Wolf Hall books in order: Guide to Dame Hilary Mantel's acclaimed trilogy

Packed full of iconic historical figures including Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More, there are many individuals to dive into, not least the psychology of Cromwell and the King and their relationship.

The series has been continually acclaimed and sparked an equally adored television adaptation starring Mark Rylance as Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry VIII.

The second run subtitled The Mirror and the Light, has begun airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and will span six episodes and we can't wait to dive in.

So, if you want to read the Wolf Hall books, what is the order and what do the come in?

Wolf Hall books in order: Guide to Dame Hilary Mantel's acclaimed trilogy

The Wolf Hall books were written in chronological order and released in the same order.

1. Wolf Hall
2. Bring Up the Bodies
3. The Mirror and the Light

Here is what the books cover across their timespan.

1. Wolf Hall (2009)

Release date: 30th April 2009

Number of pages: 672

The first novel in Hilary Mantel's series is named after the Seymour family's ancestral seat of Wolfhall (or Wulfhall) and spans the time period from 1500 to 1535.

The novel follows the humble origins and rapid rise of Thomas Cromwell at the Tudor court, first as a friend and follower of the most powerful politician in England apart from King Henry VIII himself, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

However, the power of the Cardinal means he makes many enemies and soon they are swift to bring about his downfall, particularly when Wolsey fails to secure the sought-after annulment of Henry's marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, so he is free to marry his paramour Anne Boleyn.

Across the novel, Cromwell must juggle pleasing multiple factions at court, deal with personal tragedy in his family life, and finally secure a stable position under the glare of an unpredictable monarch.

Wolf Hall was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize. However, some historians and academics criticised the favourable portrayal of Cromwell compared to his enemy Sir Thomas More, here painted in a much less approving light.

The novel is available to purchase from Amazon here.

2. Bring Up the Bodies (2012)

Release date: 8th May 2012

Number of pages: 432

The shortest of the three novels from Hilary Mantel on Thomas Cromwell is the second, Bring Up the Bodies, released three years after the first.

The sequel picks up immediately following the end of the first book in 1535 and charts the brief and tumultuous marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, which concluded in bloody fashion in 1536.

As Cromwell ascended to the position of Master Secretary to the King's Privy Council, he soon found the monarch growing ever closer to a more passive love interest in the form of Jane Seymour.

With the King tired of Anne's dominating nature and a lack of a male heir, he tasks Cromwell with ridding him of his scandalous marriage. However, Anne will not go quietly and soon Cromwell makes more ruthless moves to get rid of her – and spies an opportunity for revenge on those who harmed his beloved Cardinal Wolsey too.

Bring Up the Bodies also found huge critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including another win for the Man Booker Prize for Hilary Mantel.

The novel is available to purchase from Amazon here.

3. The Mirror and the Light (2020)

Release date: 5th March 2020

Number of pages: 883

The third and final novel in Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy is also the longest, The Mirror and the Light.

Picking up from the conclusion of the previous novel, The Mirror and the Light charts the final years of Cromwell's life from 1536 to 1540.

Following the downfall of Anne Boleyn, King Henry is married to Jane Seymour and Cromwell reaches the peak of his power and influence, helping to enact a controversial and brutal Reformation of the Church of England.

What transpires next brings about palace intrigue, bloody rebellion, and personal tragedy for the King, but when Cromwell attempts to fix all of the monarch's problems, he finds this a man who cannot always be pleased...

The final volume in Cromwell's story found huge critical acclaim upon its release and also picked up the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction in 2021.

The novel is available to purchase from Amazon here.

Read More:

• Where was Wolf Hall filmed?
• Why was the Duke of Norfolk recast in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light?
• Wolf Hall is about the corrupting influence of power, says writer
• Wolf Hall star Damian Lewis: 'Henry VIII believed in love'
• Did Thomas Cromwell love Princess Mary Tudor? Wolf Hall explained
• Wolf Hall "reminds us why we need the BBC", says exec producer
• Who plays Gregory Cromwell in Wolf Hall? Tom Holland exits Tudor drama
• Wolf Hall director defends colour-blind casting after Hilary Mantel approved changes
• Wolf Hall season 2 recasts Call the Midwife star with Gentlemen Jack actress in key role

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light continues on BBC One and iPlayer on Sundays.

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