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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Borman meticulously reconstructs the working everyday world of the Tudors palaces and court, digging into the account books, wardrobe storage rooms and memoirs of the managers of the vast establishment that kept the monarch's world spinning. Although this is very well done, there is no new revelation here, like those to be found in Lucy Worsley's house books, and it seems best suited to people who are researching their historical novels for realistic details.
informative
slow-paced
This is an exploration of the Tudor dynasty and the contrast of their public and private personas and how royalty have some semblance in castle life. The book documents from the end of the War of the Roses and crowning of Henry VII to the death of Elizabeth I. There is a ton of information about life in Tudor England, including various servants and their roles, castle layouts, and various scandals that occured in the royal court. This is a good book for anyone looking for thorough research, though the writing itself is very dry and academic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War
My obsession with the royals has grown from the twenty-first century to the Tudor dynasty! A very thorough, in-depth look into Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I’s lives behind closed doors. I learned interesting tidbits about each monarch and how the creation of the distinction between private and public life was what made the Tudors so successful.
Super interesting. This was my first book about the tudors and it was great. I think it went into the perfect amount of detail.
Spends more time talking about the details behind the public personas, their family relationships, clothing, food, habits and leisure time. Interesting look behind the scenes of kings and queens.
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
It was interesting to read about the different daily affairs of the time, such as their hygiene rituals, daily habits, food, clothing, etc. I also enjoyed learning about how the royal babies were born. I am not sure if this book really flowed for me though. It read like a textbook instead of a historical nonfiction. It had a lot of really good information, it just felt dry. I wouldn't tell you not to read it, but maybe just in small doses over time,
I'm torn on this one. I did really enjoy this book. It was an interesting way to look at the Tudor monarchs that allowed me to think about them in a more human lights. The writing was great and it kept me engaged all the way through. That being said, I did notice some inaccuracies when Borman was talking about Anne Boleyn. She stated that Anne had six fingers as if it was a confirmed fact, when it is not. She also claimed that Henry was already in love with Jane Seymour when they visited Wulfhall in 1535, which is also most likely not true. These things may be small, but it made me more doubtful of the things she wrote about people that I do not know as much about. I also wish she had dedicated a little more time to Edward VI and Mary I. They only had one chapter each, while Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I all had multiple chapters. Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I think people interested in the Tudor monarchs will gain a new way of looking at them from this book. I would just take some of the information with a grain of salt.
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced