What do you think?
Rate this book
On This Day in Tudor History
On This Day in Tudor History gives a day-by-day look at events from the Tudor era, including births, deaths, baptisms, marriages, battles, arrests, executions and more. This must-have book for Tudor history lovers is perfect Written by best-selling Tudor history author Claire Ridgway, On This Day in Tudor History contains a wealth of information about your favourite Tudor monarchs, their subjects and the times they lived in. Did you know : on 17th January 1569 Agnes Bowker gave birth to a cat?
648 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2012
155 people are currently reading
908 people want to read
About the author
Claire Ridgway
22 books284 followersClaire Ridgway is the author of the best-selling books On This Day in Tudor History(October 2012), The Anne Boleyn Collection (Feb 2012), The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown (April 2012), The Anne Boleyn Collection II (September 2013) George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat (April 2014), Sweating Sickness: In an Nutshell (August 2014), Illustrated Kings and Queens of England (November 2014) and Tudor Places of Great Britain (October 2015).
Claire worked in education and freelance writing before creating The Anne Boleyn Files history website and becoming a full-time history researcher, blogger and author. The Anne Boleyn Files is known for its historical accuracy and Claire's mission to get to the truth behind Anne Boleyn's story. Her writing is easy-to-read and conversational, and readers often comment on how reading Claire's books is like having a coffee with her and chatting about history.
Claire is also the founder of The Tudor Society.
Claire worked in education and freelance writing before creating The Anne Boleyn Files history website and becoming a full-time history researcher, blogger and author. The Anne Boleyn Files is known for its historical accuracy and Claire's mission to get to the truth behind Anne Boleyn's story. Her writing is easy-to-read and conversational, and readers often comment on how reading Claire's books is like having a coffee with her and chatting about history.
Claire is also the founder of The Tudor Society.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 3, 2016
On an amusing website which retells some details of world history, we read that Henry VIII had difficulty walking "because he had an abbess on his knee."
"Oh, really?" you snigger. "I wouldn't put it past the fat old lech."
Well, if you think that's bad, wait til you hear what it says about Elizabeth I and her troops...*
Of course, these are just jokes. But they point out the sad truth about how much modern interpretations--or should I say, total reworkings?--of history can distort the facts, and how easy it is for unwary consumers to swallow the results hook, line and sinker.
Take for example the popular British series The Tudors, where the headstrong sister of the king, Margaret, is married off against her will to an unappetizing decrepit old satyr, the king of Portugal. Disgusted by her experiences during the wedding night, she decides to resolve her dilemma in a rather unorthodox manner. This seems much more realistic--until you realize that in reality, the person who underwent the mismatched union was not Margaret, but Mary Tudor (not to be confused with Henry's daughter of the same name). And it wasn't the king of Portugal she wed, it was the (admittedly much older) king of France. And she didn't do what The Tudors accuses her of.**
Well, you get the picture.
For people bothered by inaccuracies like these, this book is a breath of fresh air. For most days of the year, it takes one character or vignette, which it describes in sharp lavish detail. Such as the last speech Henry VIII ever gave, or the remarks Elizabeth I is supposed to have uttered when she found out she was to be crowned queen. And we also get a first-hand report of the ceremonies involved in the wedding of Mary Tudor, the king's sister.
After the main event, the book then takes a number of other facts that occurred on the same day, and adds them to provide the reader with glimpses at major and minor cast members in the real drama of the Tudor era.
We see lots of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, but for the most part, they refrain from cavorting with nuns or soldiers. We do get their courtiers, favorites, enemies, rivals, etc., as well as artists, musicians, poets, clergy, diplomats, pirates, explorers, rebels and more.
The author bases herself wherever possible on verifiable facts and documents. And where there is an unsolvable mystery (e.g. whether Catherine of Aragon was truthful in her claims about her first marriage), Ridgway states what is known and does not add to it by outrageous conjectures.
At times, the book gives the feeling of information overload, so I think it is best to sample it in small doses. Oddly, if one is not careful, one can start to lose the sense of chronology, of the connectedness of a long series of events that one might get from a more conventionally constructed history book. It's a kind of "forest versus the trees" thing. But in return for this small risk, the book presents people and events in a lively, engaging, readable fashion, and provides a sharply detailed picture of what the time was like.
Ridgway has created a scintillating mosaic, a carefully crafted chronicle and an indispensable resource for those interested in Tudor history.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Y0u...
**http://www.thetudorswiki.com/page/The...
"Oh, really?" you snigger. "I wouldn't put it past the fat old lech."
Well, if you think that's bad, wait til you hear what it says about Elizabeth I and her troops...*
Of course, these are just jokes. But they point out the sad truth about how much modern interpretations--or should I say, total reworkings?--of history can distort the facts, and how easy it is for unwary consumers to swallow the results hook, line and sinker.
Take for example the popular British series The Tudors, where the headstrong sister of the king, Margaret, is married off against her will to an unappetizing decrepit old satyr, the king of Portugal. Disgusted by her experiences during the wedding night, she decides to resolve her dilemma in a rather unorthodox manner. This seems much more realistic--until you realize that in reality, the person who underwent the mismatched union was not Margaret, but Mary Tudor (not to be confused with Henry's daughter of the same name). And it wasn't the king of Portugal she wed, it was the (admittedly much older) king of France. And she didn't do what The Tudors accuses her of.**
Well, you get the picture.
For people bothered by inaccuracies like these, this book is a breath of fresh air. For most days of the year, it takes one character or vignette, which it describes in sharp lavish detail. Such as the last speech Henry VIII ever gave, or the remarks Elizabeth I is supposed to have uttered when she found out she was to be crowned queen. And we also get a first-hand report of the ceremonies involved in the wedding of Mary Tudor, the king's sister.
After the main event, the book then takes a number of other facts that occurred on the same day, and adds them to provide the reader with glimpses at major and minor cast members in the real drama of the Tudor era.
We see lots of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, but for the most part, they refrain from cavorting with nuns or soldiers. We do get their courtiers, favorites, enemies, rivals, etc., as well as artists, musicians, poets, clergy, diplomats, pirates, explorers, rebels and more.
The author bases herself wherever possible on verifiable facts and documents. And where there is an unsolvable mystery (e.g. whether Catherine of Aragon was truthful in her claims about her first marriage), Ridgway states what is known and does not add to it by outrageous conjectures.
At times, the book gives the feeling of information overload, so I think it is best to sample it in small doses. Oddly, if one is not careful, one can start to lose the sense of chronology, of the connectedness of a long series of events that one might get from a more conventionally constructed history book. It's a kind of "forest versus the trees" thing. But in return for this small risk, the book presents people and events in a lively, engaging, readable fashion, and provides a sharply detailed picture of what the time was like.
Ridgway has created a scintillating mosaic, a carefully crafted chronicle and an indispensable resource for those interested in Tudor history.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Y0u...
**http://www.thetudorswiki.com/page/The...
September 30, 2014
I was able to DL the Kindle edition for free... and I have to admit, despite longing for this one in a hard copy version (I think the ease of flipping through for dates and the like would be significantly beneficial for this type of "reference" work), I sure am glad I didn't pay for it. The writing at times is questionable - not clear or concise - and it's obvious it is written by a blogger "fangirl," as opposed to a serious historian. It's heavy on opinion and supposition. It's full of typos and editorial errors. It feels like much of the content is padding: insubstantial births or deaths that are not wholly explained as to why they are remembered. On the other hand, I love the idea of the concept. I had fun throughout the year reading the following day's "anniversaries" just before I turned off the lights at bedtime (and I particularly enjoyed the time spent on detailing Tudor-era holidays). I have vacillated on how to rate it; it was OK, only... but it seems like it should get a little more than two stars. I was disappointed... yet still enjoyed this one. 3 stars
December 22, 2012
Part interesting, part tedium. Will make a great reference source when reading other books about the period.
January 5, 2014
Just a daily guide to what happened on this day in history.
May 16, 2020
The Tudor dynasty and the stories of those who lived during this time have drawn novices and experts alike to explore the history surrounding these events for hundreds of years. These tales can seem fictional, but the truth is often stranger than fiction, which is why it is important to understand when and why these events happened. The “when” can often be difficult to remember for any student of history because there are a lot of dates to deal with when you are dealing with a whole dynasty. That is why resources, like this particular book, can be so invaluable to have in one’s collection. Claire Ridgway has taken the time to give readers a day-by-day guide to the Tudors in her book, “On This Day in Tudor History”.
Ridgway has taken the concept of history books that explore what life was like in a year for a typical person in a certain time and she has expanded to cover an entire dynasty. Like these books, this one is divided by each month of the year and then by chronological order of the year. She covers all of the Tudor dynasty, with some dates before and after, to show how this one era truly impacted European and world history. Of course, she covers the big names of the dynasty; like Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (which is a given since Ridgway is known for her other project, the Anne Boleyn Files), Mary I, and numerous courtiers and diplomats who made this time so fascinating for many of us to study.
What caught my interest in this book was the numerous figures that many might not know a lot about. There are the monarchs from all around Europe whose stories are often looked over for their English counterparts. And then there are the English scholars, explorers, martyrs, and playwrights that are often forgotten for more colorful figures. Their births, deaths, trials, tribulations, and triumphs are just as important as those who make the headlines. I did not know about so many of their stories and it made me want to learn more, to dive even deeper into the study of the Tudor dynasty.
Although I did enjoy reading this book, it is one that you need to take your time to read. It is a book that should be used as a resource for research into this time period. I did notice that with a few of the dates, some of the years were out of chronological order (which did bug me a bit since I like chronological order), but it is a minor issue. There are also some grammatical and spacing mistakes, but they do not take away from the context of this book. Ridgway does use some typical stories that have been debunked by recent biographies, but the dates are relatively accurate. I did wish that Ridgway included the major holidays and festivals into the actual book, instead of being at the beginning of the book, so that we could get a sense of what was going on during these significant events.
Overall, I found this book informative and fun. Claire Ridgway combined the trivia of Tudor dates with an easy to understand writing style. It is a massive tome, but a labor of love. If you want a book full of terrific Tudor trivia, I would recommend you read, “On This Day in Tudor History” by Claire Ridgway. It is a great addition to any Tudor collection.
December 26, 2024
I started reading “On This Day in Tudor History” by Claire Ridgway on the 1st of January 2024 and tried my best to never skip a week. The concept of the book is pretty simple: for each day of the year you’ll read about an event that happened about 500 years ago, more or less. It was pretty interesting, especially given the fact that I am not the biggest Tudor connoisseur. It’s an easy to read book that can serve you whether you know a lot about this period or not, since it can also be a good reference book.
However, I found a little something which doesn’t make sense. For 28th June, it says “1461 - Coronation of Edward IV and his consort Elizabeth Woodville.” This date was indeed the coronation date of King Edward IV, but it couldn’t have been the coronation of Elizabeth as well because they hadn’t even met at that point (I mean, the “oak tree” encounter). Edward married Elizabeth three years later and she was crowned on 26 May 1465, another year later. Edward traditionally didn’t attend her coronation as not to take people’s attention from their new Queen.
I only noticed this because Elizabeth Woodville is my favourite historical figure, so this makes me wonder what else have I missed because I’m not that well versed in Tudor history… 🧐 Either way, the book was interesting and fun. It didn’t make me enjoy Tudor times better than I did in 2023, but I did learn a few interesting names and facts.
However, I found a little something which doesn’t make sense. For 28th June, it says “1461 - Coronation of Edward IV and his consort Elizabeth Woodville.” This date was indeed the coronation date of King Edward IV, but it couldn’t have been the coronation of Elizabeth as well because they hadn’t even met at that point (I mean, the “oak tree” encounter). Edward married Elizabeth three years later and she was crowned on 26 May 1465, another year later. Edward traditionally didn’t attend her coronation as not to take people’s attention from their new Queen.
I only noticed this because Elizabeth Woodville is my favourite historical figure, so this makes me wonder what else have I missed because I’m not that well versed in Tudor history… 🧐 Either way, the book was interesting and fun. It didn’t make me enjoy Tudor times better than I did in 2023, but I did learn a few interesting names and facts.
June 17, 2017
If you are a fan of history, especially Tudor history, as I am, you will enjoy this day book filled with events and personages connected with the Tudors. Each day has its collection of people and events with connections to that day. My mind reels with the amount of research Ridgway has done to assemble this information.
If there is anyone, from the most obscure to the most prominent, with any connection to the tudors, they are included. Here you will find the stories of what happened on a particular day to the Tudor court.
For example, on my birthday, Prince Arthur was born to Queen Elizabeth of York and Henry VII. The day also marks the death of Sir William Paston, who served Henry VIII as a sheriff and commissioner.
This book is the most complete collection of Tudor history as it happened, day by day, that I know of.
If there is anyone, from the most obscure to the most prominent, with any connection to the tudors, they are included. Here you will find the stories of what happened on a particular day to the Tudor court.
For example, on my birthday, Prince Arthur was born to Queen Elizabeth of York and Henry VII. The day also marks the death of Sir William Paston, who served Henry VIII as a sheriff and commissioner.
This book is the most complete collection of Tudor history as it happened, day by day, that I know of.
July 4, 2017
Good gracious this book is exhausting - in a good way. It's literally every event of nite that occurred or was connected to the Tudor dynasty. It is not really a book you read from start to finish, though I did. As the title states, it gives a Day by day account of all goings-on. Fairly detailed even in the smaller events. Well done.
December 31, 2022
This is probably going to be a book I'll read through every single year, a day at a time. It's well done, full of the prominent and well-known people and events mingled with a lot of people we only glimpse or haven't heard about before. I highly recommend it if you're curious about the Tudor period and want more than just the sweeping picture we typically have of the era.
February 26, 2020
Fun read; I love seeing what was happening in Tudor England. It is forever one of my favorite time periods. Ms. Ridgway clearly had a great deal of fun with this and also worked exceptionally hard to gather all the details that were included.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
October 20, 2020
A Marvelous Book!
I have long been fascinated with the Tudor period and this book fills in a lot of the gaps in my reading. So many people, so many stories! Hard to keep straight all those who lived during this period, but On This Day in Tudor History makes it all come alive!
I have long been fascinated with the Tudor period and this book fills in a lot of the gaps in my reading. So many people, so many stories! Hard to keep straight all those who lived during this period, but On This Day in Tudor History makes it all come alive!
August 7, 2021
This is an exceptionally well researched book and great for history buffs. It doesn't contain the romantacized fictional fluff of some of the modern books and movies/tv shows of the Tudors that abound today. If you want to know the real details this is perfect.
November 1, 2022
Love this book! I own all of her books and watch her YouTube videos. She seems to know everything about tutor history. Check her out on YouTube for her videos. Very informative. And her books are entertaining as well as educational.
December 2, 2018
If you want a list of facts, this is for you.
December 30, 2019
This was great and very informative and interesting.
February 9, 2020
Interesting read
Love reading about the Tudors so this is very interesting book very hard to put down even in the early hours of the morning
Love reading about the Tudors so this is very interesting book very hard to put down even in the early hours of the morning
December 26, 2020
Interesting info about events in Tudor history, given day by day.
January 2, 2021
This book tells you what happened in Tudor history day by day
February 4, 2021
It’s not only information on the Tudor era. Many other kings, Queen’s & other royals are in there too.
April 11, 2021
This book is a great starting point if you want historically accurate information. All of Claire’s books are amazing. She knows her stuff!
January 2, 2022
A fun book and great resource for any Tudor enthusiast!
June 7, 2022
One of my go to books for Tudor history. It's amazing and a great reference book
December 21, 2023
I love reading books that can be read throughout the year. The perfect read for anyone looking for a light read and some history facts.
November 13, 2025
Pretty cool to see how many interesting historical events took place every day!
October 29, 2015
I absolutely love this book! I am very much a history buff, I like all kinds of history, but my are of specialty in Tudor England. This book is a great resource for anyone who is studying during this time period. I run a couple of history pages on facebook so this is a great resource to have on hand. Plus I just like looking through it and seeing what events happen on certain date. The book follows the 12 months on the calendar and tells certain events that happened on each day. She doesn't just write the date and event but gives a detail description of it. At the beginning of the book she names and gives dates to different Tudor Holidays that they celebrated during that period. She also names and give dates of reigns to the monarch's ruling all the way to James VI ( Basically houses of Tudor and Stuart). I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if your new to Tudor history, I am not good at dates though I have been studying this period for a few years now, this really helps me a lot. All I can say is if your a fan of history/Tudors/Stuarts this is a must buy. You won't regret it.
February 17, 2013
This book is a treasure! Not only does it chronicle every Tudor monarch and describe important holidays and customs, but it adds valuable insights to the lives of others who navigated through the Tudor courts. I love this book. I have read it from cover to cover, and refer to it often.
March 9, 2013
Excellent book, and particularly interesting since I just came back from London!
I can't tell if I've read it in its entirety because I mostly randomly chose dates and looked them up, but it's a great book that I'd recommend to anybody who enjoys Tudor history, UK history, or history in general!
I can't tell if I've read it in its entirety because I mostly randomly chose dates and looked them up, but it's a great book that I'd recommend to anybody who enjoys Tudor history, UK history, or history in general!
March 7, 2013
Not book for everyone. This book is not in may favorite books.
July 25, 2013
A must have book for anyone who loves to the Tudor Era!
January 10, 2013
I thought this book had some very good information in it. It took me about 2 months to read though. I had to stop for awhile because it was just so long! I liked it though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews