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1520s: Henry VIII is on the throne and desperately needs a male heir
Wolf Hall
What you need to know before your trail
England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey’s clerk, and later his successor.
Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.
Locations
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Discover the palaces and royal places across London with the Mantel Tour
Wolf Hall
Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, Wolf Hall looks at the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII through to the death of Sir Thomas More.
Bring Up the Bodies starts where Wolf Hall left off and charts the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the powerful minister in the court of King Henry VIII.
The Mirror and the Light is the final part of a trilogy which looks at the final rise and then Cromwell’s dramatic fall including his public execution at Tower Hill in 1540.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Wolf Hall
Destination/location: England, London Author/guide: Hilary Mantel Departure Time: 1520s
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