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The Tudors in Love: Passion and Politics in the Age of England's Most Famous Dynasty
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About This Book
Sarah Gristwood's The Tudors in Love offers a brilliant history of the Tudor dynasty, showing how the rules of romantic courtly love irrevocably shaped the politics and international diplomacy of the period. Why did Henry VIII marry six times? Why did Anne Boleyn have to die? Why did Elizabeth I's courtiers hail her as a goddess come to earth? The dramas of courtly love have captivated centuries of readers and dreamers. Yet too often they're dismissed as something existing only in books and song--those old legends of King Arthur and chivalric fantasy. Not so. In this ground-breaking history, Sarah Gristwood reveals the way courtly love made and marred the Tudor dynasty. From Henry VIII declaring himself as the 'loyal and most assured servant' of Anne Boleyn to the poems lavished on Elizabeth I by her suitors, the Tudors re-enacted the roles of the devoted lovers and capricious mistresses first laid out in the romances of medieval literature. The Tudors in Love dissects the codes of love, desire and power, unveiling romantic obsessions that have shaped the history of the world.
Reviews
"Enticingly titled, deeply researched, but ultimately disappointing ..."
"[Gristwood] does a superb job in distilling the vast amount of modern scholarship on this topic ..."
"For the Tudor history lover, this work will open new views in fast easy prose but thoroughly, and by necessity, with a lot of ground to cover."
"Readers may wince at the flowery exchanges between royal suitors and the increasingly elderly and unavailable Elizabeth."
"Gristwood likewise manages to humanize Catherine's Catholic daughter, 'Bloody' Mary ..."
"Throughout, fascinating incidental details add insight and reveal personal connections between historical figures."
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