“Henry VIII”, by J. J. Scarisbrick

 

561 pages, University of California Press, ISBN-13: 978-1125174913

John K. King Used & Rare Books is an independent bookseller located in the abandoned Advance Glove factory at 901 West Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan – and from whom I have purchased scads of books in the past (me and my Dad making our semiannual, bi-yearly trek to King’s Books was an event we looked forward to, year after year; damn shame we stopped for some reason I don’t remember).

So, anyway, it is from King’s Books that I acquired Henry VIII by J. J. Scarisbrick (that would be Professor John Joseph Scarisbrick, a British historian who taught at the University of Warwick and who, as of this writing, is still alive. Well Done, J.J.), and glad I did, too. As a professional historian, Scarisbrick evaluated the source material used by him for its context, customs, bias and motives, more so than most historians did back in 1968, when his biography of Great Harry was originally published. He offers his unvarnished thoughts on the work of other Tudor scholars before stating his own (not, it must be said, always with tact). For an academic history, his biography is actually a pleasant read overall and his writing is often quite engaging (although the minutiae on canon law might be a good soporific for insomniacs).

But perhaps J.J.’s greatest contribution to the canon on Hal the 8^th is his moderate discussions on this most complicated and vexing of monarchs. He takes note, without qualification, of Henry’s positive and even enlightened qualities and achievements without ignoring his (many) faults and failings; in short, this is a balanced portrait of a man whose decisions changed the course of European history and, by extension, world history. In J.J.’s words, “maybe he [Henry] was no more unaware and irresponsible than many kings have been; but rarely if ever have the unawareness and irresponsibility of a king proved more costly of material benefit to his people”.

The good Professor sees Henry for the human being that he was, warts and all, and does not consign him to the ash-heap of history as a mere tyrant. Granted, Henry VIII was, I believe, the most powerful monarch England has ever known, seeing as he was master not only of the secular, but of the ecclesiastical realms; and he did not hesitate to use that secular and ecclesiastical power to the full when it suited him and his needs. But with J.J., we at least get a description of the man’s thinking behind his actions, a discussion of the man’s motives for his policies, and not mere condemnations of the same.

Henry VIII covers in depth the man and his time, offering detailed explorations of foreign ventures, the divorce case, the anticlericalism that motivated the Reformation and other issues that arose throughout the reign. The wealth of information and analysis is formidable for a 50+ year old book (even if, sometimes, a little tedious), but the reader comes away with a solid understanding of the significant matters of Great Harry’s reign.