The Tudors in 100 Objects

by John Matusiak

The Tudors in 100 Objects sets out to examine the material remains of a seminal period in English history and thereby explore the values, hopes, achievements, fears, and habits of the men and women who helped to make it what it was. The result is a compelling journey into a far-off world where limited life expectancy, back-breaking work, grinding poverty, violence, cruelty, inequality, intolerance, harsh justice, superstition, and widespread illiteracy went hand-in-hand with untold opulence, intense religious faith, high moral principle, cultural refinement, bravery, tenacity, inventiveness, and an unbridled zest for living. From birthing chairs and prosthetic arms to witches’ stools, pocket watches, fuming pots, codpieces, ear scoops, flushing lavatories, bollock daggers, and ducking stools, the whole vivid panorama of Tudor life is laid bare in a provocative and frequently myth-shattering narrative, firmly founded upon contemporary accounts and the most up-to-date results of modern scholarship.

Genres: History, Tudor Period, Nonfiction, British Literature, Historical

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2016

About the author

John Matusiak studied at the universities of London and Sussex before embarking upon a teaching career that eventually spanned more than thirty years. For over a third of that time, he was Head of the History Department at Colchester Royal Grammar School.

Reviews

[kerrycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this gem, savoring each entry. Fascinating and entertaining as well as educational, this truly brings the period to life with objects ranging from the royal to everyday, the bizarre to terrifying, and the beautiful to crude.

I had a hilarious déja vu moment with the mention of a baby eaten by a pig (name that Steinbeck novel) and a good laugh at the reference to taverns as "nurseries of naughtiness." Alliterative criticism at its finest. The photographs and text are just fantastic. Well done, and of an interest to historians in general as well as those of us involved with the Tudor period.

[Juliew. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and written this book kinda impressed me.Each page offers an object that was either used during the Tudor period or something that had direct connections to the Tudors themselves.Each object is discussed extensively mentioning it's history,cultural significance and use.Particularly interesting objects for me were Elizabeth I's effigy corset,Prince Arthur's hutch,Thomas Tallis keyboard,Charles Brandon's hawking vervel and many others directly linked to the Tudors.I found as a whole this was very easy to pick up and put down due to the book's organization and short but very informative entries.It made you look forward to finding out the next object and what small tidbits of Tudor history would be reveled.It was packed full of info so if you like totally immersing yourself in everything Tudor I suggest checking this out.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and beautiful. What a stunning read, and great pictures. One of the best books I have read this year, easily.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matusiak's book is a good but also a bit strange. It is to the book's benefit hat Matusiak includes items that those from the lower classes would use, making the book more than a catalog of items used by those in power. For instance, while Henry VII's bed is included, so is an planting calendar. Yet some of the items or sometimes the photos used make one wonder. For instance, why it is undeniable that Martin Luther had impact on the Tudors, why his betrothal ring as opposed to say an English translation or work influenced by Luther? Why use photos of items from European museums? Was it because those items did not survive in the UK? It makes the use of the word Tudor in the title a little misleading.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a refreshing new look at the Tudor period through the objects that have survived. I've read several other books by John Matusiak before, including his biographies on Henry VIII and Thomas Wolsey. This one is my favourite because it is so different.

Objects examined in the book include the silver-gilt boar badge found at Bosworth, Lady Jane Grey's prayer book, and a lock of Elizabeth I's hair. These more famous artefacts are examined alongside things like a sun mask, a birthing chair, a pocket pistol, and the world's oldest football. There are so many different objects and some that you didn't realise even existed in this period.

There are images of all of the artefacts discussed and a discussion of each object, along with the context in which they would have been used and were discovered. Some are quite recent discoveries, like the bedhead of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and others had been handed down through generations or are in museums. The history of these individual objects is almost as interesting as the contextual history.

I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Tudor history or of historical objects and the history of them. One that I'll definitely come back to!

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one and read it in bite sized portions over the space of a month. Some objects interested me more than others, but I didn't miss any and read in order.

The objects were fairing and the knowledge broad; I've studied this period for a long time and liked discovering something new.

[Kt Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched, a clear labour of love. I was incredibly impressed with the detail surrounding the objects - it's clear that Matusiak really put a lot of thought into the inclusion of the objects and the information included, some which I imagine could have taken up many more pages than they did.

The only slight disappointment of this book, which I don't think was in the author's control, is some of the pictures left a lot to be desired. Objects were described in amazing details and I would become extremely excited to see the picture to see if it matched what was in my mind and often we would be greeted with a picture taken at an odd angle or not clear enough to see the detail. The statue of Christ stands out as an example: paragraphs of pages describing the statue and the picture is taken from the side! I think I would have appreciated inclusion of more pictures of the objects at different angles so the reader can get a better 3D type of view. Again, I note it's likely not at fault of the author, but rather the domain or institution the pictures are taken from.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book. As an avid Tudor buff, there were many treasures within these pages that I hadn't heard of, and have added many to my ever growing list of things to seek out and see for myself.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!! It was interesting to see everyday and unique objects that people from that period used. A different look into history of the tudors. Featured pictures of the objects and a description for each object and gave a brief history of that object. Only issue I had with the book was that the pictures were in black and white. I wish the pictures were colored. Would have been nicer to see the images in a more vibrant detail and to see how beautiful some of the colors of the objects were

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book with a lot of information. I definitely can’t discredit the amount of time and research that went into this, but here’s my beef:

1. This isn’t a history of the Tudors. It’s a history of Tudor Era England. Think less “Henry’s desk” and more of “Shakespeare’s ring, printing press, invention of the toilet, guns, etc.”

2. If you have a book on objects, you need good photos. My book had terrible black and white photos that were really difficult to see.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary collection of objects, many only recently excavated, showing a diverge range in Tudor life, on all points of the social spectrum. The items often showcase areas of the time period often overlooked, and all of it fascinating.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Quite interesting and fun looking at the different objects from Tudor times. I liked the way the book was organized. If you CV enjoy Tudor history then I think you will enjoy the book

[Mrs Simone Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

I have always been interested in Tudor history and learned so much from this wonderful book.
Really well written and laid out.

[Deb Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating glimpses into a world we think we know but don't really.

[Savina King]

Brilliant, some familiar and some far from it. Great way to get closer to history!.

[Kerry Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little find

A fantastic book for anyone who is interested in the Tudor period. They certainly used some weird and wonderful things!

[BMH WHITE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tudor Objects

A different angle on the Tudors. A fascinating look into objects connected with the Tudors bringing history alive and interesting.

[Donna Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to read but fascinating well researched historical book .Covers everything from war to domestic life. The Tudors remain as ever a fabulous read .

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read, divided into disgestable sections.

[Tabatha Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fascinating i genuinely couldn’t put it down