When country lad Will Somers lands himself the plum position of jester to the mercurial King Henry VIII, he has no idea that he's just been handed a front-row seat to history. With a seat near the throne and an ear to the floor, Somers witnesses firsthand the dizzying power struggles and sly scheming that marked the reign of the fiery Tudor king. Somers watches the rise and fall of some of the most enigmatic women in history, including the tragic Katherine of Aragon, the doomed Anne Boleyn, and Mary Tudor, who confided in the jester as she made the best of the fragile life of a princess whom everyone wished was a prince. Based on the life of the real Will Somers, King's Fool is infused with Margaret Campbell Barnes' trademark rich detail and historical accuracy. This intimate peek into the royal chambers gives readers a unique view on one of the most tumultuous periods in English history.
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There is so much packed in this small book, that you will have a royal ride in and around the lavish court life at the times of the most popular King Henry VIII! The author does an absolutely fantastic job is sketching out each and ery person in the book, the queens are mentioned beautifully in the order they seeked the King's attention. -- Veens "I Just Finished" (04/16/2009)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Mrs. D. J. Smith
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
I've read a couple of other historical novels by this author, which were quite enjoyable, but not great. I had to review this after finishing this morning as it was so much better and a really rewarding read.
The novel covers the reign of Henry VIII from the point of view of Will Somers, the man who becomes the king's jester or fool. This gives the book a totally different twist and insight from something concentrating on the usual courtly suspects. Will is in the thick of things, with a front row seat in the course of history, if you like, but he's not one of the players in the drama.
The novel is actually written in the first person, and it's very rarely that I like this because in the hands of most authors it is clunky, but here I had to go back and check that this was so, as it seemed so natural.
Obviously, hindsight is a wonderful thing in history and some of the points made are from the point of view of someone with historical hindsight, but there's also a lot of psychological truth in there and you can quite clearly see why characters act the way they do.
Now, my only problem is that MCB was not a writer of authorial afterwords, like many present authors. What I really want to know is how much of the story is true (within the bounds of fictional probability!) and what is fiction/surmise - and what happened to Will Somers next?!
The novel covers the reign of Henry VIII from the point of view of Will Somers, the man who becomes the king's jester or fool. This gives the book a totally different twist and insight from something concentrating on the usual courtly suspects. Will is in the thick of things, with a front row seat in the course of history, if you like, but he's not one of the players in the drama.
The novel is actually written in the first person, and it's very rarely that I like this because in the hands of most authors it is clunky, but here I had to go back and check that this was so, as it seemed so natural.
Obviously, hindsight is a wonderful thing in history and some of the points made are from the point of view of someone with historical hindsight, but there's also a lot of psychological truth in there and you can quite clearly see why characters act the way they do.
Now, my only problem is that MCB was not a writer of authorial afterwords, like many present authors. What I really want to know is how much of the story is true (within the bounds of fictional probability!) and what is fiction/surmise - and what happened to Will Somers next?!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Keen Reader
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have read and thoroughly enjoyed several of Margaret Campbell Barnes' historical novels. They are extremely well written and very readable; and they rest well on the shoulders of correct historical research and information. Although it is now quite some years since they were originally published, they do not read as at all dated; in fact, their accuracy, and sharp witty writing are preferable to many instances of `modern' historical novels.
This book is very interesting in that it gives the perspective on Henry VIII's reign from the perspective of Will Somers, Henry's Court Fool. This was a very well-respected position in a medieval court, and Will had the run of much of Henry's Court. He was thus privy to many conversations and secrets that others in the Court would not have known of. This is a good device in such a novel to be able to share directly with the readers, the contemporary impressions of the time, and the upheaval when Henry looked to be rid of his wife Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Of course, this was not the end of Henry's marital adventures, and Will Somer was there for the remainder of Henry's reign, and into Edward VI's and Mary's reigns as well, before his death in 1560.
I am not aware of the romantic side of Will's life which is portrayed in this book, and have no idea if that is historically correct or not. However, generally the book is true to history as it is known, and the characters of the time are well-presented in this book - Cromwell, Wolsey, Cranmer, and others whose names dot the Tudor landscape.
This is a great story; although you may have often heard of Henry VIII's life and times, this book offers a new perspective. Events that are covered extensively in historical non-fiction books of Henry VIII are covered briefly in these reminisences of Will; it is a book of Henry's contemporary, written by a man who lived in his court, and saw the `real' Henry; and the events that are magnified in this story are those that were important to Henry and Will, not the pages of history.
Highly recommended, as are all of Margaret Campbell Barnes' books.
This book is very interesting in that it gives the perspective on Henry VIII's reign from the perspective of Will Somers, Henry's Court Fool. This was a very well-respected position in a medieval court, and Will had the run of much of Henry's Court. He was thus privy to many conversations and secrets that others in the Court would not have known of. This is a good device in such a novel to be able to share directly with the readers, the contemporary impressions of the time, and the upheaval when Henry looked to be rid of his wife Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Of course, this was not the end of Henry's marital adventures, and Will Somer was there for the remainder of Henry's reign, and into Edward VI's and Mary's reigns as well, before his death in 1560.
I am not aware of the romantic side of Will's life which is portrayed in this book, and have no idea if that is historically correct or not. However, generally the book is true to history as it is known, and the characters of the time are well-presented in this book - Cromwell, Wolsey, Cranmer, and others whose names dot the Tudor landscape.
This is a great story; although you may have often heard of Henry VIII's life and times, this book offers a new perspective. Events that are covered extensively in historical non-fiction books of Henry VIII are covered briefly in these reminisences of Will; it is a book of Henry's contemporary, written by a man who lived in his court, and saw the `real' Henry; and the events that are magnified in this story are those that were important to Henry and Will, not the pages of history.
Highly recommended, as are all of Margaret Campbell Barnes' books.
By Stevie
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The good thing about this book is the history is fact unlike another book written about Will Somers the Kings Fool! This gives him a nicer character and is more plausible than others I have read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasantly Surprised
I wasn't sure how this book was going to read when I first picked it up, however, I was very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it so much I read it in one sitting. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ms. N. J. Parker
4.0 out of 5 stars
good book
If you enjoy Tudor history this is another look through the eyes of will the kings fool. A very enjoyable book.
Published on 9 Dec 2010 by Allison
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