The Tudor Dynasty.

The following authors recommend books on all aspects of the Tudor Dynasty and early Renaissance England, loosely bracketed between the end of the Wars of the Roses (and the crowning of Henry Tudor) in 1485 and the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

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CAROLYN MEYER

YOUNG ADULT NOVELIST

What was it like to be the wife of Henry VIII--or his daughter? Carolyn Meyer, author of more than 50 books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, has written four novels for young adults in search of answers to those questions, starting with Mary, Bloody Mary (1999). All are available as a boxed set titled The Tudor Women (2006)

GREAT HARRY

The Extravagant Life of Henry

By Carolly Erickson (1980)

There is scarcely a member of the Tudor family that American historian Carolly Erickson has not carefully researched and boldly presented. Highly detailed and immensely readable, this book is as good a place to start as any, although Erickson has also limned the lives of Henry's wives and daughters in a number of separate volumes.

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THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

By Philippa Gregory (2001)

Rather than focusing on the main players, novelist Philippa Gregory sets her formidable sights on the lesser characters--in this case, Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn and once mistress of king Henry--and creates a lively story against a sumptuous background. All the historical details are here, plus dialogue!

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HENRY VIII (2001) and THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII (1991)

By Alison Weir

On the other side of the Pond, British writer Alison Weir has attracted a large and enthusiastic following for her biographies of fascinating royals. Open these books at almost any point and feast on some interesting tidbit about Henry's fondness for artichokes or the kind of headgear favored by Anne Boleyn.

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WENDY J. DUNN

NOVELIST

Wendy J. Dunn is an Australian writer and the author of the award-winning novel Dear Heart, How Like You This?, a novel recounting the tragic story of Anne Boleyn through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder.

THE SECRET LION

The Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

By C. W. Gortner (2004)

C. W. Gortner is an up-and-coming author with a great passion for Tudor England. His debut novel takes us swiftly into the midst of Tudor intrigue, where we journey with the novel's narrator, the likeable Brendan Prescott, on the rocky road to his true identity. Set in the time and upheaval of Edward VI's death, The Secret Lion shimmers with wonderful depictions of many well-known Tudor personages. Gortner's portrait of the young Elizabeth Tudor is so well drawn it left me in awe.

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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ANNE BOLEYN

By Eric Ives (2004)

More than 470 years after her death, is it really possible to understand the woman who woke the lion within Henry VIII? Ives's study reveals an Anne Boleyn who is, like most of us, more good than bad, as well as an extremely gifted, intelligent woman worthy of a king's passion. Most important, this biography powerfully vindicates Anne Boleyn by showing Anne and the men murdered with her.

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HENRY VIII

The King and His Court

By Alison Weir (2001)

In this wonderfully researched work, Alison Weir brings Henry VIII and his magnificent court to center stage, not fearing a bit of controversy along the way. Full of interesting, intimate details of Henry's life, this is a great book for writers of Tudor fiction, as well as a must read for people interested in the period.

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THE ELIZABETH SERIES

(Young Bess; Elizabeth, Captive Princess; and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain)

By Margaret Irwin (1998)

I was only a teenager when I first read and loved this series. To my delight, they were republished in 1998. Finally I could replace my original set, for years falling apart and far too fragile for rereading. Revisiting Irwin's work did not leave me disappointed. I felt again swept away by her prose, her psychological insights into her characters, and her perfect, seamless research. Her Elizabeth Tudor is unforgettable.

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Sandra Worth

NOVELIST

Sandra Worth, a graduate of the University of Toronto, has been researching the 15th century for more than a decade. She is the author of The Rose of York series, which has won ten awards. Her new novel, Lady of the Roses, also set during the Wars of the Roses, is forthcoming in 2008. For more information, go to www.sandraworth.com.

DEAR HEART, HOW LIKE YOU THIS?

By Wendy Dunn (2002)

From a fragment of poetry comes this evocative novel woven around the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt's love for Anne Boleyn. What makes Dunn's portrait of Anne Boleyn memorable is her lyrical prose, which maintains the illusion that the tale is recounted by a poet. Dear Heart eloquently captures the joys and sorrows of living in this dangerous era.

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MURDER MOST ROYAL

The Story of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.

By Jean Plaidy (1949)

Jean Plaidy gives a vivid account of two of Henry VIII's tragic queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and delves deeply into the king's psyche. What emerges is not pretty. Henry is a bloody tyrant and a hypocrite who uses a cloak of piety to cover his sins. First published in 1949, this book has been rereleased because it is the kind of novel that inspires a lifelong love of history.

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THE PERFECT PRINCE

The Mystery of Perkin Warbeck and His Quest for the Throne of England

By Anne Wroe (2003)

This nonfiction historical text reads like a thriller as it navigates an enduring mystery: Was the so-called imposter "Perkin Warbeck" really the younger of the two princes in the Tower of London? Wroe's work is a fascinating look into a dark and mysterious era, and into the young man--ultimately captured and disemboweled by Henry VII--who may have been who he said he was: the true King of England.

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Margaret George

NOVELIST

Margaret George specializes in biographical novels of larger-than-life characters who changed the course of history: The Autobiography of Henry VIII (1986), Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles (1992), The Memoirs of Cleopatra (1997), Mary Called Magdalene (2002), and Helen of Troy (2006). All have been New York Times best sellers. She is currently at work on a novel about Elizabeth I's later years. For more information, see www.margaretgeorge.com.

Most of the following are classics. Although some are out of print, they are readily available from used book dealers and libraries.

ON ELIZABETH I

QUEEN ELIZABETH I

By J. E. Neale (1934)

This comprehensive, one-volume biography of the great Queen is still cited for its accuracy and graceful prose. It is the perfect book to read before venturing into more detailed and modern interpretations.

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THE ARMADA

By Garrett Mattingly (1959)

This classic account of the clash between Spain and England on the seas in 1588 is told from the perspectives of both sides. While suspenseful--even though we know who won--it is also evenhanded. And Mattingly's use of language is exquisite.

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ON HENRY VIII

HENRY VIII

The Mask of Royalty

By Lacey Baldwin Smith (1971)

This biography, by a leading Tudor historian, is a vastly entertaining and acutely observed psychological portrait of Henry VIII in the last years of his reign.

ON HENRY'S WIVES

CATHERINE OF ARAGON

By Garrett Mattingly (1941)

Still the definitive work and immensely readable despite its scholarship, Catherine of Aragon brings Henry VIII's first wife to us almost in person.

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A TUDOR TRAGEDY

The Life and Times of Catherine Howard

By Lacey Baldwin Smith (1961)

This book has deservedly been called "dazzling," and it is riveting reading as it plumbs the minds of all the protagonists: Henry VIII's fifth wife and her lovers, and the besotted king himself.

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THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY VIII

With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers

By Margaret George (1986)

In my biographical novel of King Henry, I cover his entire life from cradle to beyond the grave, with no incident omitted, good or bad. Unlike most treatments, it is sympathetic to the King.

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