So Great a Prince

August 14, 2017
British historian Johnson (Arrow of Sherwood) looks back at the early years of the infamously much-married, red-faced king, successfully revealing an intelligent, determined teenager who exulted in both the crowds’ adulation and his new freedom from his increasingly dour father’s restrictions. Relying heavily on contemporary records and her own gift for fluid storytelling, Johnson delves deep behind the glamorous spectacles as she describes the shifts in power among courtiers resulting from the accession and the reentry to center stage of Catherine of Aragon, widow of Henry’s brother Arthur, as the new king’s wife. Out of the national spotlight, “those lower down the social scale,” as Johnson writes, continued to focus on various aspects of their own lives: marriage contracts, religion, trade, and sex. Johnson seamlessly transitions between education and religion and between immigration and exploration, highlighting the Venetian Cabot family, which produced notable explorer John Cabot. Capturing both the excitement and banalities of daily life from each economic class, Johnson recreates the rhythms of the Tudor era only two decades before Henry himself created seismic shifts that affected all of his subjects. Color illus.

August 1, 2017
A snapshot of a significant year in British history that "stands at a crossroads between two very different kings, and between equally different worlds."Despite the claim of the subtitle, the accession is one of only a few things about Henry VIII in the book. Instead, in this important work of history, Johnson (The Arrow of Sherwood, 2013) provides a crisp study of the everyday lives of citizens living within "a complex story of ruthless political maneuvering, greed and deception." The author finds clues in marriage contracts, account books for cities, guilds, Inns of Court, and even cathedrals. Many of these sources demonstrate what was considered important to a person's wealth as well as to the king's treasury. Henry does come into focus at various points in the narrative, as does his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Johnson proposes that the beginning of his reign was equally important to the period of his break with the church and multiple marriages--a point the author overstates--and she quickly explores his cosseted childhood, accession, and desperate need to prove himself. More significantly, the author looks closely at the events of 1509 and how they affected both royal and peasant. At this time, after the ravages of the Black Death, which still reared its ugly head occasionally, the peasants found themselves with more power to demand better wages and terms from their landlords. With so few serfs to do so much work, it became a simple case of supply and demand. Later, the author explores Henry's obsession with an heir, which was an understandable concern driven by the fact that his throne was not entirely secure and there were plenty waiting in the wings to take over. A list of key characters at the end of the book will help readers keep track of the royal family. The power of this book lies in Johnson's comprehensive look at the quotidian lives of English men and women. For that, it is eminently readable and interesting.

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September 1, 2017

Johnson (Arrows of Sherwood) makes her nonfiction debut with an excellent, immersive description of 1509, the first year of Henry VIII's kingship. This work is organized by religious holidays, beginning with Lady Day or March 25, the first day of the calendar year for the king and his contemporaries. Thematic chapters discuss events and activities relevant to a particular religious holiday of the time, including working the land to prepare for Lammas Day, and feasting and reveling during Christmastime. Johnson treads new territory by placing more emphasis on nonroyals than on the lives of Henry VIII and his court. The author is restricted here, as she notes herself, to histories of people capable of reading and writing during that era along with those whose writings have survived. Within these boundaries, Johnson draws conclusions about the lives less documented. VERDICT A treat for anyone interested in Tudor daily life, including the processes of hiring and firing, religious worship, law and justice, marriage, sex, and childbirth. Those wishing for more detail on the court of Henry VIII could read this work alongside the titles of Alison Weir to great advantage.--Hanna Clutterbuck-Cook, Harvard Univ. Lib., Cambridge, MA

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