The Little Book of the Tudors

by Annie Bullen

What did a Tudor man wear under his doublet and hose?What was the show-stopping centrepiece at a royal Tudor wedding?Why did everyone, from the king downwards, fear the ‘sweating sickness’?The Tudors may have been a comparatively short-lived dynasty, lasting 118 years between 1485 and 1603, but during that time they made a lasting impression. The Little Book of the Tudors explores all aspects of life in the Tudor age from life at court to the day-to-day activities at the teeming taverns and plague-ridden cities of the Tudor kingdom. With a glimpse at the people, palaces and pastimes of the age, some amusing secrets of the Tudor medicine cabinet and closet, and stories from some of the most fabulous, eccentric and opulent entertainments of the age, this ‘little book’ will delight anyone with an interest in Tudor history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Nathalie (keepreadingbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little book on the "players" and way of life in the Tudor period.
I would definitely have enjoyed some more specifics on how conditions differed between the 5 Tudor monarchs - most info just had thrown in facts about life during one or two different monarchs. E.g. the food chapter was focused on Elizabeth I and her court, but what about the feasts of the other four?
Some chapters too felt like listings of objects or facts. Like the last one, about clothing. Which makes it hard to remember the details - I prefer a story of sorts.
Some chapters were really good though, like 'Shakers and Movers'.

All in all, a fun little book if you like short bursts of info instead of full biographies!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative little book about the Tudor era. I did feel at times that it repeated itself a bit, but on the whole a brief but good guide to the Tudors.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and informative book.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but didn't delve much deeper than the general Tudor knowledge. Kept including the same information in multiple sections so ended up being quite repetitive.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - I was pleasantly surprised by this book because it is quite detailed for something so small. It breaks the information down into easily digestible chunks for those not quite so into their Tudor history as I am. For Tudor buffs I think it's a handy book to have around for when you have those blank moments when you can't remember little nuggets. It's well-written and cleverly handled.

General Subject/s? - History / Tudors

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 18/20

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars
This was a really interesting little book about a range of topics to do with the Tudors. I found sometimes the writing style needed a little work and I would have liked a little more explanation on some areas, but I still enjoyed it and I especially liked the many pictures included.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting little book

I got this on a whim not expecting much but found it interesting and well laid out. The pictures are hard to see with the Kindle and do not enlarge well is my only complaint and thus a loss of one star. Tudor fans should enjoy this quick read.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

é um livro bem raso, nao vai entrar em detalhes em cada tudor ou como foi o reino de cada um. Mas ele da detalhes da vida como um todo, comida, modos, roupas. É bem informativo, e um ótimo começo pra entrar na era tudor

[Claire Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little book about different aspects of Royalty and the common people in Tudor times, quick chapters on everything from giving birth, to food and going to the toilet etc...

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it because of a Tudor-mad friend. Parts of it were interesting however the style in which it was written grated for me

[Julie Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and researched.

[Amber Hardisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but varied History of the Tudors, filled with fun tid bits I look forward to sharing with my class.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very vague representation of court life in Tudor England. It was informative and flowed nicely from one chapter to the next but it lacked the rich detail I wanted. Most of the information read could have easily been found in Tudor biographies.

I also found the book have a few inconsistencies with factual information. For example, Margaret of Beaufort was thirteen when she gave birth to Henry VII and not the fourteen noted by Bullen. Beyond the inconsistencies was the use of the easygoing term 'probably' when describing the why of something. For example: Bullen said (in so many words) The Princes in the Tower were probably killed by Richard III. There has been evidence to suggest that it wasn't Richard III but Henry VII or even Margaret Beaufort who killed the Princes (though Richard is still a suspect) and so this is an opinionated statement and shouldn't be enforced as fact. Another example is when Bullen suggests Arthur, Prince of Wales was probably killed by the sweating sickness. There was a chance that this was the cause of death (he and his wife, Catherine of Aragon suffered with an unknown disease that she recovered from but he didn't), but there has been over evidence to suggest other causes of death that were not mentioned such as cancer.

While what she suggests holds truth, it isn't giving other options. Maybe it's because I'm a perfection and like to hear all facts before making a conclusion that I am criticising. And I admit now that I am not a historian (just a fanatic history fan) and have not done the extensive research Bullen obviously has to put together this book. It was a decent book to read but again, far too vague. However, I've read a lot on the Tudors so to someone with little knowledge, this may be surprising and interesting (though I admit I did learn a few things) and who I would reccommend to rather than avid fans.

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, onward to what this book actually is. This is a little pocket book about all the basic things you need to know about the Tudor Era. In case you don’t know, which I don’t blame you for, the Tudor Era is a British succession of monarchs from 1485 until 1608. Most famously known are Elizabeth I and Henry VIII (you know, the guy who made his own religion just so he could divorce his wife. That one). But really, if you don’t have any interest in the Tudor period, why would you read this?
Well, let me tell you.

I don’t really care for the Tudor period, too much is about Henry VIII and the fact that he is a horrible person. I don’t really care about that stuff. This book, however, talks about all kinds of things. How normal people lived, who Lady Jane Grey was, and mentions the princes in the tower, and believe me, those two are often forgotten! We learn about normal people. Which who are often forgotten too. We learn how they lived, what they did to earn a living, what they wore and how they had fun. Which is really refreshing. It’s not just how many wives Henry killed. True, obviously, this book talks about them too. Quite a bit, but that can’t be helped. Unfortunately. Should you skip this book because of it? No.

It’s only 158 pages, and quite tiny. You are bound to learn SOMETHING from this book, and if you have no interest in the Tudor period, but like to know some facts, then this is definitely a great book to have!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book in January but after starting it, I put it back on my shelf whilst tidying and kind of forgot about it... but I finally picked it up again the other day and finished it! The information is very short and easily digestible; it is filled with anecdotes and other facts breaking up sections of texts; it covers pretty much everything you have ever wanted to know about life in the Tudor era. Whilst it focusses a fair amount on the monarchy itself, it also sheds light on the habits etc of the classes below royalty.
This book would be incredibly useful for anyone who happened to be writing a book set in Tudor England. It covers the most basic things, such as how Tudors dressed, how they styled their hair, the plays they were going to see... It really is incredibly useful.
(Also, the author is called Annie Bullen.... how weird is that?! It bears a remarkable similarity to Anne Boleyn's name... which I do believe was spelt Bullen by some back then!)

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short guide to the Tudor era; concise and to the point, it tells the 'highlights' of the reigns of those infamous monarchs with some added info about what it was like to be an ordinary person in those times. Good for someone with little knowledge of that historical era wishing to get an overview of the time period.

[Midgetbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely brief overview of various aspects of Tudor life. Bit of a cash-in as its a pretty little volume but doesn't contain much more then could be found in any other book. Still, was entertaining for an hour or two, even though the author has a difficulty calculating ages.

[Yolande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Close to what I call a bathroom book at our home. Full of interesting (and sometimes disgusting or disturbing) factoids on how life was for, not just the Royals and upper class, but for the common man during the Tudor era.

[Demi Hanratty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very basic detail on the Tudor monarchs and Way of life in those times! Perfect for someone wanting just a little more detail from the main story they already know. Great Christmas present this book was :) and as a Tudor fan I enjoyed this book!

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect introduction and easy read. :)

[Jodie Angeline Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

got this for xmas and absolutely loved it. I normally read historical fiction so this was a nice change and I learned some new things.

[Louise Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quick , easy and informative to read its a fantastic little book - with so much information to give. I consider myself to be a tudor geek however when reading this it was clear that I don't know everything so I found it extra informative. I recommend this to anyone who likes tudor history as well as history as your finding out information about a time period and that is very fascinating.