TheTudor Book Shop Blog

First Published: 7 September 2022
Available as: Paperback and Kindle

This is a sequel to Claire Ridgway’s popular book On This Day in Tudor History:

Amazon Blurb: On This Day in Tudor History II gives you a second helping of Tudor events, including births, deaths, coronations, marriages, battles, arrests, executions and rebellions.This must-have book for Tudor buffs is perfect for: Dipping into daily for your Tudor fix; Teachers who want to give their class some Tudor history trivia; Quiz night questions; Finding out what happened on your birthday or special day; Showing people how much you know about history; Researching the Tudor period. Written by best-selling author and historian Claire Ridgway. On This Day in Tudor History II contains a wealth of fascinating information about your favourite Tudor monarchs, their subjects, their reigns and the times they lived in.

Other books by Claire Ridgway

First Published: 30 August 2022
Available as: Kindle and Hardcover

Amazon Blurb: Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots covers the lives and careers of the men and women who ‘kept’ Mary Queen of Scots whilst she was a political prisoner in England, circa 1568 -1587. Mary’s troubled claim to the English throne – much to the consternation of her ‘dear cousin’ Elizabeth I – made her a mortal enemy of the aforementioned Virgin Queen and set them on a collision course from which only one would survive. Mary’s calamitous personal life, encompassing assassinations, kidnaps and abdications, sent her careering into England and right into the lap of Henry VIII’s shrewd but insecure daughter. Having no choice but to keep Mary under lock and key, Elizabeth trusted this onerous task to some of the most capable – not to mention the richest – men and women in England; Sir Francis Knollys, Rafe Sadler (of Wolf Hall fame), the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick, and finally, the puritanical nit-picker Sir Amyas Paulet. Until now, these nobles have been mere bit-players in Mary’s story; now, their own lives, loves and fortunes are laid bare for all to see. From Carlisle Castle to Fotheringhay, these loyal subjects all but bankrupted themselves in keeping the deposed Scots queen in the style to which she was accustomed, whilst fending off countless escape plots of which Mary herself was often the author. With the sort of twist that history excels at, it was actually a honeytrap escape plot set up by Elizabeth’s ministers that finally saw Mary brought to the executioner’s block, but what of the lives of the gaolers who acted as her guardian? This book explains how Shrewsbury and Bess saw their marriage wrecked by Mary’s legendary charms, and how Paulet ended up making a guest appearance on ‘Most Haunted’, some several hundred years after his death. In that theme, the book also covers the appearances of these men and women on film and TV, in novels and also the various other Mary-related media that keeps the legend of this most misunderstood of monarchs so perfectly simmering.

Other books by Mickey Mayhew

First Published: 24 August 2022
Available as: Kindle and Hardcover
Amazon Blurb: King Edward VI tends to be glossed over in the historical narrative of the Tudor dynasty. His achievements during his brief time on the throne are eclipsed by the tumultuous and fascinating reigns of his grandfather, father and two half-sisters. This does a great disservice to the precocious and remarkable boy-king. Even with his early death, his effect on English history is undeniable - if he had lived, he would have almost certainly have been considered the greatest of the Tudor monarchs. What killed this impressive young man before he could deepen his mark on history? Moreover, is that medical mystery connected to the premature deaths of the other Tudor male heirs? Interpreting the Death of Edward VI is an exploration into the life, illness and unusually early death of Henry VIII’s overshadowed son. The author uses her expertise in Tudor medical history to investigate and provide an in-depth analysis of the prevailing theories of what might have killed the otherwise healthy young Tudor before he reached adulthood.

First Published: 27 July 2022
Available as: Kindle and Hardcover
Amazon Blurb: Illegitimate son to Edward IV and the uncle of Henry VIII, Arthur Plantagenet’s life is an intriguing story. Raised in his father’s court, he then became a trusted member of Henry VII’s household and after his death, was a prominent figure at the court of Henry VIII. Henry VIII treated his uncle well in the early years of his reign, making him vice-admiral and then Lord Deputy of Calais in 1533. Arthur did the best he could in his new position in Calais over seven years, including trying to maintain a relationship with Thomas Cromwell against a background of religious change, but there were numerous complaints about him and his paranoid nephew’s suspicions over his loyalty grew – culminating in Lisle’s arrest and imprisonment for two years with no legal reason. Arthur was released from the Tower in 1542, yet tragically died after receiving a diamond ring from his nephew. He was so excited that his heart – that ‘gentlest living heart’ – failed soon after. We owe much of what we know about Henry VIII’s uncle to the seizure and preservation of the Lisle Letters, an impressive collection of correspondence obtained at his arrest that has miraculously survived. Not only do they give details of Arthur’s life, but they are an amazing insight into the religious, political, culture and social background of the 16th century. Placed as he was, Arthur Plantagenet’s story gives a whole new, fresh perspective on a turbulent yet vibrant period of history.

Other books by Sarah-Beth Watkins

First Published: 30 June 2022
Available as: Kindle, Paperback Hardcover, Audio Book
Amazon Blurb: In sixteenth-century Europe, two women came to hold all the power, against all the odds. They were Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici.

One a Virgin Queen who ruled her kingdom alone, and the other a clandestine leader who used her children to shape the dynasties of Europe, much has been written about these iconic women. But nothing has been said of their complicated relationship: thirty years of friendship, competition and conflict that changed the face of Europe.

This is a story of two remarkable visionaries: a story of blood, fire and gold. It is also a tale of ceaseless calculation, of love and rivalry, of war and wisdom - and of female power in a male world. Shining new light on their legendary kingdoms Blood, Fire and Gold provides a new way of looking at two of history’s most powerful women, and how they shaped each other as profoundly as they shaped the course of history. Drawing on their letters and brand new research, Estelle Paranque writes an entirely new chapter in the well-worn story of the sixteenth century.

Other Books by Estelle Paranque

First Published: 23 June 2022
Available as: Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover

Amazon Blurb: The aspects of Anne Boleyn’s life and death are fiercely debated by historians, yet her ladies-in-waiting remain an understudied topic. Much emphasis is usually put on Anne’s relationships with the men in her life: her suitors, her royal husband, her father and brother and her putative lovers who were executed on 17 May 1536. By concentrating on a previously neglected area of Anne Boleyn’s female household, this book seeks to identify the women who served Anne and investigate what roles ladies-in-waiting played in this Queen’s household.

Other books by Sylvia Barbara Soberton