The Tudors in Love
Author: Sarah Gristwood
The Tudors. We all know the history. Court intrigue, political wrangling, violence, beheadings and burnings, insurrection, assassination attempts, war.... The history of the Tudors is a lot more than Henry marrying six times or Elizabeth being The Virgin Queen. There was a lot going on! A lot of change. A lot of heavy stuff!
But what of love?
What's love got to do with it? Author Sarah Gristwood brings forth a treasure trove of Tudor research and facts to show it might just have a lot to do with it. Love, even with hugely political aspirations, is still love, right?
I'm a sucker for all things Tudor era, so I enjoyed reading this book. I knew the history and a lot of the background facts already. But, Gristwood puts an interesting spin on things. This book is not about romantic love, but courtly love and relationships that wield great political power. It brings into focus how much obsession, lust, the rules of courtly love, marriages and relationships entered into for political gain left their mark on the Tudor era.
I enjoyed this book! Gristwood relates the facts in an interesting way. This isn't a dry history book, but an engaging presentation of the facts and a reflection on the effects of courtly love, marriages and relationships on the Tudor Era.
This is the first book by Sarah Gristwood that I've read. I can't wait to read more by her, especially her book on the women behind the War of the Roses!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
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