Thomas Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer: Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII and his successors, architect of the English Reformation and creator of the Book of Common Prayer, he was branded a heretic and burned at the stake, a martyr to the Protestant faith. Cranmer'¬"s place in English history is firmly established, yet the complexities of his character have remained obscure. Susan Wabuda'¬"s biography sheds fresh light not only on the private Cranmer, but also on the qualities that enabled him to master a shifting political landscape and build a new English church. Athletic by nature, he enjoyed hunting and was a keen collector of art and books. He was blessed with several lifelong friendships and twice risked his career by illegally marrying the women he loved. A skilled debater and a deft politician, Cranmer sought to balance his long term plans for the church against the immediate demands of survival at court. Obedient at all times, yet never entirely trustworthy, he had to reconcile the will of his God with the will of the monarch he served. For too long, Cranmer'¬"s legacy has overshadowed the life of the man himself but this new biography enriches and extends our understanding of both. It will be essential reading for students and scholars of the English Reformation and the Tudor age.