Rivals in Power: Lives and Letters of the Great Tudor Dynasties

by David Starkey (Editor)

Nicely preserved

Genres: History, Tudor Period

292 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1990

About the author

David Robert Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British historian, a television and radio presenter, and a specialist in the Tudor period.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Starkey is the British version of Kayne West. No, no, he is. Both men are extremely talented but suffer from terminal foot in mouth disorder. Haven't you read Starkey's latest about the riots? Haven't your heard about Starkey calling some school child fat? You must have heard about West and MTV (yes, he was right, but that was no reason to pick on Swift). Or how West feels he is being compared to Hitler?

See?

David Starkey is like Simon Schama too. Both men are strangely compelling to watch.

This book, edited and with various sections by Starkey as well as Diarmaid MacCulloch among others, presents the lives of the Tudor greats though various letters, memos, and confessions. While there is nothing new for the long time Tudor fan to pick up in terms of infromation, the group does present infamous (Catherine Howard's Confession) and everyday missives of the Tudors.

Included with the letters are profiles as well as brief boxes detailing maps, art, marriage and so on. In some ways, the book treads areas of well woren floor boards, like with Anne Bolyen; in others it presents more detail, like with Catherine Parr.

It actually is worth reading for its analysis and family trees of the various Tudor families outside of the royal. The group does a good job of presenting the interconnections. Works either as a general introduction or a nice add on.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stuff but not that easy to get through

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even at the highest levels of the royal court, Tudor government involved a great deal more than three kings and two (or three) queens. Interwoven with and surrounding the Tudors were eight other great families who supplied queen consorts, mistresses, courtiers, generals and admirals, high state officials, and ambassadors — the Brandons, Greys, Howards, Seymours, Dudleys, Cecils, Talbots, Sidneys, and Devereux — who were also complexly related among themselves. This era often seems more of a soap opera than any other period in the history of the English monarchy, filled as it was with wealth and poverty, ambition and failure, crownings and beheadings, high statesmanship and low cunning — and, everywhere, politics. On more than a few occasions, these families were willing to sacrifice their sons and daughters in their quest for power. And what makes this period accessible to modern readers was the development during the English Renaissance of letter-writing as we know it. Great quantities of 15th and 16th century correspondence have survived to detail every aspect of private and public business, personal opinions, pleas for mercy, and jockeying for power. The second major theme of this volume is the constant replenishing of the nobility by the gentry since, on average, noble families lasted only three generations. Hence, Charles Brandon, best buddy of Henry VIII, who went from gentleman to duke in five years, largely on the strength of his engaging personality. The Howards also went up, down, and up again in less than two generations and have retained the Earl Marshal’s baton ever since. And, though he left no progeny, Thomas Wolsey typifies the self-made man: from humbly-born cleric to Bishop of Lincoln to Archbishop of York, Cardinal, and Chancellor of England. A beautifully illustrated and very readable book.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. Felt like I was back in the Tudor period and all its opulence. The letters between the courtiers were fascinating to read - and accompanied by Starkey's insight - this book is one for all you fellow history lovers.

[jane king · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not by Starkey, only edited by him. A selection of letters by people close to Henry, it takes a bit of getting used to the style of language. Quite interesting, nothing exceptional.