Wolf Hall is Hilary Mantel's radical and profoundly original reimagining of the story of Thomas Cromwell. Born the son of a blacksmith, Cromwell rose to become Henry VIII's chief lieutenant and enforcer, and was the man who engineered Britain's break with Rome and the Catholic Church, paving the way for Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn. History has always seen Cromwell as a ruthless, manipulative, scheming and deeply unpleasant man who would stop at nothing to achieve his aims. But in Mantel's version, he becomes a brilliant operator, a loving father and husband, a caring employer and an irresistible force for good. We see the tectonic events in which he is a central player through his eyes, and through the filter of his very modern consciousness. Does this work? Can any man be this effective, this wise and this emotionally intelligent? Does Mantel's immersive technique draw us into 16th century England or is it just annoying? And why are so many people called Thomas? Join Rupert and Charlie as they discuss Mantel's hugely successful novel, which won the Booker Prize in 2009.
