Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England's Most Notorious Royal Family
Leanda de Lisle
Apr 2016 · Ascent Audio · Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
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16 hr 20 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
The Tudors are England’s most notorious royal family. But, as Leanda de Lisle’s gripping new history reveals, they are a family still more extraordinary than the one we thought we knew.
The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family’s obscure Welsh origins, the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a Queen’s lap—and later her bed. It passes by the courage of Margaret Beaufort, the pregnant thirteen-year-old girl who would help found the Tudor dynasty, and the childhood and painful exile of her son, the future Henry VII. It ignores the fact that the Tudors were shaped by their past—those parts they wished to remember and those they wished to forget.
By creating a full family portrait set against the background of this past, de Lisle enables us to see the Tudor dynasty in its own terms, and presents new perspectives and revelations on key figures and events. De Lisle discovers a family dominated by remarkable women doing everything possible to secure its future; shows why the princes in the Tower had to vanish; and reexamines the bloodiness of Mary’s reign, Elizabeth’s fraught relationships with her cousins, and the true significance of previously overlooked figures. Throughout the Tudor story, Leanda de Lisle emphasizes the supreme importance of achieving peace and stability in a violent and uncertain world, and of protecting and securing the bloodline.
Tudor is bristling with religious and political intrigue but at heart is a thrilling story of one family’s determined and flamboyant ambition.
The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family’s obscure Welsh origins, the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a Queen’s lap—and later her bed. It passes by the courage of Margaret Beaufort, the pregnant thirteen-year-old girl who would help found the Tudor dynasty, and the childhood and painful exile of her son, the future Henry VII. It ignores the fact that the Tudors were shaped by their past—those parts they wished to remember and those they wished to forget.
By creating a full family portrait set against the background of this past, de Lisle enables us to see the Tudor dynasty in its own terms, and presents new perspectives and revelations on key figures and events. De Lisle discovers a family dominated by remarkable women doing everything possible to secure its future; shows why the princes in the Tower had to vanish; and reexamines the bloodiness of Mary’s reign, Elizabeth’s fraught relationships with her cousins, and the true significance of previously overlooked figures. Throughout the Tudor story, Leanda de Lisle emphasizes the supreme importance of achieving peace and stability in a violent and uncertain world, and of protecting and securing the bloodline.
Tudor is bristling with religious and political intrigue but at heart is a thrilling story of one family’s determined and flamboyant ambition.
About the author
Leanda de Lisle is a British historical writer. She was born in London and educated at Somerville College, Oxford University. She began her journalism career working for the Hackney Gazette. Later de Lisle obtained a master's degree in Business Administration. Her first book, After Elizabeth: The Death of Elizabeth and the Coming of King James, was published in 2005 and was runner up for the Saltire Society¿s First Book of the Year award. Her next book, The Sisters Who Would be Queen; The Tragedy of Mary, Katherine and Lady Jane Grey, became a New York Times bestseller. Her latest book, Tudor; The Family Story (1437-1603), also became a bestseller. Ms. de Lisle continues to write for a number of publications including BBC History magazine, History Today, the Literary Review, the New Criterion and the Spectator, as well as other British national newspapers.
Earphones winner, Audie finalist, and Parent's Choice Award-winning producer Tavia Gilbert is a classical theater- and public radio-trained actress and producer. She received a BFA in Acting from Cornish College of the Arts. She also studied documentary radio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. She produces, directs, and narrates unique audiobooks, full-cast recordings, and documentaries.
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