Award-winning author MacCulloch (Thomas Cranmer: A Life) has written an interesting and informative study of the six years
the young Edward VI spent on the throne after the death of his notorious father Henry VIII. Only nine when he came to power in 1547, the young king is often overlooked, sandwiched as he was between his infamous father and two extraordinary
sisters, "Bloody" Mary and Elizabeth I. Edward was every bit as intelligent as his sisters, and his religious convictions were as inflexible as those of the formidable Mary. Indeed, the author makes a point of following up any description of atrocities committed in Edward''s reign with the information that Mary did worse. The boy king who tried to bypass his sisters and put the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey on the throne in their stead is a worthy
subject of this enjoyable and very readable book. The subject, however, is not one of universal interest, recommending this book for academic libraries with collections in the area of English history and the Reformation.