Tudors: The History of England Volume II (History of England, #2)

by Peter Ackroyd

Following on from Foundation, Tudors is the second volume in Peter Ackroyd's astonishing series, The History of England.

Rich in detail and atmosphere and told in vivid prose, Tudors recounts the transformation of England from a settled Catholic country to a Protestant superpower. It is the story of Henry VIII's cataclysmic break with Rome, and his relentless pursuit of both the perfect wife and the perfect heir; of how the brief reign of the teenage king, Edward VI, gave way to the violent reimposition of Catholicism and the stench of bonfires under 'Bloody Mary'. It tells, too, of the long reign of Elizabeth I, which, though marked by civil strife, plots against the queen and even an invasion force, finally brought stability.

Above all, however, it is the story of the English Reformation and the making of the Anglican Church. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, England was still largely feudal and looked to Rome for direction; at its end, it was a country where good governance was the duty of the state, not the church, and where men and women began to look to themselves for answers rather than to those who ruled them.

• ISBN10: 1447236815
• ISBN13: 9781447236818
• Publish Date: 4 July 2013 (first published 13 September 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 528
• Language: English

Reviews

[Lianne]

Naturally with the focus of this book being on the Tudor dynasty, it’s a familiar tale. What is interesting about Ackroyd’s book is that he focuses on the implications of England’s split from the Catholic church and that significance to English–and later British–history. As a result, the events featured in the book moves pretty quickly chronologically but the weight of the presentation comes in explaining the socio-religious changes that was happening across English society.

Tudors is an accessible title and I learned some new things about the period from this volume. It can be a little dense at times but the anecdotal stories were enjoyable and interesting. It’s worth checking out for readers who enjoy reading and learning about Tudor history and religious history in England–there might be something here that’s new and different that readers might not have picked up on before.

You can read this review in its entirety over at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2013/10/08/review-tudors/