The House of Tudor

by Alison Plowden

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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Biography, Royalty, Adult, British Literature

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book so highly, not because of its topic, there being little original here, but because of the graceful handling of it. An overview of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII through Elizabeth I, Plowden focuses on the characters in and around the family rather than on the geopolitics surrounding it. The politics are there certainly, but in the background except for the domestic matter of the rights of monarchs. Instead one gets fleshed out characterizations of the principals which, in my opinion, are historically plausible and existentially believable. The whole is very well written, almost novelistic, and the reading of it absorbing.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

With all the historical fiction I've been reading of the Tudor era, I thought it might be worthwhile to read some nonfiction. This book is a fairly readable though not very in depth account of how the Tudors came to power through the last Tudor ruler, Elizabeth.

Because it compresses over a century of events into a few hundred pages it is necessarily brief about the particulars. In general, the author paints a fairly kind portrait of the Tudors though she does tend to mention their less than ideal qualities.

It's a worthwhile introduction and summary of England's 16th century monarchy and the events surrounding it.

[Samantha ✨ (taylor’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would recommend to any fellow Tudor enthusiast. Despite all the documentaries I have watched on the Tudors, I still managed to learn a few things from it. People who have already read lots of books about the Tudor dynasty might not learn much more but the writing is very enjoyable.
Definitely recommend!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable account of several reigns - obviously in 300 pages to cover all these monarchs, much has to be compressed and omitted, but she writes clearly and well without the urge that present-day historians succumb to to speculate - no 'he would have' or 'she must have thought' here, thankfully. She realises that the facts are dramatic enough without overwriting. Yes, I'm concurrently reading Dan Jones's hysterical 'Plantagenets'.....

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

to paraphrase Elizabeth I " it is marvellous in mine eyes" ..loved the book...love the Tudors

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the subject matter and the contents but 3 stars for reading enjoyability, so average 4 stars for House of Tudor by Alison Plowden.

First of all, I am Episcopalian, so in my opinion, this book is kind of required reading for anyone wanting to learn about how the Anglican Church was formed. Everyone knows it all started with Henry VIII wanting to get a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, but there was much more than that going on than just Henry not getting his way with the divorce. There were a whole lot of "what ifs" that came to my mind while I was reading this. What if Arthur Tudor had lived and his younger brother Henry VIII hadn't become King? What if Catherine of Aragon had had a boy? What if Anne Boleyn had had a boy? What if the Pope had granted Henry's divorce like he had asked? So many "what ifs" make the story of the Tudors as fascinating as it is. One thing I do know, is that I wouldn't have gone to the Episcopal Church I went to this morning, and that is enough for me to want to learn more about this story. You just can't make this stuff up, and sometimes the truth is stranger than anything anyone could come up with.

House of Tudor tells the history of the Tudor Kings and Queens of England, starting with Henry VII and ending with Elizabeth I. The overall story of the political, cultural, and religious flux in 16th century England is so entertaining and so amazing to me that it is hard to believe all this stuff actually happened. The Tudors' biggest struggle was producing male heirs which was absolutely mandatory during that time period. That seemed to be a recurring theme throughout the generations of Tudors who were a fascinating family. So much happened during that time period in England and Europe that it had a major effect on the world afterward.

There is a lot of history, names, and dates jam-packed into this relatively short book. This is usually a good thing, but it was difficult for me to get through some parts either because of all the details or my interest may have waned some as the story progressed. (I guess it could have maybe been a combination of both.) Anyway, that was the major drawback to me. In my limited reading of this subject and time period, I haven't found a 5 star level book, but I hope to find one sometime soon. This was a good book overall though, and I recommend it if you want a thorough but relatively short (about 260 pages) book about the Tudors of England.

[Plainsboro Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the history of the Tudors, then The House of Tudor by Alison Plowden is for you. The lives of every ruler of the Tudor dynasty were expertly covered in this book. From Henry VII to Elizabeth I, Plowden gives detailed and fascinating looks at the reign, personality, and challenges each ruler faced. It's as if she brings the drama of their lives right off the page. What I liked most is that the research is so thorough: Plowden uses vast amounts of historical sources to show what life really looked and felt like for both the Tudors and those surrounding them. It's not all battles and politics; she delves into the personal lives, which makes them almost real and so relatable. This is the perfect book for anyone who's obsessed with Tudor history or would like to learn more from a very reliable source. It's written in such a way that it's super easy to follow, even if you're not a history expert. I couldn't put it down because there's so much drama, power struggles, and big personalities. If you want a book that's interesting, informative, and full of Tudor royalty, this is the one!

The House of Tudor by Alison Plowden is a captivating and well-researched book that explores the lives of all the monarchs in the Tudor dynasty. It combines historical details with personal insights, making the Tudors feel real and relatable. Perfect for fans of Tudor history, this book is an engaging and accessible read packed with drama and fascinating facts.

Tithi Mehta, Grade 10

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m leaving a review on this one as I couldn’t find the ‘Life and Intrigues in Tudor Britain’ which is a BBC collection of historical radio documentary-dramas compiled by Alison Plowden and read by a full cast to bring the history of life.

Tudor Britain is such an intriguing era of history and to have it brought to life this way, composed of snippets of communications from the time, letters, written accounts and piecing the history together, made for a great element of reading.

I really enjoyed this and it was a great recap on what I had known and also additional information on areas that I didn’t! It was a great pick on BorrowBox and I’m really glad I picked this one up! I did enjoy certain chapters more than others but that’s always bound to happen in the case of non fiction!

It had a great historical feel to it, but I think some of that is owed to the great and fitting narrations. It was very old fashioned, prim and proper type of narration that I could have imagined being on the old radio programmes. Set the tone perfectly!

[EleanxrC. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing history into the lives of the significant individuals of the Tudor era. Rich with historical fact yet written more as a narrative than a political history, the book was surprisingly engaging. It was fascinating to read about the individuals in such detail whose personal lives are often overlooked in other conventional history books, and also quite saddening to read about their lives. The women especially seemed to lack control of their own lives and merely acted as pawns in a political game of chess.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tudor era was as turbulent as their passions and allegiances. Plowden wrote a thrilling story, supported with historical facts and letters, which allows a glimpse into the not-so-private and private lives of the Tudor dynasty.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting non-fiction book that contains the phrase "when that poor, silly little trollop Catherine Howard had been beheaded." But overall, I enjoyed the summary of Tudor kings and queens that didn't get too political.

[Claire Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read exploring areas not always mentioned in other books, delving into the lives from Henry VII to his Granddaughter Elizabeth I

[Jann Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew the "surface" story but not all the details. Great read - obviously painstakingly researched.

[Peter Coomber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and entertaining.
I am not a Royalist but I do love a bit of history.

[Hessah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read and a good introduction to the Tudors rise to power. The unfortunate dependance of Screen ( Tv/ Movie ) writers on Fiction novels when they prepare for True events is what I hate the most when I sit to watch such movie. Altering Historical events and elating the statues of some characters, where you sometimes question the character authenticity are such examples of their wrongdoing.

The Tudors History is vast and full of events that can not be explained and exposed in 300+ pages. It is unjustified but here comes a book where such events are tailored to the ordinary reader. A reader who is happy to know the outline of an era without the hassle of going through multiple volumes and pages that will not ignite his/ her desire to read more. This Book is a very good Early admission to the Class of Tudor's. It is not perfect. A number of Characters are barley mentioned but it will fulfill your desire to know where do they stand in History.

For the reader who studied and read about the Tudors. This book does not provide any thing new which does not mean that it will disappoint. Actually I would go further and say that it is a good abstract to the hundreds of books that tackle this subject in Depth.

All in all, if you are new to such an era, this book is a Gem without the boring pits and pieces.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review? - A little disappointing, as it was lacking in places with some of the key figures and executions. Not much about the rebellion by the Earl of Essex in 1603, or about the execution of the Duke of Buckingham in 1521. Nevertheless, a good overview of the period, particularly for someone with little knowledge of the wider context, chronology and events. Just not as detailed as some other histories I have read, notably Tudor: The Family Story by Leanda de Lisle.

General Subject/s? - Tudors / History

Recommend? – Maybe

Rating? - 13/20

[Charli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of the Tudor monarchs and the main political players of the time - a fantastic bridge into the subject for anyone that is interested in history. However, when covering such a large time period, it of course leads to loss of detail of key events.

A great introduction to Tudor history - guaranteed to get you intrigued to find out more! :)

[Heathery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great basic rundown of the Tudor dynasty, including the events leading up to and immediately after. It's pretty detailed. It can read like a textbook at times, but it is interesting. It definitely shows how messed up this family was at times! I especially enjoyed looking through the illustrations and was pleasantly surprised to see so many included!

[Sydney Schoenhals · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Tudor history, because it's something I only know bits and pieces of. This book, however a bit tough to get through because it was so dry. It was so full of every name remotely related to the Tudors, to the point of almost being overwhelming. I learned a lot, but next time I'll go with a more engaging book.

[Evangeline Ravencraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it is not an exhaustive history but has all of the pertinent information and is written in a manner that is more story-like than just dry facts which makes it enjoyable to read.

[Mikeh5972 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read which gives a very good overview of the Tudors. it avoids getting bigged down by too much detail but also skips over some quite prominent events of the dynasty. In the space of 300 pages this counts as a most informative read.

[Emma Glaisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff, padding out my meagre knowledge derived from historical novels. Rather rushed through Elizabeth's reign though. Very readable and enjoyable.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable history

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in the '70's but still useful for the Tudor novice to link up the big figures, Henry and Elisabeth, within the dynasty and its parvenu origins.

[Candy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing worthwhile.