The Royal Palaces of Tudor England: Architecture and Court Life, 1460-1547 (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis) (Hardcover)

~ Dr. Simon Thurley (Author) "When Henry VIII died at Whitehall in the early hours of 28 January 1547 he possessed over sixty houses..." (more)
Key Phrases: tiltyard towers, processional stair, royal lodgings, Hampton Court, Anne Boleyn, Whitehall Palace (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

At the time of his death in 1547, Henry VIII possessed over 60 royal residences. Thurley, in his capacity as Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, has thoroughly researched inventories, diplomatic notes, recent archaeological data, and contemporary accounts of these Tudor houses for this work. The result is a fascinating illumination of Tudor society's etiquette, hygiene, religion, government, recreation (from tennis and bowling to cockfighting), cooking, and the evolution of interior decoration. Tracing the royal residences from the two-room lodges of the Plantagenets, Thurley shows the Tudor mansions, which could cover dozens of acres, to have become true hubs of power. Including 200 black-and-white and 158 color illustrations, along with 15 pages of floor and ground plans, this stunning achievement is highly recommended.
- Joseph Hewgley, Nashville P.L.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

The royal palaces of the Tudor period - Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Greenwich Palace, St James' Palace, Nonesuch, Whitehall and Richmond Palace, amongst others - are the subject of this illustrated book, in which the author examines the way in which Tudor palaces functioned on the inside. Every aspect of palace life - from the deliberations of the Star Chamber to the tennis courts at Whitehall to the problems of providing sanitation for 800 people - is covered in detail, as well as the architectural history of not only the most important palaces, but also a selection of 'lesser' houses. Thurley begins with the castles and palaces of early medieval England and Burgundy, moves on through those built by Henry VII, focusing finally on the many palaces lived in and built by Henry VIII for his itinerant court. The result is both a study of the development of architectural style and form in the critical formative years of early sixteenth-century England and a work of social history which throws completely new light on the way in which Tudor government functioned and on the personality and changing habits of Henry VIII. The author is now responsible for Hampton Court Palace, Kew Palace and the Tower of London: he recently masterminded the restoration of the Tudor Kitchens and the King's Apartments at Hampton Court.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Paul Mellon Centre BA (October 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300054203
• ISBN-13: 978-0300054200
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 10 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #435,229 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For Tudor Buffs, February 8, 2006

By	V. Parker (Valdosta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I grew up in England and have visited many historical buildings from the Tudor period. If you are fascinated by the Tudor dynasty, especially Henry VIII, and the buildings and living conditions of the Tudor monarchs, this book will satisfy your thirst for knowledge. I thought that I had a fairly good knowledge about the Tudor period until I bought this book. Simon Thurley is an expert in this field and it shows. The book contains maps of the palaces, pictures of parts of excavated palaces that I have never seen before, and many, many paintings of the palaces how they "used to look". Many of these fine buildings have been lost to modernization and demolishment, but their images live on in this book. Excellent job Dr. Thurley!!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Tudor Book, August 13, 2007

By	Alonzo A. Flores "royal_historian" (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is very extensive on the history of the Tudor palaces, it has great information and great pictures. A must buy for your collection of Tudor history.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to a Tudor reference library, January 28, 2002

By	Douglas (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews

Dr. Thurley has done a great job with this reference book. A great addition to anyone's personal reference library on Tudor history.