Henry VIII and His Chopping Block by Alan MacDonald

My review

3/5 stars

I used to read Horrible Histories books as a child and adored them, so when I spotted this on a charity bookshop shelf, I decided to give it a go; it looked in the same vein as that series and was about my favourite period in history - The Tudors.

Obviously, I understand that children are the intended targets for this particular book, and the book does a good job of catering for them. The information is presented in a fun way to capture the imaginations of its younger audience, using comic strips, newspaper articles and profiles.

I also appreciated that the information was put forward in a way that was appropriate for children (no overwhelming blood-lust and such like) but it also wasn't dumbed down. The author didn't shy away from the more challenging aspects of Henry VIII and his reign (as suggested by the title of the book) and put real history forward as bluntly as possible without scaring or traumatising kids.

Book blurb

You've probably heard of Henry VIII. He is dead famous for: having a bit of a weight problem, marrying six unlucky wives and getting very carried away with his chopping block. But have you heard that Henry: was a handsome hunk and a sports star, accused his second wife of witchcraft and bricked up his bedroom door at night?

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You can buy the book here now. It was publised by Scholastic Hippo.