ABOUT THE BOOK
By 1535 Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith?s son, is far from his humble origins. Chief Minister to Henry VIII, his fortunes have risen with those of Anne Boleyn, Henry?s second wife, for whose sake Henry has broken with Rome and created his own church. But Henry?s actions have forced England into dangerous isolation, and Anne has failed to do what she promised: bear a son to secure the Tudor line.
In Bring up the Bodies Hilary Mantel explores one of the most mystifying and frightening episodes in English history: the destruction of Anne Boleyn. This new novel is an audacious vision of Tudor England that sheds its light on the modern world.

Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice.

At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring. But Anne and her powerful family will not yield without a ferocious struggle. Hilary Mantel's "Bring Up the Bodies" follows the dramatic trial of the queen and her suitors for adultery and treason. To defeat the Boleyns, Cromwell must ally with his natural enemies, the papist aristocracy. What price will he pay for Anne's head?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hilary Mantel, born 06 July 1952, is an English author who has written short stories, essays, biographies and, most famously, historical fiction. She is one of only a few authors to have won the Man Booker Prize twice, for Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies.

She was born in Glossop, Derbyshire and studied Law at the London School of Economics. She moved to Botswana in 1977 with her husband and later spent four years in Saudi Arabia. Her memoir of this period, Someone to Disturb, won The Spectator's inaugural Shiva Naipaul Memorial Prize. She returned to England in the mid-1980s.

Before the success of Wolf Hall she had written nine successful books and regularly wrote for The Spectator and other magazines and newspapers.


ABOUT THE READER
Simon Vance, a former BBC Radio presenter and newsreader, is a full-time actor who has appeared on both stage and television. He has recorded over four hundred audiobooks and has earned over twenty Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, including one for his narration of Theft by Peter Carey. A twelve-time Audie finalist, Simon has won three Audie Awards, including one for Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and the 2008 Booklist Voice of Choice Award. He has also been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.


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