Customer Reviews

Tudor England

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3 star:		(1)
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John Guy is a fine scholar and an adequate writer. His analysis of Tudor society and government thoroughly convinces the reader of his sound understanding of Tudor history.

At points he assumes his audience has more knowledge of Tudor policitics than this reader had. He analyzes membership and conflicts in the Privy councils in more depth than most people reading for pleasure will want. But the work will, on balance, entertain and fascinate any patient reader with its many perspectives on those famous Tudor monarchs.

This book is excellently written, and will really appeal to anyone who is interested in the Tudors. Professor Guy's book is essential for anyone wishing to study this period, as this one volume covers religion, politics, society and the economy. He has a good style of writing and each topic flows smoothly into the next, giving a valuable insight into both the policies and the characters in this period.

In the preface to this book, John Guy states that one of his aims in writing it was to provide "a clear narrative account of the period of English history from 1460 to the death of Elizabeth I in a manner equally accessible to the general reader and to the student." In this the book is an unqualified success; though the author presumes some familiarity with the era, it is a great narrative of England during their reign, presenting complex events in a straightforward and comprehensible manner.

Guy's focus is primarily on political and religious themes of the period, though he includes chapters on the economy, society, and culture as a means of fully developing his argument. Such an approach is understandable, given that the development of the state is one of the major events of 16th century England. The key figure in this, as with so much else in Tudor history, is Henry VIII, whose innovations would be felt for the remainder of the century.

Written with clarity and wit, Guy's book is the best single-volume history of the Tudor era. My only complaint is that, given his other professed goal of offering a synthesis of current research, a new edition is needed to maintain the book's usefulness as a survey account. I can only hope that Guy does so before too many readers dismiss what is otherwise an excellent overview of Tudor rule.

If you want a good overview of Tudor politics & gov't, then here's a fine book. But don't look for a general history of the period here.

Limited survey of England under the Tudors. The intention was to equally divide the thesis among all Tudor monarchs, but Guy centers most on Henry VII, VIII and Elizabeth I. Despite the limited scope, Guy is considered among the prominent scholars of Tudor England. More extensive research findings can be found on Guy's Tudor England website.