Cardinal, The by Alison Weir; 2025. Hardcover.

It begins with Thomas, the son of a Suffolk tradesman. A brilliant boy sent to study at Oxford at the tender age of eleven.

It ends with a disgraced Cardinal, cast from the King's side and estranged from those he loves.

Alison Weir draws out the inner man for the first time and tells his story. It is one of a scholar, a lover and a father, a rival, a politician and a priest. A man who built an empire in England while leading a secret second life, who paid the highest price for his success.

These many faces of Thomas Wolsey chart his incredible rise and tragic fall, and reveal a tale of power, passion and ambition.