Excellent portrayal of Thomas Cromwell in addition to one of the best depictions of Anne Boleyn I have yet read. Cromwell is fascinating and calculating moving through history making deals and alliances that allow Henry the VIII to sever his marriage to Katherine. In addition to the politics, the reader gets an inside view of Cromwell's personal life the tenderness of which is a sharp contrast to his public face. As others have noted there is some confusion with the use of 'he' throughout the book, but it wasn't enough to distract from the story.