The Tudors: The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious DynastyNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For the first time in decades comes a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. “A thoroughly readable and often compelling narrative . . . Five centuries have not diminished the appetite for all things Tudor.”—Associated Press In 1485, young Henry Tudor, whose claim to the throne was so weak as to be almost laughable, crossed the English Channel from France at the head of a ragtag little army and took the crown from the family that had ruled England for almost four hundred years. Half a century later his son, Henry VIII, desperate to rid himself of his first wife in order to marry a second, launched a reign of terror aimed at taking powers no previous monarch had even dreamed of possessing. In the process he plunged his kingdom into generations of division and disorder, creating a legacy of blood and betrayal that would blight the lives of his children and the destiny of his country. The boy king Edward VI, a fervent believer in reforming the English church, died before bringing to fruition his dream of a second English Reformation. Mary I, the disgraced daughter of Catherine of Aragon, tried and failed to reestablish the Catholic Church and produce an heir. And finally came Elizabeth I, who devoted her life to creating an image of herself as Gloriana the Virgin Queen but, behind that mask, sacrificed all chance of personal happiness in order to survive. The Tudors weaves together all the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes, that reveal the Tudor era to be, in its enthralling, notorious truth, as momentous and as fascinating as the fictions audiences have come to love. BONUS: This edition contains a The Tudors discussion guide. Praise for The Tudors “A rich and vibrant tapestry.”—The Star-Ledger “A thoroughly readable and often compelling narrative . . . Five centuries have not diminished the appetite for all things Tudor.”—Associated Press “Energetic and comprehensive . . . [a] sweeping history of the gloriously infamous Tudor era . . . Unlike the somewhat ponderous British biographies of the Henrys, Elizabeths, and Boleyns that seem to pop up perennially, The Tudors displays flashy, fresh irreverence [and cuts] to the quick of the action.”—Kirkus Reviews “[A] cheeky, nuanced, and authoritative perspective . . . brims with enriching background discussions.”—Publishers Weekly “[A] lively new history.”—Bloomberg |
Contents
3 | |
15 | |
The Kings Great Matter | 45 |
Frustration and Embarrassment | 65 |
Radical Departures | 80 |
Another Way Devised | 98 |
A Thunderbolt Falls | 135 |
Submission | 151 |
Englands Second Reformation | 337 |
A Revolution and a Coup | 362 |
Another New Beginning | 390 |
And Another Early End | 411 |
PART FOUR | 433 |
The Succession Again | 459 |
A Torrent of Miseries | 473 |
Actions Reactions Provocations | 490 |
Consummation | 166 |
PART | 179 |
Supremacy | 192 |
We Will All Die | 209 |
Preserve My Friends from Such Favors | 227 |
All but Godlike | 246 |
Rebellion and Betrayal | 267 |
PART THREE | 311 |
Other editions - View all
The Tudors: The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty G. J. Meyer No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Anne Anne Boleyn archbishop became become began believe bishops Boleyn brother cardinal Catherine Catherine of Aragon Catholic Cecil century Charles church claim Clement clergy continued court Cranmer Cromwell Crown daughter death decades declared Dudley Duke of Norfolk Earl Earlier Tudors early Edward Elizabeth English Essex Europe evangelical execution fact father favor Fisher France Hapsburg heir Henry VIII Henry's History of England houses Jane John King Henry king's kingdom Lingard living London lord marriage married Mary Mary's ment monasteries monks never papal Parliament Philip Pilgrimage of Grace Pole political pope possible praemunire priests Privy Council Protestant queen reason rebels Reformation refused Reginald Pole reign religious remained Richard Rome royal Scotland sent Seymour Somerset soon Spain Spanish Stephen Gardiner subjects things Thomas Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cromwell throne tion Tower Tudor era VIII's wanted wife Wolsey Wolsey's young