Peter AckroydTudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I (The History of England, 2)

This is a very good history of the Tudors. I bought his Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution before this book, so I have things out of order as it were, but it doesn't matter; whatever he writes can stand on its own. I was impressed with Rebellion and decided to buy this book, and I feel like it is even better, so now I have Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors on the shelf waiting next.He writes so well. You never feel like you are bogging down into irrelevant details but what details that are provided help you understand the period, but this book takes you way beyond an English king that was known to chop a head off, even if that head was his wife's, and explains the significance in a broader picture of why his period is so important in the history of our civilization.Henry VIII was consumed with having a male heir. When he married his deceased brother's wife, Katherine of Aragon just before his eighteenth birthday, the plan was that she would provide him a son. She failed. She gave birth to a daughter, Mary, Henry began to have thoughts of ditching her as he already had his eyes on Anne Boleyn, and so began his quest to obtain from the pope an annulment of the marriage. To keep it short, he was able to marry Anne and she gave him a daughter, Elizabeth, but not a son. So he had her head chopped off because of reports of adultery and went on to marry again. Jayne Seymour did give him a son, Edward VI. She died just a few days after childbirth.All of this is somewhat tabloid stuff. The real interest of the book is the almost one hundred years of reformation that England went through, from being a Catholic nation to becoming a nation under the Anglican (Protestant) church, whose head was the king or queen. It was not an easy or pleasant transformation. That nation had changed its faith four times in twenty years, and a time had come for an end to innovation. But during those years there were changes in the throne as well. When Henry VIII died, Edward became king, but being of poor health he died at the age of sixteen. During his reign, the nation remained Protestant. An attempt was made to sidestep Mary and install Lady Jane Grey as queen. Her reign lasted a little over a week and Mary took over. Mary was a devout Catholic, and while she ruled there were about 300 "heretics" burned alive, earning her the moniker of Bloody Mary. While she did marry, she produced no children, and upon her death Elizabeth began her long reign.There are so many characters involved in this book, whether bishops, archbishops, noblemen or secretaries. Ackroyd does a good job of presenting each of them, and while many expired without their head, he does introduce us to William Cecil and his son Robert. William was with Elizabeth throughout her reign and was, in fact, her primary minister. He helped to guide her although no man could control her. She was very strong willed, wanted peace in her kingdom, was wisely wary of political ties to other nations, and held England together when a great majority of Europe was Catholic, and many wished to see her head in a basket.The matter of Mary Queen of Scots is discussed adequately in the book. The author is not judgmental of Mary but does rightly point out that she made some very foolish decisions during her lifetime. Running away with the primary suspect of her husband's murder was not a brilliant move and she lived in custody in England for about eighteen years until Cecil and Walsingham got enough on her to chop off her head.In the latter part of Elizabeth's rule, the nation was saved by the English navy and bad luck weather for the Spanish navy. She ruled until 1603 and the son of Mary Queen of Scots, James I of England, took the throne. You will learn more about him in Rebellion.I thoroughly enjoyed the book and Peter Ackroyd is one of my favorite authors. I strongly recommend his works.

This is the second volume of Peter Ackroyd's history of England. So far there are three, but more volumes are expected--and anticipated. This book can easily stand on its own. THE TUDORS covers the ninety-four year period from the ascension of Henry VIII in 1509 to the death of his daughter, Elizabeth I in 1603. Two of his other children, Edward VI and Mary I (Bloody Mary) also rule during this time.The Tutors are fascinating, if brutal, rulers, and Ackroyd brings them all to life, along with their supporting cast, which includes the six queens of Henry VIII and councillors such as Thomas More and Robert Cecil, among many others. As always, Ackroyd's prose is lively and accessible, and his insights are spot on.Ackroyd focuses quite closely on the Protestant Reformation that was taking place throughout the period. It is certainly necessary to do so, but Ackroyd delves so deep on specific matters that it can grow tedious.But make no mistake. This is an entertaining and enjoyable book on that famous family who ruled England for nearly a century.

Peter Ackroyd is one of my favorite historians. This series is interesting, engaging and well worth the read. I highly recommend it!

The Tudor kings and queens were arguably the dynasty that shaped the future of English history more than any other. Peter Akroyd recreates the story of the Tudor kings and queens with amazing detail. Even in 432 pages, Akroyd can only scratch the surface of these colorful and larger than life monarchs.It's all here. The triumphs and tragedies of one of the bloodiest dynasties in English history. Betrayals and conspiracies were the words of the day during the reign of the Tutors. History fans will be enthralled by all of the details. No doubt Henry VIII and Elizabeth I are the main characters in this book as they ultimately shaped the religious outlook in England.Akroyd does spend large parts of the book describing the religious fervor in England. It's fascinating to read how Catholic England became a Protestant country in stages and in varying extremes. Catholic, then Protestant, then Catholic again and finally Protestant. Probably no other European country saw such religious upheaval.No doubt, Akroyd could have created a book 5 times longer with all the intrigue and espionage in court.Despite all the detail, the reader can be left with so many questions. Lady Jane Grey and her 9 days of Queen in England is not explored as fully as possible. Even Mary Queen of Scots deserved more detail.There is no question that TUDORS: THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND FROM HENRY VIII TO ELIZABETH I is an incredibly fascinating read for any history fan. I'm not sure why HENRY VII does not feature in the title since he founded the Tudor Dynasty. I guess that's for another book.

I’m not much of a scholar but history interests me. Peter Ackroyd’s writing tells English History with a narrative that reads more like a novel than non-fiction. Thoroughly enjoyed and learned a great deal at the same time.

in spite that the book arrived damaged, the transaction was good. Ackroyd is a great writer, not only in history matters but also in fiction

if you wish to know more about 16th century England the reformation, read this book., very engagingly written

Volume 2 of Peter Ackroyd’s History of England picks up from Vol 1 and jumps into the Tudor dynasty. It is an excellent overview of the Tudor monarchs and goes into detail where it needs to with Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Well worth the read.

I read the book after seeing the TV series "The Tudors", feeling frustrated that the TV show focused so much on the love affairs of King Henry VIII and so little on the background for the religious reform happening at the time. This book allowed me to find an answer to my questions on the religious and societal changes affecting England in the 16th century. You read it like a novel, yet the book seems rigorous on historical facts. There are a lot of repetitions, but overall it just helps remember key aspects of the reign of the Tudor dynasty. I would definitely recommend the book to someone interested in knowing more about English history.