TheTudor Book Shop Blog

Available as: Kindle, Hardcover

Amazon Blurb: Elizabeth I. Tudor, Queen, Protestant.

Throughout her reign, Elizabeth I had to deal with many rebellions which aimed to undermine her rule and overthrow her. Led in the main by those who wanted religious freedom and to reap the rewards of power, each one was thwarted but left an indelible mark on Queen Elizabeth and her governance of England.

Learning from earlier Tudor rebellions against Elizabeth’s grandfather, father, and siblings, they were dealt with mercilessly by spymaster Francis Walsingham who pushed for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots due to her involvement, and who created one of the first government spy networks in England.

Espionage, spying and hidden ciphers would demonstrate the lengths Mary was willing to go to gain her freedom and how far Elizabeth’s advisors would go to stop her and protect their Virgin Queen. Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots were rival queens on the same island, pushed together due to religious intolerance and political instability, which created the perfect conditions for revolt, where power struggles would continue even after Mary’s death.

The Elizabethan period is most often described as a Golden Age; Elizabeth I had the knowledge and insight to deal with cases of conspiracy, intrigue, and treason, and perpetuate her own myth of Gloriana.

Available as: Kindle

Amazon Blurb: A Spanish Armada sailor’s quest for survival turns into an epic battle for love, freedom, and justice in this gripping reimagined legend of the Tudor era.

The coast of Ireland, 1588: Aboard a lone galleon, part of what once was the mighty Armada, Inyo Fernández has barely survived weeks of starvation and harrowing sea battles, when his vessel is far off course, heading straight into a catastrophic storm.

In Ireland, the O’Malley chieftain’s granddaughter, Finley, has only recently discovered how badly her world is broken. And now, she and the entire clan are about to be plunged into a desperate struggle against foreign domination. So much is already at stake, and hiding someone hunted by the English will endanger everyone’s lives even more. Finley, however, is inexplicably drawn to the stranger and can’t shake the feeling that she knows him. But how?

Amid uncertain days, a spark ignites between Finley and Inyo, a growing flame that outshines the darkness around them. Yet both know that inevitable heartbreak looms because Inyo simply has to flee.

When Finley’s kin are ambushed and captured, facing the gallows, Inyo and Finley unexpectedly find themselves catapulted into untold dangers across the sea.

Available as: Kindle

Amazon Blurb: 1602. Change is in the air as rumours of Queen Elizabeth’s failing health spreads throughout England. Determined to start a new chapter Frances, now an impoverished widow, is eager to help her friend celebrate the Christmas season. Far more surprises are in store for her and a reunion with a man she never expected to see again…

Available as: Kindle, Hardcover

Amazon Blurb: Education during the Tudor era was a privilege and took many forms including schools, colleges and apprenticeships. Those responsible for delivering education came from a variety of backgrounds from the humble parish priest to the most famed poet-laureates of the day. Curriculums varied according to wealth, gender and geography. The wealthy could afford the very best of tutors and could study as much or as little as they chose while the poorer members of society could only grasp at opportunities in the hopes of providing themselves with a better future.

The Tudors were educated during a time when the Renaissance was sweeping across Europe and Henry VIII became known as a Renaissance Prince but what did his education consist of? Who were his tutors? How did his education differ to that of his elder brother, Prince Arthur and how did Henry’s education change upon the death of his brother? There is no doubt Henry was provided with an excellent education, particularly in comparison to his sisters, Margaret and Mary. Henry’s own education would go on to influence his decisions of tutors for his own children. Who had the privilege of teaching Henry’s children and did they dare to use corporal punishment?

Educating the Tudors seeks to answer all of these questions, delving into the education of all classes, the subjects they studied, educational establishment and those who taught them.

Available as: Kindle, Hardcover

Amazon Blurb: Drawing heavily from the State Papers of the King, Henry VIII and the Merchants traces Stephen Vaughan’s careers as a servant of Thomas Cromwell and of Henry VIII in the 16th century.

Stephen Vaughan, a Londoner with an international outlook, was a member of the Company of Merchant Taylors, as well as a Merchant Adventurer in the Low Countries. As a young man Vaughan was drawn into the employ of Thomas Cromwell and worked in his private office. Thus, Vaughan became heavily involved in the world of government and court politics at a time when the style, tempo and effectiveness of official life in London was changing rapidly and the world was quickly opening up as his travels to Europe drew him into the enticing world of business and finance.

For the first time, this notable study uncovers the secrets of Vaughan’s life from his relatively humble beginning to his high power career as an ambassador, spy, and financial agent of the crown on the Bourse at Antwerp. What is more, on a wider canvas this intimate tale shows how individuals were affected by and reacted to the drastic changes in religion, politics and everyday life under the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII.

Available as: Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Book

Amazon Blurb: An essential biography of Queen Anne Boleyn! Perfect for readers on Alison Weir, Eric Ives and John Guy.

‘A very readable account of all the strands in the complicated tapestry of politics, religion, and that very uncertain quality, the King’s love’ The Times

Few queens of England are as famous as Anne Boleyn.

Yet, who was this woman? What was her life like before Henry VIII became infatuated with her? And just how influential was she in reshaping English religious and political life during the early years of the Reformation?

Marie Louise Bruce’s engrossing account of Anne Boleyn charts the rise and fall of this remarkable young woman through the course of her short life, from her early days at Hever Castle to the luxurious courts of France and England to her terrifying last days in the Tower of London.

By utilising a wealth of primary sources, including the love letters between Henry and Anne along with innumerable documents written by courtiers and ambassadors, Bruce brings to life the splendour of the Tudor court and its most famous king and queen.

‘Traces sympathetically and in great detail the life of Henry VIII’s second queen. What a woman, and what a terrible time to be her kind of woman! Beautiful, clever, talkative and strong-willed, in this book Anne Boleyn lives and dies vividly, leaving behind the proud and inescapable fact that her daughter became England’s greatest queen’ She Magazine

‘A readable and balanced portrait.’ Kirkus Reviews

‘Eminently readable… Marie Louise Bruce is admirably fair (and) makes good use of Henry’s letters to Anne during their courtship’ The Sunday Telegraph

Available as: Kindle, Hardcover

Amazon Blurb: The unlikely beginnings of the East India Company—from Tudor origins and rivalry with the superior Dutch—to laying the groundwork for future British expansion

The East India Company was the largest commercial enterprise in British history, yet its roots in Tudor England are often overlooked. The Tudor revolution in commerce led ambitious merchants to search for new forms of investment, not least in risky overseas enterprises—and for these “adventurers” the most profitable bet of all would be on the Company.

Through a host of stories and fascinating details, David Howarth brings to life the Company’s way of doing business—from the leaky ships and petty seafarers of its embattled early days to later sweeping commercial success. While the Company’s efforts met with disappointment in Japan, they sowed the seeds of success in India, setting the outline for what would later become the Raj. Drawing on an abundance of sources, Howarth shows how competition from European powers was vital to success—and considers whether the Company was truly “English” at all, or rather part of a Europe-wide movement.

Available as: Kindle, Paperback

Amazon Blurb: The British Library Archives protects a fragile, burned fragment of an impassioned letter. The document concludes,

“From my doleful Prison the Tower, this 6th of May. Your most Loyal and ever Faithful Wife, Anne Boleyn.”

The year was 1536. This letter, possibly the final words from Queen Anne Boleyn to her husband, King Henry VIII, has mystified historians for centuries. Was it composed by Anne? How did it reach the British Library? Did the King ever see it?

In the definitive study on the ‘Tower Letter’, Sandra Vasoli begins to untangle the letter’s convoluted past, presenting a provenance spanning almost 500 years. Vasoli also reveals a little-known, startling deathbed admission by Henry VIII. The cryptic clue gives us a glimpse into Henry’s anguish over his second wife.

This research may well alter the accepted view of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s doomed marriage…