Choice Review
Potter remedies the lack of scholarship on the last years of war between Henry VIII and Francis I with a meticulously researched study of the diplomatic, military, and economic aspects of the conflict. Employing the archival material of five nations, the author examines the complex negotiations and frustrating maneuvers of the three major European powers. England was a relative newcomer to the high-stakes diplomacy generated between France and Charles V's far-flung empire, but Henry's acquisition of wealth after the dissolution of the monasteries, as well as his unique combination of vanity, chivalry, and dissimulation, soon made him a major player. Early chapters trace the reluctant but inevitable slide into warfare while tracking the influence of factors such as England's break with Rome, Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves, and the role of Scotland. As in earlier conflicts with France, trade with the Low Countries remained a vital influence, now making Charles V's involvement necessary. Subsequent chapters study military organization, assembly of national navies, imperial and Protestant mediation, and Anglo-French competition for German mercenaries. Exhaustion drove the powers to peace in 1546, but renewal of hostilities awaited the kings' heirs. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. L. C. Attreed College of the Holy Cross