The Life of Thomas More

Peter Ackroyd's The Life of Thomas More is 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 More gives 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.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 11/09/1999
ISBN: 9780385496933
Pages: 480
Weight: 1.18lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.19w x 1.07d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly Best Books 01/01/1998 pg. 44
Books & Culture 05/01/2001 pg. 27