Jasper Ridley (1920–2004)

This book is okay, but the writing is rather pedestrian, and there are frequent errors in punctuation, as well as words that shouldn't be there, words that should be in different places, and words left out. Misplaced modifiers are frequent, making for difficult reading. The information is mostly interesting, though I didn't care for the set up. I was hoping it would go through monarch by monarch, but it would go through one subject, such as the houses of the Tudor age, and start back with Henry VII, moving forward through Elizabeth I. I did find a couple of chapters particularly interesting, and what is odd is they were chapters covering things I'm not normally interested in. The book is also older, so if you want something with up to date historical knowledge, you might want something else, though I don't find that a downside. The history of history is also an interesting topic and reading what we used to think against what we think now is definitely worthwhile and fascinating, though most people choose not to do that.… (more)

I have mixed feelings about this book - it does present information and details I've not encountered in other works, but it is not always the most engaging presentation of the Tudor era. I also noticed more than one incorrect date (is this the author's fault or just bad editing?), and with the book's original publication date being 1988, it's certainly not a current reflection on the research and scholarly interpretation of the Tudors. Still, this book does work as an introduction to the Tudor era, although I would recommend checking other sources as well.… (more)