The Tudor Period is regarded by many as England’s golden age, and still casts a spell over the public imagination. Whether it is the glittering rule of Elizabeth, the ruthless power of her father Henry VIII, or the bloody and radical reign of Mary, the Tudors remain the most fascinating English dynasty. Richard Rex looks at how the public and private lives of the Tudors were inextricably linked, and how each Tudor monarch exuded charisma and danger in equal measure. The visual culture of the period was equally spectacular, from Holbein’s brooding portraiture to the architectural magnificence of the chapels of St George at Windsor and King’s College. Alongside the authoritative and approachable story of the Tudor monarchs, beautifully reproduced, are the iconic – and the lesser known – images of Tudor England.

‘The best introduction to England’s most important dynasty’ * David Starkey *
‘Rex writes with great humour and enviable turns of phrase... a masterly guide’ -- Suzannah Lipscomb
‘Magnificent’ * History Today *
‘A model of popular history... a delight’ * Times Higher Education *
‘Vivid, entertaining and carrying its learning lightly’ * Eamon Duffy *
‘Rex is a wry commentator on the game of monarchy’ * The Guardian *

Richard Rex is Director of Studies in History at Queens' College, Cambridge. He has written and researched extensively on Tudor England. Praise for Richard Rex's The Tudors: “Up-to-date, readable and reliable. The best introduction to England's most important dynasty” DAVID STARKEY. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and six sons. Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is one of Britain’s leading popular historians and an expert on the Tudors. Among her TV credits is Henry & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History and she is the author of A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England. She was awarded a double first in History from Lincoln College, Oxford, and D.Phil from Balliol College, Oxford, and worked as research curator at Hampton Court Palace, creating a new visitor experience in the Tudor palace to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession in 2009. Suzannah is currently Convenor of History at the New College of the Humanities, London.