The Tudors: The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty [Hardcover]

Lately, I've found myself becoming more interested in historical non-fiction, and with my recent move to England, more interested in the monarchy, both past and present. Over the years, I've seen movies, television series, etc. depicting different parts of the Tudor Dynasty, but I have always wanted to know more, and after recently seeing the Showtime series, I found myself wanting to know the "real" story.

I really enjoyed this read, as another reviewer said, the major theme is religion, which is probably for the best considering what an impact this particular family had on the religious climate in England. It also takes you through the very complex relationships established between these kings and queens of England and their courts, lovers, and advisers. The background sections provide you with that little bit of extra knowledge you might have wondered about before/after reading a section, and I thought it was a wonderful treat.

The only complaint I have, and the reason the review didn't get 5 stars, is the focus on Henry VIII, he easily takes up about half of the book. I am very interested in his particular history (who couldn't be interested in someone married that many times?!), but I found myself wanting to know more about both Mary's and Elizabeth's rule, not only because they were women, not only because they were the FIRST women to rule England, but also because, as Meyer depicts, Elizabeth's rule wasn't all sunshine and roses as sometimes depicted, which I think makes her infinitely *more* interesting.

I enjoyed this read. It provides a helpful overview of the Tudor period and struck a nice balance between being interesting and informative. I enjoyed the 'background' sections. I think that idea worked well - rrather than trying to weave all the information into the body of the text. The only thing that did faze me slightly was that occasionally the author chose to begin with the death of the monarch and work backwards. Several times, I wondered if I'd turned over too many pages at once. I'm more a fan of chronology. All in all, a very good piece of work and a recommended read.

..if you're a despot on the throne. G E Meyer's biography of the Tudor dynasty - all five rulers - shows why William Shakespeare got paid the big bucks to rewrite British history as he did with his plays about their immediate predecessors. The five Tudors - beginning with Henry VII and ending with Elizabeth - were an interesting group. Their slightly more than 100 year occupation of the British throne is examined closely by Meyer (no relation to me). He writes "popular" history - assessable to the average non-academic reader. And he does a good job at it, too. Following every chapter in this large book is a few-page section called "Background", where Meyer goes into detail on something he's covered in the previous chapter. He may write a small section about "John Calvin", for instance, when discussing the Reformation as developing on the Continent as opposed to how the Church of England evolved at the same time. I've never seen another historian do this in a book, and I heartily approve.

One thing that he writes about in one of his "Background" sections is the English alphabet in the 16th century. Evidently, it had only 24 letters and one of them, the letter, "y", was actually pronounced as a "th" sound. SO, we have "ye olde tea shoppe" which should be pronounced "the" olde tea shop. Interesting fact, I think.

If a writer of history is going to pursue a dynasty, he's best concentrating on one or two particular issues to link the generations. I'd say Meyer uses "religion" as his major theme here. And maybe the various personalities - spouses and advisers - who served each of the five Tudors, as his minor theme. The same families pop up time and again as they serve the Tudors in "supporting roles" during their reigns.

And regarding Shakespeare, who wrote during the last years of Elizabeth's reign. Her 45 or so years on the throne were not the "golden era" we have come to believe. As Meyer points out, the poor and unfortunate members of society greatly increased during her reign. She was not a particularly successful ruler but she had very good "PR", both then and after.

Meyer writes very readable history here. The book is long but never boring. The only disturbing thing is that the book's subtitle is "The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty". By using the word "notorious" in the title, I think the publisher is cheapening the contents of the book.