How much does the Thomas Cromwell of popular novels and television
series resemble the real Cromwell? This meticulous study of Cromwell’s
early political career expands and revises what has been understood
concerning the life and talents of Henry VIII’s chief minister. Michael
Everett provides a new and enlightening account of Cromwell’s rise to
power, his influence on the king, his role in the Reformation, and his
impact on the future of the nation.
Controversially, Everett
depicts Cromwell not as the fervent evangelical, Machiavellian
politician, or the revolutionary administrator that earlier historians
have perceived. Instead he reveals Cromwell as a highly capable and
efficient servant of the Crown, rising to power not by masterminding
Henry VIII’s split with Rome but rather by dint of exceptional skills as
an administrator.
Boktitel: Thomas Cromwell. Power and Politics in the Reign of Henry VIII Författare: Michael Everett Bokförlag: Yale University Press
Michael Everett gained a PhD at the University of Southampton
where he is now a visiting fellow. He currently works at the House of
Commons, London, and lives in Hampshire, UK.
Skådespelaren Mark Rylance gestaltar Cromwell i BBC:s filmatisering av Hilary Mantels romaner om tiden då det begav sig. Foto: BBC
