Reviews for Approaching Southeast Asian History

The average rating for Approaching Southeast Asian History based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-08-12 00:00:00 Rob Mccabe Wilson sets the life and reign of Henry VIII within the greater context of England and Europe throughout the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He sets the scene well providing information about Henry’s parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and his older brother Arthur. Henry was never destined to be King and it is fascinating to read about his younger years, how he was educated and raised amongst the other women of his family. This ultimately affected Henry’s thoughts and beliefs about his role as King and his attitudes towards women. Wilson moves through Henry’s life, detailing his growth as a man and providing an all-encompassing look at one of England’s most famous King’s. He examines the court in which Henry ruled, the people who came and went in the King’s life as well as England’s on and off again friendship with countries such as France and Spain. Henry had a fascinating relationship and rivalry with the other European monarchs and Wilson plots these rollercoaster relationships in captivating detail. He also naturally discusses Henry’s wives, mistresses and his relationship with women although it is refreshing that this subject is not the main focus of the book. What I enjoyed so much about this book is that Henry is always the main focus. Even though Wilson discusses other members of the King’s court, wars England entered into, marriages and the multitude of other events that happened throughout Henry’s reign at the centre is always Henry Tudor the man. This allows the reader to gain a strong understanding of who Henry was and how his childhood, his personal beliefs, desires and the events around him helped to shape him as a man and a monarch. The last chapter of Wilson’s book entitled “So, who was the real Henry?” is a brilliant look at the great wealth of controversy that surrounded Henry after his death. Protestants, Catholics, men writing in the age of Henry’s daughter Queen Elizabeth I, people writing centuries after Henry VIII’s death, have all imprinted their own personal views and opinions upon the monarch. It’s interesting to read these varying views ranging from tyrant to reformist King. Wilson also details the great legacy that Henry left not only for his children but for us in today’s times. We often think of Henry VIII as far removed but much of what he did as King during his reign laid the foundations for things such as the English Parliament and Navy that we have today.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-10-20 00:00:00 Mike Bruns A very unflattering account Of Henry VIII