The Tudor family was a remarkable anomaly in Britain. Their story has been told to exhaustion, yet the truth is even more extraordinary than most people imagine.
The history of the Tudors is usually said to begin with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, while the period before Henry VIII and the Reformation is often brushed aside. Yet the family’s little-known Welsh ancestors, the thirteen-year-old expectant mother who would later help establish the dynasty, and her son Henry VII, who endured a difficult, wandering childhood before eventually reaching the pinnacle of power, are all essential parts of Tudor history. It was this rarely discussed past that shaped the Tudors.
Taking this unique perspective, Linda de Lisle invites us to view the Tudor dynasty through the family’s eyes and understand its pivotal people and events, from the Princes in the Tower to Queen Elizabeth.
This book recounts the rise and fall of the English Tudor family from 1427 to 1603. In chronological order, the author traces the history of the reigns from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. Readers will gain a clear understanding of the Tudor dynasty’s fortunes in politics, economics, culture, diplomacy, and other fields, and a deeper appreciation of Britain’s transformation from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, and from feudalism to modernity.
This book gave me a much better understanding of the Tudors! The author tells the rise and fall of this family from a unique perspective, which reminds me of the hard-working people in life. Just like Henry VII in the book, he had a difficult childhood but eventually reached the pinnacle of power. This book is not only a record of history, but also a discussion of human nature and family inheritance. It is worth reading!
Pretty good new look at the history after the Hundred Years War, did York have the last laugh? Did the Tudors win? Wasn't Stuart also overthrown? History has only losers, not winners.