The Tudors: A Very Short Introduction

By John Guy

Book Overview

The monarchs of the Tudor period are among some of the most well-known figures in British history. John Guy presents a compelling and fascinating exploration of the Tudors in the new edition of this Very Short Introduction.

Looking at all aspects of the period, from beginning to end, he considers Tudor politics, religion, and economics, as well as issues relating to gender and minority rule, and the art, architecture, and social and material culture of the time. Introducing all of the key Tudor monarchs, Guy considers the impact the Tudor period had not only at the time, but also the historical legacy it left behind.

About the Series:
Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199674728
• ISBN13: 9780199674725
• Release Date: October 2013
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.6" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

All that glisters

I am working my way through the 8 entries in the Very Short Introduction series that were originally part of The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, and I have not been disappointed yet. This very worthy entry in the series, covering the reigns of the Tudor monarchs, has been 'substantially revised and updated', as of 2000. Professor Guy introduces the chief protagonists and covers the main events of the period, as you would expect, but also challenges some widely-held views, some cherished myths. History has been especially charitable to Elizabeth I and harshly critical of Mary, and a little reassessment never goes amiss. The Elizabethan age is routinely referred to as a Golden Age. Guy points out that, for working people, an age of rapid population growth and falling real wages may not have seemed quite so golden. He also suggests that Elizabeth's failure to curb government corruption and to maintain tax revenues contributed to the conditions that would ultimately lead to the Civil War of the following century. Mary, on the other hand, being in many ways a victim of ill luck, may not have been as villainous as popular myth often suggests. Needless to say, a very short introduction can only whet your appetite, not satisfy it. This is both a good place to start and a useful source of fresh insights for readers that already have some knowledge of the period. Next stop, the Stuarts.