I got this as a present from my middle sister – thanks,
A! The
Private Lives of the Tudors is a well written and researched account of the
way the Tudor court worked. I found the
descriptions of how they kept themselves clean and what they ate particularly
interesting.
Historical events during the reigns of Henry VII, Henry
VIII, Mary and Elizabeth I are covered but not in depth – the emphasis is on
how they actually lived.
I saw a review by the Guardian which criticised this
book because it said that the Tudors didn't have private lives. I happen to disagree – to me it means the
little details of life rather than the big historical events.
You know, when I read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, I was impressed by how she did bring these characters to life as individuals and how well she described the details of their private lives.
ReplyDeleteCarole, I am pleased you enjoyed this. I watched the TV series based on the book and presented by the author. I would like to read the book.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds interesting. I have read about the lives of the Tudor wives in a few books by Alison Weir, all of them great books. And the Hilary Mantel books Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring up the Bodies. All of them great reads.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Tudor period is the most fascinating in English history. I will have a look for this one. Thanks.