Journey Through Tudor England

April 8, 2013
Though the popular TV series The Tudors aired its fourth and final season three years ago, interest in the colorful dynasty that ruled England from 1485-1603 continues. Lipscomb, a British historian and former curator at Hampton Court Palace, adds something new and different to the growing list of books on Tudor England by writing a guidebook that introduces readers to the history of the period through 50 of “the best and most interesting” buildings associated with Tudor royalty. Each chapter tells the story of how a specific building served as the physical backdrop to the lives of those who inhabited it or to a particularly important visit from a famous personage. The sections, which are arranged geographically and radiate outward from London, include both well-known sites, such as the Tower of London, where two of Henry VIII’s wives and countless courtiers lost their heads, and more obscure places of interest, such as Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, where Mary, Queen of Scots, spent some time during her 18-year imprisonment in England. For readers eager to visit the spots, a helpful appendix includes useful information like opening hours and directions. This is a breezy, easy read for armchair travelers, though Anglophile jetsetters will certainly get the most use out of Lipscomb’s Tudor travel guide. Agent: Andrew Lownie, Andrew Lownie Literary Agency (U.K.).

May 1, 2013
Lipscomb (Early Modern History/Univ. of East Anglia; 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, 2009) combines her credentials as historian/TV presenter/author to give us a thorough history/guided tour of the Tudors. The author divides the narrative geographically into seven districts, including greater London, tracing the stories of Henry VII, Henry VIII and his children. Rather than confusing readers, the geographic technique allows one to view the impact these monarchs had in each area. Sadly, no maps are supplied for each section. They would improve visualization and allow travelers to plan a visit. Still, once readers have finished this unusual book, they will discover their knowledge of the Tudor kings and queens has considerably expanded. Henry VII, the first Tudor and victor at Bosworth, reigned from 1485 to 1509. The building of Richmond Palace was Henry VII's only break from his miserly ways as he fought to secure his dynasty. He died there, as did his granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth I, almost 100 years later. Henry VIII's lifestyle markedly contrasts with his father's, as he built, or "acquired," more than 60 houses and palaces, not least of which was Hampton Court. There are, logically, more places connected to Henry VIII and Elizabeth for the simple reason that their reigns were longer. Edward VI, Mary and the pitiful Jane Grey together only reigned just over a decade. Lipscomb avoids becoming an architectural or archaeological guide while pointing out ruins worth a look--e.g., Westminster Abbey, as well as less-renowned sites like Kenilworth Castle, which has a "baleful and crestfallen air." A clever history of how the Tudors ushered England into the medieval age, illustrating the broad influence they exerted both then and now.

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May 15, 2013

Tudor historian Lipscomb (history, New Coll. of the Humanities, London; 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII) offers scholarship, popular history, and a travel guide to a fascinating tour of Tudor England. Beginning in London and moving to other areas of the country such as the Southwest and the East Midlands, Lipscomb presents the bloody history, the burnings and beheadings, the intrigues of court life, and the conflicts and compromises, of 16th-century England--all connecting through the larger-than-life figure of Henry VIII. The Tudor age vibrates with icons of Englishness: Shakespeare, Elizabeth I, the Church of England, and the doomed Spanish Armada. Lipscomb's guide will take visitors to places where the Tudor age still lingers: castles, grand homes, and ruins that tell the story of that age--kings touring country houses and exhausting food supplies, queens imprisoned in dank quarters in the countryside, and the busy Tower of London and its many prisoners. VERDICT This detailed, entertaining guide offers both a tour through history and a practical handbook for visitors to England's grand Tudor sites. Highly recommended for travelers, Anglophiles, and history buffs.--Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ. Lib., Rindge, NH

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