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The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens
Ten remarkable women.
One remarkable era.
In the Tudor period, 1485–1603, a host of fascinating women sat on the English throne. The dramatic events of their lives are told in The Turbulent The Story of the Tudor Queens of England.
The Turbulent Crown begins with the story of Elizabeth of York, who survived conspiracy, murder, and dishonour to become the first Tudor Queen, bringing peace and order to England after years of civil war. From there, the reader is taken through the parade of Henry VIII’s six wives - two of whom, Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard, would lose their heads against a backdrop of intrigue and scandal.
The Turbulent Crown continues with the tragedy of Lady Jane Grey, the teenager who ruled for nine days until overthrown by her cousin Mary Tudor. But Mary’s reign, which began in triumph, ended in disaster, leading to the emergence of her sister, Elizabeth I, as the greatest of her family and of England’s monarchs.
One remarkable era.
In the Tudor period, 1485–1603, a host of fascinating women sat on the English throne. The dramatic events of their lives are told in The Turbulent The Story of the Tudor Queens of England.
The Turbulent Crown begins with the story of Elizabeth of York, who survived conspiracy, murder, and dishonour to become the first Tudor Queen, bringing peace and order to England after years of civil war. From there, the reader is taken through the parade of Henry VIII’s six wives - two of whom, Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard, would lose their heads against a backdrop of intrigue and scandal.
The Turbulent Crown continues with the tragedy of Lady Jane Grey, the teenager who ruled for nine days until overthrown by her cousin Mary Tudor. But Mary’s reign, which began in triumph, ended in disaster, leading to the emergence of her sister, Elizabeth I, as the greatest of her family and of England’s monarchs.
554 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2017
177 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Roland Hui
6 books7 followersRoland Hui received his degree in Art History. After completing his studies, he went on to work in Interpretive Media for California State Parks, The U.S. Forest Service, and The National Park Service
Roland has written for 'Renaissance Magazine', 'Tudor Life Magazine', and 'Parergon - Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies'. He blogs about 16th century English art and personalities at 'Tudor Faces' (tudorfaces.blogspot.com).
Roland has written for 'Renaissance Magazine', 'Tudor Life Magazine', and 'Parergon - Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies'. He blogs about 16th century English art and personalities at 'Tudor Faces' (tudorfaces.blogspot.com).
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 23, 2017
Compulsively Readable
Biographies of the Tudor Age often focus on a particular time period, so we usually only get half of the story...we rarely see the period told as a whole, bookended by the Elizabeths, mother and daughter to that enigmatic Tudor King. Roland Hui has created that grand scheme for us in this compulsively readable tome. Each Queen's biography flows into the next seamlessly and I found myself devouring each and every one. Hui's style is very accessible, so anyone with even a passing interest in the era could get sucked in, but there were still plenty of tasty morsels in there for seasoned history buffs. In fact, I found several tidbits that I had never seen before, though I have been studying the period for nearly a decade. The thing that I loved most about this book is that it's what I would call a narrative biography. It's non-fiction, but it reads like a novel. The footnotes are even set up in the back so that your eyes aren't drawn away from the text. The style is very similar to Julia Fox, who happens to be one of my all-time favorite historians. Great, great read! You won't be disappointed!
Biographies of the Tudor Age often focus on a particular time period, so we usually only get half of the story...we rarely see the period told as a whole, bookended by the Elizabeths, mother and daughter to that enigmatic Tudor King. Roland Hui has created that grand scheme for us in this compulsively readable tome. Each Queen's biography flows into the next seamlessly and I found myself devouring each and every one. Hui's style is very accessible, so anyone with even a passing interest in the era could get sucked in, but there were still plenty of tasty morsels in there for seasoned history buffs. In fact, I found several tidbits that I had never seen before, though I have been studying the period for nearly a decade. The thing that I loved most about this book is that it's what I would call a narrative biography. It's non-fiction, but it reads like a novel. The footnotes are even set up in the back so that your eyes aren't drawn away from the text. The style is very similar to Julia Fox, who happens to be one of my all-time favorite historians. Great, great read! You won't be disappointed!
February 13, 2020
I read this last month on Scribd which offered this as an audiobook.
This doesn't really offer any new perspectives to tired genre. This also starts well before Bosworth which is unnecessary.
I gave this 2 stars because the author views both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard through a very sexist lens.
This doesn't really offer any new perspectives to tired genre. This also starts well before Bosworth which is unnecessary.
I gave this 2 stars because the author views both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard through a very sexist lens.
March 21, 2023
A truly magnificent book
August 20, 2018
Fascinating, Absorbing History
Obviously, the stories of the Tudor queens (ten) in this history are not told in isolation as they had kinfolk and were part of the fabric of Court life, as well as being intertwined with political and religious intrigues, and events that were part and parcel of the Tudor era.
International relations play a reasonably large part as well, as England had close and sometimes not so close relations with France, the Holy Roman Empire, not to mention the low-land countries and the Papacy.
The first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII, was the daughter of Edward IV, and, ironically, niece of Richard III, who was killed in the battle that gave Henry Tudor the chance to seize the Crown. She was extremely popular with the people and she and Henry had a stable and happy marriage. The Tudor queens who came after her had their own love stories or not and they are told in this history, so read, enjoy and learn. The biography of each queen segues into the next and this makes reading effortless. As a note of interest, the Tudor era was book-ended by queens called Elizabeth.
This is a fascinating, absorbing and detailed history that includes facts that were unknown to me. Although this is a history, it is compelling reading and as easy to read as a novel. Hui writes objectively so far as I can tell as I didn’t spot any obvious biases, and his subject has been comprehensively researched. The Tudor dynasty ran from 1486 to 1603 and left a lasting legacy in English history. There are endnotes that cite sources and a bibliography. Highly recommended.
Obviously, the stories of the Tudor queens (ten) in this history are not told in isolation as they had kinfolk and were part of the fabric of Court life, as well as being intertwined with political and religious intrigues, and events that were part and parcel of the Tudor era.
International relations play a reasonably large part as well, as England had close and sometimes not so close relations with France, the Holy Roman Empire, not to mention the low-land countries and the Papacy.
The first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII, was the daughter of Edward IV, and, ironically, niece of Richard III, who was killed in the battle that gave Henry Tudor the chance to seize the Crown. She was extremely popular with the people and she and Henry had a stable and happy marriage. The Tudor queens who came after her had their own love stories or not and they are told in this history, so read, enjoy and learn. The biography of each queen segues into the next and this makes reading effortless. As a note of interest, the Tudor era was book-ended by queens called Elizabeth.
This is a fascinating, absorbing and detailed history that includes facts that were unknown to me. Although this is a history, it is compelling reading and as easy to read as a novel. Hui writes objectively so far as I can tell as I didn’t spot any obvious biases, and his subject has been comprehensively researched. The Tudor dynasty ran from 1486 to 1603 and left a lasting legacy in English history. There are endnotes that cite sources and a bibliography. Highly recommended.
December 24, 2018
An ambitious project to say the least - there is plenty to say about most of these ladies, and many have whole biographies dedicated to just themselves. Very concise without a lot of conjecture. Some points I disagree with, but still an informative read. Full review to come.
March 3, 2024
A very good introduction for anyone not familiar with the history of the Tudors, especially the women highlighted in this book.
March 27, 2017
Crisp, clear writing. Authoritative and interesting. Truly covers everything you need to know about the Tudor queens
July 4, 2018
Overall it was a decent read. It was pretty fast paced and covered a lot of ground without leaving too much out. My biggest gripe would be certain parts where the subject would have a thought, as if it were fiction. It was a bit jarring in the historical context of the overall book. All that being said, I found out about the book from the author’s website, Tudor Faces, and that I can 100% recommend. I really like Roland Hui and hope to see more from him in the future.
November 30, 2018
Great read of the Tudor Queens. As a student of history, it brought to life the dealings the Tudor ladies dealt with in a male dominated society.
I would recommend more review of the Spanish princess. Also the relationship between King Edward and Lady Jane Grey. What if they had married?
I would recommend more review of the Spanish princess. Also the relationship between King Edward and Lady Jane Grey. What if they had married?
March 4, 2023
Surprisingly and pleasingly well-detailed for a history book that covers 140 years. We go through ALL the queens of Tudor England, covering all of their lives from birth to death, getting into the nitty-gritty of their lives. Nothing ground breaking proposed, but an excellent presentation of the era.
March 25, 2023
Was a really clear and concise yet thorough exploration of the royal women of the tudor age. Told seamlessly, the author didn't dally too long on any particular point but gave an excellent overview that readers could then use to discover more in areas of specific interest
September 12, 2025
I finally finished it! It's very long, but totally worth the read. I learned so much. I listened to it on Hoopla and the narrator read well. I loved the focus on the women and not demonizing them as is so often done.
July 31, 2017
From Tudorafil
I have read many books on this genre. This is by far the best and most concise. Highly recommended. Loved it.
I have read many books on this genre. This is by far the best and most concise. Highly recommended. Loved it.
September 5, 2017
excellent overview
I really enjoyed this style of writing- clear and not full of conjecture. This book was well written and full of factual information.
I really enjoyed this style of writing- clear and not full of conjecture. This book was well written and full of factual information.
October 16, 2017
Read in one day
The cites and references used are very credible, lightly embellished but, better than most of these types of books. Recommended.
The cites and references used are very credible, lightly embellished but, better than most of these types of books. Recommended.
May 26, 2019
A fascinating and in-depth look at this period of history - full of facts, anecdotes and loads and loads of research. Very informative.
February 25, 2020
A very good read with good insights.
July 27, 2020
A very crisp and clear written biography of all the Tudor Queens, even including a backstory as to how the Tudors came to the throne. I would strongly recommend this book to people who are new to Tudor history. But even for those who are not, this is a very interesting and informative read.
June 29, 2020
Very interesting book focused on the Queens during Tudor times. Not the most in depth, more of an overview of each reign.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews