The Tudors in Love: Passion and Politics in the Age of England's Most Famous Dynasty by Sarah Gristwood
.ePUB, 464 pages
Expected Publication: 13 Dec 2022
By: St. Martin's Press
About The Book:
Sarah Gristwood's The Tudors in Love offers a brilliant history of the Tudor dynasty, showing how the rules of romantic courtly love irrevocably shaped the politics and international diplomacy of the period. Why did Henry VIII marry six times? Why did Anne Boleyn have to die? Why did Elizabeth I's courtiers hail her as a goddess come to earth? The dramas of courtly love have captivated centuries of readers and dreamers. Yet too often they're dismissed as something existing only in books and song--those old legends of King Arthur and chivalric fantasy. Not so. In this ground-breaking history, Sarah Gristwood reveals the way courtly love made and marred the Tudor dynasty. From Henry VIII declaring himself as the ‘loyal and most assured servant' of Anne Boleyn to the poems lavished on Elizabeth I by her suitors, the Tudors re-enacted the roles of the devoted lovers and capricious mistresses first laid out in the romances of medieval literature. The Tudors in Love dissects the codes of love, desire and power, unveiling romantic obsessions that have shaped the history of the world.
My Review:
Everyone knows about Henry VIII and all his wives (he had six). I love reading about The Tudors in both fiction and non-fiction formats and I have to admit it was author Philippa Gregory who piqued my interest in them over twenty years ago and for some reason they fascinated me. Sarah Gristwood wrote a well-researched and very compelling take on all matters of the heart and The Tudors.
I was most fascinated by the fact that Henry had so many wives because they could not provide him with a son and heir. Yet, his mistresses had male children he could not claim, what is most surprising is the fact that it was the daughter of the woman he beheaded that ended up rebuilding The Tudor dynasty, and reining for forty-five years, a dynasty that he almost ruined. Elizabeth the first is the daughter of Anne Boleyn and her 45-year reign is generally considered one of the most glorious in English history. She is also known for bypassing on marriage, maybe the start of the women's movement. Then she herself ending the dynasty for having an heir herself.
I enjoyed this informative and unique look at The Tudors' lives and loves. I see this author has a wonderful array of books to choose from, both fiction and non-fiction, and I would definitely be reading more from her catalog. That is one of the best compliments I can give an author.
#TheTudorsinLove #NetGalley
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