Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer provides a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty—and some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a count...
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Aug 10, 2011
Great overview of the entire arc of the Tudor dynasty. Written by a historian for the average person. I found this book to be very helpful in understanding all the back stories for the various TV shows and movies surrounding the Tudor dynasty today. Meyer does a great job of providing enough color to keep the biography interesting, but he doesn't add all the fluff that transports it from biography to novel.
If you're interested in learning more about any of the Tudor monarchs, this would be a gr More...
If you're interested in learning more about any of the Tudor monarchs, this would be a gr More...
Jan 26, 2012
Lizbet
rated it: 
Meyer declaimed several times that THIS book would cover the entire Tudor dynasty. He said that too many books on the period focused on Henry VIII or Elizabeth exclusively, so he wanted to produce a biography of the dynasty rather than of the individual members in it.
I'm less impressed with that from the outset because my first good grounding in Tudor history was the middle book of a trilogy of popular history books by Mary M. Luke. (I never read the first or third as compulsively, b More...
I'm less impressed with that from the outset because my first good grounding in Tudor history was the middle book of a trilogy of popular history books by Mary M. Luke. (I never read the first or third as compulsively, b More...
Aug 02, 2011
Kathy
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Reading a book about the Tudors the first thing I learned was that there were only three generations of them. Henry VII, Henry VIII and his children, the third of which was Queen Elizabeth I. This was a surprise because with the amount of history and influence they had, you would think that they were a much more successful dynasty.
The second thing was that I need to read more about English history. It is much more complex that reading one book can express. There is much more going on t More...
The second thing was that I need to read more about English history. It is much more complex that reading one book can express. There is much more going on t More...
Jun 16, 2011
Monica
rated it:
Fascinating account, especially of Henry VIII, but of all the Tudors. The information on Henry VII is a bit skimpy, but we get a very full, and an unambiguously derogatory, portrait of Henry VIII, which comprises the longest portion of the book. Meyer presents quite enough evidence to prove that the man was a monster, basically a sociopath, who could have cared less about his kingdom, his friends or his people. Having inherited an enormous fortune from his crafty father, Henry immediately squand
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Oct 17, 2010
Manuel
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I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I picked it up expecting an ode to joy to the soap opera style of history as told in the silly TV series of the same name.
What I got was a comprehensive look at the background stories often overlooked by many writers, who portray Henry VIII as a romantic rogue or portray Elizabeth's reign as a golden era of domestic bliss.
I must admit my knowledge of Henry VII was sketchy before I picked up Meyer's book. He did a wonderful job l More...
What I got was a comprehensive look at the background stories often overlooked by many writers, who portray Henry VIII as a romantic rogue or portray Elizabeth's reign as a golden era of domestic bliss.
I must admit my knowledge of Henry VII was sketchy before I picked up Meyer's book. He did a wonderful job l More...
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Apr 10, 2010
Jodi
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Not sure what to rate this book. Meyer promises to write a book that doesn’t dwell on Henry VIII and Elizabeth like all other authors do and then spent about 300 of 569 pages on Henry –focused on the “King’s Great Matter”. Would have enjoyed more on Henry VII.
Elizabeth was not admired at all by this author (actually not too many of the women in power were—John Knox’s influence perhaps) to the point that any characteristic or action of hers was placed in a negative light. But what irked m More...
Elizabeth was not admired at all by this author (actually not too many of the women in power were—John Knox’s influence perhaps) to the point that any characteristic or action of hers was placed in a negative light. But what irked m More...
Jul 23, 2011
Burton
rated it:
I enjoyed Meyer's book. It's an extraordinarily accessible piece, demanding little previous study of the period. I agree with others who have pointed out that the author spends most of his time (detail and commentary) on Henry VIII, and that this is unfortunate. After reading it, Henry seemed much more three dimensional than Elizabeth. This is curious, given the author's assertion at the outset of the importance of considering the entire dynasty as a whole. Still, there is much to commend here.
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Oct 29, 2011
Adelle
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A fascinating, informative read; disillusioning, as well. I was aghast at the number of people the Tudors had tortured in the Tower; the monstously, undefendable, executions of so many, many people. And then there was the Crown's overriding need or desire --- perhaps the same thing to the king or queen --a for more, more, more money... there was seemingly nothing those in power wouldn't do to obtain it.
I found the reading to be remarkably engaging when it concerned characters from More...
I found the reading to be remarkably engaging when it concerned characters from More...
Mar 25, 2010
Rachele
rated it:
First and foremost this book chronicles the entire Tudor Reign, from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. It is detailed in historical fact and unlike a great many novels that center around the time period, I found it to be impartial and non judgmental about the historical figures it featured.
I learned a great deal more about Henry VIII and his children than I did from books by Alison Weir that I have had the pleasure of reading as well.
What I found most delightful about this book More...
I learned a great deal more about Henry VIII and his children than I did from books by Alison Weir that I have had the pleasure of reading as well.
What I found most delightful about this book More...
May 27, 2010
John
rated it: 
Historically accurate perhaps, though incredibly slanted.
Henry VIII was a bully/monster/tyrant. Period. End of Story. Most of the coverage of his reign focused on the men around him, and their roles in enforcing the break with Rome, as well as persecution of monks during the dissolution of the monasteries.
Edward VI was a fervent Protestant, but ... that was okay as he truly respected his sister Mary (in spite of their religious differences) - not a syllable to acknowledge the f More...
Henry VIII was a bully/monster/tyrant. Period. End of Story. Most of the coverage of his reign focused on the men around him, and their roles in enforcing the break with Rome, as well as persecution of monks during the dissolution of the monasteries.
Edward VI was a fervent Protestant, but ... that was okay as he truly respected his sister Mary (in spite of their religious differences) - not a syllable to acknowledge the f More...
Feb 09, 2012
Valerie
rated it:
One rainy Sunday I turned on the TV and got hooked on the Tudors! It made me want to read about them again and I was looking for something new. I ran across this book and downloaded it. This book discusses the Tudors from the 1st (Henry VII) to the last (Elizabeth I). As expected, the book is heavy on Henry VIII and Elizabeth. I alway knew what a bloody king Henry was, but I hadn't realized how thoroughly and almost completely he and his soul-less daughter eradicated the Catholic Church
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Mar 18, 2011
Maja
rated it: 
Definitely not impressed. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact. First let me comment on the content of the book. If you're looking for a book describing the Tudors as a dynasty, or the overall Tudor era, you have definitely picked up the wrong book. This one only works with the religious aspect of the Tudor reign. Not much else is a addressed. I was appalled at how little Henry VII was explained, though the author himself notes, that it's a problem, that he is so often ignored by other authors
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May 31, 2011
Emilie
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At first ,I really enjoyed this book ,but I soon realised that Meyer is extremely biased .His writing style seems to represent a person who is very proud of the knowledge he possesses on the time ,and is almost determined to show it off ,this makes him come across as an arrogant college student .I did ,however ,learn quite a bit about Henry VII ,as my knowledge of him was very limited .
The one thing that struck me the most was that he seemed to hate Elizabeth I . None of her achievements w More...
The one thing that struck me the most was that he seemed to hate Elizabeth I . None of her achievements w More...
Apr 01, 2011
Chris
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Well, it isn't really the complete story. It's mostly about Henry VIII, trying to get some of Showtime's bling perhaps. It is a good general study, but it does lose some steam after Henry VIII.
Yet, it is worth reading simply because of the time that Meyers takes with Harry. Instead of focusing on the wives, Meyer focuses more on the politics and the real movers and shakers. In fact, Meyern does this for the whole dynasty (except for Henry VII who seems to get an almost footnote More...
Yet, it is worth reading simply because of the time that Meyers takes with Harry. Instead of focusing on the wives, Meyer focuses more on the politics and the real movers and shakers. In fact, Meyern does this for the whole dynasty (except for Henry VII who seems to get an almost footnote More...
Feb 16, 2011
Lazyreader
rated it:
The book has a lot of interesting details about Tudor dynasty, however it is not a breezy read.
I personally mostly enjoyed reading about Henry's motivations and actions on founding of the Chirch of England.
I wish, however, Meyer covered Henry VII's reign in more depth. He was, afterall, the first Tudor king; also married to the daughter of the Yorkist king and did a lot of good for England's financial stability.
I also was surprised that Meyer only briefly mentioned Margaret Be More...
I personally mostly enjoyed reading about Henry's motivations and actions on founding of the Chirch of England.
I wish, however, Meyer covered Henry VII's reign in more depth. He was, afterall, the first Tudor king; also married to the daughter of the Yorkist king and did a lot of good for England's financial stability.
I also was surprised that Meyer only briefly mentioned Margaret Be More...
Nov 12, 2011
Caroline
rated it: 
Anyone enjoying The Tudors on tv will love this as a background to the history they don't cover. Also intereting to see how much of the series is embelisment and how much is history.
This is such a well produced and superbly narrated audio book I think it has raised the bar in my mind of how good audio books can be.
The content was truly fascinating and presented very well for non-history experts. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone wanting a bit more history than you are getting on " More...
This is such a well produced and superbly narrated audio book I think it has raised the bar in my mind of how good audio books can be.
The content was truly fascinating and presented very well for non-history experts. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone wanting a bit more history than you are getting on " More...
Apr 04, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
I'm a big Anglophile and especially enjoy reading non-fiction of the different English royal dynasties and this caught my eye at the library as being entertaining as well as informative - good combination when reading about history in general.
I'm about 50 pages into it and am really enjoying it. It's well-written and holds your attention (if you thought political shenanigans of today are out-of-control, believe me, it was just as crazy, if not more so, back then. And extremely brutal More...
I'm about 50 pages into it and am really enjoying it. It's well-written and holds your attention (if you thought political shenanigans of today are out-of-control, believe me, it was just as crazy, if not more so, back then. And extremely brutal More...
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Apr 09, 2011
Adela
rated it:
I think a better title for this book would be The Tudors, But Mostly Henry VIII, and Lots of Religion. I feel like in the end, there was more religion than Tudors. Yeah, okay, there was a LOT of religious upheaval during the Tudor era, but there simply had to be some other stuff going on too.
There were a lot of interesting things in this book, and I enjoyed learning that information, but I have two main complaints:
1. There was just waaaay too much discussion of religion. More...
There were a lot of interesting things in this book, and I enjoyed learning that information, but I have two main complaints:
1. There was just waaaay too much discussion of religion. More...
Apr 11, 2011
Tom
rated it:
My wife loves the Tudors in all their forms, so when I saw this book on a shelf, I decided to get it so I can have conversations with her on the subject.
This was a very smart move--after a dumb one where I learned after entering this book into Goodreads I had gotten the exact same book for her much earlier when it had a different cover. Oh well.
Anyway, G.J. Meyer is working off the assumption that the Tudor dynasty (best known for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) somehow were More...
This was a very smart move--after a dumb one where I learned after entering this book into Goodreads I had gotten the exact same book for her much earlier when it had a different cover. Oh well.
Anyway, G.J. Meyer is working off the assumption that the Tudor dynasty (best known for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) somehow were More...
Apr 29, 2010
Karolinde (Kari)
rated it:
The great part of this book: Meyer puts the Tudors in their historical and culture place. He spends time talking about issues such as montasticism, Reformation, and Ottomans that impacted England at the time of the dynasty.
The questionable part of this book: Meyer's main aim doesn't seem to be so much the telling of the Tudor story as it is refuting the romantic view often held of them. In particular, he is generally harsh in his treatment of Elizabeth. While many of his points More...
The questionable part of this book: Meyer's main aim doesn't seem to be so much the telling of the Tudor story as it is refuting the romantic view often held of them. In particular, he is generally harsh in his treatment of Elizabeth. While many of his points More...
Apr 25, 2011
Alicia
rated it:
This book sheds so much light on the Tudor reign. And I think that it's pretty amazing that people glorify Elizabth I and Henry VIII, but they were really no much better than modern day terrorists. Getting what they want by any means necessary, killing all that oppose them. I mean, that sounds like some Rwanda genocide or Taliban stories, right? But this was how everyone lived. I think it would've been horrible to be a "noble" back then. But being a peasant wasn't much better. And at l
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Feb 03, 2011
Cheryl
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I'm always interested in books about the Tudors but I don't think they always have something new to say. This one I felt did have something new to say and I found it really fascinating. The books tackles the whole Tudor dynasty, and explores the myths and rockstar status that are associated with these monarchs. It isn't written as an academic treatise and glosses over a lot of the details that most books get bogged down with. I really liked the comparisons between the Tudor monarchs not only
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Sep 05, 2010
Steven
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Very readable book on the Tudors. After the romanticization of the short-lived Tudor dynasty by other authors, this book takes a different tack. The key point: After Henry VII, it was all downhill for England under the Tudors. Meyer notes (Page xxiii): "It is impossible not to suspect that [Henry VII]. . .would have been appalled to see where his descendants took the kingdom and how their story ended." Hnery VIII, Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth were Henry VII's successors among the Tud
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Apr 19, 2011
Seri
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From my tumblr blog at: http://dachaublues.tumblr.com/
Its not often that I read history of this era. However, after reading George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice, I was hungry for more royal treachery, scandalous affairs, murderous plots, and upstart usurpers. Since A Song of Fire and Ice, was based on England’s War of the Roses, the natural progression was to pick up where that left off - with the Tudor dynasty. Also, I couldn’t resist the cleavage on the cover.
Spo More...
Its not often that I read history of this era. However, after reading George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice, I was hungry for more royal treachery, scandalous affairs, murderous plots, and upstart usurpers. Since A Song of Fire and Ice, was based on England’s War of the Roses, the natural progression was to pick up where that left off - with the Tudor dynasty. Also, I couldn’t resist the cleavage on the cover.
Spo More...
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Jan 12, 2012
Tiffany
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At first when I picked this book up, I had thought that it would be fiction. I have always been intrigued by the Tudor dynasty (since picking up The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory and not realizing that it was part of a series of books) and so I was looking forward to reading another one. When I realized that this was a history, I was a little be daunted. Nevertheless, I am not one to turn away from books and thus set out to read it. What I got was an incredibly wittingly written history of on
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May 24, 2011
Leta
rated it:
Think your family is dysfunctional? Not compared to the Tudors. Think your company's management is inconsistent, vindictive, and a financial disaster? Not compared to the Tudors.
Mr. Meyer, as far as I can tell, got so tired of the generally accepted propaganda about the Tudors that this book is something of a "debunk the myths" look at the family that ruled England for over 100 years.
Even at nearly 600 pages the book is easy to read; intended more for the averag More...
Mr. Meyer, as far as I can tell, got so tired of the generally accepted propaganda about the Tudors that this book is something of a "debunk the myths" look at the family that ruled England for over 100 years.
Even at nearly 600 pages the book is easy to read; intended more for the averag More...
Mar 09, 2011
Adam
rated it:
After watching the Tudors I felt compelled to read this. I am glad I did. It certainly clarified some things from the show but at the same time upheld a lot of what was in the show too. I found myself engaged the whole time and obsessively wanting to read more. I found some of the people around the Tudors to be almost more interesting than the Tudors themselves. I was really interested in Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell and to a lesser extant Thomas More. I think I will pick up some of th
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Feb 20, 2012
Sandy
rated it:
This challenging, yet consuming historiography tells the story of the three generations of the Tudor family. It didn't dwell on the details of Henry's many failed marriages, but did go into great depth on England's religious and political issues of the time. I enjoyed the descriptions of life in England during the 1500's and 1600's, including how families lived, were educated and made a living. This added a new perspective to the stories I've already read about the Tudors. I would recommend
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Sep 19, 2011
Sky
rated it:
Excellent read. History books can be dreadfully slow but this one reads like a trashy novel (meant in only the best way). There is a lot to follow when it comes to who is related to who etc. but otherwise the story is so interesting it couldn't have been better if it were all made up! This stuff really happened and it's amazing!!!! At the same time I'm reading this I'm also watching the Tudors series from cable tv and also renting movies about the time of the Tudors. I'm immersed in the culture
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Dec 27, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
*Note: This book actually has a 4.5 star rating!!!
I don't read non-fiction books very often, so when I say that this book was well-worth my time, then I really mean it. G.J. Meyer writes about the history of the Tudor dynasty as if it is a work of fiction, meaning that he weaves all of the intricate, and often complex, details together in a cohesive and compelling narrative. Although Meyer admits that his work is a sweeping account of the events of the era, he goes into great detail More...
I don't read non-fiction books very often, so when I say that this book was well-worth my time, then I really mean it. G.J. Meyer writes about the history of the Tudor dynasty as if it is a work of fiction, meaning that he weaves all of the intricate, and often complex, details together in a cohesive and compelling narrative. Although Meyer admits that his work is a sweeping account of the events of the era, he goes into great detail More...
