The Life of Thomas More

Peter Ackroyd'sThe Life of Thomas Moreis a masterful reconstruction of the life and imagination of one of the most remarkable figures of history. Thomas More (1478-1535) was a renowned statesman; the author of a political fantasy that gave a name to a literary genre and a worldview (Utopia); and, most famously, a Catholic martyr and saint. Born into the professional classes, Thomas More applied his formidable intellect and well-placed connections to become the most powerful man in England, second only to the king. As much a work of history as a biography,The Life of Thomas Moregives an unmatched portrait of the everyday, religious, and intellectual life of the early sixteenth century. In Ackroyd's hands, this renowned "man for all seasons" emerges in the fullness of his complex humanity; we see the unexpected side of his character--such as his preference for bawdy humor--as well as his indisputable moral courage.

Peter Ackroyd is a bestselling writer of both fiction and nonfiction. His most recent books include the biographies <b>Dickens, Blake</b><i>, </i>and <b>Thomas More</b><i> </i>and the novels <b>The Trial of Elizabeth Cree, Milton in America</b><i>, </i>and <b>The Plato Papers</b><i>. </i>He has won the Whitbread Biography Award, the Royal Society of Literature’s William Heinemann Award (jointly), the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and <i>The Guardian</i> fiction prize. He lives in London.