Product Description
Few English monarchs have a worse reputation than Mary Tudor. She has been seen both as a religious fanatic who tried against the will of her people to reverse the course of the Reformation and as the pawn of her husband, Philip II of Spain - her infatuation with whom led her to betray England's vital interests.

How this pious, and by contemporary accounts, gentle woman aroused an antipathy that survives until the present is a central question in David Loades's sensitive biography, now in paperback. Based on research into the documents of the time (many newly uncovered) the compelling story of Mary's life is revealed here in unprecedented detail and depth, packed with incident and intrigue, and enmeshed in the politics of secular and religious struggle in England and Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

David Loades can do better
Mary Tudor lived in a such a fascinating swirl of people and events, I expected to be swept away by this biography, but it is mostly a dry collection of facts, such as the recounting of every marriage discussion and negotiation on Mary's behalf, which were numerous. The book doesn't deliver a well fleshed-out point of view about Mary's character, although having read his excellent Elizabeth I, I know Loades is capable of this. In his introduction, he states that Mary was a "profoundly conventional woman" (particularly when compared to her sister Elizabeth). It would've been terrific if he had expounded on his opinions in addition to the facts. A great complement to Loades' book is Carolly Erickson's Bloody Mary, a highly descriptive and psychologically riveting book (although it is 30 years old and some new facts have emerged). I am a 30-year reader of Tudor history and would recommend Loades' book only to those who are already very familiar with Mary I.

Super Awesome!
As the name of my review implies, I thought this book was super awesome.I read Carolly's biography of Mary and thought it was great, and since I had spent so much time reading about her father and sister, I thought I would give Mary another go.I was not dissapointed in the least.I didn't want it to end.This book really gives a good all around picture of Mary as a person, and that's what I go for.Get it.

At Last, An Accurate Portrait of Mary I
Too many books about Mary I, Queen of England, daughter of Henry VIII, portray her as either cruel and vindictive, or as a religious fanatic out to stifle the religious freedom of her subjects.David Loades' biography is a welcome exception.

Mr. Loades tells the story of the shy Princess of Wales who was, successively, virtually disowned by her father; hounded for her devotion to her mother and her Church; forced to compromise her beliefs; constantly threatened by her brother's regency council; almost deprived of her rightful elevation to the throne by an upstart cousin; and finally accepted as queen by most of her people; then ultimately branded as "Bloody Mary" by history.

In fact, as this book shows, Mary Tudor remained throughout her life a pious, quiet, trusting woman whose worst mistke wasperhaps that she allowed herself to be too influenced by her advisers and confidantes (such as Emperor Charles V and Cardinal Pole).This "mildest and most merciful of the Tudors," when she acted harshly, did so only out of a sense of duty --- a monarch must punish wrongdoers and rebels.

As for the charge that Mary I tampered with her people'sreligious freedom, that is absurd.There was no such thing as religious freedom anywhere in Britain or the world in the sixteenth century.On the contrary, as Loades points out, Mary's religious views probably reflected those of most of her subjects.It was only after her death, when her sister Elizabeth took power, that Mary's reputation began to be soiled.

A good part of this book --- perhaps a bit too much of it --- is devoted to all the intrigues and "wheeling-and-dealing" involved in royal marriage arrangements.Not just involving Mary, but also Elizabeth, and their lusty father as well.Still, such details are necessary, if tedious, as marriage was an important concern of Medieval royalty.

To sum up, this is an excellent book, and should be read by all scholars and amateur historians interested in the Tudor period.I think it gives an accurate account of Mary I, without either ignoring her failures or concentrating solely on her (not deserved) reputation.If this book is still out of print, it should be reprinted.It is a necessary book. ... Read more

Product Description
Although achieving notoriety as the persecutor of Protestants, Mary I of England had to contend with great personal, religious and dynastic stress. Her mother, Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife, fell from grace while Mary was still young, and her own future seemed bleak. Her eventual reign and its tortuous lead-up were set against the political and religious confusion that Henry VIII bequeathed to his kingdom. Despite this, Mary established the precedents for queenly power that her 'glorious' half sister and dynastic competitor Elizabeth could later exploit. David Loades, one of the UK's leading experts on Mary, provides the full personal and political story behind the queen. Her steeliness belied an emotional fragility, and her doomed marriage to the King of Spain threatened the peace of the realm. Original documents, letters and color illustrations combine with the text to make an absorbing historical journey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mary Tudor - a fresh look at a much hated Queen
David Loades wrote a biography of Queen Mary Tudor fifteen years ago.His earlier work has beenrevised and looked at afresh in this biography written for National Archives in the UK.His biography has been based primarily on original documents about Mary in the archives - and many of these have been reproduced in this publication as well.Its something that serious historical authors used to do in earlier centuries and its actually welcome to see the practice return as a way of preserving this information if the original is ever lost (and that happened quite a bit).

Loades has come to some unusal conclusions about Mary with a fresh look at her life - but I would also say that this is a very balanced assement of this woman who lived though a bitter divorce and the overthrow of all she loved in her youth.If you have an interest in Mary Tudor this book is one you should pick up.

Bloody Mary

Some clarification...
David Loades is an authority on Mary Tudor and a fine author.Just a point of clarification on the earlier review, however; the first reviewer confuses Mary Tudor and Mary Stuart, two very different rulers.Mary Tudor was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and the only surviving child of Catherine of Aragon. She succeeded to the throne in 1553 after her brother Edward VI and died in 1558.She has indeed been criticized for what many consider her overzealous push to return England to Catholicism, but in her defense, she was doing what she thought was right.

On the other hand, Mary Stuart was the cousin of Elizabeth I (who was in turn the younger sister of Mary Tudor and daughter of Anne Boleyn) and was the one ultimately beheaded during Elizabeth I's reign in 1587.It should be noted that Elizabeth I herself was briefly imprisoned by Mary I (Mary Tudor) but was released unharmed.

This is a fascinating period of history and this book is a good starting point to learn more about Mary Tudor's brief and sad reign.Mary Stuart's life is also very interesting and Amazon carries several good biographies on her as well.

An articulate and very highly recommended work of impeccable scholarship
There have been many biographies of Mary Tudor, the British contender against Elizabeth I for the throne of England. History being largely written by the winners, Mary Tudor became notorious for her lethal persecution of the Protestants, her unceasing efforts to deliver Britain to the Catholics, the loss of Calais to the fledgling British empire, and her decades long struggle to gain control of Britain that was to result in years of confinement by Queen Elizabeth and her eventual death at the headsman's axe at an advanced age. In "Mary Tudor: The Tragical History of The First Queen Of England", historian David Loades (Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wales and an Associate of the Centre for Early Modern History at the University of Oxford) fully explores the dimensions of a complex life in a time of political volatility, religious wars, male domination of government, royal marriages for political advantages, personal devoutness, and a woman who was in many ways stronger than any of the men with whom she associated in her quest for royal power and Catholic supremacy. "Mary Tudor" is an articulate and very highly recommended work of impeccable scholarship that should be a part of every academic library British History & Royal Biography reference collection and supplemental reading list. ... Read more

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Cressy examines how the orderly, Protestant, and hierarchical society of post-Reformation England coped with the cultural challenges posed by beliefs and events outside the social norm. Drawing on local texts and narratives he reveals how a series of troubling and unorthodox happenings--bestiality and monstrous births, seduction and abortion, nakedness and cross-dressing, excommunication and irregular burial, iconoclasm and vandalism--disturbed the margins, cut across the grain, and set the authorities on edge.
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Customer Reviews (1)

This is supposed to teach us what?
This entire book is about odd cases that made it to one court of law or another in early 16th Century England. I'm no English History buff but I had to read this book for a class I unfortunately signed up for this past semester.

First of all, the use of old court records and depositions to try and determine how society dealt with the Reformation and religious changes after Henry VIII is not going to get you too far. Especially when said records are missing large portions, lacking in certain key details and for the most part just testimony by persons trying to keep themselves in the favor of the courts so that they don't get themselves beheaded or what ever the Hell they did to people back then.

How much does the testimony of OJ Simpson refelct today's political and religious ideology?

I have yet to find a single part of this book that demonstrates one way or another just how society of that time did deal with the Reformation and religious changes taking place. Now I have to go write a 6 page paper about how it does.

The whole book reads like an Old English tabloid. ... Read more

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SHP Advanced History Core Texts are the Schools History Project's acclaimed new books for A level History. These books apply SHP's two decades of curriculum development experience to the challenge of helping students make the leap from GCSE to A level. They offer: - clear and penetrating narrative - comprehensively explaining the content required for examination success - thought provoking and relevant activities that explore the content and help students think analytically about the subject - thorough exam preparation through carefully designed tasks that address the distinctive requirements of A Level history - a wide range of revision strategies including structured content summaries Additional features include: - A focus route pathway for independent learners - Learning Trouble Spots - which address common misunderstandings - diagrammatic summaries of key areas of content and historical issues - accessible summaries of recent historical debates. An investigation of the history of Britain under the early Tudors from Henry VII to Mary.It gives students an insight into the nature, achievements and failures of the governments of the Tudor dynasty; the changing nature of English society at this time; and the ongoing historiographical debate about the period. Major themes include: - how close were the Tudors to being toppled? - was England an insignificant outpost in Europe? - how important was image to the Tudor monarchs? The book offers examination preparation for A Level students, along with a range of student helps to bridge the conceptual and skills gap between GCSE and A Level. There is practical guidance in essay writing and revision, along with opportunities for active learning, including decision-making exercises and source-based investigations. ... Read more

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In this exploration of the social context of reading and writing in pre-industrial England, David Cressy tackles important questions about the limits of participation in the mainstream of early modern society. To what extent could people at different social levels share in political, religious, literary and cultural life; how vital was the ability to read and write; and how widely distributed were these skills? Using a combination of humanist and social-scientific methods, Dr Cressy provides a detailed reconstruction of the profile of literacy in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, looking forward to the eighteenth century and also making comparisons with other European societies. ... Read more

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Young Edward VI is crowned king upon the death of his father, Henry VIII - but he is only nine years old. How can he fight his way through the treacherous adult world to claim the sovereignty he is entitled to? This thoroughly researched novel features some of best-known and most intriguing characters in English history - including, of course, King Henry VIII and his many wives. This story presents a balanced view of Edward VI, who is often portrayed as an unpleasant, rather sickly child, whose death was inevitable. Above all, it's a page-turning read not to be missed. ... Read more

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This fascinating portrait of an often isolated dynasty and their struggles for survival in a dangerous and volatile age vividly brings to life the people behind the battles - monarchs, statesmen, courtiers, seadogs - and the ships, weapons and tactics that determined whether they lived or died. It also explores the beginnings of spin in an age that became famous for its royal propaganda, from portraits and proclamations to magnificent ships and diplomatic displays

When Henry VII seized the throne after the battle of Bosworth, his crown was far from secure. Yet for more than a hundred years his descendents ruled in England, surviving religious turmoil, rebellion, foreign armadas, diplomatic crises and losses overseas. Some of them went reluctantly to war whilst others embraced its potential, yet all relied upon military success for their own reflected power and prestige.

The Fighting Tudors explores this extraordinary dynasty s strategies for survival, and shows how military action to defend the throne became a sophisticated propaganda tool, It traces the great battles of Tudor reigns, from campaigns in France and Scotland to the crises of the Armada, and reveals their public and private impact upon individual monarchs - Henry VII, the sea king who pledged to bring peace to his ravaged country; Henry VIII, who loved traditional jousting yet commissioned cutting-edge ships for his standing navy; Mary, whose loss of Calais compounded the disappointments of her reign; and Elizabeth, whose dramatic speech at Tilbury became a defining moment of her reign. Ambitious courtiers and military commanders mingle with volatile monarchs and the great seafarers - Drake, Hawkins, Raleigh and Frobisher - who through exploration, plunder and courageous defence finally brought England dominance on the seas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Makes History Interesting


The Fighting Tudors by David Loades For those readers that have an interest in English history and particularly the glorious period of the Tudor reign, David Loades' book The Fighting Tudors is a very interesting and different approach to an aspect of the Tudors that possibly defined not only their reigns but also the future of what became the British Empire. Loades takes each King and Queen of the Tudor dynasty and focuses on their approaches to military action and how it was used as a political tool to survive and to build a kingdom that carries an image which through the future centuries has fascinated people around the world. Beginning with Henry VII's victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Loades gives the reader insight into the behind the scenes evolution of Henry's early approach to the military defense of England in his wanting to build a Navy. As you move through the book, you become aware of the importance of these early steps in the military preparedness of Henry VII as they influence each of his Tudor successors through Elizabeth I and the relevance of the English Navy in light of how important this would be to building an Empire with the beginning of the Age of Discovery in the new world and the rise of power of Spain with its Aramada. Loades brings out how the approach to military action by the Tudors began to change the European perception of the English being somewhat barbarian, as Loades points out about Henry VIII's Field of Gold encounter with the French king, saying: "Two ancient enemies had been brought together in peaceful competition rather than in war, and Henry's image had been greatly enhanced. The general impression that the English were a collection of barbarians had been definitively dispelled." The insight into the short reign of the child king Edward VI is another aspect of this book that is not found in most history books of this period. All these accounts lead to the discussion of the reign of Elizabeth I, which takes up almost half of the book and is showing the culmination of the Tudor approach to military action and its effective use in both the political and image making context. Political leaders around the world today in these very image driven times could profit from a reading of this book. For me the book could not be read without the thought of how important these reigns were in setting the stage for such creative figures in the history of Britain as Sir Walter Ralegh, Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More. Not only is the book a very interesting and provocative read, but it is also well written and easy to comprehend. ... Read more