The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I

Fair but not great. Not much interpretation or detailed examination of the important issues of the period. Superficial research based primarily on secondary sources. Author often fails to explain quotes, leaving meanings obscure.

Peter Acroyd is a very good historian but, above all, he is very good writer. His detailed recount of the trasformation of England
from a Catholic country to a Protestant superpower keeps you going from one page to the other until you get to the end.

The book arrived when expected and in the condition described. I cannot recommend the book to others unless their interestests are the same as mine. But for those people I highly recommend this book and many others by Peter Ackroyd.

Ackroyd is an excellent writer and this book is filled with interesting details about this revolutionary period of English history. It seemed to me however, that he functions here as almost an apologist for Henry VIII, one of the most despotic and murderous monarchs of all time. And even though the author states "it is not possible to judge the behaviour of one century by the values of another" he continuously does just that in reference to religious issues. He seems to be virulently anti Catholic and this bias seriously diminishes the value of the text.

Book 2 in Peter Ackroyd's History of England series doesn't miss a beat from the first book. So much information is contained here. It's amazing what is known about the day-to-day lives of royalty from this period. So many letters, court records, etc. that tell us so much about these people. It is also amazing how little is known about the day-to-day lives of the general populace of England at the same time. As necessitated by where the records are, this book gives much more detail in the lives of royalty than the rest of England. That said, I don't think Ackroyd misses a thing. I have much greater understanding of the Tudor period and the formation of the Church of England than I did before this book. Really worthwhile reading!
One of my favorite quotes from the book comes from a discussion about the persecution of Catholics in England during this reformative period, i.e. burning at the stake, torturing, etc. The author says something to this effect: "At this point the historian is tempted to pass judgement on the perpetrators of these acts as bigots and as evil people. But we must not reflect our modern sensibilities on those who lived centuries before." At last! Someone who looks at history in a reasonable way! Thank you Mr. Ackroyd. I loved this book and will be moving on to the next one!

The Tudors by acclaimed British author Peter Ackroyd is the second volume in his new History of England series, although reading the first book (Foundation) is by no means necessary Ackroyd's highly readable, engaging review of the reigns of the corpulent and much-wedded Henry VIII, Bloody Mary and Elizabeth I (interrupted albeit briefly by Henry VII's son Edward VI's six year reign).

Ackroyd brings the same sharp acumen and evocative social insight evident in his previous works Foundation and in London: A Biography. The author hangs the overarching story-line on the key events and players but lavishes particular attention on the belief systems and intricacies of the burgeoning English Reformation which drove Tudor rule. He has a particular talent for interweaving the tiniest of details and tying them back to the epic sweep of history.

Dry it is not, however it is by necessity somewhat cursory on some of the more infamous events of the period. Ackroyd is a brilliant writer and, given his background and focus on cultural roots and sociology, he brings a different and often highly discerning eye to the historical events of the period. He keeps a fairly razor eye on the roots of the English Reformation and the events therein, rather than, as many histories of the period do, highlighting the soap opera of Henry VIII's long procession of wives. He provides a strong thematic thread for the ebb and flow of England's slide away from Catholicism, tying the many elements traditionally linked back to Tudor power, into a broader context.

Ackroyd provides a solid, eminently readable book that any student of the era would be wise to crack open.

They were even worse that I had thought! (The Tudors, that is.) I was hesitant to get into this volume of Akroyd's history. But once in (listening to the audio version) I had to keep going with it.
I knew a certain amount about Henry the Eighth and his wives, and certainly heard of the dissolution of the monasteries. But so many gruesome executions, too many to to count, for treason and heresy, continuing into his daugher's notorious reign, has me traumatised. Getting in to the reign of Elizabeth now, thank goodness! Akroyd obviously admires her tremendously.

Peter Ackroyd is one of Great Britain's most prolific authors. Ackroyd is presently at work on a history of England. "Tudors" is volume two. In nearly five hundred lively pages the author paints a portrait of the colorful family from Wales that ruled England from 1485 until the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. It was a bloody age dominated by religious controversy and persecution. The book covers the reigns of:
Henry VII-Henry ended the War of the Roses when he defeated Richard III the Yorkist king at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
Henry VIII-The rotund king who wed six times; beheaded and burned many enemies and transformed England from a Roman Catholic to an Anglican nation. He ruled from 1509-47. Ackroyd discusses Henry's wives and his conversion to an anti-papal ruler who broke with Pope Clement VII.
Edward VI-The boy king was committed to the Protestant cause but died young. His reign was from 1547-53.
Jane Grey reigned for only nine days before being beheaded . She represented the Protestant cause.
Mary I-(1553-58) Bloody Mary was a devoted Roman Catholic who was the daughter of Henry VIII's first wife the Spaniard Catherine of Aragon. Mary was the first reigning Queen of England. During her reign over three hundred Protestants were burned at the stake earning her the nickname of "Bloody Mary." She wed Phillip II of Spain and died childless.
Elizabeth I (1558-16-3) The Virgin Queen was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was a Protestant who presided over the first secular state in British history. During her reign the might of Spain was crushed when the Spanish Armada was soundly defeated in 1588. Elizabeth signed the death warrant for Mary Queen of Scots in 1587 ended Roman Catholic hopes to restore the old faith to the English crown.
Ackroyd writes popular history with the skill of a novelist telling a good story. This book is an excellent introduction to the study of Tudor England. Well recommended for general readers.

This truly inclusive work of history, the second of Ackroyd's History of England series, provides a close look at the evolution of England from an insular feudal country of parts to a nation ready to participate in the greater world on its own terms at the end of the 16th century. Ackroyd takes the reader through the lives of Henry VIII and his well known, but perhaps less well understood, quest for an heir; his son Edward VI; then the queen known as "Bloody Mary"; and finally the reign of Elizabeth which cemented and ended the Tudor era. Along the way, he includes all that happens with the political and religious machinations of the day and the cultural implications.

I have learned so much and realize that much of my prior "knowledge" has been based on half-truths and silly songs. While there is so much that I could cite from this vastly informative book, perhaps the best summary is Ackroyd's own:

Yet arguably all these matters - the growing emphasis
upon the individual, the dissolution of communal life,
the abrogation of custom and tradition - were the
necessary conditions for the great changes in the spirit
and condition of the nation that were still to come.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a very readable text on this era in English history. I plan to read much more from Ackroyd's very prolific list.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

An enjoyable and fascinating read. This book is not designed for the academic, but for the lay reader with an interest in this period of history.
To that end, it is a superbly readable account of the power struggles and machinations at court.
There are no footnotes and any Latin or colloquial terms are translated where they appear.
Ackroyd has a light touch, but he has undoubtedly done the research. The result is an intelligent combination of erudite scholarship and very readable narrative that is not too dense or too superficial.
This book illustrates how brutal life was in those times - famine, disease and death (for some by burning or beheading) very prevalent in the population.
The power politics of Court is sadly similar to what goes on today in the halls of government.

Tudors is the second book in Peter Ackroyd's History of England series--if you have not read the first Foundation

(you really should) it is not a problem. This book is a continuation of the historical period and will still make perfect sense without the preface of the first book.

Whist I enjoyed reading this very much, I liked the way the information was organised and appreciated the scope of how much research was put into this, I was vaguely disappointed that it mostly focused on the upper class and not so much on the general population at that time. It was interesting to see how the rulers lived and gain insight into their lives, but it would have also been nice to see how the rest lived.

A good portion of this book also deals with the Protestant Reformation and the changes in social attitude during the Tudor period. The general feeling of Tudor determination to gain authority and status came through well in the writing.

For me, this was not quite as intriguing as the first book, but I still enjoyed it. I learned some new things and had fun along the way. With peter Ackroyd, you are always guaranteed quality work that can make history feel truly alive.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher and provided by netgalley.

The author's failure to add Notes for historical reference is indeed odd since Ackroyd presents his material as historical fact.

As a longtime student of English history and Anglicanism, I find numerous errors in this and other books by this author.
Just one example: Ackroyd says on page 211 of his book: "Tudors," "There were to be no more intimations of sacrifice and the minister,
no longer called priest, was ordered simply to place the bread and wine upon the alter."

The first Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549, is replete with references to the Anglican Priesthood as: "Archebishopps, Bishoppes,
Priestes, and Deacons." The sentence from "Tudors" quoted from page 211 is patently false.

This reader has given up on Ackroyd's authorship due to this tendency towards inaccuracy!

I am a totally Tudor fan - obsessed with the concept of divine power. "Tudors" is highly readable, well researched and scholarly. Henry the VIII's fiddling with the "true" religion was ultimately the downfall of a powerful monarchy. The book describes the mores of the times, clothes and the violent, horrible and clearly un-human punishment visited on those whose views were considered traitorous or treasonous. I do disagree with Ackroyd as he brushes off Tudor brutality with the comment that one century cannot judge the actions of a past century. If so, what is the point of history? The cruelty of the rack and the bestiality of burning at stake unleashed animalistic behavior and a circus atmosphere that cannot be pardoned.

I am in the process of reading "Tudors: The History of England from Henry VII to Elizabeth I". It is a long book with a wealth of information, but very readable. I would definitely agree with reviewer "Bluestalking Reader" that it is not a book to race through. There is so much information that at times I go back to reread a section and then google it online to read more (e.g. "Bloody Mary" being the first Queen of England). I would also have to agree with the review "kas" that this book is definitely for the "casually interested reader." I read more World War II history, but found this book easy enough to keep up with. For me, one of the outstanding features of the book is the detailed history of the founding (establishment?) of the Church of England. For me, as a present day Episcopalian, this is the most fascinating part of the book. I actually pulled out my Book of Common Prayer at one point to check what Mr. Ackroyd said. I also plan to reread Mr. Alan Jacobs' biography of the Book of Common Prayer, entitled "The Book of Common Prayer" to see how it matches up. So, to sum up, an interesting book to those even casually interested in this time period and a very interesting book to folks who are interested in the history of the Anglican religion.

Since reading Peter Ackroyd’s Dickens, an intensive biography of my favorite author, and his London: A Biography, Ackroyd has been one of my favorite scholars.

I haven’t read the first volume in this series, Foundation, but I didn’t find it necessary. This second volume focuses on a topic I’ve only recently found an interest in, the Tudors, and in this book Ackroyd examines the time of Henry VIII through Elizabeth I. While Ackroyd focuses on the extreme religious reforms that occurred in England throughout this time, there is still enough attention paid to the main players to keep the human interest story alive.

The Tudor period hadn’t been one that caught my attention until I watched the show The Tudors. I love historical stories enough to know that poetic license can be taken when telling them, and I know the history presented in the television show often wasn’t the way it occurred in life. After I saw the show I read Hilary Mantel’s fictional Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. I also read Alison Weir’s biography Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World. I came into Ackroyd’s book with some knowledge of the period and the important players, though prior knowledge isn’t necessary to enjoying Ackroyd’s book. Ackroyd gives enough background information to clue readers in about his subject.

Ackroyd is not only a great researcher and scholar, but he is also a fine writer. For someone who loves history as much as I do, I don’t love reading history books because they’re not particularly engaging. I find other history books to read like, well, history books--lists of facts that hold as much interest for me as mathematical equations (which hold no interest for me). But Ackroyd’s prose is engaging, and his book reads as though it was written with a master fiction writer’s hand.

Ackroyd’s research filled in the gaping holes of missing information I had about the Tudor period. I had known bits and pieces of the story before, but now I feel I have a more rounded perspective. For anyone with an interest in the Tudor period of British history, Peter Ackroyd’s Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I will quench your thirst for more information.

A solid book that will be even more interesting if you love the Tudors. Personally I have a passing interest in the topic but I was interested enough to look into a book about their dynasty. This book is bored in the details and mainly focuses of the Reformation and religious differences that took place during the Tudor reign. The author spends plenty of time focusing on the religious differences between Henry VII and his three children who took over for him following his death. A good book that's worth your time. Give it a shot.

touches very lightly on Henry Viii and his wives....doesn't go into much deeper research.....author is very misogynistic.....it was known that Anne Boleyn was innocent of the crimes Henry and Cromwell devised to destroy her....yet this author is suggesting she is guilty of sleeping with all of those men.....very incorrect depiction of history....slanted and inaccurate.....would not recommend

touches very lightly on Henry Viii and his wives....doesn't go into much deeper research.....author is very misogynistic.....it was known that Anne Boleyn was innocent of the crimes Henry and Cromwell devised to destroy her....yet this author is suggesting she is guilty of sleeping with all of those men.....very incorrect depiction of history....slanted and inaccurate.....would not recommend