Alison Weir is the New York Times bestselling author of The King's Pleasure, The Last White Rose, and the novels in the Six Tudor Queens series: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife; Katheryn Howard, The Scandalous Queen; Anna of Kleve, The Princess in the Portrait; Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen; Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession; and Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen. She has also written numerous earlier novels and historical biographies, including her ongoing series, England's Medieval Queens.

"Weir delivers an insightful tale of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's rise to power, his friendship with Henry VIII, and the ways in which both men's lives are complicated by their love affairs . . . An immersive tale of Tudor intrigue."--Publishers Weekly

"A compelling tale of one of Tudor England's most powerful and fascinating men . . . Henry VIII's beloved cardinal leaps from the page in all his brilliance, complexity, and humanity--a man who served his king as passionately as he loved his mistress. Nobody brings historical characters to life like Alison Weir, with her instinct for illuminating period detail and dramatic storytelling. Fans of Wolf Hall have a treat in store."--Tracy Borman, author of Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I

"Cardinal Wolsey bursts forth in all his vivid color and ingenuity in Alison Weir's gripping new book; she takes us deep into the heart of Tudor England and the world of Henry VIII's divorce. Illuminating, emotional, fascinating--you're right there with Wolsey until the end."--Kate Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Queen

"Providing readers with a gloriously human account of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Alison Weir's The Cardinal is a triumph. We follow Wolsey from his humble origins in Ipswich through his rise from Oxford scholar to become a prince of the church and Henry VIII's chief minister. Through Weir's evocative prose we are taken into Wolsey's world, with his inevitable fall as heartbreaking as his rise was exhilarating."--Elizabeth Norton, author of The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women

"When picking up an Alison Weir novel, the reader is guaranteed never to be disappointed, but The Cardinal is in a league of its own. In this pacy narrative, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey becomes more than just a historical figure--his personality and the twists and turns of his rise and fall leap from every page. Weir is to be applauded for her unrivaled ability to provide her readers with a story that is both meticulously researched and skillfully executed. In so doing she has introduced us to a Wolsey who is human--a Wolsey who, in many ways, we have never seen before. . . . A remarkable achievement."--Nicola Tallis, author of Young Elizabeth

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Pub date: 2026-05-12

Length: 464 pages