Cardinal Wolsey: A Life in Renaissance Europe

(Hardback)

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The accession of Henry VIII provided the catalyst for cardinal Wolsey's dramatic rise to power. a month after his receipt of the coveted cardinal's hat in 1515, Wolsey became lord chancellor, making him the king's principal minister and England's senior judge, despite having no formal education in the law. Wolsey's pan-European vision ensured that he was well aware of the threat posed by Martin Luther's theological revolution and campaign against clerical abuses. He therefore sought to nip English heresy in the bud by taking decisive action against known religious radicals and by founding Cardinal College (now Christ Church), Oxford, with a view to forming well-educated priests who would combat heresy and institute ecclesiastical reform from within the hierarchy. Among England's senior churchmen, only Wolsey might have executed such a strategy, but circumstances were combining to thwart his plans. Wolsey was frustrated and ultimately disgraced by the essentially domestic problem of the king's determination that Anne Boleyn should be his wife and the mother of his legitimate heir. This book is an engaging and dramatic biography of this colossus of the Tudor age.

Reviews

Article on Wolsey, interviewing author, giving history and featuring book--no review, East Anglian Daily Times (Essex). 2 May 2009.
'Anything that reminds us that Wolsey was actually a fascinating, complex historical character, loyal to his core for all the moments of puffed-up pride, is welcome. As a short introduction to the humble boy from Ipswich who made good, Fletcher's book work works very well ... her final chapter on Wolsey's posthumous reputation is especially rewarding.' - Catholic Herald
'Scholarly but lively ... written with a light touch, with some jokes here and there ... more readable and less argumentative than some more earnest academic tomes, this scholarly history will amuse and interest many' - Church Times
'This well written biography includes a fascinating chapter on Wolsey's reputation in history and popular culture.' - Contemporary Review
'For years a good short life of Thomas Wolsey that captures the best recent research and is suitable for students has been badly needed ... [Fletcher] admirably fills a large gap in the literature.' - Journal of Ecclesiastical History

Author Bio

Dr Stella Fletcher has taught for the Continuing Education departments of the universities of Bath, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. She is currently Associate Fellow of the University of Warwick's Centre for the Study of the Renaissance. Her publications include the Longman Companion to Renaissance Europe and a history of the archbishops of Canterbury, The Mitre and the Crown (with Dominic Aidan Bellenger).