Customer Reviews

A Brief History of the Tudor Age (Brief History, The)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Great listing of facts and details about Tudor England, for example how many butchers worked in London and where their waste went. It is a very detail-oriented, accounting-like list of information ranging from everyday items used to road repairs and its implications for the time it took to deliver documents. Not very insightful as to Tudor history itself and a bit biased, as the author clearly states that Henry VIII was the greatest king England ever had, but Elizabeth I was basically a poor queen, indecisive and any decisions were done by her advisors. Interesting as to the details that one is not likely to find anywhere else.

A really well done overview of the Tudors, concentrating on not only the history but 'life' during that time. From Sports to religion, law-enforcement and travel, I found the work to be engaging. The prose is sharp, and the use of first-person accounts makes this a treat. My only quibble is with the over-reliance on Shakespeare to reflect the times; many of his plays mirror Italian society of 50 years earlier, and thus the attitudes expressed are not necessarily those of Tudor-Age Englishmen. But it's only a small quibble -- overall I highly recommend

Mr. Ridley wanders about more than the Countess of Salisbury when she went to the block. Why he spent over a page on this in the Chapter on Houses I am not sure. The entire book is filled with historical information which is interesting, but in many cases is related only by a thin thread to the subject at hand. This book could only be used as a history of the Tudor age if it was used with another more complete history. It is too broad and the trivia he provides doesn't fill in the holes. On the other hand, it reads well so if you want some light history reading, its ok.

This book is well written and seems to be very well researched. It contains a lot of detail to back up the author's explanations of the general trends and the momentous events that developed during the Tudor Age. The treatment of the system of punishments of that society's offenders is detailed and not for the squeamish, although it is not presented in a truly sensationalized form. I think this book will please those who are satified by having a lot of coherent facts very intelligently presented; however, it may not please those who seek out a writing style that has more flair and flourish.

interesting read... details of life in the tudor age from the local butcher on up to the priesthood and royalty... a lot of detail about the upper crust, but not much about the day to day of the common folk... would have loved to have read about schooling, healthcare, passtimes, music, how people spent their leisure time... what we get for the most part is royal history, which is interesting in itself but not why i picked up the book and not what i believe the intent of the book was... off course i could be wrong, that's why 3 and not 2 stars