Thomas Penn

Reading this history I realized, despite having read a number of books about the Tudors, how little I knew about the reign of Henry VII. Rather than viewing this reign as prologue to that of Henry VIII or an epilogue to the Wars of the Roses, this history places Henry VII front and center. The emphasis is on the last half of Henry's reign, when his financial practices put a shadow over the entire kingdom while creating the treasury his son would so liberally spend. I would like to find a history that deals with Henry VII's life in its entirety, but this history does serve as an engaging exploration of his reign.… (more)

This is the book for those interested in the nitty-gritty of history. The story carries itself, intrigue and mental fears, romance, life and death in intimate detail with excellent research. However, if you are not familiar with this time and these people...oh boy. The parade of characters will keep you on your toes, trying to remember who is who and what they did to whom is mental exercise for sure. The author recreates this story in a compelling manner making this non-fiction read like a novel.… (more)

Thomas Penn has written a very good book about the last half of Henry VII's reign. Henry was a man consumed with his finances, and gradually retreated from public life into a rather paranoid shell. But, the legacy of his predeceasing monarch, Edward IV had been renewed civil war when he demonstrated more lenient behaviour. The work includes some information on the early life of Henry VIII, and, is a detailed study of the protracted diplomacy regarding the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The reader will get insights into the relationship between the emperor Maximilian and Henry, as well as stuff on Ferdinand of Aragon. It is much more informative than the more flattering biography written by Francis Bacon for James I, about that Scots king's great grandfather. Sadly, the first half of Henry's life is not very well covered, and perhaps, the information just does not exist.… (more)

Skimmed. I found that I didn't have the patience for what often seemed like a laundry list recitation of people and events. But there is plenty of good stuff in the book. It kept surprising me with scenes and actions that I never imagined before. When Henry VII died his armor was put on a young warrior who rode an armored horse into the cathedral. The armor was then offered to God on the altar as part of the funeral service. Dramatic (Ladyhawke anyone?) and pagan and Christian all together. Henry VIII was a fiend for jousting which was a sport to train him for battle. I can't imagine risking the heir's neck in anything as likely to cause death as a joust. But as my husband pointed out there were was plenty of death lurking around every corner in 1504, a little jousting was just one risk of many.… (more)