The History Book Club discussion

This is the thread dedicated to the Tudors and the period of time known as the Tudor Era as well as the monarchs who were part of this age.

"The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII (1457 – 1509). The term is often used more broadly to include Elizabeth I's reign (1558 – 1603), although this is often treated separately as the Elizabethan era."

Source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_pe...

The House of Tudor produced five English monarchs who ruled during this period.

Henry VII (1485 to 1509)

Henry VIII (1509 to 1547)

Edward VI (1547 to 1553)

Lady Jane Grey (1553) - Nominal queen for nine days in failed bid to prevent accession of Mary I. Not a member of the House of Tudor.[9:]

Mary I (1553 to 1558)

Elizabeth I (1558 to 1603)

BRITISH HISTORY IN DEPTH - BBC - THE TUDORS:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/...

I like this site: http://www.tudorhistory.org/ . And this one: http://englishhistory.net/tudor.html .

Thank you Susanna with the addition of the above two sites. This helps start to build this discussion area.

Susanna wrote: "I like this site: http://www.tudorhistory.org/ . And this one: http://englishhistory.net/tudor.html ."

Hi Susanna,

I see you have read 'Elizabeth I' by Alison Weir. Have you read any other books from Ms Weir? One of my favourites was 'Eleanor of Aquitaine'

and by Alison Weir

I also saw that you have read 'The Confidant Hope of a Miracle', another book that I loved.
by Neil Hanson

I have read a few other books on the Aramda icluding these two:

by Garrett Mattingly and by David Howarth

I have just ordered a copy of this book covering the same subject:

by James McDermott

For the Tudor period I like:

by Stephen Greenblatt

and by

by

by Susan Brigden

by Liza Picard

by

by

by G.R. Elton

Thank you Susanna.

Are we allowed to discuss Mary Queen of Scots here? She sort of sits in this period although she's not a Tudor. Who believes that Mary I (1553 to 1558) has received a bum rap from history?

by Antonia Fraser

by Linda Porter


I must confess that I found these two books delightful and easy to read. I fell in love with Mary Queen of Scots after reading Antonia Fraser's book and formed a different opinion of Mary I after reading Linda Porter's account. Has anyone else read these two books?

Well she was a Stuart; so she probably belongs in that thread which hasn't been posted yet. But she was living during the Tudor Age.

A bit of trivia..when I was just in Scotland..I stopped and toured Stirling Castle..where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543.

Bentley wrote: "Well she was a Stuart; so she probably belongs in that thread which hasn't been posted yet. But she was living during the Tudor Age.

A bit of trivia..when I was just in Scotland..I stopped and to..."

I will tell you a not so funny story about one of my trips to Scotland. I had 7 days leave I could take off Cyprus so I decided to fly to the UK and do a quick bus tour around parts of Scotland. One day we were driving past Jedburgh Abbey where I think Mary Queen of Scots was held prior to being taken to England but the tour wouldn't stop, as they wanted to go to some wool factory to buy souvenirs!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tho...

That is not a funny story..that is tragic. If you take any tours in China...you will have to visit silk factories, pearls, and tea. Beware of tours unless you know the itinerary before hand.

We did the driving in Scotland so we could stop and tour what we liked and spend as much time as we wanted.

A new book on Catherine of Aragon is due out in November this year for those who enjoy that period of history. Its titled; "Catherine of Aragon: Henry's Spanish Queen: Scion of Coquistadores, Queen of England" by Giles Tremlett and looks very interesting.

by Giles Tremlett
Publishers blurb:
The image of Catherine of Aragon has always suffered in comparison to the vivacious eroticism of Anne Boleyn. But when Henry VIII married Catherine, she was an auburn-haired beauty in her 20s with a passion she had inherited from her parents, Isabella and Ferdinand, the joint-rulers of Spain who had driven the Moors from their country. This daughter of conquistadors showed the same steel and sense of command when organising the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Flodden and Henry was to learn, to his cost, that he had not met a tougher opponent on or off the battlefield when he tried to divorce her. Henry introduced 4 remarkable women into the tumultuous flow of England's history; Catherine of Aragon and her daughter 'Bloody' Queen Mary; and Anne Boleyn and her daughter, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth.'From this contest, between 2 mothers and 2 daughters, was born the religious passion and violence that inflamed England for centuries' says David Starkey. Reformation, revolution and Tudor history would all have been vastly different without Catherine of Aragon. Giles Tremlett's new biography is the first in more than four decades to be dedicated entirely and uniquely to the tenacious woman whose marriage lasted twice as long as those of Henry's five other wives put together. It draws on fresh material from Spain to trace the dramatic events of her life through Catherine of Aragon's own eyes.

I liked G.J. Meyer

That look likes an interesting book Patricrk, thanks for the post.

I have only read one book on Henry VIII and that was by Alison Weir (one of my favourite authors), it was; "The Six Wives of Henry VIII".

by Alison Weir
Review:
“Weir (the genealogical Britain's Royal Family - not reviewed) here uses the many public records and personal letters of the early 1500's to offer a comprehensive, factual version of the tempestuous private and public lives of Henry VIII and his six wives. The story is dominated by Henry and the devolution of his character from an ‘affable,’ ‘gentle,’ and gifted (he wrote poetry) lover, soldier, and ruler into a porcine, paranoid, impotent old man who was exploited and manipulated by courtiers and women, some of whom he imprisoned, beheaded, or hanged. Henry's brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon, six years the king's senior, became at 24 his first wife. Thirty years later, she was set aside for the ambitious ‘virago’' Anne Boleyn, who was in turn beheaded to make room for the gentle Jane Seymour, who died in childbirth and was replaced by the repugnant and scholarly Anne of Cleves. Soon, Anne was retired for Catherine Howard, a 15-year-old ‘empty-headed wanton’' who, despite Henry's passion for her, was executed -along with three alleged but innocent lovers - and replaced by the king's most ‘agreeable wife,’ Catherine Parr, who narrowly escaped execution herself for religious quarrelling. Vowing in marriage to be ‘bonair and buxom/amiable/in bed and at board’ and to produce heirs, Henry's wives illustrate to Weir, through their pregnancies, miscarriages, and infants' deaths, both the profligacy of nature and the dependence of political power on sexual prowess. Yet Weir offers this sensational chapter in history in the cautious tone of a college term paper, doggedly and unimaginatively piling up facts and occasionally lapsing into naivety, as when Mary (whose mother, Catherine of Aragon, had been banished to die alone) and Elizabeth (still too young to understand that Henry had beheaded her mother, Anne Boleyn, in order to marry Jane) are invited to court: ‘At last the King,’ Weir writes, ‘was settling down to something resembling family life’.'' – Kirkus Reviews


I also have an unread copy of "Henry: Virtuous Prince" by David Starkey.


by David Starkey
Description:
The first instalment of the highly anticipated biography of Henry VIII, written by one of the UK's most popular, established and exciting historians. Published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry's accession to the throne, 'Henry: Virtuous Prince' is a radical re-evaluation of the monarchy's most enduring icon. Henry VIII was Britain's most powerful monarch, yet he was not born to rule. Thrust into the limelight after the sudden death of his elder brother, Prince Arthur, Henry ascended the throne in 1509, marking the beginning of a reign that altered the course of English history. In his youth Henry was highly intelligent, athletic and musically talented. He excelled in Latin and Mathematics and was an accomplished musician. On his accession to the throne, aged just seventeen, after the tumultuous rule of his father, he provided England with hope of a new beginning. Nobody could have foreseen how radical Henry's rule would prove to be. Often overshadowed by the bloody saga of his six marriages, his reign has left a lasting legacy. An absolute monarch, Henry's quest for fame was as obsessive as any modern celebrity.His fierce battles against Papal authority mark one of the most dramatic and defining moments in the history of Britain. Yet his early life was insecure. The Tudor regime was viewed by many as rule by usurpers and the dark shadows of the Wars of the Roses often threatened to tear England apart once more. The culmination of a lifetime's research, David Starkey gives a radical and unforgettable portrait of the man behind the icon; the Renaissance prince turned tyrant, who continues to tower over history.

Reviews:
“This book is Starkey's masterpiece. It combines the populist touch with deep insights of scholarship.” - John Guy, (Sunday Times)

“Excellent, the really crucial events in the history of the British Monarchy since the Middle Ages are assessed with authority, wisdom and wit! This is Starkey at his fluent and entertaining best.” - Sunday Telegraph

“It is brilliant, beady-eyed history, and every page of it has an intimate fascination! Starkey has eschewed the easy wisdom of hindsight! his strength is that he questions everything! he seeks fresh evidence, his writing is uncluttered and conversational, and he cuts through the back-story, with grace, clarity and wit! accessible and entertaining” – Guardian

“'Starkey has the mind of an historian but the eye of a court painter.” - Peter Ackroyd, (The Times)

“It has an immense amount to offer the general reader! there are several little gems of brand new information! David Starkey has produced the most careful as well as the most colourful study of the young Henry for a long time, and perhaps of all time.” - Independent on Sunday

“What Starkey has produced, considering his own unrivalled command of the subject, and its vast literature, is a miracle of condensation.” - Sunday Telegraph

“This book demonstrates his scholarship, supremely confident grasp of the period and authorial panache! Fascinating.” - Daily Mail

“Starkey is a master of his trade! The best short history of England written since J. R. Green in the 1870s! the artistry of the writing conceals the efforts that have been made to ensure that this is both highly entertaining and remarkably accurate! an enterprise of surpassing excellence.” – TLS

“This book s vivid, lucid and engaging! his judgements delivered with quasi-Pontifical assurance are often acute! a very enjoyable book.” - Daily Telegraph

I've not read a specific book on Henry VII but this new release looks interesting
by Thomas Penn

Description:
It was 1501. England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, violence, murders, coups and counter-coups. Henry VII had clambered to the top of the heap - a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's crown who through luck, guile and ruthlessness had managed to win the throne and stay on it for sixteen years. Although he built palaces, hosted jousts, gave out lavish presents and sent ambassadors across Europe, for many he remained a usurper, a false king.

But Henry had a crucial asset: his queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. Now, in what would be the crowning glory of his reign, his elder son would marry a great Spanish princess. On a cold November day this girl, the sixteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, arrived in London for a wedding upon which the fate of England would hinge...

In his remarkable debut, historian Thomas Penn recreates an England which is both familiar and very strange - a country that seems medieval yet modern, in which honour and chivalry mingle with espionage, realpolitik, high finance and corruption. It is the story of the transformation of a young, vulnerable boy, Prince Henry, into the aggressive teenager who would become Henry VIII, and of Catherine of Aragon, his future queen. And at its heart is the tragic, magnetic figure of Henry VII - controlling, paranoid, avaricious, with a Machiavellian charm and will to power.

Rich with incident and drama, filled with wonderfully drawn characters, Winter King is an unforgettable history of pageantry, surveillance, the thirst for glory - and the fraught, unstable birth of Tudor England.

by Thomas Penn

This looks like an good book, Geevee. To say the least, the reign of the Tudors was one of the most interesting of the English dynasties. Let us know how you like it since I think it will be going on to several TBR lists!!!

Jill wrote: Let us know how you like it since I think it will be going on to several TBR lists!!!

Hi Jill, My trouble is I have so many books in my TBR and Goodreads' new recommendations is not helping at all :)

Geevee wrote: "Jill wrote: Let us know how you like it since I think it will be going on to several TBR lists!!!

Hi Jill, My trouble is I have so many books in my TBR and Goodreads' new recommendations is not h..."

Me too....the list is never ending but you know what they say.....too many books, too little time!!
Let me add another to your list which is authored by one of my favorite historians:

by Christopher Hibbert
It is well researched as are all of his books, sometimes just a bit pedantic, but overall may be the best of the Elizabeth I biographies.

I've read


by Christopher Hibbert,

which was good indeed, so will take your recommendation too thanks.

I really liked C.J. Samson's novels about this era (ok, this is more fiction, but the background is very detailed and the book is filled with drama, wounderful characters, it is an unforgettable read)

by C.J. Sansom

oops sorry - amended post to correct :)

Geevee wrote: "oops sorry - amended post to correct :)"

Thank you Geevee.

by Chris Skidmore(no photo)

The son of Henry VIII and his hope for dynastic immortality, the boy King died so young that not much has been written about him and his short reign. This book, which I have not read but plan to, has had excellent reviews and should be a good addition to the history of the Tudors.

by Robert Hutchinson(no photo)

An in-depth look at the infamous Cromwell who maneuvered his way to the top of Henry VIII's court through intrigue, bribery and sheer force of personality while acquiring a personal fortune. A pivotal player in the Tudor court.

I saw this book today which covers three interesting women and one being the mother of the Tudor reign:

by Philippa Gregory
Description:
Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen (2009), Margaret Beaufort, The Red Queen (2010), and Jacquetta, Lady Rivers, The Rivers Woman (2011) are the subjects of the first three novels in Philippa Gregory's Cousins' War series, and of the three biographical essays in this book. Philippa Gregory and two historians, leading experts in their field who helped Philippa to research the novels, tell the extraordinary 'true' stories of the life of these women who until now have been largely forgotten by history, their background and times, highlighting questions which are raised in the fiction and illuminating the novels. With a foreword by Philippa Gregory - in which Philippa writes revealingly about the differences between history and fiction and examines the gaps in the historical record - and beautifully illustrated with rare portraits, The Women of the Cousins' War is an exciting new addition to the Philippa Gregory oeuvre.

I discovered the books of Rory Clements - I put them on my TBR list, it sounds very interesting and promising - worth for trying I think:

, by
Rory Clements

Morgiana wrote: "I discovered the books of Rory Clements - I put them on my TBR list, it sounds very interesting and promising - worth for trying I think:

& by Rory Clements

Both these books sound like interesting historical fiction. Let us know how you like them.

Jill, for sure, I started already to read the Martyr by Clements.

Please be sure to do proper citations whenever you mention a book or author.

by Rory Clements

Bentley wrote: "Please be sure to do proper citations whenever you mention a book or author.

by Rory Clements"

Bently, do I need really reply the citations every time, when we are talking about an author?
(Will do if íou say it is necessary, but I can't see any sense there).

Hello Morgiana,

Yes, on these threads you do; but if you are not talking about a specific book and just the author; you only have to add the author's photo and link.

On the book discussion threads when we are talking about a specific book and author, you do not have to cite the author and book being discussed.

There is a lot of sense to it; because then your posts can be tracked and referred to if folks are looking for discussions, folders, threads and posts about a specific book or author. There is also a counter which goodreads adds to each thread which indicates the popularity and the number of times a book or author is mentioned or posted about.

Each time a citation is done properly it cross populates across not only the History Book Club site but goodreads.

And because of the above we have made it part of our guidelines.

Bentley wrote: "Hello Morgiana,

Yes, on these threads you do; but if you are not talking about a specific book and just the author; you only have to add the author's photo and link.

On the book discussion thread..."

Hi Bently, thanks for your explanations, will do it next time;)

No problem Morgiana.

by A.L. Rowse

Chronicles the rich cultural flowering that marked the reign of Elizabeth I and brings to life the age's poetry, painting, and theater. Interesting look at the world of the arts during that time.

The relationship of Sir Thomas More, adviser to Henry VIII and Catholic martyr and his favorite child, Margaret, is examined in this dual biography. Margaret, an accomplished scholar, was his confidante and collaborator who played a critical role in safeguarding his legacy and even rescued his head after his execution! An interesting look at the Tudor times.

by John Guy

I know my questions will be a little bit outside the tudor family, but does any one have any good Plantangenet family books to read? I would like to know more about the family that ruled before the Tudors...

Hi Ashley, here are a few suggestions but I have not read all these books myself;



by Jeffrey S. Hamilton
Description:
The story of the Plantagenet dynasty is the story of one of the pivotal ages in English history. Attitudes and outlooks were formed with regard to a vast array of profoundly important issues. Such fundamental issues as the relationship between church and state, the nature of government/governance, the interaction of social and economic classes, and ultimately the idea of what it means to be English were all shaped to a great degree by the events of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Review:
"The rare snippets of information revealing the sorts of people these kings really were brings the narrative to life ... There is much to recommend this book, which skilfully interweaves into a familiar narrative the latest theories and interpretations of a period which defined not just the monarchy, but the English nation as a whole." - BBC History Magazine

by Frank McLynn
Description:
Legend and lore surround the history of kings Richard and John, from the ballads of Robin Hood and the novels of Sir Walter Scott to Hollywood movies and television. In the myth-making, King Richard, defender of Christendom in the Holy Land, was the “good king,” and his younger brother John was the evil usurper of the kingdom, who lost not only the Crown jewels but also the power of the crown. How much, though, do these popular stereotypes correspond with reality? Frank McLynn, known for a wide range of historical studies, has returned to the original sources to discover what Richard and John, these warring sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, were really like, and how their history measures up to their myth. In riveting prose, and with attention to the sources, he turns the tables on modern revisionist historians, showing exactly how incompetent a king John was, despite his intellectual gifts, and how impressive Richard was, despite his long absence from the throne. This is history at its best-revealing and readable

by John Gillingham
Review:
"No monarch has generated more conflicting opinions, or demanded more effort from the historian attempting to disentangle myth from reality. John Gillingham contends that the popular views of Richard are false, that they are based upon legend and not upon evidence. Strip away the legend and look at the evidence, study Richard on his home ground in the turbulent Duchy of Aquitaine, and a new picture of Richard emerges. He is still the crusading knight and patron of troubadours, but he is also a capable ruler with a clear eye for political realities. Indeed, in the sheer breadth of his vision, in the ability not only to conceive great enterprises but also to carry them out, he (though no Englishman) was one of the ablest kings ever to sit upon the throne of England." - Midwest Book Review

Hi Ashley,
Two books from me:

by David Arscott Carpenter

by Miri Rubin

And one from me, Ashley:

by Thomas B. Costain

Thank You! You three are a major help! I just was not finding any books but now I have a few :) Thank you!

On the Middle Ages thread Becky mentioned a book on art and beauty in that period (post 40) and it reminded me of this which I really enjoyed:

The King's Glass: A Story Of Tudor Power And Secret Art by Carola Hicks (no author photo or book cover)

Thanks, Geevee. another winner from you.

Just finished reading the Bones of Avalon.

Description: The Queen’s ‘sorcerer’, her astrology, Dr John Dee is sent on a special mission. Accompanied by Sir Robert Dudley, a favourite of the Queen’s, and believed to be her lover, Dr Dee travels to Glastonbury to unravel the mysteries of the lost bones of King Arthur.

But they soon become wrapped up in a much greater political intrigue.

Well researched, and a different view to Tudor life, with the influences of British mythology had on the lives of everyone.

Hello Louise, our rules and regulations require citations to be done a certain way: you must add the book cover, the author's photo and the author's link.

Once you edit post 43 I will delete this post.

by Phil Rickman

Just as an FYI: we are mainly a non fiction site with some well researched historical fiction novels. When citing a novel, please make sure to let our members know that this is a novel or historical fiction versus a non fictional work. Thanks.

First published in 1955 and never out of print, this wonderfully written text is a guide through the turbulent history of Tudor England.

Now in its third edition, England Under the Tudors charts a historical period that saw some monumental changes in religion, monarchy, government and the arts. Elton's classic and highly readable introduction to the Tudor period offers an essential source of information from the start of Henry VII's reign to the death of Elizabeth I.

by Geoffrey Rudolph Elton

Jill wrote: "First published in 1955 and never out of print, this wonderfully written text is a guide through the turbulent history of Tudor England.

Now in its third edition, England Under the Tudors charts a..."

this looks like a book i'd love to read, but a quick look at Amazon's page reveals a review saying that the publication is poorly done. the reviewer said that the text looks like a poorly printed sales receipt. Yikes. (and the text often runs into the gutters of the book, making it very difficult to read.) i hope they issue a new edition of this book, as this poorly printed edition is over $30 US.

There are several editions of this book, so it might be worthwhile to search for the second edition.

Jill wrote: "There are several editions of this book, so it might be worthwhile to search for the second edition."

excellent! thanks for the info. i'll try some other sources.

I have not read this book but saw it in a catalogue and thought it looked interesting. The author gives us a portrait of Elizabeth I as the product of women, her mother, the female subjects who worshiped her, and the peers and intimates who loved, raised, challenged, and sometimes opposed her. Has anyone here read this book?.....if so, please share your opinion.


by Tracy Borman

Henry VIII always fascinates and this book gives yet another insightful look at his life. One of the quotable quotes from this book is by Luther who called Henry ".....a fool, a liar, and a damnable rotten worm". You make your own judgements.

by Derek Wilson