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  • The Tudors

  • The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
  • By: G. J. Meyer
  • Narrated by: Robin Sachs
  • Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (22 ratings)

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The Tudors

By: G. J. Meyer
Narrated by: Robin Sachs
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Publisher's Summary

New York Times best seller

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)

For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.

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.

Praise for The Tudors

“A rich and vibrant tapestry.” (The Star-Ledger)

“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)

©2010 G.J. Meyer (P)2010 Random House

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Objective it is not

Having listened to the author's book on The Borgias where he said at the beginning it was not the book he expected to write, ie he doesn't think they are as evil as painted, I was forewarned that his view of the Tudor dynasty could be interesting.
He comes down very firmly on the opposite view of the Tudors and can't imagine why they are still thought to be good monarchs. Just to complete the picture, he has an obvious soft spot for Mary, or Bloody Mary as many of us know her, while he really can't stand Henry VIII and Elizabeth. I prefer a less partisan approach.

The other problem I have is a personal one only - he is upfront about using secondary sources. I prefer published historians to have done at least some of the research from primary sources.

Oh, and by the way, are the poor really impotent? I would have thought indigent was the right word, otherwise there might not be too many of them in successive generations

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Selective facts

It would have been good but for the author’s determination to highlight QE1’s negative attributes, whist conveniently skipping over ones that didn’t fit the chosen narrative.

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easy and understandable

I enjoyed this book. the story flowed easily and did not get bogged down with unnecessary details or side tracked into obliquely related details/story. the Background sections throughout the book were excellent.

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