Was Henry VIII Nuts?

Image courtesy of amazon.com

I just finished Philippa Gregory's book, The Boleyn Inheritance, another in a series about the Tudors (others include The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Lover, The Queen's Fool, and The Other Queen).

From the back of the book:

Three women who share one fate: the Boleyn Inheritance.

Anne of Cleves: She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard: She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford: She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

Gregory initially started the series with The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Love, and The Queen's Fool, then wrote the other books, out of chronological order. I had read the "first" three (above) and loved each book (though I refuse to see the movie version of The Other Boleyn Girl). The first three books were easy to get into and I read them quickly; similarly, The Boleyn Inheritance kept me interested for all 514 pages. The story was told by three women, which was different from the other books, but I think it made this book more interesting. Gregory wrote in three distinct styles, so while each character had her own unique point of view and story to tell, it was clear who was narrating.

I also appreciate Gregory's committment to researching the history of her subjects- I've read a couple of interviews with the author in which she has talked about her research and where the line between fiction and fact has blurred. Each time I read one of Gregory's books, I've wanted to read more of her writing AND I've wanted to learn more about the history behind the stories. (Honestly, after reading the first three books, I read The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Life of Elizabeth I, both (nonfiction) by Alison Weir and I've had a documentary on my Netflix list for a while). And now, I'm thirsty for more!
So tell me, have you read any of these books? Have you ever read historical fiction that has left you wanting to know more about the time period, people, etc.?