Henry VIII's Last Victim

Rarely have I felt so utterly captivated by a history book. It is stunning! Jessie Childs is a major new talent. She brings her characters to life so vividly, and the narrative just flows, packed with amazing detail. This, for me, is a surprisingly fresh view on a period with which I am very familiar. – Alison WeirA truly superb biography. – A. N WilsonClatters along like an epic gangster movie… gripping. – Roger Lewis * Daily Express *Jessie Childs is a rising star among historians. Just when we thought everything had been said about Henry VIII she makes us see him from a completely new angle - through the eyes of a poet aristocrat. – Desmond SewardChilds’s description of these complex manoeuvrings [at Henry’s court], as of the French wars, is excellent…this book opens a fascinating window on the mid-Tudor world. * Guardian *A fascinating story …a very readable, and diligently researched book. * Literary Review *A detailed and vivid picture of the daily and seasonal life of the landed aristocracy of the time, as well as of the political scheming and backbiting which in Henry’s last years were all too often fatal. * Scotsman *This is a rumbustious tale and well worth the retelling but what makes this biography special is the quality of the writing. It is as fluid and engaging as the research is careful and penetrating. * History Today *

Jessie Childs was born in 1976 and educated at West Heath and Stowe School. She took a first in history at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1999 and has worked in television as a researcher for historical documentaries. Her proposal for Henry VIII’s Last Victim was a runner-up in the 2001 Biographers’ Club/Daily Mail Prize. Her second book will tell the story of the persecuted Catholics in the reign of Elizabeth I. She lives in London.

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