Bestselling royal historian David Starkey,s captivating biography is a radical re-evaluation of Henry VIII, the British monarchy,s most enduring icon. Larger than life in every sense, Henry VIII was Britain,s most absolute monarch - but he was not born to rule. In this brilliantly readable history, David Starkey follows the promising young prince - a Renaissance man of exceptional musical and athletic talent - as he is thrust into the limelight after the death of his elder brother. His subsequent quest for fame was as obsessive as that of any modern celebrity, and his yearning for a male heir drove him into dangerous territory. The culmination of a lifetime,s research, David Starkey,s biography is an unforgettable portrait of the man behind the controversies, the prince turned tyrant who continues to tower over history.