Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Glaring errors
A fairly readable, accessible book that is marred by persistent, glaring errors.The very opening paragraphs state more than once that Henry Tudor landed in Milford Haven in August, 1483 instead of 1485.Later the text tells us that Mary Tudor married in 1334 instead of 1554.There are other, similar errors.The kind of errors that can confuse and frustrate the casual reader who is new to the subject.This kind of mistake, which ought to leap off the page and fairly strangle an editor, calls the credibility of an entire book into question.Every fact you read makes you wonder:Is this, too, a ridiculous typo?

I've read several other volumes by Ridley and enjoyed them.It's a shame this one didn't receive better proofing and editing.

Excellent Read for Recreation or as a Resource
This thoroughly detailed yet concise book is more than just full of information, it is a highly interesting look into the everyday lives of the Tudor citizen...whether he be a royal or a commoner.

From household furnishings to clothing, many ordinary aspects of daily living are extraordinarily revealed.Not just a compelling read for history buffs and genre fans, but an excellent resource guide for anyone developing a deeper exploration into what it was like to live in those tumultuous times. ... Read more

Product Description
The Tudor bishops were men of power and influence within the English realm, both because they possessed spiritual authority and because they exercised lordship over great estates. This book examines their activities as temporal lords: it seeks to discover how wealthy they were and to what uses their revenues were put. Dr Heal draws upon much research undertaken by other scholars in particular dioceses and for particular prelates. The bishops possessed considerable wealth, but they had little security, for the crown effectively controlled their economic destiny, especially after the break with Rome in 1534. No study of the episcopate can therefore ignore the effects of royal policy, and this book combines an investigation into the attitudes and behaviour of the Tudor monarchs with its close examination of the fortunes of the bishops. ... Read more

Product Description
The work of G. R. Elton has inspired its own 'Tudor Revolution' in the historiography of Tudor and Stuart government and society. In this volume a distinguished gathering of eighteen historians, all now resident in North America, pay tribute to Professor Elton's broad influence in shaping modern interpretations of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century constitution. Each contributor to this volume has addressed, directly or indirectly, some aspect of that tempestuous age which has been dubbed 'Elton's era', and each of the sections relates directly to particular problems or topics which have figured prominently in Professor Elton's own work. Most extend his findings in new directions and with new evidence from archival researches. Others take issue with some of his tentative conclusions, though admitting the extent to which his work has made such advances possible. ... Read more

Product Description
1890. The subjects included in this book were chosen from an almost unlimited number for their interest and variety of incident to be illustrative of the days when they occurred. Contents: our steward of household, Lord Willoughby de Broke; extinct for the white rose, Lord Bonville; under the hoof of the white boar, Henry Stafford; unhorsed at Bosworth, Lord Cheney; with the silver hand, Stafford of Suthwyke; they did cast him, Sir Thomas Arundell; of the imperial line, Theodoro Paleologus.Handsomely illustrated with an index of such illustrations. Also includes several poems. ... Read more

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A personal and political history, unpredictable and often tragic, of the series of Italian cardinals who undertook, at the invitation of the crown, to serve the king and England in the papal court. It also investigates fully the character of Anglo-papal relations in the two generations before the break with Rome. The familiar story of Henry VIII's campaign to divorce Catherine of Aragon is presented in its full context and from a Roman point of view. The account begins with the origins of the cardinal protectorship under Henry VII and concentrates on the long and intimate relationship of Henry VIII and Wolsey with Giulio de'Medici (later Pope Clement VII) and Lorenzo Campeggio, the cardinal protectors of England from 1514 until 1534 and the two Roman churchmen most involved in the divorce. The important matter of papal provisions to bishoprics in England and Ireland as well as in Scotland and elsewhere is studied against a background of European diplomacy and personal intrigue. ... Read more

Product Description
The Tudor period (1485 to 1603) marks in the minds of many the emergence of an English national identity. Defined by the totemic figure of the virgin queen - Elizabeth I - it witnessed the end of the dynastic uncertainties of the Wars of the Roses, the creation and triumph of the Anglican Church; the successful repulsion of foreign invaders and the beginnings of the adventure of empire; the blossoming of a sublimely gifted generation of musical composers, including Thomas Tallis and William Byrd; and the flowering of English poetry and drama, culminating in the glories of Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. But it was also a period wracked by rebellion, invasion scares, sectarian strife, and - increasingly - by worries about dynastic succession. The Tudor Chronicles is a compelling, year-by-year chronology of this tumultuous and critical period in the development of the modern English nation.Each year is covered by a concise, informative and accessible narrative, amplified by extensive quotations from contemporary sources and accompanied by generously captioned and stunning images of the period - including portraits, maps, illuminations, royal seals, tapestries and other artefacts. Authoritative, informative and sumptuous, and compiled by a scholar who is steeped in knowledge of the period, The Tudor Chronicles brings a glorious era of English history dramatically and vividly to life. It is the perfect gift book for anyone with a love of, or fascination for, 16th-century English history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful for any......
This is a great Big book, wonderful for any Tudor history buff..... Fantastic art and drawings and lots of great info.... Its a super book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book traces the origins and evolution of the enmity between England and France over the four hundred years in which England was a continental European land power. The medieval claim to the throne of France was not formally abandoned by the British monarchy until 1802. The so-called Hundred Years War between England and France was never concluded by a peace treaty. The book argues that medieval and early modern England, like Britain today, was a two-faced polity: one face looked westward and northward towards its Celtic neighbours; the other faced eastward and southward towards continental Europe. Ultimately, from the reign of Edward III onwards, the French throne itself became the object of English ambitions and the book discusses the implications of Henry V's pursuit of that claim and its aftermath. It emphasizes the extent to which the story of Joan of Arc, for example, has become a myth which has contributed its share to the perpetuation of Anglo-French antipathy and estrangement. The book also examines the emergence of English national identity and the part played by language in this process, as the English increasingly defined themselves against their French enemy.But the common assumptions, behavioural patterns, and culture which bound the upper ranks of English and French society together throughout this period are also stressed.The book ends with a discussion of the legacy left by this `continentalist' phase of English history to the changed, but by no means totally transformed, world of early modern Europe. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a brilliant new interpretation of one of the most dramatic periods of British history. The Wars of the Roses didn't end at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Despite the death of Richard III and Henry VII's victory, it continued underground into the following century with plots, pretenders and subterfuge by the ousted white rose faction. In a brand new interpretation of this turning point in history, well known historian Desmond Seward reviews the story of the Tudors' seizure of the throne and shows that for many years they were far from secure. He challenges the way we look at the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, explaining why there were so many Yorkist pretenders and conspiracies, and why the new dynasty had such difficulty establishing itself. King Richard's nephews, the Earl of Warwick and the little known de la Pole brothers, all had the support of dangerous enemies overseas, while England was split when the lowly Perkin Warbeck skilfully impersonated one of the princes in the tower in order to claim the right to the throne. Warwick's surviving sister Margaret also became the desperate focus of hopes that the White Rose would be reborn.The book also offers a new perspective on why Henry VIII, constantly threatened by treachery, real or imagined, and desperate to secure his power with a male heir, became a tyrant. Praise for Desmond Seward's "A Brief History of the War of the Roses": 'A brilliant study of the period. Rich in historical detail, yet passionately written, the smell of battle seems to linger on the page' - "Yorkshire Post". 'It is hard to imagine a historian more in command of his subject...The result is history as compelling as any novel' - "Independent". 'This is a splendidly and vividly written book' - "Evening Standard". 'A Brief History of the Hundred Years Wars: A well-written narrative, beautifully illustrated, and which takes into account most recent scholarship. It is also a good read' - Richard Cobb, "New Statesman" ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Good intro to monarchs of Tudor period
My interest in the Tudor period of English history was piqued after I started to watch the Showtime series "The Tudors".The show is very good and I wanted to get some more background on the period and the monarchs that ruled England at that time. This book provides a sufficient introduction to the reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I. The author seems to be at times almost apologetic in hisportrayal of these rulers in a more positive light than other historians. Maybe 'apologetic' is too strong, but he seems to give them the benefit of historical doubt. In any event, it is a worthwhile read to brush up on this period of history. The book is quiteaccessible to the general audience andavoids being bogged down with too many details. There are some areas where the author presumes some knowledge about events and people of the the times that are not explicated (e.g the Lollards - who they were and why they were treated as they were), but in fairness to do so may have turned the book into a tome. All in all a good read.

Great for history lovers
The Tudors is a wonderfully written book. Instead of focusing on mundane little details about each monarch's personal life, this book focuses on what each one did while ruling England. This is a great book for those who want an overview of the Tudor dynasty, and would make an excellent textbook for a course on Tudor history.

A `must' for in-depth English history collections
Richard Rex is Director of Studies at Queens' College in Cambridge and the author of numerous papers on Tudor England, so his introduction THE TUDORS comes from a richly researched background, making it a `must' for in-depth English history collections at the college level. The public and private lives of the Tudors of England's `golden age' are examined in a guide which considers how dukes and kings influenced one of the greatest ages in English history.
... Read more

Product Description
"A highly ingenious solution to the mystery of Jane Grey's thirteen-day usurpation of the throne. Ives's research skills are formidable and will make this book essential, if provocative reading." John Guy

"A Tudor mystery is brilliantly solved, and the story of one of England’s most dangerous crises is thrillingly told… This book, which takes us as close to the truth of these events as is possible, will convince scholars who thought that they knew the story already, and delight general readers."
Susan Brigden, Lincoln College, Oxford

"Eric Ives has provided the first full-scale account of one of the most surprising sequences of events in the politics of Tudor England. It is an engrossing tale, here presented in incisive style by a scholar who has an instinctive grasp of how to bring the surprises back to life." Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of Reformation, Europe's House Divided, and A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years
Amazon.com Review
Lady Jane Grey is the queen England rejected and one of the most elusive and tragic characters in English history. Here, Eric Ives, master historian and storyteller presents a compelling new interpretation of Jane and her role in the accession crisis of 1553, with wide-ranging implications for our understanding of the workings of Tudor politics and the exercise of power in early modern England.

• Presents a vivid portrait of Lady Jane Grey, one of the least studied figures of English history, depicting Jane as a forceful, educated individual
• Subjects Jane’s writings to an original literary and religious analysis
• Demonstrates that Edward VI’s will gave Jane and her supporters strong legal grounds for her claim to the throne
• Offers a fresh assessment of other characters involved in the 1553 accession crisis: including Edward VI; Mary Tudor; and John Dudley, the duke of Northumberland
• Illuminates the inner workings of Tudor politics and the exercise of power in Early Modern England

Amazon Exclusive: Commentary from Author Eric Ives

In Lady Jane Grey, Eric Ives, author of The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, explores one of the most elusive characters in British history.Jane Grey was queen for only 13 days—not nine as has been traditionally thought—before being sent to the Tower of London and later beheaded.Get an inside look at main characters and their motivations in this Tudor mystery with portraits and illustrations from inside the book.

Anon., Edward VI and the Pope (c. 1570) Back row left to right: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Edward Seymour duke of Somerset; Thomas Seymour Lord Sudeley; Thomas Cranmer; John Russell, earl of Bedford; William Paget (?) Front row left to right: John Dudley, earl of Warwick; Cuthbert Tunstal; William Paulet, Lord St. John (?) Edward VI, the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, died unexpectedly at the age of 16 without a male heir.Contrary to popular belief, Edward wanted to reinstate the traditional rules of succession rather than subvert them.He left several detailed versions of his plans for the royal succession, which corrected the mess his father had made of the rules of succession. Edward’s plan recognized that the rightful queen was Jane Grey, his Protestant cousin, not his Catholic (and illegitimate) sister, Mary.

Anon., Jane Grey (c. 1590) [the ‘Houghton Jane’] Images of Jane Grey have been much contested, but this painting, published for the first time, is her best likeness.Jane Grey, the cousin of Edward VI, was the presumed heir to the throne after his death.Described as “very short and thin, but prettily shaped and graceful” and “a gracious and animated figure” by a contemporary, her role in history is difficult to trace since she died at the age of 16 and did not leave much impact on the historical record.However, she was greatly admired for her scholarly achievement.With the backing of John Dudley, earl of Warwick and duke of Northumberland, she was proclaimed Queen on July 10, 1553.

Hans Eworth, Mary I Jane’s cousin and the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, Mary was more than 20 years older than Jane. In 1553, at the age of 37, Mary was short, skinny, and myopic.She was also armored with an absolute conviction about her duty to God, and was prepared to do whatever it took to ascend the throne and return the country to Catholicism. With the help of key supporters and an unexpected turn of events, Mary deposed Jane in a political coup that led Jane to the scaffold.

Anon., Henry Grey, marquis of Dorset, duke of Suffolk (engraving of lost portrait 1826) Henry Grey, Jane’s father, married Henry VIII’s niece Frances in 1533. Henry ignored him, but he came to favor under Edward.Mary pardoned him for supporting Jane in July 1553, but six months later he joined a conspiracy to stop her marrying Philip II of Spain. Mary panicked and had Jane executed.

Customer Reviews (5)

What if?
Ives' poses the question:What if Jane Grey's "claim" to the British throne after the death of Henry VIII's son Edward was not a "no-starter" from the get-go, but may well have succeeded?As Ives' states, most view Jane's "claim" to the throne as merely a historical footnote, a vain attempt that could never have been successful.Was it?

[The quotes around "claim" deliberately question what part 16-year-old Jane herself played in this drama, a question addressed in the book.Perhaps no answer is possible, but Ives' makes suggestions...]

Frankly, I'm not enough of an expert on this part of history to fully evaluate Ives' discussion.Still, it seems well-reasoned.Ives' analysis of the events suggests the accession of Queen Mary was not by any means a foregone conclusion...

No "Bloody" Mary.No Elizabeth.Queen Jane, and King Consort Guildford Dudney, and their "heirs of the body".Perhaps, no union of England and Scotland.Perhaps, no Hanover monarchs.And the American colonies?Who knows?

Ives' doesn't discuss these suggested historical counter-factuals, but their contemplation is fascinating...

Don't quite forget everything you thought you knew, but ...
Eric Ives' study of Lady Jane Grey is everything you'd expect from the author of the biography of Anne Boleyn against which all others must be measured. Not that it's really a biography. It's an academic yet perfectly readable study of Jane, the chief protagonists in her story, and why her thirteen-day reign failed - the reasons for which turn out to be far more complicated is usually made out to be the case.

Right from the second chapter, Ives also has you seriously questioning how much of what has been written about Jane over the last 450 years can be trusted. John Foxe, in his Book of Martyrs, may have altered the wording of her letters. The oft-quoted letter of reproach she wrote to her father in the Tower is shown to have been unlikely to have been written by her at all - he arrived there less than two days before she was executed, and she wrote him a genuine letter in her prayer book around the same time. Suspiciously, the letter only surfaced at least ten years after her death.

Ives also revises her birthdate, usually given as October 1537. Since Jane Seymour was her godmother, she apparently had to have been born before Jane Seymour `took to her chamber' to have Edward in mid-Sept 1537 - and he pinpoints May 1537 as the most likely date. These may seem like minor things, but once he starts to establish that some of the `facts' of her life aren't actually facts at all, you start to wonder how much else about her has become accepted as fact largely through repetition.

There are a few minor but annoying problems - e.g. on p. 86 he says of Bloody Mary, "Katherine of Aragon had taught her to see herself as half a Habsburg and her cousin Charles V became her sheet anchor". Katherine of Aragon may have heavily allied herself and her interests with her nephew Charles V (eldest son of her sister Juana and Philip the Handsome, a Habsburg), but she was not a Habsburg, and thus Mary was not "half a Habsburg", either in theory or in practice. Ives said the same thing in The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, referring to Katherine as "a highly respected Habsburg queen". OK, maybe this seems unnecessarily picky - but Katherine simply was not a member of the Habsburg dynasty, and didn't even have any Habsburg ancestors going back to at least her great-grandparents. Her mother and father were both members of the House of Trastamara.

Another minor but annoying mistake on p. 39: "On the other hand Frances [Lady Jane's mother] was in the reformist camp. According to a later story, she and her cousin Eleanor Clifford had been under the influence of the martyr Anne Askew." Eleanor Clifford, born Eleanor Brandon, was actually Frances Brandon's sister - Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon's younger daughter - which is made clear in the family trees at the start.

One last one (p. 290): "The play was dedicated to George I's daughter Caroline of Ansbach, the Princess Royal, and clearly pleased since Rowe was appointed poet laureate three months later." Caroline of Ansbach, wife of the future George II, was George I's daughter-in-law, and was not Princess Royal - but rather, Princess of Wales.

The central argument and ultimate conclusion of the book is a bit too complicated to explain in detail, but to put it briefly, Ives concludes that Lady Jane's right to the throne - unwanted though it was - really was better than Mary and Elizabeth's. Though Henry VIII reinstated his daughters in the succession before his death, he never actually declared them legitimate after bastardising them. Ives contends that he therefore had no right to appoint legally illegitimate children as his successors; it would have been no different from trying to declare his bastard son the Duke of Richmond heir, had he still been alive.

Whether or not you agree with him, it's an unusual way of viewing these events, and an interesting study of the legalities (or illegalities) of Henry VIII's and Edward VI's attempts to nominate their own successors. It's not quite as brilliant a book as The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, and it doesn't completely replace previous biographies (Hester Chapman's, for instance, will always be worth reading). Nonetheless, its exhaustive research, and its willingness to avoid blindly reiterating legend - instead subjecting it to scholarly analysis - leave it very much deserving five stars.

A splendid biography!
Historian Eric Ives is a meticulous, scholarly writer who leaves no stone unturned and unless a cache of Jane Grey memorabilia should turn up like the Dead Sea Scrolls (that could happen) the reader should consider this book the definitive Jane Grey.

Jane died before she was seventeen. Brown eyes had she, and a freckled nose. She was universally considered handsome but so short she wore 3" platform shoes. She was the foremost female scholar of her day, speaking eight languages including fluent Greek and Latin. She was spunky: she read Plato in her room while her family was out hunting and she refused to allow her husband, Guildford Dudley to be named king. She had integrity for she at first refused the crown because it belonged to Mary. She went to her death with grace and courage, one of history's great tragediennes.

Many fascinating personalities- the players, the manipulators who strut and fret their hour upon this stage- are examined. Ives considers Mary, who as a private person "was probably the most attractive member of the Tudor family" We see poor dying Edward who desperately tried to emulate his father Henry VIII. We see the movers and shakers, the Duke of Northumberland who married his son Guildford to Jane andJane Seymour's two ambitious, ruthless brothers, Thomas and Edward. We see Katherine Parr, the kindly widow of Henry VIII, who tried to be a mother to Elizabeth and Jane and who died in childbirth after she married Thomas Seymour. We see the insensitive parents of Jane who bullied and punished her in their effort to mold her into a queenly, highly marketable marital catch.

We see the battles, the forces of Northumberland against the forces of Mary. We see that the cloth of estate was practically ripped off over Jane's head while the nine - days queen was sitting there on her throne. We see how most of the rats deserted her ship.

Eric Ives takes you there, as you've never been taken before. You'll learn a lot, about the personalities and the events as the tapestry of this drama of long ago is unraveled before you. Highly recommended!

Excellent, detailed history
Ives creates a detailed history of the puzzling story of Lady Jane Grey, named heir to the English throne by a dying Edward VI and overthrown by supporters of Edward's Catholic half-sister Mary after ruling for just 13 days.The story that has passed down through the years is one of a foiled power-play by Jane's father in law John Dudley, but Ives slowly and carefully demolishes the conventional wisdom about what happened in 1553.

Starting by analyzing the motivations of the major players, he shows Edward to be an independent king trying to resolve the crisis of who would succeed him as he lay dying, creating several versions of a "deuise" for the succession before finally drafting a version that names Jane his successor, removing Mary and Elizabeth from the succession -- ostensibly because both are illegitimate, but really to prevent the firmly Catholic Mary from becoming queen.Edward dies shortly after getting the backing of his council for this decision.Dudley is shown to be less the schemer trying to get his daughter in law named queen and more the loyal councilor trying to carry out Edward's orders.As it happens, Dudley fails to take Mary into custody, allowing her to rally popular support.And Edward's council, after swearing to carry out Edward's orders and initially proclaiming Queen Jane, realize that Mary will prevail and quickly blame Dudley for the whole affair.Their alibi that Dudley pushed Edward and the council to name Jane as successor becomes established history, even though Ives shows that that story fails to fit with the personalities of the people involved.

Meanwhile, Jane comes off as an extraordinarily intelligent woman and fervent Protestant, but essentially a passive player in events.Ives portrays her as someone who never sought the throne, but who was thrust into this situation by others.Her death is ultimately a tragic ending to the story, made necessary by an increasingly unpopular Mary needing to remove Jane as a focus for rebellion against her rule.

You'll never have to read about this again.
Ives has compiled an exhaustive resource for anyone looking to study the English Succession Crisis of 1553. Though the book takes the name of its unfortunate central figure, Lady Jane Grey, the story within reaches far beyond her. In fact, the best parts of the book in my opinion are dedicated to meticulously scrutinizing the behaviors of two major power players: Mary and Northumberland.

Obviously the value of this book lies in Ives's master analysis, so I do not want to give anything away. However, be assured that in this version of events, nothing is taken at face value. Instead of another retelling of this all-too-familiar story, Ives breaks it down as far as possible. Piecing together Northumberland's service to the crown in the years prior to Edward VI's reign portrays him in an entirely different light than his post-succession crisis reputation. Likewise, very little in Mary's past would lead anyone to believe she was capable of coordinating a swift and decisive armed rebellion against London and Queen Jane. Ives tracks her every movement and explains in detail the mechanisms that allowed her to triumph over Jane in the end.

Also interesting are the chapters on Edward VI. His role in these events is usually reduced to something along the lines of, "he named Lady Jane Grey his heir and then died." However, Ives really did a lot of research on Edward's so-called "Deuise" for the succession. In the end, he presents a possible timeline of events leading to this highly consequential document's existence.

Jane receives her due coverage in the book, with a few chapters on her upbringing and reputation among her contemporaries. Moreover, the last chapter is dedicated to her legacy as portrayed in the arts and popular culture. I will leave Ives's conclusions about Lady Jane and her role in the succession crisis for readers to discover on their own. ... Read more

Product Description
Everybody thinks they know the tale of King Henry VIII's wives: divorced, beheaded died; divorced, beheaded, survived. But behind this familiar story, lies a far more complex truth. This book brings together for the first time the 'other women' of King Henry VIII. When he first came to the throne, Henry VIII's mistresses were dalliances, the playthings of a powerful and handsome man. However, when Anne Boleyn disrupted that pattern, ousting Katherine of Aragon to become Henry's wife, a new status quo was established. Suddenly noble families fought to entangle the king with their sisters and daughters; if wives were to be beheaded or divorced so easily, the mistress of the king was in an enviable position. While Henry VIII has frequently been portrayed as a womanizer, author Philippa Jones reveals a new side to his character. Although he was never faithful, Jones sees him as a serial monogamist: he spent his life in search of a perfect woman, a search that continued even as he lay dying when he was considering divorcing Catherine Parr thus leaving him free to marry Katherine d'Eresby.Yet he loved each of his wives and mistresses, he was a romantic who loved being in love, but none of these loves ever fully satisfied him; all were ultimately replaced. "The Other Tudors" examines the extraordinary untold tales of the women who Henry loved but never married, the mistresses who became queens and of his many children, both acknowledged and unacknowledged. Philippa Jones takes us deep into the web of secrets and deception at the Tudor Court and explores another, often unmentioned, side to the King's character. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

henryVIII mistresses and bastards.
this is a fascinating book. from page one it sets out the ladies who had the misfortune to tangle with henry. the detail is amazing.a very good read.it says it all.

Only so-so
The Other Tudors isn't one of those really awful works of popular history that get churned out by the popular history racket. Still, that doesn't make it good popular history.

What bothered me most is that not only could this book not rivet my attention - it quickly started to bore me. It could have been a lightweight run-through of some of the lesser-known `Tudors' - children whose mothers have been linked to Henry VIII, and who may have been fathered by him. But even though it's not an in-depth study, it's still not easy to read. It plods. I don't think there was a single chapter I read in one sitting - I had to take a break every 6-7 pages. A book that should have taken two days to read took over a week.

I don't want be too harsh on the author, since it appears to be her first book, and the next may be much better. But it could have been better had it been put through the wringer by a good editor, who could have improved the pace. Though even a good editor wouldn't have known to fix this:

"When Edward VI died and Princess Mary was summoned to London in a plot by Northumberland, Duke of Somerset, to prevent her taking the throne, it may have been the Norfolk servants at Kenninghall who helped to persuade her to go to Framlingham instead". Whoops - Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset (Jane Seymour's eldest brother) had been executed the year before (1552). She was really referring to John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who had ousted him and become chief minister in his place. Two different people!

Then there's this: "It is a strange irony that the King's mistress, Mary, played the role of `Kindness', while her sister Anne seemed to look to her future courtship in the role of `Perseverance'." `Irony' is when the opposite of what we expect to happen happens. Why would these two have been expected to fulfil the opposite roles to those they were alotted? The might not have been expected to fulfil them so exactly - but still, that's not irony.

There are other illogicalities - e.g. "In 1516, Catherine of Aragon had a daughter, Mary, who lived and thrived ... The King, happy in the knowledge that he had a daughter as well as a thriving bastard son, could look forward to the birth of a lawful heir with renewed confidence." Then in the next paragraph: "However, in 1518, a new plan was hatched, since Catherine had failed to have a living son. The Princess was betrothed to the dauphin of France." Ho-hum! His `thriving bastard son' the Duke of Richmond, who supposedly already existed, wasn't born until 1519.

Another gripe: "Sir John planned to move his more trusted Irish allies (the O'Mara's, O'Connor's and Kavanaugh's) into Munster ..." Oh dear. How did this one get past both an editor and proofreader? That's assuming the publisher employed either of them.

There's more: "Queen Claude was the only surviving child of Louis XII by his second wife, Anne of Brittany, and was her father's eldest surviving child ... The year before her father's death, Claude married Francis, her cousin, and the heir to the throne. He confirmed his right to rule by marrying the royal heiress." NOT AGAIN! Popular historians, PLEASE read at least one biography of Francis I before you pose as competent to write about him. He could not `confirm his right to rule' by marrying any woman - the Salic law in France barred women from ruling or even passing on any claim. As Louis XII's nearest unbroken male relative, Francis would have become king no matter what. Claude was not a `royal heiress', since women had no rights to the French throne that she could possibly have been heiress to. She was only the heiress of the duchy of Brittany, through her late mother Anne of Brittany. As for Claude supposedly being her father's "only surviving child" - oops, yet more mistakes. She was born in 1499, and in 1510 her parents had another surviving daughter, Renée.

This confirms my belief that historians should provide a citation for every statement of fact, if only to cover themselves in the event that they copy someone else's mistake. Which makes the following statement even more embarrassing: "The reason for Anne leaving may be indicated by a letter from Francis I complaining of England's aggressive intentions toward France, as evidence for which he sites [sic] the English scholars leaving Paris ..." One does not `site' a citation. One `cites' a citation. There are other mistakes I can't be bothered noting. You'll spot them if you're reasonably familiar with the Tudor age (or the Yorkist age - Edward IV was not `the last Yorkist king', as he is referred to as - there were Edward V and Richard III still to come).

I'm not going to actively warn people off this book, since those with a longer attention span may not be frustrated by its often-slow narrative, and some people might not notice, or care about, the inconsistencies and mistakes. And it does have its merits - Chapter 9, about Henry's bastard daughter Etheldreda, is particulary interesting and far more readable than the rest. But I cannot say, "If you're interested in the Tudor Age, you can't miss this." You can.

Gossipy fun...,
This little book will not set the world on fire with its original research. It is, however, a highly readable recounting of the alleged mistresses and possible illegitimate children of Henry VIII. I picked it up to read about Henry's relationships with Anne Hastings and Bessie Blount and found myself caught up in the stories of some lesser known women of the court (Joanna Dingley?) around whom rumors swirled. This is not a scholarly work, but taken for what it is - a sixteenth century version of the tabloids - it is a highly entertaining way for the Tudor-obsessed to pass a rainy afternoon. ... Read more

Product Description
The first accessible history of Tudor Wales to integrate cultural and social history with the relatively familiar political story of the Tudor period. The way in which Henry VIII's government 'united' Wales and England through the acts of Union has often been told, but at a time when a semblance of Welsh autonomy has been at last conceded, what this Union meant for language, culture and identity remains a divisive legacy. The Union was an act of state intended to strengthen the Tudor dynasty in the aftermath of the break with Rome occasioned by Henry VIII's divorce from Anne Boleyn. It was an act welcomed by the local big-wigs in Wales, gentlemen of both native and colonist stock. In the fifteenth century Englishmen fearful of rebellion had been given to racial and cultural stereotypes that demeaned the Welsh; by 1550, if not before, the Welsh were 'safe', politically neutralised, and quiescent in the face of a religious revolution. The gentry had become junior partners in the Tudor state.After all, a dynasty of Welsh descent sat on the throne, and it would not be long before Elizabethan intellectuals sought to incorporate a mythology of Welsh 'Britons' into the cultural pot-pourri that evolved to reinforce the mystique of the Queen's court. ... Read more