FURTHER READING

Have you been infected by Tudormania?! Would you like to learn more about the Tudors? Here's our personal selection of books to help you take your interest further.

So much has written about the Tudor age, it can be difficult to know where to begin. We included biography, introductions to the period, longer surveys, popular history and a few specialist studies, so there should be plenty for you to choose from. The more easy-to-read books are marked with * and short descriptions of the books appear in grey. You'll find more books at our new Tudorlinks US and Tudorlinks UK aStores.

Happy reading!

Tudor Overviews / General Tudor History / Biography / Children's Books / Social History / Religion & Reformation / Europe / Other Specialist Studies

TUDOR OVERVIEWS
Short or easy-to-read introductions to the Tudors.

*The Tudors: A Very Short Introduction
A concise survey by John Guy, a leading specialist on the period. Revised and expanded from his essay in the Oxford History of Britain, this small and easy-to-read paperback is a great way to get started.

*The Tudors
An entertaining, highly readable, gossipy account of the Tudors and the age to which they have given their name. Not as strictly factually accurate as it could be, and perhaps a little too Lancastrian-centric for the early Tudor years, but overall an enjoyable introduction to the political, personal and social history of the era.

*The Tudor Age
A 48-page, well-illustrated booklet. Aimed at children but not patronising.

*The Tudors (Revealing History)
A normal paperback in size, this survey has received rave reviews from eminent historians and the reading public alike. With a chapter for each monarch this has everything to recommend it.

GENERAL TUDOR HISTORY
Surveys of the Tudors and Tudor Britain. To date, popular histories tend to concentrate on the personalities of this era, and while scholars have sought to produce more inter-related histories of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland during this period, they can be a little dry. Here's hoping someone sensible gets down to writing a readable account of the whole of the British Isles in 'the long sixteenth century'.

*New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors 1485-1630
Part of the 'Penguin History of Britain' series, this longer, comprehensive survey has won praise for being readable and accessible to the ordinary reader, but pulls no punches either.

*The Oxford Illustrated History of Tudor and Stuart Britain (Oxford Illustrated Histories)
A glossy and well-illustrated collection of readable essays covering various aspects of political, social, religious, and cultural history throughout the British Isles in this period.

Tudor England
A comprehensive survey of the period. Readable, but in more scholarly style. Definitely worth persevering with if you find it a little difficult initially. Try keeping it by your bed or taking it on the train. You'll be surprised how quickly you get into it.

England Under the Tudors
A full-length introduction to the period and still a standard textbook. This book was first published in 1955, and despite later revision, it is showing its age in the light of modern research. Even so, it remains in print because it is still one of the most accessible academic surveys available. Very well-written, though the style is a little old-fashioned for some, but we quite like that 1950s rhetoric!

Tudor and Stuart Britain: 1485-1714
Another old favourite, aimed at students and easy-to-read. Now updated to include more on Ireland and Scotland under the Tudors.

Court, Kirk and Community: Scotland, 1470-1625 (New History of Scotland)
The standard textbook on Scotland during the era of the Tudors. A more scholarly account, since, as yet, no-one has produced a popular history of Stuart Scotland during the Tudor period.

Ireland in the Age of the Tudors, 1447-1603: English Expansion and the End of Gaelic Rule (Longman History of Ireland)
A revised and expanded of Steven Ellis' "Tudor Ireland: Crown, Community and the Conflict of Cultures 1470-1603", long the standard text on the subject. As yet, no-one has produced a popular history of Ireland under Tudor rule.

BIOGRAPHY
The Tudor monarchs, their family and other notable figures. We've included both 'popular' and 'academic' biographies, though snobbery over the two forms is divisive: some popular biographies are models of historical research, while the dullness of some scholarly efforts makes them near unreadable.

Henry VII (Yale English Monarchs)
An academic biography. The biographical side is lacking, but still a useful account of the reign.

Henry VIII
An academic biography. The biographical side is lacking, but still a useful account of the reign.

*The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Women in History)
Less reliable than Alison Weir's book, but still a good read and a relatively unbiassed account. In fact, we'd say Antonia Fraser was noticeably the better writer of the two, though perhaps she is not as thorough on this particular subject. This book may be slightly less accurate, but the writing flows beautifully so the style is far more enjoyable to read. And the paper quality in this edition is nicer, too, which just settles it!.

*The Children of England: Heirs of King Henry VIII
The subtitle Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558 neatly describes the contents, an enjoyable popular biography of Henry's three surviving children and great-niece Jane Grey in the immediate aftermath of his death. We've noted some silly mistakes, but it's an engrossing read.

Mary I
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Lady Jane Grey
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Elizabeth I
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots
This is probably the best account yet of Mary's life, reign and imprisonment. Returning to the original documents and sources, John Guy uncovered new information, including the definitive answer to the problem of the Casket Letters. A landmark in biography, though as ever, with Guy, a little on the dry side.

Mary I
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

MofS
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Bess of Hardwick
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Books on the Tudors suitable for children and young people. And, er, older young people too.....

Roger Lockyer
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Tudor England
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

England Under The Tudors
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Roger Lockyer
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Court, Kirk and Community: Scotland, 1470-1625
The standard textbook on Scotland during the era of the Tudors. A more scholarly account, since, as yet, no-one has produced a popular history of Stuart Scotland during the Tudor period.

Tudor Ireland: Crown, Community and the Conflict of Cultures, 1470-1603
The standard textbook on Ireland during the era of the Tudors. A more scholarly account, since, as yet, no-one has produced a popular history of 'Tudor Ireland'.

SOCIAL HISTORY
The many facets of everyday life under the Tudors.

*Henry VIII - The King and His Court
This is a biography not only of Henry but of the court and for that reason we list it under social history. The story of Henry's rich and varied life is almost overshadowed by his even more rich and varied court and the people, customs, etiquette, buildings, furnishings and more that made it. This scrumptious book truly evokes the politics and passion of that lost world, from the heady, happy days of Henry's early reign, to the intrigue and fear of his last years.

*Elizabeth's London
A fascinating look at almost every aspect of life in Tudor England, seen through the prism of the capital. Liza Picard weaves together many disparate strands of information to produce one vibrant and vivid tapestry. Readable, well-written and fairly accurate, this book is a must for any Elizabethan fanatic.

What Life Was Like Under The Tudors and Stuarts
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Daily Life in Elizabethan England
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

The Tudor Housewife
Useful and very accessible. If you only read one book about women in Tudor England, this should be it. Almost every sixteenth century girl, rich or poor, was taught how to run a household. This book describes how they did it, together with other aspects of women's lives. As with Alison Sim's other books it has its faults, but it's still enjoyable.

RELIGION & REFORMATION
It can seem odd to modern eyes, but religion was a fundamental part of everyday life in sixteenth century Britain and Europe. The Reformation had a huge influence in Tudor politics.

Elizabethan Costumes for Manly Men
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Elizabethan Costumes for Manly Men
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

*A Brief History of The Tudor Age (Formerly published as 'The Tudor Age')
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

RENAISSANCE EUROPE
It is impossible to fully understand what was happening in sixteenth century Britain without putting it in the context of wider European history.

Elizabethan Costumes for Manly Men
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Elizabethan Costumes for Manly Men
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

*A Brief History of The Tudor Age (Formerly published as 'The Tudor Age')
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

OTHER SPECIALIST STUDIES
Books which focus on specific aspects of the Tudors.

Elizabethan Costumes for Manly Men
How to make men's Elizabethan costumes by the 'Auld Garb Monger'.

Trade, Plunder and Settlement: Maritime Enterprise and the Genesis of the British Empire
Possibly not a bookfor the faint-hearted but fascinating when you get into it.

The Tudor Tailor
A fairly accessible account of modern research into Tudor clothing for men and women, using period garments, wills, inventories and other evidence. Also a how-to section of patterns and instructions for making fairly accurate reproductions. Genuinely interesting even if you're not usually into fashion history.

Not enough? Want more suggestions? Try our new Tudorlinks UK and Tudorlinks US aStores.