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House of Treason: The Rise and Fall of a Tudor Dynasty
Robert Hutchinson made his debut as a popular historian with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful LAST DAYS OF HENRY VIII. His biography of Sir Francis Walsingham, ELIZABETH'S SPY MASTER was published in 2006. This new biography works as both a sequel and 'prequel' to his existing books, telling the dramatic story of the Dukes of Norfolk. The richest and most powerful noble family in Britain, after the king himself, they regarded themselves as the power behind the throne and regularly tried to act as 'kingmakers'. Thomas Howard, the second duke, fought for Richard III at Bosworth and was imprisoned in the Tower by Henry VII. A brilliant politician, he negotiated his way out and became a key minister in the new Tudor regime. Late in life he commanded the English army that annihilated the Scots at Flodden in 1513. However, his descendants were a louche lot of plotters and conspirators; Henry VIII and Elizabeth I both beheaded a Norfolk for treason (although another led the Royal Navy against the Spanish Armada). The rise and fall of this mighty dynasty sheds new light on the reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth as well as providing enormous entertainment.
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First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
October 5, 2011
If you think your family is a mess, you should probably read this book.
After all, how many generations of your family have been imprisoned or beheaded?
The Howard family was the power family in Tudor England. In each generation, the head of the Howard family was the Duke of Norfolk and the preeminent noble man--he also had a decent of chance of getting his head chopped off.
This book traces the family throughout the Tudor era, highlighting how each generation's fortunes rose and fell. At times, it's a bit dry, but then someone's head gets whacked off, and it's all fun again. Each page brings a higher body count, until I felt like screaming at the character like at a bad horror movie "DUKE! DO NOT COMMIT TREASON...IT WILL END BADLY!" The Dukes never listened.
If you're a lover of English history, this meticulously researched book is a great addition to your knowledge base. It's well-written, exciting, and informative. And it has a lot of severed heads.
After all, how many generations of your family have been imprisoned or beheaded?
The Howard family was the power family in Tudor England. In each generation, the head of the Howard family was the Duke of Norfolk and the preeminent noble man--he also had a decent of chance of getting his head chopped off.
This book traces the family throughout the Tudor era, highlighting how each generation's fortunes rose and fell. At times, it's a bit dry, but then someone's head gets whacked off, and it's all fun again. Each page brings a higher body count, until I felt like screaming at the character like at a bad horror movie "DUKE! DO NOT COMMIT TREASON...IT WILL END BADLY!" The Dukes never listened.
If you're a lover of English history, this meticulously researched book is a great addition to your knowledge base. It's well-written, exciting, and informative. And it has a lot of severed heads.
November 27, 2023
Hutchinson is very much an author of popular history; he tells his story pretty well, but there is very little analysis or thoughtful interpretation of events and motivations. He excels at characterizing historical figures in somewhat cursory and contradictory ways. His description of Cromwell as an opportunist only interested in his own gain--evident both here and in his biography of Cromwell--is a case in point; Cromwell is venal, and thus abandons Wolsey at the latter's fall, but Hutchinson then can't explain why Cromwell fought against the bill of attainder brought in against Wolsey. If Cromwell is so disloyal, why is he loyal to his former master at a time when almost everyone else had abandoned Wolsey?
The Howards are a fascinating family who engaged in a challenging balancing act throughout the Tudor period, but Hutchinson contents himself with broad characterizations of the main players and a description of events, without any meaningful interpretation. Little explanation is given to how Thomas Howard, 3d Duke of Norfolk, formed and maintained alliances during the treacherous years of Henry VIII, how he survived the execution of two nieces who he promoted as his monarch's wives, or his reaction to the religious reforms of the time (other than to describe him as "conservative"--true, but hardly revealing).
Further, the narrative is chronologically driven, but relentlessly focused on Hutchinson's protagonist (for the majority of the book, the 3d Duke of Norfolk), without any real discussion of what else was happening in England at the time. By failing to provide meaningful context, Hutchinson deprives us of the opportunity to see how events impacted the Howards, and how the Howards responded to/manipulated events to promote their own interests.
Hutchinson is a decent writer, but his failure to go beyond the surface makes this history a disappointment, which is a pity because the Howards give a historian a great deal to work with.
The Howards are a fascinating family who engaged in a challenging balancing act throughout the Tudor period, but Hutchinson contents himself with broad characterizations of the main players and a description of events, without any meaningful interpretation. Little explanation is given to how Thomas Howard, 3d Duke of Norfolk, formed and maintained alliances during the treacherous years of Henry VIII, how he survived the execution of two nieces who he promoted as his monarch's wives, or his reaction to the religious reforms of the time (other than to describe him as "conservative"--true, but hardly revealing).
Further, the narrative is chronologically driven, but relentlessly focused on Hutchinson's protagonist (for the majority of the book, the 3d Duke of Norfolk), without any real discussion of what else was happening in England at the time. By failing to provide meaningful context, Hutchinson deprives us of the opportunity to see how events impacted the Howards, and how the Howards responded to/manipulated events to promote their own interests.
Hutchinson is a decent writer, but his failure to go beyond the surface makes this history a disappointment, which is a pity because the Howards give a historian a great deal to work with.
June 14, 2019
This is such an information dense book and I felt like I had to plough through it all. It took a very long time to read and was hard to get into. The subject matter was rather narrow, and for all the information, I don't think it really fully explored the brief laid down in the introduction. Why exactly are the Howards the House of Treason, when only a few of them are actually executed for treason (or is it purely due to their association with the Boleyn/Howard Queens)? It may be that I find certain members of the Howard family fascinating, but do not find the family interesting as a whole. I enjoyed learning about some of the lesser-known historical figures (but this was few and far between). Hutchinson may benefit from learning to lighten up his writing, it felt like such a drag at times. Indeed, it took a blackout for me to finish this book on my Kindle, because I had nothing else to do in the dark! 3 stars.
July 16, 2015
A fascinating account of the Howard family from the reign of Henry VII to the end of Elizabeth I's reign. This is by far my favourite book by Hutchinson.
The narrative provides an interesting perspective, intertwining family history with the history of the Tudor dynasty, making it a definite mus read for people new to the period and those who have read around on the period.
The book is well sourced and referenced yet also well written and easy to follow as Hutchinson provides a chronology, genealogical tables and dramatis personae. It is definitely an enjoyable read.
The fluctuation in the balance of power and continuous rise and fall of the house of Howard is utterly intriguing.
The narrative provides an interesting perspective, intertwining family history with the history of the Tudor dynasty, making it a definite mus read for people new to the period and those who have read around on the period.
The book is well sourced and referenced yet also well written and easy to follow as Hutchinson provides a chronology, genealogical tables and dramatis personae. It is definitely an enjoyable read.
The fluctuation in the balance of power and continuous rise and fall of the house of Howard is utterly intriguing.
June 4, 2010
This was a great outline of the fortunes of the House of Howard, Tudor magnates who were too close to the throne to be comfortable for the Tudor monarchs. Beheaded, attainted, died, beheaded, died, survived - or something akin to that could describe the Howard dukes of Norfolk. Two Howard nieces, Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard, didn't last long as Tudor queens. The sweep of the sixteenth century can be seen here, and the writing is earnest, sometimes bemused, and sympathetic to the ill fortune of the family.
December 3, 2025
At first I wasn't sure about this book as the prologue was uneven, but once the main narration got underway, it was more interesting. The main meat of the book is its focus on the Third Duke of Norfolk, the one who was an implacable enemy of both Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell and who was the great survivor of Henry VIII's reign. The title is a bit of a misnomer as when the narrative ends, the Howards are back on track to be wealthy landowners and more in the 17th century onwards.
The book is probably a bit superficial in places with such a broad canvas to cover. The author is also slightly misogynistic in places, making various value judgements on women of the period, from referring to all young women as giggly, or branding one as flirty with no evidence whatsoever. There is quite a long section devoted to showing what a neurotic woman the Third Duke married, but not only was she prevented from marrying the man she loved and instead had to marry an unpleasant man much older than her, but he flaunted a mistress in front of her and evicted her from her home, keeping her in financial straits ever after. So she did have rather a lot to complain about. It's also striking how many women died in childbirth: I already knew about Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr, but the fourth duke married three women in succession who had short lives due to this. The author just reports this as bald facts rather than considering the effect on family relationships.
Overall, I would rate this as 3 stars.
The book is probably a bit superficial in places with such a broad canvas to cover. The author is also slightly misogynistic in places, making various value judgements on women of the period, from referring to all young women as giggly, or branding one as flirty with no evidence whatsoever. There is quite a long section devoted to showing what a neurotic woman the Third Duke married, but not only was she prevented from marrying the man she loved and instead had to marry an unpleasant man much older than her, but he flaunted a mistress in front of her and evicted her from her home, keeping her in financial straits ever after. So she did have rather a lot to complain about. It's also striking how many women died in childbirth: I already knew about Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr, but the fourth duke married three women in succession who had short lives due to this. The author just reports this as bald facts rather than considering the effect on family relationships.
Overall, I would rate this as 3 stars.
May 5, 2022
An ambitious book, but ultimately Hutchinson tries to do too much in too few pages. Painting the story of the Howard dynasty in three hundred pages or less is a tall order and necessitates skimming and even skipping characters entirely.
July 3, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book - much more than I expected to actually. I didn’t read the blurb before I ordered it and assumed it was about *the* Tudor dynasty, not *a* Tudor dynasty.
Alas, this biography of the rise and fall of the Howard family, four times Dukes of Norfolk, offered an interesting insight into the fickle nature of Tudor royal favour and provided an interesting lens through which to read about the courts of the successive Tudor monarchs.
Alas, this biography of the rise and fall of the Howard family, four times Dukes of Norfolk, offered an interesting insight into the fickle nature of Tudor royal favour and provided an interesting lens through which to read about the courts of the successive Tudor monarchs.
December 13, 2021
Impressive, extraordinary entertaining, learned, witty...
May 27, 2023
Got to page 60 and that was it: “To modern tastes, she would not be considered a great beauty: short, rather than tall, with a sallow, if not swarthy, complexion, a wide mouth and a long neck.” FGS
October 13, 2017
Wealth, influence, status, betrayal, treason...execution.
Enormous piles of cash, property and power were no guarantees of longevity during the scheming and conspiratorial reigns of the Tudors. Fortunes rose and fell on the whims of the monarchs of the day and the advice of their closest confidantes.
If there was a roller coaster ride between benefit and beheading, it was the Howards - the Dukes of Norfolk (or more fitting, the Dukes of Hazard). It was not just the titular heads who came to grisly ends, there were also their dismal contributions to Henry VIII's dynastic aspirations. Two Howard ladies, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both lost their heads.
Author Hutchinson has provided a gripping, informative and even, might I say, an exciting account of life, death, and everything in between - a vivid narrative about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the Tudors and their acolytes and opportunists.
Thoroughly enjoyable. If more people don't read this, heads will roll!
Enormous piles of cash, property and power were no guarantees of longevity during the scheming and conspiratorial reigns of the Tudors. Fortunes rose and fell on the whims of the monarchs of the day and the advice of their closest confidantes.
If there was a roller coaster ride between benefit and beheading, it was the Howards - the Dukes of Norfolk (or more fitting, the Dukes of Hazard). It was not just the titular heads who came to grisly ends, there were also their dismal contributions to Henry VIII's dynastic aspirations. Two Howard ladies, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both lost their heads.
Author Hutchinson has provided a gripping, informative and even, might I say, an exciting account of life, death, and everything in between - a vivid narrative about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the Tudors and their acolytes and opportunists.
Thoroughly enjoyable. If more people don't read this, heads will roll!
July 31, 2013
This book started out feeling very dense and impossible, but it gets better as you go on (and once you get used to there being a new Howard, Norfolk, and Surrey every 30-40 pages.) There are even some funny bits, like when the author apologizes for having to refer to finding Henry VII's next bride as "pimping." It basically covers the Tudor dynasties under several English rulers, paying particular attention to the daily squabbles and intrigue of court life. It's interesting to me because I never really "got" the urgency of the Mary Queen of Scots vs. Elizabeth situation until I read this, and how the "lesser" nobles got involved in their own way. If you need a primer for 16th Century English history, go ahead, but if you aren't ready to do some serious learning, I wouldn't bother.
(Also there's a really good "who's who" in the back and a time line if you get lost, which I appreciated.)
(Also there's a really good "who's who" in the back and a time line if you get lost, which I appreciated.)
January 12, 2024
Robert Hutchinson takes us through almost 150 years of the direct descendants of the Howard family tree and the deceit, betrayal and eventual deaths of these manipulative people.
I have to praise how detailed the writing is. I don't know for sure if that was to make it feel more like a book through time rather than pure trivia but it's definitely provides you with an account of the family members as if they were the lead roles in a novel.
It follows the male heir bloodline of the Howard's from the first Duke of Norfolk (1485) up to his 4th great grandson, the 2nd Earl of Arandel and any other decents living into the early 1600s.
The majority of the male historical figures were absolutely vile! Misogynists, betrayers of their relatives etc. I was willing for the middle section of the book to give us the downfall they deserved. It's not just the Howard's but the other men too. The majority of them I hated and it's not a surprise given Tudor England was a horrifying place. I didn't feel any sympathy for Henry VIII but then again, he never deserved it. The women in the book deserved more sympathy than ever before. Being forced into marriages that led them to depression, death, beheading or just misery in any form. Some were heavily betrayed by the third Duke of Norfolk, who in my opinion felt like the worst Howard family member of the lot.
However, nearer the end I found myself slightly routing for the last of the Howard's and I found a brand new appreciation for the terror faced to those of the Catholic faith during the Elizabethan era. We praise Elizabeth I a lot as being the best Tudor monarch there was, but she, much like her predecessors was still willing to sacrifice innocent people for her throne.
I would have liked a tiny bit more information on the last of the Howard's to be mentioned as it felt like we got a few lines on the remaining ones from the 1600s, and more information on the other members who weren't part of the direct heirs side of the family. I'd love to have known more about Anne Boleyns and Catherine Howards parents as well as the many siblings of the Dukes we were introduced to, but all in all, a very descriptive and honest depiction of the lives of nobility and the lengths they go to in order to remain at the top.
I have to praise how detailed the writing is. I don't know for sure if that was to make it feel more like a book through time rather than pure trivia but it's definitely provides you with an account of the family members as if they were the lead roles in a novel.
It follows the male heir bloodline of the Howard's from the first Duke of Norfolk (1485) up to his 4th great grandson, the 2nd Earl of Arandel and any other decents living into the early 1600s.
The majority of the male historical figures were absolutely vile! Misogynists, betrayers of their relatives etc. I was willing for the middle section of the book to give us the downfall they deserved. It's not just the Howard's but the other men too. The majority of them I hated and it's not a surprise given Tudor England was a horrifying place. I didn't feel any sympathy for Henry VIII but then again, he never deserved it. The women in the book deserved more sympathy than ever before. Being forced into marriages that led them to depression, death, beheading or just misery in any form. Some were heavily betrayed by the third Duke of Norfolk, who in my opinion felt like the worst Howard family member of the lot.
However, nearer the end I found myself slightly routing for the last of the Howard's and I found a brand new appreciation for the terror faced to those of the Catholic faith during the Elizabethan era. We praise Elizabeth I a lot as being the best Tudor monarch there was, but she, much like her predecessors was still willing to sacrifice innocent people for her throne.
I would have liked a tiny bit more information on the last of the Howard's to be mentioned as it felt like we got a few lines on the remaining ones from the 1600s, and more information on the other members who weren't part of the direct heirs side of the family. I'd love to have known more about Anne Boleyns and Catherine Howards parents as well as the many siblings of the Dukes we were introduced to, but all in all, a very descriptive and honest depiction of the lives of nobility and the lengths they go to in order to remain at the top.
August 20, 2022
A good idea poorly executed… the tale of one family’s hubris during the Tudor era suffers from the same fate as other poorly written histories, in so much as it seeks and fails to engage the reader while presenting a timeline they can’t resist leaping forward and falling back from an often odd and confusing way … that and the often awkward grammar to fit their plot lines, such as painting the death of Mary queen of Scot’s having ‘followed on’ from the Howard scion that courted her to the executioner’s block, despite there being a 15 year gap between the two beheadings … some of the theories surrounding the health of Henry VIII have long been discredited too, does not inspire me to seek any other books by this author …
August 2, 2025
3.5 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. The telling of the history of the Howard’s was extremely fascinating and unknown to me, however the depth and detail into the family was somewhat lacking. This is unfortunate because it was an extremely interesting read. Furthermore, some of Hutchinson’s comments on King Henry VIII’s wives was rather old fashioned, which was disappointing. Unfortunately it seemed like Hutchinson had dedicated too few pages to this fascinating family, and it really seems like a missed opportunity!
Although if you are interested in Tudor nobility or the Howard family, this book is still worth the read.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The telling of the history of the Howard’s was extremely fascinating and unknown to me, however the depth and detail into the family was somewhat lacking. This is unfortunate because it was an extremely interesting read. Furthermore, some of Hutchinson’s comments on King Henry VIII’s wives was rather old fashioned, which was disappointing. Unfortunately it seemed like Hutchinson had dedicated too few pages to this fascinating family, and it really seems like a missed opportunity!
Although if you are interested in Tudor nobility or the Howard family, this book is still worth the read.
August 14, 2017
At first I wanted to give this book 2 stars, only because it took me two attempts and too long to read. it is packed full of history and that alone can make it difficult to finish. For whatever reason I just had a hard time keeping track of all the of people. However, the Tudor family is so intriguing that I really wanted to finish it this time. Halfway through i began to connect more with it and began to enjoy it.
May 26, 2020
As a Howard myself I was very much looking forward to reading this book. Sadly I couldn’t get into the writing style and found it a chore to get through. Events that needed further explanation seemed to be skimmed over, whilst other events (details of debts and monies owing for example) took a full page.
There is so much intrigue, backstabbing and power in this true story that it should have made a much better read.
There is so much intrigue, backstabbing and power in this true story that it should have made a much better read.
February 17, 2025
This was a hard read for me as an avid reader of nonfiction/history books.
The writing did not flow as easily as I would like. It is also a bit jarring as the narrative would jump forward and then go back, which is difficult to follow when one member of the family blends into another until it is hard to tell them apart. I usually have no problem differentiating one person from another in narratives but the Dukes of Norfolk all sound the same to me. And that isn’t really a good thing.
The writing did not flow as easily as I would like. It is also a bit jarring as the narrative would jump forward and then go back, which is difficult to follow when one member of the family blends into another until it is hard to tell them apart. I usually have no problem differentiating one person from another in narratives but the Dukes of Norfolk all sound the same to me. And that isn’t really a good thing.
August 15, 2023
It was a pretty good examination of the Dukes of Norfolk during the Tudors, but for the first half it focused on the Tudors more than the Howard dukes of Norfolk. Alos, Hutchinson was a little too loose with ascribing emotions and physical descriptions that would be unknown - comments mostly about women's bodies and feelings that left me raising my eyebrows at times.
September 13, 2017
Nonfiction about the Howard family of England. Although there is a lot of detail on the ins-and-outs of the Tudor era the book is readable and interesting. Lots of bits about life in that time that added to the interest.
January 31, 2021
Enjoyable romp through familiar Tudor history but from the perspective of the Howards. Henry, Cromwell, Mary (x2), Beth, even James - they’re all here but as background characters to the Howard dynasty’s machinations.
December 29, 2023
I read this book a few years back from the library, it certainly chose me by literally banging me on the head shouting read me. Its a very intriguing read about the Howard family, a very cut throat family that would stop at nothing to keep royal favour.
September 26, 2018
The book is obviously about a single family, but in looking closely at the Howards, much about the time of Henry VIII - Elizabeth I is considered. A worthy read if you enjoy this period of history.
April 24, 2020
A very informative read about the Howard's greed and thirst for power.
January 30, 2021
Sometimes... replacing or adding words to historical sources to translate them for modern audiences... is worse.
March 27, 2022
A fascinating look into the lives and history of the Howard family through the 15th to 17th centuries
February 18, 2023
A riveting and gripping read which brings the house of Tudor to life
May 15, 2023
Treachery by all
What a dangerous time to be politically active makes you realize how the tower was feared
Well written well researched
What a dangerous time to be politically active makes you realize how the tower was feared
Well written well researched
Read
November 6, 2023This is more of a history book than a historical novel. Great for history buffs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews