Tudor History Lovers discussion

What are some of your favourite Tudor reads and why? I need some new books to read. :)

C w gortner

The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser, because I like her writing style very much, it's not dry at all. And the research is detailed too!
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, once again very readable and well-researched. Also by Alison Weir, The Children of Henry VIII.
Margaret George's The Autobiography of Henry VIII, a fiction but very interesting.

I have just started reading Arbella The Lost Queen of England who was the niece of Mary Queen of Scots and cousin to Queen Elizabeth the First. Most people have never heard of her and Elizabeth had "indicated" several times that she was to be her successor to the throne. Great reading so far and the book was authored by Sarah Gristwood. My favorite author is Jean Plaidy and I also like Philippa Gregory for historical fiction. I am definitely NOT a fan of Alison Weir. My historical preference though is The Plantagenet family. Happy reading!

I love anything by Weir especially her non-fiction. I find her detailed and well- researched.

Other authors that are wonderful IMO are Fraser and Gristwood,

David Starkey's Six Wives is fantastic and E.W. Ives is the go to for Anne Boleyn both of these authors write as a professor who knows their subject! I love them!

One more to mention is Dan Jones..he doesn't write about the Tudors but if you are looking to set the stage for the Tudors his books War of the Roses and The Plantagenets are a must read.

I love Kate Emerson and Suzannah Dunn.

Non-fiction: I'm a fan of Alison Weir. Also Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, Ruth Goodman's How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life, Antonia Frasier's The Wives of Henry VIII (I recommend Frasier generally, but most of her other books are not about the Tudors), and Liza Picard's Elizabeth's London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London.

Fiction: C.J. Sansom's Shardlake novels (which start with Dissolution), Susan Kay's Legacy, Hilary Mantel's novels about Cromwell, Rosalind Miles' I, Elizabeth, Elswyth Thane's The Tudor Wench (not a romance but a biographical novel about Elizabeth I), and Philippa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance.

YA/juvenile/only partially Tudor: Queen's Folly by Elswyth Thane; She Was Nice To Mice: The Other Side of Elizabeth I's Character Never Before Revealed by Previous Historians by Ally Sheedy; The Armourer's House by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Have you read any of Jean Plaidy's novels?

Me? Not yet.

ETA: I've read the author, but in one of her alter egos (Victoria Holt).

Michell thanks for the suggestion of Dan Jones. I am not familiar with that author and will definitely check him out.

My favorite Tudor read ever was The Wives of Henry VIII . I got the hardcover back in the mid to late nineties when it first came out. The book jacket was like parchment. I used this book as the basis of my trip to England in 1999. There were many photos included in the book of things I was particularly interested in like where all the notable figures were buried. When I saw all these things in person and came back home to look at the book again, I was in awe that I actually saw all of it. It's obviously been a long time since I've read it, but it made a big impression on me...the writing, the photos...all of it. I'll have to take it off the book shelf where it resides as one of my treasures and savor it again someday.

*TUDOR^QUEEN* wrote: "My favorite Tudor read ever was The Wives of Henry VIII . I got the hardcover back in the mid to late nineties when it first came out. The b..."

Yes, this is a very good book. I read it last spring and really enjoyed it.

Excellent book.

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Me? Not yet.

ETA: I've read the author, but in one of her alter egos (Victoria Holt)."

Yes, it's absolutely amazing how prolific Ms. Plaidy was!

You should definitely put all of her Tudor books on your reading list!

Jean Plaidy is by far my favorite author. I have been purchasing all of her books and after this next shipment will have all of them. I do prefer the Plantagenet's over the Tudors but she writes series (and complete ones) on both families. Jean Plaidy was definitely an influence on Phillipa Gregory. Enjoy!

Christine wrote: "Michell thanks for the suggestion of Dan Jones. I am not familiar with that author and will definitely check him out."

You should. He has a lot of talent.

Just finished listening to The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas by Alison Weir.
Another excellent voyage into the life of a strong Tudor woman. Stubborn to her last day (something of a family trait), Lady Margaret was the Grand daughter, niece, cousin, aunt, mother, mother-in-law grandmother & great grandmother to ruling English & Scottish monarchs. She managed to stand up for her beliefs and follow her heart despite the potentially nasty consequences.
Once again, Weir's writing captivated me and left me wanting more. The audiobook narrator was also fantastic.

Has anyone read The Phantom Tree?

I know most of the books people read are biographies or secondary sources, but if you ever get a chance, Henry's sixth wife, Catherine Parr, wrote a couple of books herself - my favorite being The Lamentation of a Sinner. Not only was it rare for a Queen Consort to author a book, but Catherine was apparently the first woman in England to use her own name as the author. What's even more interesting is that she is immensely humble in this book; even to the point of unashamedly confessing her sins and selfishness. This level of public self-humiliation was not exactly a respectable thing for anyone in the royal court to do at that time! If nothing else, this a great book to read if you want to get into the mind of a Tudor.

John Guy, David Starkey, John Edward, Helen Castor, Jane Dunn, Terry Breverton, SB Chrimes, Jennifer Loach, Arlene Okerlund, David Loades, Leanda de Lisle, Linda Porter, Antonia Fraser, Alison Weir, Amy Licence, are among the best biographers and non fiction writers relating to this era.

Some of my favorite Tudor novelists are Norah Lofts, Eleanor Hibbert, Rosemary Churchill, among many others.

I read the “phantom tree”, it was pretty good

I have a David Starkey book and have watched his documentaries. Is his writing any good? I did like his documentaries on Elizabeth and Henry VIII. I really don't want to be disappointed.

I love David Starkey...I don't think you will be disappointed in the least!

Just a random question --- Do you like to read a non-fiction book, say biography or history, before you would read an historical book/novel so you have some knowledge about the actual truth of a story? I have read Alison Weir for the facts, then read the historical fiction.

I have done both. Now that I have read quite a bit on the Tudors for example I am very choosy about the historical fiction I read. Alison Weir's historical novels are some that I would read. When I read a historical book and discover a new person of history then I search out a non-fiction book to find out the truth.

I've done both, too.

Mindy wrote: "Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Me? Not yet.

ETA: I've read the author, but in one of her alter egos (Victoria Holt)."

Yes, it's absolutely amazing how prolific Ms. Plaidy was!

You shou..."

She also wrote as Phillipa Carr a family saga through time. There are obviously some Tudor ones in that set. Her style is really great and although im not mad on historical fiction I would make an exception to her work!