There have been many biographies that deal with Thomas Cromwell, and many excellent Scholars who’ve undertaken a great amount of research into his life, and career. Likewise, there have been many who’ve merely added to the myths, and the demonisation of the man, without bringing anything new to the debating table. Here, I hope to compile a rough list of author’s and historians who’ve gone the extra mile to study, and understand Thomas Cromwell.
1.) The Rise And Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by John Schofield.
Published by History Press Limited in 2008, it was this definitive biography that finally, and completely, converted me to the cause of Thomas Cromwell. Schofield draws support for his arguments from a vast array of primary source documentation, and devotes page after page to debunking myths about Thomas Cromwell. Everything, from his relationship with Katherine of Aragon, and Princess Mary, to the downfall of Anne Boleyn, and the Reformation, is looked at afresh. For anyone serious about the study of Thomas Cromwell, this book is absolutely essential reading.
John Schofield's definitive biography of Thomas Cromwell, published in 2008 by History Press Limited.
2) England Under The Tudors, and The Tudor Revolution, by Prof. G. R. Elton.
Several decades on from the original publication, Elton’s masterful work remains essential reading for anyone with a Scholarly interest in the Tudors as a whole, and not just Thomas Cromwell. However, it was Elton who led the way with the revisionist thinking on the career of Thomas Cromwell, and for that we all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for these sterling works.
England Under The Tudors, Professor GR Elton.
Just two books?
This is definitely a work in progress