Wolf Hall is fascinating, and I'd thoroughly recommend it (the books and the series), because it paints Cromwell in a modern light. He's basically written as a

Wolf Hall is fascinating, and I'd thoroughly recommend it (the books and the series), because it paints Cromwell in a modern light. He's basically written as a shrewd and competent Lawyer/Accountant. Maybe the sortof person who, in our time, could launch a successful business or be a partner in a law firm. But in that time, his skills are so unusual that he runs rings around almost everyone around him, and lays foundations that would shape the country for centuries to come. There's also a lot more to it than that, but the modern-ness of his skillset is very striking.