Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146145 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 287 pages

David Starkey, Author of the Bestseller Elizabeth
`Up-to-date, readable and reliable. The best introduction to England's most important dynasty.'

Eamon Duffy, Author of The Stripping of the Altars and The Voices of Morebath
`Vivid, entertaining... quite simply, the best short introduction to the most formative century in English history.'

Synopsis
The Tudor period is regarded by many as England's golden age, and still casts a spell over the public imagination. Whether it's the glittering rule of Elizabeth, the ruthless power of her father Henry VIII, or the bloody and radical reign of Mary, the Tudors remain the most fascinating English dynasty. Richard Rex looks at how the public and private lives of the Tudors were inextricably linked, and how each Tudor monarch exuded charisma and danger in equal measure.

Customer Reviews

Excellent overview of the Tudors
This is a very accessible book for all levels of history enthusiast. There is one chapter to each of the five Tudor monarchs, with sub-chapters on specific issues of interest during their reign.

The author states that he's writing more from the basis of showing the political state of England through the Tudor dynasty rather than focusing on personal aspects. Don't let the "political" theme put you off though, it is far from boring and in many ways all the main topics that occured in the monarch's reigns do involve their thoughts and feelings and reasons for actions. I would certainly term this as the best "Overview" of the Tudors I've read.

There are black and white photos throughout the book, with a section of colour photos in the middle which mainly look at the heraldry of each monarch. There are some great photos of paintings, engravings and documents of the time, of which are clear enough to read and one of particular interest is a letter by Lady Jane Grey, signed "Jane the Quene"(her spelling not mine!).

This is not a dull trawl through the usual known facts of the Tudor period; there are often new bits and pieces of information that I hadn't read before and other things written from a different perspective. An excellent book to own for all those with a passion for the Tudors!