The son of a brewer, Thomas Cromwell rose from obscurity to become the confidant of the King of England—and ultimately one of the most influential men in English history. Cromwell drafted the law that allowed Henry VIII to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn, setting into motion the Protestant Reformation, which left Britain in turmoil for centuries. Over the course of his controversial career, Cromwell amassed a fortune through bribery and high-interest loans to members of the Tudor court and created many enemies along the way. He became the most hated man in England. His execution was spectacular—beheaded outside the Tower of London, his boiled head was placed on a spike above the London Bridge. Rich in incident and colorful detail, Robert Hutchinson's narrative history gives readers the real inside look into the life of the protagonist of Hilary Mantel's and "