num_pages: 480
description: Peter Ackroyd's The Life of Thomas More is a masterful reconstruction of the life and imagination of one of the most remarkable figures of history. Thomas More (1478-1535) was a renowned statesman; the author of a political fantasy that  gave a name to a literary genre and a worldview ( Utopia ); and, most famously, a Catholic martyr and saint.Born into the professional classes, Thomas More applied his formidable intellect and well-placed connections to become the most powerful man in England, second only to the king. As much a work of history as a biography, The Life of Thomas More gives an unmatched portrait of the everyday, religious, and intellectual life of the early sixteenth century. In Ackroyd's hands, this renowned "man for all seasons" emerges in the fullness of his complex humanity; we see the unexpected side of his character--such as his preference for bawdy humor--as well as his indisputable moral courage.
language: English
title: The Life of Thomas More
titlecomplete: The Life of Thomas More
characters: Thomas More
genres: Catholic, 16th Century, Religion, Politics, Biography, Tudor Period, British Literature, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir
ratings_count: 1108
awards: awardedAt: 883641600000
name: James Tait Black Memorial Prize
category: Biography
publisher: Anchor