The Tudor dynasty has been, probably, the most famous of the Monarchs in the history of England. There are a number of books that have been published which feature this dynasty and yet this one caught my attention. I have read widely about King Henry VIII but not so much about the other Tudors. This one seemed like a perfect book to learn about the other kings and queens in chronological order. A short read of just 128 pages, this book covers all the Monarchs in Tudor dynasty in depth.
Cover page
The cover page consists of the picture of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. There are some illustrations on the border and some catchy calligraphy. The typography is beautiful. It gives good idea of the genre it belongs too. It is a great cover which will compel readers to buy a copy for themselves.
Characters
This is a non fiction book about the Tudor kings and queens. It covers Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
Content
Henry VII founds the dynasty and conquers England. But he hardly has time to rule over the kingdom. England is left for King Henry VIII. He is probably the most famous of the monarchs. His regime sees some great changes in the foreign policies and religious structures. But the King is most known for his marriage to Anne Boleyn and over throwing of the Catholic Church for the same.
The book moves on to King Edward VI and Mary I. Both their reigns were rather short. Mary, also known as Bloody Mary did not do much to win over the people even though she was a pure blood Tudor, which earned her the support of the commoners.
Mary left the throne for Elizabeth I, her step sister and daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth reigned over England for over 45 years, eventually with her death ending the Tudor reign over England. The author has done a great job of structuring the chapters and including all the relevant data. The book is heavy on facts but does not make it a boring read.
Language
The book is written in simple English making it very easy for anyone who wants to read about the Tudors. Flowery language is kept at bay. The structure of the book makes it even more simpler. It helps in keeping the timeline and understanding the sequence of events better.
Good points
The book is a short read. It is very concise. Those who want to understand the gist of the Tudor reign are going to love this one. It covers all the Tudor rulers and their reign and keeps it precise. The language is very simple to understand.
Bad points
The book may seem data heavy at certain places. Some rulers have been given more space in the book than others which might come as a disappointment. But this maybe because of their short rule. Even then..
Overall
Overall, this is an interesting book about the Tudors. It summarizes their reign in short.
Who do I recommend this to
I recommend this book to all those who are interested in knowing about the Tudors but want to avoid all the chunky books. Those who like precision in history are going to love this one.
Quotable quotes
The England Elizabeth inherited was a weak and divided nation, surrounded by enemies. ‘She is only a woman, only mistress of half an island,’ remarked an admiring Pope Sixtus V, ‘and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, by all. She instilled a sense of national pride in her people and became a living symbol of resistance to a foreign threat.