The king’s hand

Using epistolary networks built from over 30,000 letters in the State Papers of England between 1523 and 1547, The king’s hand offers a new approach to the career and legacy of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s right hand man and ‘most faithful servant’. This book foregrounds for the first time Cromwell’s use of correspondence to manage and maintain his control and authority, using digital and quantitative methodologies from historical and social network analysis to demonstrate his position in power structures at court, and offering fresh insight into his relationships with the king, other advisors at court, and the lasting impact of his administrative changes. In doing so, it uses quantitative measures to argue that Cromwell was a minister and advisor entirely unparalleled and unique in influence and power in the Henrician reign and beyond.