Tudor Rebellions

by Anthony Fletcher, Diarmaid MacCulloch

The Tudor age was a tumultuous one - a time of the Reformation, conspiracies, uprisings and rebellions.

The Tudor Rebellions gives a chronological run-down of the major rebellions and throws light on some of the main themes of Tudor history, including the dynasty's attempt to bring the north and west under the control of the capital, the progress of the English Reformation and the impact of inflation, taxation and enclosure on society.

Successive versions of Tudor Rebellions have been central to understanding Tudor politics since 1968, when Anthony Fletcher first published his book. Now nearly four decades later, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch has once more thoroughly revised and expanded this classic text to take into account exciting and innovative work on the subject in recent years.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Academic, British Literature, 16th Century

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1968

About the author

Anthony Fletcher is a historian of the early modern period. He is a former professor at the Universities of Sheffield, Durham, Essex, and London.

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many key notes occurring during the Tudor Dynasty: from the Battle of Bosworth to Henry VIII’s wives to the Spanish Armada. Although on a smaller scale; there were also some other notable events such as rebellions and uprisings amongst the citizens of England (does the ‘Pilgrimage of Grace’ ring a bell?). Anthony Fletcher and Diarmaid MacCulloch take a look at these in, “Tudor Rebellions” (revised 5th Edition).

“Tudor Rebellions” begins with a chronology of events, a “Who’s Who” of key figures, and maps of the paths of the rebellions. These maps are definitely noteworthy as I have read hundreds of Tudor history books and don’t particularly recall such maps of the rebellions elsewhere. This flows into a psychological and sociological look into the setup of Tudor societies, what motivated them, and how/why the social classes were managed. Although a little bit dry for those not interested in such topics; Fletcher and MacCulloch’s writing is still accessible.

Following is a chronological description of the rebellions which took place. Each of these is assessed in strong detail per the events, people involved, where they occurred, doctrines produced, any legal complexities, etc. It is clear that the authors conducted abundant research and again, I have not seen such a presentation focusing solely on the rebellions elsewhere. Not to mention, “Tudor Rebellions” differs by focusing more on the side of the citizens and protestors versus that of the government illuminating a whole new perspective and outlook.

Each rebellion is followed by an analysis exploring various theories of the causes of these uprisings. The problem with this is that “Tudor Rebellions” reads like a college case study at this point. Fletcher and MacCulloch too often quote others and simply paraphrase previous studies versus offering their own input. This breaks up the work and slows the pace.

“Tudor Rebellions” provides a vast amount of information and detail in a small space. Although that is a good thing for those seeking facts about the period; it can also be overwhelming and requires small breaks in order to take it all in and absorb the material. It isn’t that “Tudor Rebellions” isn’t easy-to-read per se; but it isn’t super fast, either. It is somewhat deceiving based purely on length.

The third part of “Tudor Rebellions” attempts to explain why rebellions occurred logistically and economically in terms of high and low politics. Sadly, the thesis is lost, the argument is weak and the section is seemingly pointless in the text as it would make absolutely no difference on impact if it was absent.

Luckily, “Tudor Rebellions” is then refueled by part four which features 24 primary documents ranging from articles to letters written by both key figures and rebels which provide a delightful insight into these historical events. The only issue with these supplements are the spelling (kept in its original) which makes reading slightly difficult. Fletcher and MacCulloch then provide some notes and a list of sources, as well.

“Tudor Rebellions” is a great piece for an isolated look at the rebellions which took place during the Tudor dynasty. The coverage is informative and provides more depth than other books which merely mention these events. The text is somewhat slow; but it is certainly recommended for all readers who are interested in the Tudor times (but more so for those with some preexisting knowledge on the topic versus novice readers).

[Edmund Bloxam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the prose clear enough, even if the text is academic.

The main thing I took from it is the depiction of 'normal people'. History is usually that of rulers and armies. Understandably, as the poor were rarely written about. In this history, you get a snapshot of the things that drove even the people of villages. Some of these rebellions were genuinely about having religion taken away from people, cultural habits formed after generations. It's true, the focus is on ringleaders, and rebellions needed at least some nobility, minor or otherwise, to go anywhere.

This book is also pleasingly short. I didn't have to devote hours just to get a chapter read. So, I would recommend it to someone who might be scared off by academic-level text.

[Johanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting. It is amazing how few rebellions are taught in school. British history is convulsed by rebellions in almost every century yet our knowledge is generally confined to the civil wars and possibly the peasants revolt. Were I a cynic I might suppose that it isn't good to let the hoi polloi know that they don't have to take what is offered meekly......

[Abecker · Rating 1 out of 5]

DO NOT GET FROM THIS PROVIDER
They sent me animal farm instead. Took more than a month to sort out. Wouldn't pay for the shipping back of the wrong book. Had to ask the ISBN number multiple times and went back and forth between they do and don't have it.

[C.J. J Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book for researching

[Paul Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good survey of the key Tudor rebellions and their causes. It includes an excellent selection of original documents.

[Andrea Björnsdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful for research. Good collection of historical documents at the end.

[Don Dealga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent survey review - perfect for students/readers wanting a little more in-depth treatment of the Tudor rebellions without getting into deep historiographical weeds

[๖ۣۜSαᴙαh ๖ۣۜMᴄĄłłiƨʈeʀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just like any other genre, in history, there are good writers and there are bad writers. This book falls into neither category but it was a snooze-fest to get through. The introduction was set up superbly and I was rather excited to continue but when I came to the actual rebellions, I could barely concentrate on the text because it was written with absolutely no narrative prose. Granted, this is not fiction--I get that. But I've read well-written narrative prose-like history books and this one is not one I'd recommend a friend. I believe I can tell the story better myself.
That being said, this book contains a lot of useful information and will add a great deal of knowledge to my research.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep in mind that this book is part of a series intended for specialized seminars. It is very brief (100 pages plus documents) and very specialized. References throughout the book send you to either one of the period documents or to the bibliography. It has a very good (if dated) bibliography and an interesting collection of historical documents from the rebellions. You need to have a good background in British and Tudor history in order to appreciate the book. My background was almost but not quite there!

[Samantha]

This book was a very informative account of a few rebellions that happened during the various Tudor reigns. The book kept descriptions clear and precise.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saturn’s eminence

[Jackie]

I stopped reading after chapter 1. So I have no review for this book.