Tudors: A Verdadeira História de uma Dinastia Gloriosa

by Jane Bingham

Retratos de uma Era de Ouro

Henrique VIII, Bloody Mary, a "rainha virgem" Elizabeth... por que os monarcas Tudor fascinam tanto 400 anos depois do fim da dinastia? A resposta pode estar na impressionante transformação que eles promoveram naquele longínquo reino medieval do norte que, sob seu governo, se tornou um protagonista no cenário internacional - papel que não mais deixaria de ocupar. Outra possibilidade é a assombrosa sequência de acontecimentos dramáticos na trajetória daqueles reis, príncipes e princesas, na qual problemas de Estado e vida pessoal se entrelaçavam permanentemente. Seja como for, conhecer a história dos Tudors é fundamental para entender o que era a Europa e o mundo ocidental na transição para a Idade moderna e como eram as monarquias no período imediatamente anterior às tempestades revolucionárias.

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

130 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

Jane M. Bingham spent most of her adult life teaching college students about children's literature at Oakland University, collecting and studying children's books from across history and around the world, and campaigning for better materials for children to read. After she retired from that career, she began writing children's books of her own. Bingham has since authored several nonfiction books that seek to explain contemporary issues to children, including divorce, the dangers of drug abuse, and the art and culture of civilizations around the world.
In Why Do Families Break Up? Bingham attempts to demystify the process of divorce for middle-school students. The book begins by examining some of the reasons a couple might decide to divorce, then moves on to explain the process of coping and moving on after a family separates. School Library Journal contributor Sharon A. Neal described the book as "supportive [and] unbiased" and noted, "Despite the nature of the topic, the book is hopeful."
Tiananmen Square: June 4, 1989 examines the studentled protest against China's Communist rulers that occurred there, in the middle of Beijing, in the spring of 1989. On June 4 the government mobilized the army, including tanks, to disperse the demonstrators, killing several of them in the process. "The excellent illustrations and clear narrative," Elizabeth Talbot wrote in School Library Journal, make Tiananmen Square a "good introduction" to the protest and its aftermath.
Bingham is the author of three installments in the "World Art and Culture" series, examining India, Africa, and Aboriginal Australia. Each book is brief, only fifty-six pages long, and "the texts are straightforward and concise," Gillian Engberg noted in a review of AfricanArt and Culture for Booklist. Despite this brevity, much information is packed into each volume. Bingham opens each book with a chapter about the history of the region, from thousands of years ago to the present day, and follows with chapters about the art forms practiced in that area. These include architecture, basket-weaving, creating musical instruments, dance, and body modification (tattoos, piercings, and the like), among others. Indian Art and Culture also includes a chapter on one of that country's modern art forms, the "Bollywood" movie industry. As Donna Cardon noted in School Library Journal, "The texts not only describe the art forms and how they are created, but also explain the role that art plays in the cultures."
Bingham once wrote: "In 1981 I completed a trip which took me to American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, South Africa, and Swaziland. I collected examples of children's books along the way and became acutely aware of the need for books and other teaching resources in many developing countries. I was especially impressed with the variety of India's and Bangladesh's children's books—in spite of the difficulties their creators often encounter in publishing and promoting them. I also found that becoming aware of and enjoying the literature from other countries enriched my appreciation of American children's books. I found myself asking over and over why we, with the plethora we have to choose from, too often opt for the mediocre rather than the 'rarest kind of best.' As educators, creators, and consumers, we all too often forget to think of children's books as real literature because we fail to apply critical literary standards. It is my hope that my teaching and writing will draw attention to the continuing need for quality books in our own country and will also encourage American students and teachers to adopt a wider, world view of children's literature."

Reviews

[TheGirlFromSmallville ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book for a Tudor Enthusiast like myself or anyone who wants to learn about that era in an abridged way. It's a quick read that just gives the main gist of each of the monarchs, so don't expect it to go full on encyclopedia.

My only problem with this book is the timeline and how the events are arranged. The monarchs are arranged in order but the events within each reign is not. The narrative goes back and forth which can seem a bit messy and confusing at times. I think the author could have done a bit better in the editing of her paragraphs. But other than that, it was a good book.

[Myra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good foundation book to begin learning about The Tudors.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be an ideal introduction to The Tudors for someone looking to find out a bit more about Henry VIII, his wives and children, without being bogged down in a lot of historical detail. The book tells the main story of each ruler from the Tudor period without too much detail. I'm not going to get into discussing the accuracy of the information-my short term memory is pretty bad so in spite of reading a ton of Tudor non fiction, I don't remember enough dates and details from them to say if every fact in this book is correct. However it was a quick and easy read which I enjoyed in one night. As I said, if you are new to The Tudors, a book like this might be a good place to start.

[Greg McEnaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

And I thought the current government was turbulent and unstable...

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: The Tudors: The Kings and Queens of England’s Golden Age
Author: Jane Bingham
Rating: 4 Out 5 Stars

So, this another book I got with an Amazon ebook credit...The last one actually... It was on sale for $0.99 and it still may be. I’m not sure, but it is a nice book to add your collection if you are a fan of the Tudors. It is a short read, but it does provide a wonderful snapshot of the Tudor kings and queens.

The book is in order of the monarchs reign. We start with Henry VII, who ruled right after the messy and complex conflict known as the War of the Roses. By the way, you don’t have to know a lot about the War of the Roses to read this one. Then, we jump into Henry VIII, Edward VI, Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. It is a lot and it is crammed into a book that is less than three hundred pages. However, I do think that Jane does a wonderful job of condensing each reign and given each monarch a chance to shine...Well, I guess they all didn’t shine.

Jane’s writing is simple and doesn’t read at all like a textbook. I found myself flying through the pages. Though, not all of the events in the monarchs reign was in order and there was some jumping around. Still, it doesn’t take away the fact that this would be a hardy desk reference book to have.

Not only was there information about the Tudors, but little tid bits about other things that were happening around the country. These pages were well done and really added to what life was like in England during each monarch’s reign. I really enjoyed the bit on Tudor medicine and Hans Holbein, Henry VIII’s painter. I also enjoyed the pictures and how they really set the scene.

Now, once again, this is not a detailed read on the Tudors. It does not mean that it is a bad book to have in your Tudor collection. If you are looking for a quick guide to the Tudor monarchs, then I strongly encourage you to pick up this book. It really is a nice overview of the Tudors.

[avia :)))) · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid

[Jessica Kordyban · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew a lot about the Tudors already but I did learn new things about them. I also enjoyed all the pictures and random facts.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and enjoyable read, especially for those who are looking for a pared down historical recount of the events and personalities of the Tudor era. Each Tudor monarch receives his or her own individual chapter, and each is linked together wth emphasis put on the ever important and recurring theme of who shall inherit the crown, and how will it be passed on. This book can serve as a handy reference book if you are looking for basic information about the Tudor monarchs, thir spouses, lovers, and personalities who served them, or committed treason against them. There are no footnotes, and no bibliography, which I found disappointing. One feature I particularly liked were individual pages offering information about relevant topics in each chapter, such as a mini-biography of Hans Holbein, who became Henry VIII's court painter, and some extra information on medicine in the Tudor era.It has some black and white reproductions of paintings of each of the monarchs, which some may not have seen previously. The book ends with a short summary of the Tudors' legacy. For those who enjoy historical fiction based on the events of this time period, a very popular era for authors to explore, this book can act as a quick, go-to reference. It does have a table of contents, to facilitate easy use.

[Chelsey M. Ortega · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good book for beginner Tudor Historians. If you are just starting out on researching the Tudors, this is the book for you! I have already done a lot of research however, and so this book had almost nothing new in it for me. Well, at this point most books on the Tudors don't have anything new in it for me; but the deeper books have different arguments from different historians, and that is what I really like. Looking at the different interpretations and making a decision for myself. This book is simply all fact that barely touches the surface of the Tudor Era. I zoomed through it and felt a little disappointed at the end. But like I said at the beginning of my review, if you are just starting out this is great to understand the basics so that the deeper stuff isn't so confusing. :)

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very basic account of the Tudor era. It was very easy to read, and would be good for someone who doesn't know much about it and wants an overview. For those of us who know a lot about it, some of the more interesting details were merely glossed over. It reminded me of a book that could be used for a high school class on the Tudor era which spanned from the reign of Henry VII through Elizabeth I. Admittedly I am currently learning about the era of Henry VII--so that was the only part of the book that I had not read as extensively about. I found it entertaining, but then I love the Tudors.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Gives a nice overview of the Tudors. It does not go into huge detail, which is great if you just want to know the general stuff about them. Very well written, easy read. I definitely recommend this book.

[Changey Mcsubject · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I am a Tudor enthusiast, but still found I learned some new things in this one. Especially with the less famous Tudors like Henry VII and his grandson Edward. A quick and enjoyable read for any Tudor fan.

[Sam Eiffel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another book that I picked up at a book fair and after reading this, I really wonder whether the English monarchs actually need God to save them. Partly because they are torn in their devotion, partly because they're beyond all limits of help.
Jokes apart, this book is a very good introduction to Tudor history. It captures all the monarchs, from Henry Tudor to his iconic brute of a son, Henry VIII, to the boy King Edward who seriously made me feel pity to the Nine Days' Queen, Jane Grey, to Bloody Mary and finally good ol' Bess.
It was a fascinating read, taking glimpses at scandals, invasions, affairs, relationships and beheadings and all the drama which probably inspired Shakespeare to see the world as a stage.
My favourite monarch was Elizabeth I followed by Henry Tudor. I especially enjoyed reading about Henry Tudor's struggles with impostors claiming their right to the throne and it made me realise that despite digitisation and evolution, we humans haven't changed a bit.
I also like how the book portrayed Elizabeth I as a human, along with depiction of her as a Queen. It made me admire her more although, I really did gasp in jealousy at the fact that she owned 3000 gowns and never even touched most of them.
The author has given all the monarchs, including Henry VIII and Queen Mary I a redemption arc and especially for the latter, one can almost feel bad for her.
Almost.
Henry VIII might have well run his own sitcom. Here we are, glued to the telly at the mention of one royal wedding, but his subjects had six such viewings. I can only imagine what the news would have said about Henry VIII's life.
My favourite wife, after Catherine of Aragon, was Anne of Cleves. I mean, I know that a lot of people go all out about Anne Boleyn but Anne of Cleves was one lucky woman who managed to keep her head without too much damage to her heart.
I believe that was the first amicable divorce ever recorded:)
I felt downright bad for Catherine of Aragon and I really feel she deserved so much better.
This book is definitely a good place to start with Tudor based research and I would definitely recommend it to those interested in this line of monarchs.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big softbound book, almost like a children's picture book, as it has illustrations on almost every page. The past books I've read on the Tudors dealt mainly with King Henry VIII, Mary and Anne Boleyn, plus some cursory sketches on Queen Mary (Bloody Mary) and Queen Elizabeth I. I consider this my primer on The Tudors: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. And it has been an entertaining read from start to finish. Even the chapter on Henry the VIII's rule, whom I thought I was already quite familiar with, had some tasty morsels I had not read about in other books. The beginning is amusing for the parade of pretenders and contenders to the throne: it almost seems as though any fair-haired lad of comely countenance and lean physique was right for the picking to the throne of England.

The way I see it, Lancastrian Henry VII set the bar high when he finally ended the 32-year War of the Roses, a war composed of defined battles and random skirmishes which, I read somewhere, eventually came to affect the English populace the way English premier league matches affect them today--you root for your respective teams, but at the end of the day, the victories/defeats do not affect your daily life. His spare heir Henry VIII started off well, but fell from grace with his disastrous break with the Catholic church. Had he lived to rule, I don't think Edward VI (whom I first knew in Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper), though intelligent and eager, would have made a better king, as he struck me as an unbending little prick. Clearly, it was Elizabeth, Henry the VII's granddaughter, daughter of the reviled Ann Boleyn, third in line to the throne after Henry the VIII's demise, and most unlikely to rule, who ruled England best.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing insight into the lives of the tudors monarchs. I’ve always loved this era of history and found it greatly intriguing, so when I came across this book, it was a must read. And I have to admit, this book blew all my expectations out of the water. It was amazing!

I picked it up on a whim as a way to satisfy my curiosity into this period of history and found myself loving every page. Starting from the beginning reigns of the Tudors- Henry the 7th, to his son and his well known wives, to battles faced and won to personal insights into their personal lives and personalities. And finally to Queen Elizabeth and the legacy the Tudor’s left behind.

I always found myself excited to return back to this book and found I learnt a fair amount since starting. It helped to flesh out my existing knowledge and build on what I already knew. It’s great for a beginner of history and those who simply want to know more about this era. It was a great read!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d highly recommend this book if one of my friends asked for a recommendation on books about the Tudors. Even if you have no previous knowledge of the Tudors, you will have a good overview of the history by the end of the book.

This book is also a good read for those who have knowledge of the Tudor dynasty. I really enjoyed the trivia sections thrown in throughout, which makes it easier to read as the test are broken into segments. 

It has got some interesting facts, but my favourite is that Queen Mary overheard someone calling one of her ladies in waiting ‘pretty whore’ and thought it was actually a positive thing, and called her ‘pretty whore’ without knowing the actual meaning. That kind of changed my view on Mary, although it’s a small thing I find it kind of cute how innocent she was.

The book focuses on each monarch, so the overlapping parts go back and forth in time (especially for monarchs after Edward) which might confuse some people. I actually skipped some parts on Edward, Jane, Mary and Elizabeth. But overall I enjoyed this book very much, and I highly recommend it if you’re keen to learn more small facts about the Tudors. 

[Rachel McNeil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides a good introduction to the Tudor monarchs and a brief overview of their respective reigns. Sometimes I felt the information was repeated a little, but understood why the author did this.

My nark with this book was the total lack of bibliography, and referencing throughout. There was some quotations from primary sources in the book, but there weren’t enough for my liking. I like to have the ability to look up a reference if I choose to.

The style of writing was good, and accessible, easily holding the readers interest. In some places it might not be that clear for a person new to Tudor history, but it is understandable more often than not.

Overall a good book, but not worth £8.99 in my opinion. I think £6.99 would be better.

[Fríða · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version; others may be different. The book is well-written and covers the Tudor period well but it lacks all references and notes, which I intensely dislike, and there is at least one glaring factual error (humor theory in medicine attributed to Aristotle).
Not a bad book, but I would use it for casual/informative reading only, not for reference in anything important.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a short but informative book on the Tudor's then this is the perfect book for you. Easy to read, fascinating facts and interesting history. Second time reading it and I enjoyed it as much as the first time.

[Ursula Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear account of the period walking through all the Tudor monarchs in chronological order. Written in a narrative style so super engaging. Talks about politics, religion, exploration and culture relevant to each monarch.

[Luis Barrios M.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Easy to read and entertaining, very well documented and enticing to read more about the history of England and Scotland

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable read. All things I had read before, no surprises. Still, enjoyed it very much.

[Tony King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent introduction to the Tudors. Very brief, but should be a good jumping off point for further research.

[Angel Calderon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Easy to read read. Very informative.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice breakdown of the entire Tudor dynasty

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good explanation of the lineage of the Tudors.

[Rob Lesher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brief overview of the Tudor royals is nicely compact. If you are looking at in-depth analysis, this is not your book, but this is an introduction. Recommend.

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook version

[Lillian VanBennekom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid intro to British history for me (an American who knows almost nothing)

[JP · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly mediocre book with no new insight or viewpoint. Surface level only