Tudor Period

The Tudor period conjures up images of queens and noblewomen in elaborate court dress, of palace intrigue and dramatic politics. But if you were a woman, it was also a time when death during childbirth was rife, when marriage was usually a legal contract, not a matter for love, and the education you could hope to receive was minimal at best. Yet the Tudor century was also dominated by powerful and dynamic women in a way that no era had been before.

Some ladies who served at the Tudor court are only faceless silhouettes lost to the sands of time, but there are those who dedicated their lives to please their royal mistresses and left documentation, allowing us to piece their life stories together and link them to the stories of Tudor queens. These female attendants saw their queens and princesses up close and often used their intimate bonds to their own benefit. Some were beloved, others hated. This is the story of the ladies of the Tudor court like you've never heard it before.

For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.

Peter Ackroyd, one of Britain's most acclaimed writers, brings the age of the Tudors to vivid life in this monumental audiobook in his History of England series, charting the course of English history from Henry VIII's cataclysmic break with Rome to the epic rule of Elizabeth I.

This book is a sweeping transatlantic history of Puritanism from its emergence out of the religious tumult of Elizabethan England to its founding role in the story of America. Shedding critical new light on the diverse forms of Puritan belief and practice in England, Scotland, and New England, David Hall provides a multifaceted account of a cultural movement that judged the Protestant reforms of Elizabeth's reign to be unfinished.

The Tudors are England's most notorious royal family. But, as Leanda de Lisle's gripping new history reveals, they are a family still more extraordinary than the one we thought we knew. The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family's obscure Welsh origins and the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a queen's lap - and later her bed.

Five Tudor monarchs sat on the throne of England and Ireland from 1485 to 1603. The family earned their royal rights through strategic planning and battlefield prowess, and kept them because of intellect, strength, and sheer determination. The Tudors, one of England’s most powerful and famous royal dynasties, knitted together a fragmented and small island nation that became one of the world’s financial, colonial, and technological superpowers.

The monarchs of the Tudor period are among some of the most well-known figures in British history. John Guy presents a compelling and fascinating exploration of the Tudors in the new edition of this Very Short Introduction audiobook.

Daniel's voice trembles as he races beside the carriage, his eyes locked on Charity's. "Do you love me, Miss Charity? Because I am utterly in love with you. I want you to be my wife, to be by my side, to walk this life with me." In the heart of London's high society, Charity serves Lady Musgrave, secretly longing for the unattainable Duke Daniel Musgrave. Their worlds collide when forbidden emotions bloom, leading to a thrilling pursuit of love and happiness. "Duty and Desire: Love and Rebellion in High Society" unveils a riveting tale of romance that defies social norms. Will love conquer ...

Buy this audiobook to claim your guide to the past, and prepare for an enlightening journey through the ages!

Some 70 years before the Mayflower sailed, a small group of English merchants formed the world's first joint-stock company. Back then, in the mid-16th century, England was a small and relatively insignificant kingdom on the periphery of Europe. Struggling with a single export - woolen cloth - the merchants were forced to seek new markets and trading partners. As this absorbing account shows, innovation and risk-taking were at the heart of the settlement of America, as was the profit motive.

The Tudor dynasty presided over one of the most dynamic periods in English history, an era that witnessed courtly conspiracies and public executions, religious reformation and exploration. Its fearsome monarchs transformed England from a minor medieval kingdom into a major player on the world stage. The Tudors reveals the complex personalities behind this powerful family, and the passions and jealousies that spurred them on.

If you want to discover the captivating history of Medieval England and Magna Carta, then get England in the Middle Ages - a set of two books about England during the Middle Ages and the influence of the Magna Carta.

To accompany the August 2011 issue of BBC History Magazine, expert historians discuss the life and reigns of the five Tudor monarchs with BBC History Magazine editor Dr David Musgrove. Dr Steven Gunn, of Oxford University, discusses Henry VII. Professor George Bernard, of Southampton University, introduces us to Henry VIII. Reading University’s Professor Ralph Houlbrooke talks about Edward VI.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, spy networks were a significant factor in England's security, for the first time in the nation's history. Documents from that era reveal hints of the work of England's agents at home and abroad, as well as the activities of foreign agents within the country. This was, of course, not the first time spies had been used. For as long as there have been nations, people have looked for ways to covertly gather information about each other. But in the 16th century, the information gathering and use of covert actions gained a level of organization and importance, that had not previously been seen in Western Europe.