Cardinal Wolsey

Creighton, M. (Mandell), 1843-1901Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 375K words
Chapters: 38

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Cardinal Wolsey by M. CreightonAuthor: Creighton, M. (Mandell), 1843-1901,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Nov 14, 2016

Editor's review

This biography of Cardinal Wolsey by the 19th-century British historian Mandell Creighton is a window onto the political and religious landscape of the early Tudor period. Its subject, Thomas Wolsey, rose from humble origins to the highest offices, serving as both cardinal and Lord Chancellor; his rise and fall encapsulate the complex interplay of royal power, church authority, and Continental diplomacy in Henry VIII's era. Creighton's narrative combines source-based exposition with judgments on the man, and its prose has the gravity and orderliness of Victorian historical writing, making it suitable as an introductory reference for the background of the English Reformation. This is a public-domain ebook, and the English original is not excessively long; it can be used for supplementary course reading or for history enthusiasts filling gaps in their knowledge. Note that it was written early, and some historical views and evaluations are no longer the settled consensus of today's scholarship; readers should read with a critical eye, treating it as a historiographical text marked by its era rather than a modern scholarly monograph.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History enthusiasts interested in the background of the Tudor dynasty and the Reformation
Students who need to supplement their knowledge of figures and political threads in Henry VIII's era
English-language readers who prefer traditional narrative biography
Readers who want a low-cost introduction to European church history through a public-domain ebook

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for the latest contemporary scholarship and revised historical interpretations
Beginners who struggle with English reading and need a Chinese translation
Casual readers expecting novelistic, tightly plotted narrative

Reading tips

Skim a brief timeline of Henry VIII and the Reformation before starting the main text; the relationships between figures will be clearer.
As you read, mark passages on the papacy, diplomacy, and finance to make it easier to revisit the basis of Wolsey's power.
After finishing, compare relevant chapters in a modern general history to appreciate the differences between a 19th-century historian and contemporary views.
The English original can be read chapter by chapter; at the end of each chapter, summarize the key points in two or three sentences in English or Chinese.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

According to the information, it is an English-language work, with the language marked as English, published as a public-domain ebook by Project Gutenberg. It provides no Chinese translation, and readers need some English reading ability. If the original is difficult, you can first refer to chapters on Wolsey and the age of Henry VIII in a Chinese general history as groundwork.

Can someone without background knowledge of the Tudor dynasty understand it?

You can read it, but it is advisable to acquire a little basic background first. Wolsey's activities involve royal power, the papacy, Continental wars, and court politics; without any knowledge of Henry VIII, the divorce case of Queen Catherine, and the like, understanding the figures' motives will be difficult. Reading one or two Chinese overviews first will make the book much smoother.

Should the author's historical stance be given special attention?

Creighton was a 19th-century historian, and his narrative and evaluations carry the historical interests and moral judgments of that era. His praise and criticism of Wolsey may not match today's research. Readers should treat it as a text situated in its historical context, maintaining a critical eye toward specific claims rather than accepting it wholesale as authoritative.

Is this book suitable as a source for citation in academic papers?

As an old public-domain work, it can be used to understand the shape of earlier historical writing or as supporting evidence in the history of research, but it is generally not suitable as a primary basis for modern academic papers. If citing facts and evaluations, it is advisable to check contemporary scholarship and primary sources, and to note the author's historical context and limitations when citing.

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About the author

Creighton, M. (Mandell), 1843-1901 Author

M. Creighton (Mandell Creighton, 1843–1901) was a British historian, whose name appears in Chinese library records as "Creighton, M. (Mandell), 1843-1901." The library currently holds only one work by him, Cardinal Wolsey. As public information is limited, this note does not detail his life but focuses on the work itself: it is a historical biography of Thomas Wolsey, a major political figure on the eve of the English Reformation. The narrative rests on historical sources, is plain and restrained in style, and attends to its subject's situation and choices in political and ecclesiastical affairs. This approach reflects the nineteenth-century British tradition of history writing, which emphasized documentary evidence and the assessment of character, and it offers useful reference for understanding the early Tudor political scene and the background of the Reformation.