The House of Tudor

The House of Tudor changed the history of Britain forever. The Tudor monarchs have been immortalised in novels and films for generations. However, the true history of this incredible dynasty is often romanticised and fact is overlooked. Alison Plowden's accessible and beautifully written history traces the family's turbulent reign of power from Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, who fathered the great Henry VIII. Henry VIII went onto revolutionise England's armed forces and implement controversial reforms in England. Yet, he is perhaps most remembered for his tumultuous love life and the fates of his six wives, including Anne of Boleyn, who sparked an international crisis. He fathered four known offspring, including Mary I and Gloriana - Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, who reigned for 44 years in what is known as England's Golden Age. This book not only re-tells the familiar stories of these famous monarchs, revealing the truth behind the scandals; but it also recounts the history of the less well-known Tudor monarchs: Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey (the uncrowned Queen of England), and those who came directly before and after them - Edward IV and James I.If you read on history of the Tudors, make it this one - you are sure to be enthralled and surprised by how the facts are often more incredible than the fiction surrounding them.Review“Alison Plowden is clearly under the spell of the Tudors as she writes here of the beginnings of the family and the lives of the five Tudor rulers - from Henry VII, who brought the Wars of the Roses to a close and ascended the throne in 1485, to Elizabeth I.  Plowden’s Tudor portraits are enchanting history and at the same time they comprise a family story of enormous complexity, vitality and fascination. Her retelling has the spirit, romance and freshness of the completely new.”  --  Publishers Weekly"An ornate, admiring history of everyone's favorite dynasty. Plowden writes with regal flair." -- Kirkus