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The Tudors

The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty

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The Tudors

By: G. J. Meyer
Narrated by: Robin Sachs
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The award-winning author of The Memphis Murders presents “a rich and vibrant tapestry” (The Star-Ledger) of the fabled Tudor dynasty—and some of the most enigmatic figures to ever 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, Henry Tudor, whose claim to the English throne was so weak as to be almost laughable, nevertheless sailed from France with a ragtag army to take the crown from the family that had ruled England for almost four centuries. Fifty years 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—ultimately leaving behind a brutal legacy 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 realizing his dream. Mary I, the disgraced daughter of Catherine of Aragon, tried and failed to reestablish the Catholic Church and produce an heir, while Elizabeth I sacrificed all chance of personal happiness in order to survive.

Blending gripping history with lively storytelling, The Tudors presents the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes of this enthralling, notorious era. Europe Great Britain Historical Politics & Activism Renaissance Royalty England Tudor Middle Ages Dream United Kingdom
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Critic Reviews

"[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, Meyer displays some flashy, fresh irreverence…Meyer cut[s] to the quick of the action…Energetic and comprehensive."—Kirkus Reviews

"History buffs will savor Meyer's cheeky, nuanced, and authoritative perspective on an entire dynasty, and his study brims with enriching background discussions, ranging from class structure and the medieval Catholic Church to the Tudor connection to Spanish royalty."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Historian/journalist Meyer does an excellent job of recreating the Tudor epoch, both in his dramatic narrative and in the alternating "background" chapters that illuminate 16th-century culture, politics, etc...Meyer's book is a rich and vibrant tapestry depicting England's most notorious—and most remembered—monarchs."—The Newark Star-Ledger
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The Tudor era is historically a facinating time of great upheaval and change, where sycophants could rise from obscurity to great height, money, influece and power and then, just as easily fall from the grace of the monarch (insert any name you wish here), lose their wealth, influence, power, be humiliated publicly, have family threatened and yes, eventually have their head on a spike after having suffered unmetionable torture and sadistic death rituals.
Don't worry about missing out on all the fun of Court if you were a lowly, illiterate peasant, you could be reported for any crime by the word of your "good" neighbour, being a heretic was a sure fired one that could get you killed - regardless of all you learned about scripture was from Sunday services AND that could and did change multiple times durig the slow rip from Catholicism, the review of Protestantism and Calvanism and whatever King Henry thought would be good for him...today. Be ready to reconvert for Queen Mary and convert again for Queen Elizabeth. The Tudors were despots. Now that is a thoughtful and emotional response to a period of time that for me has always been a bit musty...not THIS book.
This book has been constructed from what is obviously meticulous research and is narrated brilliantly in a clear, matter of fact tone that is both easy to listen to and comprehend.

118 years of despots

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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.

easy and understandable

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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

Objective it is not

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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.

Selective facts

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