VOLUME I The Break: Henry VIII and the Fall of Rome's Authority (1509?1547) is the gripping first volume in the series The Crown and the Cross, an epic account of England's dramatic rupture from centuries of papal dominance. From the glittering coronation of a young Henry VIII to the bloody execution of Anne Boleyn, this book charts the political and spiritual upheaval that tore England from the heart of Christendom.

At the center stands the figure of Henry?ambitious, charismatic, and ultimately dangerous?who transforms from a loyal Catholic prince to a self-declared spiritual sovereign. This is the story of how the King's "Great Matter" became a national revolution. Through secret marriages, royal edicts, monastic destruction, and martyrdom, The Break lays bare the cost of one man's pursuit of legacy, control, and a male heir.

With vivid narrative and uncompromising historical depth, Volume I explores the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the rise of Anne Boleyn, the trial of Thomas More, the genius of William Tyndale, and the ruthless legal brilliance of Thomas Cromwell. As royal supremacy is declared and the Pope cast aside, England is remade?not by the gospel, but by decree.

The Break is not just the story of a king?it is the story of a nation on the edge of a new world, caught between obedience to Rome and loyalty to the Crown.