sympathetic side of Master Cromwell but I gather that other biographers can be much harsher. What shines out so far is the man's intelligence. From relatively humble beginnings via an adventurous military youth abroad, he slowly ascends the ladder to wealth and influence - and danger! I have only just reached the beginnings of his rise to Royal circles which, given 'our 'Enery's' volcanic nature, to say nothing of the Boleyn family's ambitions, he might, in retrospect, have done better to avoid!
It's a terrific story and Mr. Schofield tells it well and clearly.
The Rise & Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant
That was a very dodgy time to be alive.
Posted by: Timbo | Wednesday, 15 May 2019 at 23:57
Ambitious people involved in Tudor politics walked a fine line between fame and fortune and losing one's head should they fall from favour.
Perhaps the possibility of losing one's head for falling short of expectations of the people could be re-introduced.
Posted by: AussieD | Thursday, 16 May 2019 at 02:05