BBC History UK 04.2020

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We first encounter the protagonist in his

50th year. He has “the same small quick eyes,

the same thickset imperturbable body; the

same schedules”. But if his appearance has

changed little, his responsibilities have grown

immeasurably since he freed his royal master

from his troublesome, son-less second wife.

As well as being principal secretary, chancel-

lor of the exchequer, privy councillor, master

of the rolls and master of the jewel house, he

soon inherits the title of lord privy seal from

Anne Boleyn’s disgraced father. He is the

‘second man in England’ after the king.

Mantel paints a vivid picture of the

burdens, as well as the power, that come with

such a staggering portfolio of duties. He rises

at five each morning and is still working long

after dark. Often, he sleeps in a chamber near

his royal master so that he can be woken if his

presence or advice are required during the

night. It would be an exhausting schedule for

one of much younger years, and the toll it

takes on Cromwell can increasingly be seen

as the narrative progresses. But so can the

glittering prizes that it brings – and those that

remain just beyond his grasp, urging him on

to greater efforts. Danger is always present,

though. The book’s title is a reference to the

fragility of life in the king’s service.

“If Henry is the mirror, he is the pale actor

who sheds no lustre of his own, but spins in

a reflected light. If the light moves he is gone.”

At a mammoth 912 pages, this is the

weightiest book of the trilogy by far. Just

occasionally, the narrative seems in danger

of becoming too meandering – when, for

example, we follow the protagonist’s appar-

ently idle musings and fantasies. But then,

in reading them, one can easily believe that

every thought that passes through Crom-

well’s mind – invades his dreams, even –

may be to a purpose.

The length of the book is justified by the

number of events that it covers. The four

years leading up to Cromwell’s demise made

up one of the most turbulent periods in

English history. Barely had Anne Boleyn

been laid to rest than Henry had married

wife number three, Jane Seymour. A year

after the wedding, she gave him the son he so

desperately craved (the future Edward VI)

but died a few days later. The hunt was soon

on for her replacement, and Cromwell was

quickest off the mark. But while he had found

the perfect diplomatic match in Anne of

Cleves, he had disastrously misjudged the

monarch’s willingness to set love aside in the

interests of politics. This was not the end for

Cromwell, but it did expose his vulnerability

• and gave the Howards a chance to push
  forward a candidate of their own.
  While Henry’s marital shenanigans were
  playing out, his kingdom was riven by dissent

and rebellion, sparked by his sweeping

religious changes – the dissolution of the

monasteries in particular. Of acute concern

to Cromwell was that it was his head for

which the rebels were calling. But the greatest

danger lay closer to home, in the myriad

relationships with his fellow courtiers.

As the narrative progresses, the distinction

between allies and adversaries becomes

increasingly blurred. Cromwell’s protégé

Wriothesley (nicknamed ‘Call-Me’) is

typical of the rapacious, self-serving politi-

cian whose loyalty was as flexible as his

Hilary Mantel paints a

vivid picture of the burdens,

as well as the power,

that come with Thomas

Cromwell’s staggering

portfolio of duties

RUNAWAY SUCCESS

conscience. Cromwell’s ambiguous relation-

ship with Princess Mary is particularly

well drawn, starkly illustrating how easily

trifling, innocent gestures could be twisted

into treason.

Mantel gives new life to the well-rehearsed

stories, but it is in shining a light on the

minutiae of daily life in Henry’s court that

she is at her most masterful. The research

that underpins this novel is truly impressive.

No detail is overlooked: from the names of

individual servants and officials, to the

weaving in of quotes from ambassadorial

reports, trial papers, account books and

other contemporary sources. Looking

through the extensive cast of characters,

only a handful are purely fictional, and

all are impeccably researched.

As well as vividly evoking Thomas

Cromwell and his world, this focus on the

day-to-day business of serving the king helps

to obscure what most readers will know is the

inevitable conclusion. Realising from the

outset that the protagonist will die would

doom most books to failure. But Mantel’s

achievement is to make us see everything as

Cromwell would have seen it, to live each

hour as he would have done – sometimes

fearing, but never knowing for certain what

was to come.

Trac y Borma n is the author of Thomas Cromwell:

The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful

Servant (Hodder & Stoughton, 2014)

Before 2009, if you mentioned the

name ‘Cromwell’, most people would

have assumed you meant Oliver, the

Civil War leader. His earlier namesake,

Thomas, was far less well known.

Those who had heard of him tended

to view him as a villain: a grasping,

cynical politician who destroyed the

monasteries to line his own pockets

and ruthlessly dispatched anyone

who stood in his path.

All of that changed with the

publication of Wolf Hall, the first book

in a trilogy about Henry VIII’s right-

hand man by Hilary Mantel. Thomas

Cromwell was one of the most

unlikely protagonists imaginable, yet

Mantel transformed him into a hero

of our time: loyal, wise, humorous

and even a bit sexy – a self-confessed

ruffian made good through sheer

ability and hard work. Her portrayal

was so compelling, her research so

painstaking, that it transformed even

professional historians’ opinion of

Thomas Cromwell – myself included.

Popular though historical fiction

is – the Tudor period in particular –

nobody could have predicted the

global phenomenon that the book and

its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, would

become. Both won the Man Booker

Prize and sold millions of copies

worldwide. It was not long before

they were optioned by the BBC and

turned into a lavish drama starring

Mark Rylance. Mantel’s Cromwell

also transferred to the stage with

Ben Miles as the lead, and played to

sold-out audiences on both sides

of the Atlantic.

Aside from crafting three of the

most exquisite works of literary

fiction, Mantel’s achievement has

been in making Thomas Cromwell a

household name. When Danny Dyer

took part in the BBC’s Who Do You

Think You Are?, the fact that he was

a direct descendant of Cromwell

caused as much of a flutter as his

royal connections. With the release

of the final instalment of the trilogy,

there is sure to be a new wave of

Cromwell-mania and his popularity

shows no sign of abating. To para-

phrase a line in Wolf Hall, now that

he is made, he cannot be unmade.

Tracy Borman on

how Wolf Hall won

a global readership

→

Wefirstencountertheprotagonistinhis
50thyear.Hehas“thesamesmallquickeyes,
thesamethicksetimperturbablebody;the
sameschedules”.Butif hisappearancehas
changedlittle,hisresponsibilitieshavegrown
immeasurablysincehefreedhisroyalmaster
fromhistroublesome,son-lesssecondwife.
Aswellasbeingprincipalsecretary,chancel-
loroftheexchequer,privycouncillor,master
oftherollsandmasterofthejewelhouse,he
sooninheritsthetitleoflordprivysealfrom
AnneBoleyn’sdisgracedfather.Heis the
‘secondmaninEngland’aftertheking.
Mantelpaintsa vividpictureofthe
burdens,aswellasthepower,thatcomewith
sucha staggeringportfolioofduties.Herises
atfiveeachmorningandis stillworkinglong
afterdark.Often,hesleepsina chambernear
hisroyalmastersothathecanbewokenif his
presenceoradvicearerequiredduringthe
night.It wouldbeanexhaustingschedulefor
oneofmuchyoungeryears,andthetollit
takesonCromwellcanincreasinglybeseen
asthenarrativeprogresses.Butsocanthe
glitteringprizesthatit brings– andthosethat
remainjustbeyondhisgrasp,urginghimon
togreaterefforts.Dangeris alwayspresent,
though.Thebook’stitleis a referenceto the
fragilityoflifeintheking’sservice.
“IfHenryis themirror,heis thepaleactor
whoshedsnolustreofhisown,butspinsin
a reflectedlight.If thelightmovesheis gone.”
Ata mammoth 912 pages,thisis the
weightiestbookofthetrilogybyfar.Just
occasionally,thenarrativeseemsindanger
ofbecomingtoomeandering– when,for
example,wefollowtheprotagonist’sappar-
entlyidlemusingsandfantasies.Butthen,
inreadingthem,onecaneasilybelievethat
everythoughtthatpassesthroughCrom-
well’smind– invadeshis dreams, even –
maybetoa purpose.
Thelengthofthebookis justifiedbythe
numberofeventsthatit covers.Thefour
yearsleadinguptoCromwell’sdemisemade
uponeofthemostturbulentperiodsin
Englishhistory.BarelyhadAnneBoleyn
beenlaidtorestthanHenryhadmarried
wifenumberthree,JaneSeymour.A year
afterthewedding,shegavehimthesonheso
desperatelycraved(thefutureEdwardVI)
butdieda fewdayslater.Thehuntwassoon
onforherreplacement,andCromwellwas
quickestoffthemark.Butwhilehehadfound
theperfectdiplomaticmatchinAnneof
Cleves,hehaddisastrouslymisjudgedthe
monarch’swillingnesstosetloveasideinthe
interestsofpolitics.Thiswasnottheendfor
Cromwell,butit didexposehisvulnerability

• andgavetheHowardsa chancetopush
  forwarda candidateoftheirown.
  WhileHenry’smaritalshenaniganswere
  playing out, his kingdom was riven by dissent

andrebellion,sparkedbyhissweeping

religiouschanges– thedissolutionofthe

monasteriesinparticular.Ofacuteconcern

toCromwellwasthatit washisheadfor

whichtherebelswerecalling.Butthegreatest

dangerlayclosertohome,inthemyriad

relationshipswithhisfellowcourtiers.

Asthenarrativeprogresses,thedistinction

betweenalliesandadversariesbecomes

increasinglyblurred.Cromwell’sprotégé

Wriothesley(nicknamed‘Call-Me’)is

typicaloftherapacious,self-servingpoliti-

cian whose loyalty was as flexible as his

HilaryMantelpaintsa

vividpictureof theburdens,

aswellasthepower,

thatcomewithThomas

Cromwell’sstaggering

portfolio of duties

RUNAWAY SUCCESS

conscience.Cromwell’sambiguousrelation-

shipwithPrincessMaryis particularly

welldrawn,starklyillustratinghoweasily

trifling,innocent gestures could be twisted

intotreason.

Mantelgivesnewlifetothewell-rehearsed

stories,butit is inshininga lightonthe

minutiaeofdailylifeinHenry’scourtthat

sheis athermostmasterful.Theresearch

thatunderpinsthisnovelis trulyimpressive.

Nodetailis overlooked:fromthenamesof

individualservantsandofficials,tothe

weavinginofquotesfromambassadorial

reports,trialpapers,accountbooksand

othercontemporarysources.Looking

throughtheextensivecastofcharacters,

onlya handfularepurelyfictional, and

allareimpeccablyresearched.

AswellasvividlyevokingThomas

Cromwellandhisworld,thisfocusonthe

day-to-daybusinessofservingthekinghelps

toobscurewhatmostreaderswillknowis the

inevitableconclusion.Realisingfromthe

outsetthattheprotagonistwilldiewould

doommostbookstofailure.ButMantel’s

achievementis tomakeusseeeverythingas

Cromwellwouldhaveseenit,toliveeach

hourashewouldhavedone– sometimes

fearing,butnever knowing for certain what

was to come.

Trac yBorma nis theauthorofThomasCromwell:

TheUntoldStoryofHenryVIII’sMostFaithful

Servant(Hodder & Stoughton, 2014)

Before2009,if youmentionedthe

name‘Cromwell’,mostpeoplewould

haveassumedyoumeantOliver,the

CivilWarleader.Hisearliernamesake,

Thomas,wasfarlesswellknown.

Thosewhohadheardof himtended

to viewhimasa villain:a grasping,

cynicalpoliticianwhodestroyedthe

monasteriesto linehisownpockets

andruthlesslydispatched anyone

whostoodin hispath.

Allof thatchangedwiththe

publicationofWolfHall, the first book

ina trilogyaboutHenryVIII’sright-

handmanbyHilaryMantel.Thomas

Cromwellwasoneof themost

unlikelyprotagonistsimaginable,yet

Manteltransformedhimintoa hero

of ourtime:loyal,wise,humorous

andevena bitsexy– a self-confessed

ruffianmadegoodthroughsheer

abilityandhardwork.Herportrayal

wassocompelling,herresearchso

painstaking,thatit transformedeven

professionalhistorians’opinionof

ThomasCromwell– myselfincluded.

Popularthoughhistoricalfiction

is – theTudorperiodin particular–

nobodycouldhavepredictedthe

globalphenomenonthatthebookand

itssequel,BringUptheBodies, would

become.BothwontheManBooker

Prizeandsoldmillionsof copies

worldwide.It wasnotlongbefore

theywereoptionedbytheBBCand

turnedintoa lavishdramastarring

MarkRylance.Mantel’sCromwell

alsotransferredto thestagewith

BenMilesasthelead,andplayedto

sold-outaudiences on both sides

oftheAtlantic.

Asidefromcraftingthreeof the

mostexquisiteworksof literary

fiction,Mantel’sachievementhas

beenin makingThomasCromwella

householdname.WhenDannyDyer

tookpartin theBBC’sWhoDoYou

ThinkYouAre?, thefactthathewas

a directdescendantof Cromwell

causedas muchof a flutteras his

royalconnections.Withtherelease

of the final instalmentof the trilogy,

thereis sureto bea newwaveof

Cromwell-maniaandhispopularity

showsnosignof abating.Topara-

phrasea lineinWolfHall, nowthat

he is made, he cannot be unmade.

TracyBormanon

howWolfHallwon

a global readership