This took me a while to finish. I also learned an important thing, I'm interested in English history, but only up to a point.

While I'm sure this book about the early years of Thomas Cromwell in the King's service is well researched, there is one thing that makes it difficult, which is exactly why this is the part of his life that has not been written extensively about. There is very little known. Which leads to very lengthy discussions and speculations between different historians about the littlest of snippets of letters which are still available. For me, this was more a book to use if I wanted to research the man, rather than an interesting biography to read as a whole.

For me, this was also in the style, which at times I thought was almost unreadable due to the enormous amounts of repetition, especially in the early parts. By the time I finished the introduction I knew this was going to be a long read.

Containing interesting things about Cromwell, but also eventually concluding that it is hard to know anything for sure, this work was unreadable at times and I can only recommend it to those studying the particular man or period.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Cromwell was Henry VIII's premier civil servant who is often portrayed as a machiavellian, evangelical Tudor minister.

This scholarly tome focuses on Cromwell's early years, which are in themselves, scantily documented.
Readers may find this dry and disengaging, as a life is pieced together and analysed through what little documentary evidence there is. His portrayal of Cromwell is far from the myth.

Cromwell was Henry VIII's premier civil servant who is often portrayed as a machiavellian, evangelical Tudor minister.

This scholarly tome focuses on Cromwell's early years, which are in themselves, scantily documented.
Readers may find this dry and disengaging, as a life is pieced together and analysed through what little documentary evidence there is. His portrayal of Cromwell is far from the myth.