Starkey's book on the Six Wives is quite long, and he does spend considerable time in Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. While the book is long, I felt the read was worth it. Starkey also made a television mini-series based on the book, which is wonderful too. As compared to, say either Antonia Fraser's or Alison Weir's books on the Six Wives, I prefer Starkey. Unlike Weir, whose sources and theories are often questionable, Starkey uses his training as an historian to great effect. But, the best book by far on any of the wives in Eric Ives's “The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn.” The best of what Tudor history has to offer. I hope this is helpful, and best of luck with the reading. 

DuchessofBrittany said:Starkey's book on the Six Wives is quite long, and he does spend considerable time in Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. While the book is long, I felt the read was worth it. Starkey also made a television mini-series based on the book, which is wonderful too. As compared to, say either Antonia Fraser's or Alison Weir's books on the Six Wives, I prefer Starkey. Unlike Weir, whose sources and theories are often questionable, Starkey uses his training as an historian to great effect. But, the best book by far on any of the wives in Eric Ives's “The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn.” The best of what Tudor history has to offer. I hope this is helpful, and best of luck with the reading. 

While I think Ives's book on Anne is excellent I find Starkey's analysis of Anne's fall more convincing. No way do I believe Cromwell was the prime mover. Cromwell could never have contrived it if he hadn't been convinced that by then Henry wanted to be rid of Anne. Ives's argument that Anne and Cromwell differed over foreign alliances is not really relevant as Anne quickly realised Henry was switching his sympathies to the emperor, and she was intelligent enough to accept that. She wasn't a hindrance to the imperial alliance. 

Having said this, this doesn't mean Cromwell wasn't involved at all. By the time he knew Henry hoped to be rid of his second queen he was certainly eager to act accordingly, and, as Starkey writes, to move first. Naturally he was aware Anne may have wanted to get rid of him herself.

DuchessofBrittany said:

Starkey also made a television mini-series based on the book, which is wonderful too.

Borrow, rent or buy this if you can. It's very good, although the part depicting Anne Boleyn is ironically the weakest, as he portrays her as rather cold and calculating. But it does a good job of humanizing Jane, Kathryn Howard and Katherine Parr. The Katharine of Aragon arc is well done, taking her from giddy teenager to widow, to pawn caught between Henry VII and her father, to Henry's wife, to silently suffering mother and discarded wife. It does a good job of showing that Henry and Katharine were well-suited and happy for years, before the loss of child after child takes its toll on both of them. I disagree with Starkey's decision to believe KOA lied about her virginity; he seems to believe the worst of some women's motives – and that might say more about him than them.