jjares reviewed The House of Tudor: An Enthralling Overview of the History of the Tudors (The Story of England) on + 3307 more book reviews
This book is an extensive survey of all things Tudor. As great history books begin before the emergence of their main subject, this book sets the English scene with the ruling family called the Plantagenets. The Tudors spent much of their time correcting the excesses and errors they saw in the Plantagenets and their wars.
Fun Factoid from this Book: There were two main combatants, and other groups might come to help. However, they waited until it was obvious who would win the day before jumping in and aiding the winning side. This attitude occurred more often than one might expect in Medieval history.
I learned something new on most pages in this book, even though I thought I knew Tudor history. However, this book shines in the later chapters, starting with Chapter 10. It is easy to find summaries of battles, leaders, and wars. However, there were tremendous changes in the Medieval military, weaponry, and naval development in England and beyond. This book explains this and more.
My favorite section was about the economy and how it worked in Medieval and Renaissance England. When the cloth trade became a major force in England, wealthy landowners converted their peasant farmland into closed-off land for sheep pastures. Eventually, the wool trade was the most significant part of England's trade market. However, the sheep were delicate, though profitable. Therefore, it was risky to base the country's economy on it. Eventually, things changed, and the wool trade became less significant. However, the poor suffered throughout this time because they had no power.
When the monasteries were closed, the poor became poorer. The monasteries were the community safety net for the indigent and needy of their counties and shires. I found "The Economic Consequences of the Reformation" in Chapter 12 incredibly informative. The next chapter explained the levels of the citizenry in Tudor England and what they ate, and what they were allowed to wear. This book explains many aspects of life in England during the Tudors, including culture, politics, society, and the changing face of religion. This book is excellent.
Fun Factoid from this Book: There were two main combatants, and other groups might come to help. However, they waited until it was obvious who would win the day before jumping in and aiding the winning side. This attitude occurred more often than one might expect in Medieval history.
I learned something new on most pages in this book, even though I thought I knew Tudor history. However, this book shines in the later chapters, starting with Chapter 10. It is easy to find summaries of battles, leaders, and wars. However, there were tremendous changes in the Medieval military, weaponry, and naval development in England and beyond. This book explains this and more.
My favorite section was about the economy and how it worked in Medieval and Renaissance England. When the cloth trade became a major force in England, wealthy landowners converted their peasant farmland into closed-off land for sheep pastures. Eventually, the wool trade was the most significant part of England's trade market. However, the sheep were delicate, though profitable. Therefore, it was risky to base the country's economy on it. Eventually, things changed, and the wool trade became less significant. However, the poor suffered throughout this time because they had no power.
When the monasteries were closed, the poor became poorer. The monasteries were the community safety net for the indigent and needy of their counties and shires. I found "The Economic Consequences of the Reformation" in Chapter 12 incredibly informative. The next chapter explained the levels of the citizenry in Tudor England and what they ate, and what they were allowed to wear. This book explains many aspects of life in England during the Tudors, including culture, politics, society, and the changing face of religion. This book is excellent.
