About - Henry VIII,the Reign

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​Henry VIII, the Reign ​About

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If you like your history succinct, to the point and without any padding, then this is the place for you. If you like your history detailed, with comprehensive resources available on screen with a click or a tap, and available for you to make up your own mind about our past, then this too is the place for you. ​ Even if you do not like history, then this is quite probably the place for you – because history is not set in stone and you can have your say about changing our understanding of it. If you have arrived here by accident looking for something else, well, that something else has a history.

‘The greatest tragedy in mankind’s entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion.’ Arthur C. Clarke

History has never been more accessible and is available in formats ranging from the written word to computer-generated imagery, from the spoken word to illuminated manuscripts, and from the gossipers to the chroniclers. J. J. Scarisbrick’s book Henry VIII, first published in 1968, is the touchstone for the reign of Henry VIII and is the unsurpassed point of reference. However, our understanding of Henry’s reign has developed and continues to do so. We now have a radically different and new understanding of the times between 1509 and 1547, and importantly of the centuries preceding the accession of England’s most infamous monarch to the throne. ​ That new understanding is summarised in Henry VIII, the Reign in XIII minutes. ‘We are not makers of history. We are made by history.’ Martin Luther King, Jr. Holinshed Publishing has set out to offer a vigorous reckoning of the period. The Henry VIII, the Reign narrative can be read in two and a half hours – but the time needed to evaluate it alongside the hundreds of supporting documents, maps, illustrations and people profiles may be much more than that. ​ History is for everyone and is more than remembering names and dates. Thus, we do not want you simply to read and accept what you will find within these pages. We want you to challenge it, through reasoning, argumentation, contention, logic, discussion, debate and dialogue – or, better still, just have your say. ‘There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.’ Harry S. Truman ​ The sixteenth-century chronicler Raphael Holinshed contributed momentously to our history – he still does, as his interpretations of times past are performed all over the world every day. ​ From Chaucer to Churchill, from Machiavelli to Marx and from Starkey to Schama, they have all had a say about history. ​ If you have an opinion, then join with ole Ralph Holinshed. Have your say and make your contribution to history – we want to publish it. Holinshed Publishing Read More ​ Ole Ralph Holinshed

‘There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.’ Harry S. Truman ​

Henry VIII, the Reign.

This site offers a fresh perspective on the reign of Henry VIII, cutting through centuries of myth and popular reputation to examine the man and his monarchy with clarity. The narrative draws on primary sources, including Holinshed's chronicles and the acts of parliament that reshaped England, allowing readers to explore the decisive events, the six marriages, and the personalities that defined the era. Whether you are looking for quick facts at a glance or more detailed reference material, the approach here is to present history without padding, letting the evidence speak for itself and inviting you to form your own conclusions about one of England's most controversial kings.