The Un-Politics of Book Buying

Authors

Anna Zhou, Binghamton University--SUNY

Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Book

Description

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, widely known for failing to give King Henry VIII a divorce from Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn, compelled an author two centuries later to vindicate his actions through a book, The Life of Cardinal Wolsey. However, at the time of its publication, England was Protestant, not Catholic, and yet, many nobles and clergymen still decided to buy this book. Luckily, this book contained a subscription list, and many of these names are traceable. Some examples include an archbishop with the same title as Wolsey once held, a couple buying two copies despite having a good relationship, and the successor of a man executed for treason. There are also letters to be examined between a queen and a noblewoman that may reveal parts of her character that influence her interest in this book. So did these people really care about Wolsey? Or is this book just a collector’s item?

Files

Recommended Citation

Zhou, Anna, "The Un-Politics of Book Buying" (2024). Research Days Posters 2024. 112.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/112