Bringing history to fascinating life
I love a bit of history. I remember my old teacher at school who took us through the history books like he was actually there, and thanks to that my love of history grew.
I remember learning about Henry VIII and being intrigued by Thomas Cromwell. This book, although a novel, is about that time in English history – the 1520s. Henry is king and has no son, and we know how that turns out. The book covers 10 years and centres on Cromwell who rose to great heights from humble beginnings. The story is based on fact but Hilary Mantel has added the missing bits to come up with a compelling story.
The characters all have their own quirks; they are loveable, nasty, intriguing and complex, something which most history books won't tell you. But through this novel you can gain a better understanding of the emotions behind these historical figures.
The book is historically correct and perfectly detailed in a way that reads more like a true history book than a work of semi- fiction, but it has the turns and plots to hold the reader and we become intrigued as we get deeper into the story.
The book is a little on the heavy side and the conversation between more than two characters at a time needs to be read slowly or twice. It can be a little hard to know who's saying what.
It's a great way to learn this fascinating part of history and if you manage to read it then I'm sure you'll spark up that lost relationship you had with English history that most of us left behind at the school gate.
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Weather for Wakefield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
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Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
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