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Thomas More is an enduringly fascinating and profoundly controversial figure. A brilliant scholar, his Utopia of 1516 dared to imagine how society might be completely reordered. At the same time, his hatred of the Reformation caused him to advocate, and seek to implement, the death penalty for heretics. A friend and advisor to Henry VIII, More's refusal to support Henry's break with Rome led to his execution in 1535, and the start of a long argument about his legacy.
This Very Short Introduction assesses More's life, writings and achievements, and examines changing views of his character, in both historical interpretation and various works of fiction.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall is professor of history at the University of Warwick. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a fellow of the British Academy. Marshall coedited The English Historical Review and served as president of the Ecclesiastical History Society for 2023-4. He is a two-time winner of the Harold J. Grimm Prize for the best article in Reformation history and he was awarded the Wolfson History Prize for Heretics and Believers: A History of the English Reformation in 2018.
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