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Bloody, Brilliant Tudors: 100 Tales of Gowns, Gossip and Gory Ends
Did Henry VIII really plan to have Anne Boleyn's beloved dog thrown out the window?
Was Elizabeth I secretly a man?
Who were the Grey sisters, and why is theirs one of the saddest Tudor stories of all?
From Henry VII to Elizabeth I, Bloody, Brilliant Tudors answers all these questions and more. Come with us as we delve into the people and places behind the world-famous Tudor myths and legends.
Through various tales exploring the whole of the glittering dynasty, we'll learn about the lesser-known facts and figures behind these myths. Each reign serves up a wealth of fascinating historical stories to reveal the Tudor world in a new light.
Was Elizabeth I secretly a man?
Who were the Grey sisters, and why is theirs one of the saddest Tudor stories of all?
From Henry VII to Elizabeth I, Bloody, Brilliant Tudors answers all these questions and more. Come with us as we delve into the people and places behind the world-famous Tudor myths and legends.
Through various tales exploring the whole of the glittering dynasty, we'll learn about the lesser-known facts and figures behind these myths. Each reign serves up a wealth of fascinating historical stories to reveal the Tudor world in a new light.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
301 pages, Hardcover
First published February 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 12, 2026
Always love reading about the Tudors and there were lots of new facts hidden among the popular stories everyone knows about Henry VIII and his wives.
The author was strangely repetitive with her facts though, with some parts of stories being offered up two or three times over several chapters, often using the exact same wording. An easy read for history lovers if you can overlook this odd use of repetition!
The author was strangely repetitive with her facts though, with some parts of stories being offered up two or three times over several chapters, often using the exact same wording. An easy read for history lovers if you can overlook this odd use of repetition!
April 9, 2026
Big thanks to The History Press for sending me a copy for review.
I did really enjoy this book, despite already being very knowledgeable about the Tudors. Goff has written clearly and engagingly, though I think the book is aimed at an audience with less knowledge than me! The cover I ADORE!
Goff’s writing is really engaging, and I love the whole idea of dividing the Tudor period down into more bitesize chunks, especially for those less knowledgeable on the period. It is easy to jump into and out of as a result. There are some great moments of humour in book, a little glimpse into Goff’s own personality which is a nice touch. It is readable and some of the titles of the sections draw you in, like ‘Mary I’s Shopping Addiction’ and ‘Did Elizabeth I … Have a Baby?’. They draw you in without a doubt.
However, there is a lot of repetition throughout, particularly around Katherine Howard, then the Devise for the Succession, and Katherine Grey, too. But there were big things that seemed to be missed like the Pilgrimage of Grace, Kett’s Rebellion, and the Northern Rising which got just passing mentions, despite being huge events. The Spanish Armada also only got a passing mention. Some of the repetition could have been dropped to cover a wider range. There were also minor errors throughout, like saying that John Dudley took part in the Wyatt Rebellion despite him having been executed 4 months earlier, Katherine Howard passing under Tower Bridge on her way to the Tower, but it would have been London Bridge as Tower Bridge wasn’t built until 3 centuries later, and title mix ups like Robert Dudley described as Earl of Essex when it was Earl of Leicester, and Edward V’s brother described as Duke of Gloucester when he was Duke of York.
These few things aside, I think the book has a lot of value, particularly for those less familiar with the period, as it might encourage them to find out more about the things that engage them most, or read up on a different part of the Tudor period to what they’re familiar with. That encouragement should never be underestimated. Goff’s writing is engaging and the subtitle of ‘Gowns, Gossip and Gory Ends’ is certainly accurate, covering all of these things and more!
I did really enjoy this book, despite already being very knowledgeable about the Tudors. Goff has written clearly and engagingly, though I think the book is aimed at an audience with less knowledge than me! The cover I ADORE!
Goff’s writing is really engaging, and I love the whole idea of dividing the Tudor period down into more bitesize chunks, especially for those less knowledgeable on the period. It is easy to jump into and out of as a result. There are some great moments of humour in book, a little glimpse into Goff’s own personality which is a nice touch. It is readable and some of the titles of the sections draw you in, like ‘Mary I’s Shopping Addiction’ and ‘Did Elizabeth I … Have a Baby?’. They draw you in without a doubt.
However, there is a lot of repetition throughout, particularly around Katherine Howard, then the Devise for the Succession, and Katherine Grey, too. But there were big things that seemed to be missed like the Pilgrimage of Grace, Kett’s Rebellion, and the Northern Rising which got just passing mentions, despite being huge events. The Spanish Armada also only got a passing mention. Some of the repetition could have been dropped to cover a wider range. There were also minor errors throughout, like saying that John Dudley took part in the Wyatt Rebellion despite him having been executed 4 months earlier, Katherine Howard passing under Tower Bridge on her way to the Tower, but it would have been London Bridge as Tower Bridge wasn’t built until 3 centuries later, and title mix ups like Robert Dudley described as Earl of Essex when it was Earl of Leicester, and Edward V’s brother described as Duke of Gloucester when he was Duke of York.
These few things aside, I think the book has a lot of value, particularly for those less familiar with the period, as it might encourage them to find out more about the things that engage them most, or read up on a different part of the Tudor period to what they’re familiar with. That encouragement should never be underestimated. Goff’s writing is engaging and the subtitle of ‘Gowns, Gossip and Gory Ends’ is certainly accurate, covering all of these things and more!
March 4, 2026
The writing of this book is confusing. The author repeats themselves too much. It is far too repetitive. Like it explains Elizabeth's secret locket ring earlier in the book. Near the end it tries to build a mystery about who the woman in the portrait even though it told us it was obviously Anne earlier in the book. It's almost like the author has forgot what they wrote or wrote it in tiny portions, therefore didn't realise how much repetitive prose needed to be cut. Like it will tell you about someone's story only to repeat the same thing a few pages later. Then it will repeat it again, even though the topics aren't all over the place. Like if you're talking about a family, you don't have to repeat the story about parents for each child.
Perhaps the author doesn't trust the reader to remember the words 2 pages before.
I know I'm not quite the right target for this book as Tudor period is one of my special interests as a lot of this info is interesting but basic, therefore I learned nothing new but I can still enjoy the same old story told a thousand different ways. But it was such a frustrating read because of the repetition.
Like it will tell you the story of Catherine Grey earlier in the book in the section about Frances and her family. The near the end it repeats "Catherine Grey married without Lizzie's permission, got preggers, thrown in tower etc" Like why are you telling me this again? You already told me this. Then a few pages later, it repeats Catherines Greys basic story to talk about her boys for a 3 sentences. You repeated her story for 4th time!
Like this book isn't complicated to understand nor follow, so all this hand holding is annoying.
But if you know nothing about the tudors and want to learn in a short, snappy, bite sized way then you might have a better experience
Perhaps the author doesn't trust the reader to remember the words 2 pages before.
I know I'm not quite the right target for this book as Tudor period is one of my special interests as a lot of this info is interesting but basic, therefore I learned nothing new but I can still enjoy the same old story told a thousand different ways. But it was such a frustrating read because of the repetition.
Like it will tell you the story of Catherine Grey earlier in the book in the section about Frances and her family. The near the end it repeats "Catherine Grey married without Lizzie's permission, got preggers, thrown in tower etc" Like why are you telling me this again? You already told me this. Then a few pages later, it repeats Catherines Greys basic story to talk about her boys for a 3 sentences. You repeated her story for 4th time!
Like this book isn't complicated to understand nor follow, so all this hand holding is annoying.
But if you know nothing about the tudors and want to learn in a short, snappy, bite sized way then you might have a better experience
March 31, 2026
A truly witty, enthralling and adventurous read that will leave you intrigued, astonished and often disappointed—more like downright mad—at the Tudor monarchs, their courtiers and the scandalous stories surrounding them.
Elizabeth Goff’s, better known to the world as @the_historical_gal, debut effortlessly brings to life over one hundred stories of drama, mystery, love, death, triumphs and defeats of the famous Tudor era. Featuring juicy tales from each of the six—yes, we are most certainly counting Lady Jane Grey in this list—Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth Goff captivates the reader with her elegant writing style, her witty humour and her refreshing blunt perspectives regarding some of history’s most scandalous and yet some lesser known facts and stories of the past. Which, yes, are mostly the fault of the most famous King of England of all time—bar King Arthur although there is still the debate of ‘fact or fiction’—Henry VIII, the man who took six wives and chopped off two of their heads!
One aspect of Elizabeth’s book that I found rather intriguing was the decision to write these stories in a chronological order, rather than just in a random selection. Other readers might disagree with me on this matter, however I found this approach rather helpful for a neurodivergent reader such as myself who admittedly forgets what she’s read two seconds after reading it so having the small contextual reminders for each tale really kept me intrigued and captivated throughout. Naturally, as a Tudor historian, most of what was written about was not new to me—although I will admit that it was a thrill to learn about the Black Pearls and the Three Brother’s Jewel for the first time—I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is either new to, unfamiliar with or even loves the Tudor era as Elizabeth truly does bring these remarkable figures and their stories to life in such a beautiful way.
If Bloody, Brilliant Tudors is just a small glimpse of what Elizabeth Goff can offer us history lovers, then I cannot wait to see what else she has in stock for us!
Elizabeth Goff’s, better known to the world as @the_historical_gal, debut effortlessly brings to life over one hundred stories of drama, mystery, love, death, triumphs and defeats of the famous Tudor era. Featuring juicy tales from each of the six—yes, we are most certainly counting Lady Jane Grey in this list—Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth Goff captivates the reader with her elegant writing style, her witty humour and her refreshing blunt perspectives regarding some of history’s most scandalous and yet some lesser known facts and stories of the past. Which, yes, are mostly the fault of the most famous King of England of all time—bar King Arthur although there is still the debate of ‘fact or fiction’—Henry VIII, the man who took six wives and chopped off two of their heads!
One aspect of Elizabeth’s book that I found rather intriguing was the decision to write these stories in a chronological order, rather than just in a random selection. Other readers might disagree with me on this matter, however I found this approach rather helpful for a neurodivergent reader such as myself who admittedly forgets what she’s read two seconds after reading it so having the small contextual reminders for each tale really kept me intrigued and captivated throughout. Naturally, as a Tudor historian, most of what was written about was not new to me—although I will admit that it was a thrill to learn about the Black Pearls and the Three Brother’s Jewel for the first time—I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is either new to, unfamiliar with or even loves the Tudor era as Elizabeth truly does bring these remarkable figures and their stories to life in such a beautiful way.
If Bloody, Brilliant Tudors is just a small glimpse of what Elizabeth Goff can offer us history lovers, then I cannot wait to see what else she has in stock for us!
April 6, 2026
This book just isn't written well, in my opinion. It does have some chapters about quirky and juicy Tudor stories, for example, Elizabeth's rotten teeth or the locket she carried around her neck with a portrait of supposedly Anne Boleyn.
Other than this, it brings almost nothing new to the table and it is higly repetitive. The exact same sentences are used in multiple chapters about the exact same people. For example, we've been told ten times already that Lady Rochford assisted Katherine Howard in her affairs with other men. However, what follows is another chapter about: Lady Rochford. And the whole story is repeated again.
The writing is not really funny or clever, this could have made this book ten times better.
It's a 'no' for me...
Other than this, it brings almost nothing new to the table and it is higly repetitive. The exact same sentences are used in multiple chapters about the exact same people. For example, we've been told ten times already that Lady Rochford assisted Katherine Howard in her affairs with other men. However, what follows is another chapter about: Lady Rochford. And the whole story is repeated again.
The writing is not really funny or clever, this could have made this book ten times better.
It's a 'no' for me...
March 22, 2026
This book would be great if you’re completely new to Tudor history and are looking for a basic understanding and overview. However, if you already know lots and are looking for deeper information, this doesn’t really offer that. It’s also terribly repetitive. I get that it’s probably intended to be a book you pick up and read a chapter out of here and there, and not binged, but I think about half of the chapters could’ve been cut out bc they are just repeats.
April 7, 2026
Well written and informative book about Tudor History. The general humour and style of writing was somewhat akin to the horrible History books, but had some jumping back and forth which made it a little hard to follow. The book is written so you can jump in at any chapter point, however, prior Tudor History knowledge is probably beneficial if the book were to be read like this.
April 1, 2026
Great
This book cover the Tudors in the full. As a historian and lover of the Tudor period I would highly recommend, has made me want to look into some of the lesser talked about people in more details.
This book cover the Tudors in the full. As a historian and lover of the Tudor period I would highly recommend, has made me want to look into some of the lesser talked about people in more details.
March 6, 2026
I did know most of the stories covered in this book, got a bit annoying as the author repeated herself time after through out the chapters.
March 13, 2026
Concuerdo con el epílogo (…) “What an incredible catalogue o people”.
April 7, 2026
Very repetitive, lost count how many times the same facts were repeated.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews