In this fresh assessment of Mores life and legacy, John Guy considers the factors that have given rise to claims concerning Mores significance. Who was the real Thomas More? Was he the saintly, self-possessed hero of conscience of Robert Bolts A Man for All Seasons or was he the fanatical, heretic-hunting torturer of Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall? Which of these images of More has the greater historical veracity? And why does this man continue to fascinate, inspire, and provoke us today?