--- product_id: 23487082 title: "The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers: A Novel" price: "149.82 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/23487082-the-autobiography-of-henry-viii-with-notes-by-his-fool store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers: A Novel **Price:** 149.82 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** 149.82 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/23487082-the-autobiography-of-henry-viii-with-notes-by-his-fool) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Autobiography of Henry VIII is the magnificent historical novel that established Margaret George's career. Evocatively written in the first person as Henry VIII's private journals, the novel was the product of fifteen years of meticulous research and five handwritten drafts. Much has been written about the mighty, egotistical Henry VIII: the man who dismantled the Church because it would not grant him the divorce he wanted; who married six women and beheaded two of them; who executed his friend Thomas More; who sacked the monasteries; who longed for a son and neglected his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; who finally grew fat, disease-ridden, dissolute. Now, in her magnificent work of storytelling and imagination Margaret George bring us Henry VIII's story as he himself might have told it, in memoirs interspersed with irreverent comments from his jester and confident, Will Somers. Brilliantly combining history, wit, dramatic narrative, and an extraordinary grasp of the pleasures and perils of power, this monumental novel shows us Henry the man more vividly than he has ever been seen before. Review: A King, a Fool, and a Feast of History - I love a good history book, and this one has it all — a huge king spanning a huge history, told through the clever eyes of his fool, Will Sommers. It’s witty, rich, and full of life, bringing the Tudor world roaring back with colour, appetite, and intrigue. You feel the weight of the crown, the pulse of the court, and the danger of every whispered secret. Will’s commentary adds both humour and heart, turning what could have been a dry royal chronicle into something deeply human. If you enjoy historical fiction that teaches, entertains, and surprises, this is an absolute banquet. Review: Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...... - Getting to love you, ....Okay, sorry about that. But basically it does describe how this book made me feel about Henry VIII, well, almost. For all of my life I disliked Henry VIII by default. You know, the usual reasons...He had six wives, he beheaded two of them, he had mistresses, illegitemate children, etc. etc. But, being a great fan of Margaret George I felt I needed to read this book. I was not disappointed. Another great historical novel by Ms. George. An extraordinary amount of research appears to have gone into this book, and Ms. George actually accomplishes to almost, _almost_, make you feel sorry for poor Henry, and successfully paints him in a more "human" light. My opinion of him has definitely changed. Okay, so he should not have just thrown Katherine of Aragon away, simply because he fell for that whore Anne Boleyn, which resulted in a break with the Roman Catholic Church. But Katherine did start to become a real bore. I can understand why he beheaded Anne. His public reasons (adultry) may have been questionable, but the witch thing? Back then you could never be too sure about those witches and what they could do. Off with her head! And Jane, poor Jane, she truly loved him and he truly loved her. How tragic that she died so soon. And then that Anne of Cleves! Wow, she must really have been a bow-wow, but then, who the hell marries a woman sight unseen? I don't care how distraught you are over the beheading of the witch. At least he was very fair in his separation of Anne of Cleves, and I think she got the better end of the deal, because by this time, Henry himself was no longer an Adonis either. And then his foolish infatuation with that second hussy, Catherine Howard. How could he not have known? She also deserved to lose her head on the chopping block, no question about that. I mean, he's the KING for crying out loud! And then the surprise marriage to Katherine Parr, dear Kate. Finally he gets lucky and marries someone nice who manages to stay alive in the process. But then of course, he dies. Ah well, such is the comedy of life. The notes by Will Somers are great, although I almost wish there had been more of them. It would have been nice to see what Will and other subjects of the King were thinking about all these crazy goings on in Henry's head. To sum it up, this was a very very good book. I am glad I read it and I am sure I will read it again soon. The descriptions of the characters and places are vivid and colorful, and the description of Henry's life is thorough and memorable. Also, read Ms. George's other books, The Memoirs of Cleopatra and Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles. Both are just as good. Don't let their size intimidate you! In the end you'll be glad they lasted as long as they did. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #639,676 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #230 in Biographical Historical Fiction #392 in Biographical & Autofiction #5,418 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,713 Reviews | ## Images ![The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91TayWlLeKL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A King, a Fool, and a Feast of History *by R***B on October 27, 2025* I love a good history book, and this one has it all — a huge king spanning a huge history, told through the clever eyes of his fool, Will Sommers. It’s witty, rich, and full of life, bringing the Tudor world roaring back with colour, appetite, and intrigue. You feel the weight of the crown, the pulse of the court, and the danger of every whispered secret. Will’s commentary adds both humour and heart, turning what could have been a dry royal chronicle into something deeply human. If you enjoy historical fiction that teaches, entertains, and surprises, this is an absolute banquet. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...... *by S***A on August 26, 2002* Getting to love you, ....Okay, sorry about that. But basically it does describe how this book made me feel about Henry VIII, well, almost. For all of my life I disliked Henry VIII by default. You know, the usual reasons...He had six wives, he beheaded two of them, he had mistresses, illegitemate children, etc. etc. But, being a great fan of Margaret George I felt I needed to read this book. I was not disappointed. Another great historical novel by Ms. George. An extraordinary amount of research appears to have gone into this book, and Ms. George actually accomplishes to almost, _almost_, make you feel sorry for poor Henry, and successfully paints him in a more "human" light. My opinion of him has definitely changed. Okay, so he should not have just thrown Katherine of Aragon away, simply because he fell for that whore Anne Boleyn, which resulted in a break with the Roman Catholic Church. But Katherine did start to become a real bore. I can understand why he beheaded Anne. His public reasons (adultry) may have been questionable, but the witch thing? Back then you could never be too sure about those witches and what they could do. Off with her head! And Jane, poor Jane, she truly loved him and he truly loved her. How tragic that she died so soon. And then that Anne of Cleves! Wow, she must really have been a bow-wow, but then, who the hell marries a woman sight unseen? I don't care how distraught you are over the beheading of the witch. At least he was very fair in his separation of Anne of Cleves, and I think she got the better end of the deal, because by this time, Henry himself was no longer an Adonis either. And then his foolish infatuation with that second hussy, Catherine Howard. How could he not have known? She also deserved to lose her head on the chopping block, no question about that. I mean, he's the KING for crying out loud! And then the surprise marriage to Katherine Parr, dear Kate. Finally he gets lucky and marries someone nice who manages to stay alive in the process. But then of course, he dies. Ah well, such is the comedy of life. The notes by Will Somers are great, although I almost wish there had been more of them. It would have been nice to see what Will and other subjects of the King were thinking about all these crazy goings on in Henry's head. To sum it up, this was a very very good book. I am glad I read it and I am sure I will read it again soon. The descriptions of the characters and places are vivid and colorful, and the description of Henry's life is thorough and memorable. Also, read Ms. George's other books, The Memoirs of Cleopatra and Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles. Both are just as good. Don't let their size intimidate you! In the end you'll be glad they lasted as long as they did. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Awesome book *by C***R on October 21, 2013* Most people unfairly judge Henry the 8th due to his many marriages, being so overweight and bloodthirsty. May I remind you all he lived in a bloodthirsty era with lots of people trying to take over his throne? If you read books like this, you will understand he was an incredibly gifted man, good at everything he tried, whether it was playing musical instruments, composing songs, dancing (dances of the time were extremely complicated and long), jousting (a very dangerous sport indeed), speaking and writing 6 languages, creating lyrical poetry, being a fantastic politician, etc. He also was blessed with 6 ft 2 in height, when most men were 5 ft 7 or less and a charismatic personality. Henry was married to his first wife 20 years and was in love with her. When it became obvious his only child would be Princess Mary, he then decided he must divorce and remarry to ensure the succession of the Tudors. He had to wait 6 years to finally sleep with Anne Boleyn, wife #2. hardly the acts of a lecher! Beheading was also common to the times for perceived treason against a King, any king! Who is to say breaking away from the Catholic church was a bad idea? Many of the monks and monasteries were corrupt and dissolute. Henry then kept the money given to the Pope in England, where it belonged.He prayed many times a day.When his older brother Arthur was alive, henry had been slated for a carrer inthe Church. When wife # 3 died in childbirth, Henry grieved for years and was buried beside her. A sentimental act if I ever heard one. When Thomas Cromwell was beheaded for treason against the King, he had many chance sto swear allegiance to Henry. Cromwell basically died by his own choice. After a jousting accident curtailed his physical activity, Henry did become obese comfort eating, an extremely common practice. A leg ulcer kept him in pain until his death, excusing in my opinion, his irascibility. An untreated head injury from the fall could add to all of his unusual behavior later in life. Henry was above all, human and subject to the freaks and foibles of us all.He is probably the best remembered of all Kings in history. I only hope for more positive than negative reasons! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/23487082-the-autobiography-of-henry-viii-with-notes-by-his-fool](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/23487082-the-autobiography-of-henry-viii-with-notes-by-his-fool) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-09-10*