Bring up the bodies by Hilary Mantel

When I started reading the first book in this trilogy, Wolf Hall, I was a little nervous of Hilary Mantel and I wasn't sure that I was up to the task, but now I am a convert and I can't wait to get on to the third and last book.

Set in the time of Henry VIII, this book covers the period of Henry's second marriage to Anne Boleyn as seen from the perspective of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell is getting older and he has become Master Secretary and the King's go-to man whenever there is anything difficult to be done. Cromwell played a key role in fulfilling Henry's wish to have his first marriage annulled, and when Anne Boleyn failed to provide the much anticipated male heir, Cromwell is again asked to get Henry free from his marriage. When the King divorced Katherine, his first wife, she was allowed to go and live out her years in relative obscurity, as she was not accused of any personal wrongdoing, but it is very different for Anne. She is accused of adultary, incest and treason and for that she must die.

We probably all have some idea of the basic storyline of Henry VIII's marriage history, but Mantel takes us behind the scenes, revealing all the plotting and negotiating that went on in court at that time. Every political move is part of a dangerous game and people who rise to the top must work hard to keep their positions as the King can change his opinion very quickly and many have been sent to the tower at short notice.

These are bloody times with prisoners put to torture and put to death in many horrible ways. A verdict of treason normally led to being hung drawn and quartered, but the King could apply some degree of mercy and allow the prisoner to be beheaded instead. Anne and her co-conspiritors were allowed to be beheaded with a great sword to spare them unnecessary suffering. She was only about thirty five years old with a three year old child but once the King had made up his mind there was no going back.

Once again, this book is brilliantly written and the amount of research that must have gone into it is huge. There is so much history to be learnt from historical fiction of this quality that I find I am filling the gaps in my knowledge without really putting much effort into it.

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