Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I love anything Tudor and this book was right up my alley. It was so jam packed full of information. Usually any book about Henry starts with his marriage to Anne but this book took us back farther and what made him who he was. Loved it

"Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor" wasn't my favourite biography. The author wasn't all that objective and the first chapter was even written as a fictional account, which didn't really fit into the rest of the book.

I was interested in this subject as my son had been doing the War of the Roses and the Battle of Bosworth at school. I’d helped him with it, so had already found some information which I didn’t previously know and wanted to know more. This book looked the ideal place to start, and it follows the story of Henry Tudor. It felt like it wasn’t so much a non fiction, but a fiction or story based on true events from how it was written. There were some parts which didn’t interest me, but for the most, I was kept interested in Henry’s life and particularly his journey of the march to Bosworth and the ensuing battle.

It is very well researched and from the parts I knew, factually correct. It gives a good overview of Henry’s life and his rise to the Throne and is perfect for those who love either fact or fiction stories of the British Monarchy and British history. Rather than be used for those of school age, this is much more suited for those such as myself who know a bit about the subject but would definitely like to find out more!

Henry Tudor is a bit of a complex figure for me so reading this book aiding in my understanding. It read like a novel or a memoir of someone who was apart of Henrys life. quite excellent.

An enjoyable narrative history that focused on Henry Tudor as a man and his journey to the throne. I could definitely have done without the attempt at novelising the story early in the book (including dialogue), and I found the conclusion (that we need to look at Henry and Richard in their contemporary context) quite uninspiring and obvious, but I thought that the main history of the book was very readable and would be a good starting point for someone new to the period.

I enjoyed Carradice's writing style, and I found it easy to follow along with the different acts happening throughout the book, which can often be difficult in many nonfiction historical works. At times I found it hard to put the book down because even though I have already thoroughly studied the time period, Carradice's writing kept me drown into the story. A true sign of a good writer of history for the masses.
While not free from errors, I found that Carradice's work does what many writings about the Tudors don't do: really follow Henry VII's life and rise to power. The book is truly aptly named because Henry really did have to journey from birth to Bosworth in order to attain his crown. I have recommended this to many of my historically inclined friends and colleagues, as well as a few interested students. 3.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a detailed and comprehensive study of the life of Henry Tudor, who was to become King Henry VII, thought that the layout of the book was great and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. I learned a lot about the time period . I highly recommend this book for people interested in Tudor history

I love to read historical nonfiction. This was a good read, not the best that I have read of this period of time. I would recommend this nonetheless.

When we think of Tudor times, many of us will think of Henry VIII as the most [in]famous monarch, but the Tudor lineage began with his father Henry VII. In this fascinating book the writer examines primary and secondary sources to draw a portrait of this enigmatic King and his journey to the throne. Henry spent many years in exile as England was embroiled in the Battle of the Roses, and this book charts his childhood and preparation to face the most significant battle of the 15th century against Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Vastly outnumbered and seen as the underdog, Henry was nevertheless able to defeat Richard's troops and claim the throne of England. Thus began the reign of the Tudors. Seen as miserly and unpopular, Henry VII was responsible for bringing stability to the country' after years of bloodshed' and was seen by many as an 'astute and capable diplomat'. He increased the wealth of the country, encouraged trade and the arts and would appear to have been a more complex individual than some sources have suggested. Plagued by epidemics, pretenders to the throne and the loss of his wife, he became burdened and died at the age of 52. But there is no doubt that his unlikely victory on Bosworth Field paved the way for what was to become the strongest of monarchies in the shape of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

When I first began reading Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor – I had a few issues, namely the reader is told ‘Enshrined in British history as the War of the Roses after the emblems of the two houses – the white rose of Lancaster, the red rose of York’ (Kindle Loc 185) this is an error the white rose belongs to York and the red rose is the emblem of the house of Lancaster.

The author also refers repeatedly to Thomas Stanley as Henry’s Father-in-Law whereas he was Henry’s Step-Father.

At one point I found myself questioning if I were reading a non-fiction history book or a fictional novel – as the tone lends itself much more to the novel genre. However, having completed the book I cannot do less than give this book fives stars! Once I had shrugged off a couple of peeves – I was entirely hooked on both the subject and the way it was related to the reader.

If you’re like me and like to keep your fact and fiction clearly divided I’d advise not to miss out and I would recommend you read this book – facts were delivered in such a relaxed and comfortable way – I read this very quickly and I was immensely sorry when it ended – I’d have loved to have read on or for the author to have delved further into Henry’s day-to-day rule.

Thank you to the publisher - Pen & Sword and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Nice look at his life and the family he was born into. Nice for those who like English or royal history. You are getting a decent amount of information with some primary quotes/information put throughout.

I am a massive fan of the Tudor period and I have devoured many books that cover this era. Living pretty much on the doorstep of the location of the famous battle between King Richard III and Henry Tudor which started the now famous Tudor dynasty I am always intrigued when there is a book released by an unknown author to me.

I thought that the layout of the book was great and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. He has a really good talent that brought the scenes to life and at times you could almost feel that you were there with Henry and his troops on their march through to the ultimate battle that took place on the outskirts of Market Bosworth.

I thought that the chapter length was perfect too and it was spot on to keep me fully engaged and this would be an ideal introduction too to people who want to learn more about how the Tudor dynasty came to be as it covers the period prior to Henry’s birth and you get an introduction to one of my ultimate favourite historical figures – Margaret Beaufort.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed the layout and the length of the chapters in the book, this is the perfect introduction to Henry Tudor and the famous (or infamous) Tudor Dynasty! Highly recommended!!

Although I have read many books about the Tudors, the life of Henry VII before he became King is often glossed over so I was glad to be given the opportunity to read Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor: A Historical Journey from Pembroke to Bosworth. I found this book to be an interesting and well researched look at Henry's life from his departure from Pembroke to escape the clutches of Edward IV, his life in Brittany, his return to Wales and his journey to Bosworth. The writing was engaging and informative and I enjoyed learning more about the man who began the Tudor dynasty. An excellent read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is well researched and looks at the life of the first, and most overlooked Tudor king.
It is written to be easily accessible with fun anecdotes and interesting facts,
If you want a deep scholarly tome then this isn’t for you, but it Is a lively and enjoyable read trip through Henry’s reign.
I was given a ARC by NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

There are a startling lack of books about Henry VII, so I was pleased to see this one appear on Netgalley. Whilst this is not an intensely long book, it gives the history in a detailed enough way that you feel better informed after reading it and in such a manner that it is not simply a dry, historical account as so many of these books tend to be.

The author does not go deeply into the later politics of Henry VII when he would suffer a lack of support from his people due to taxation and other matters, but it does do a good job explaining Bosworth and the events that led to the downfall of Richard III. This was a fun book to read and I encourage others to check it out.

Seeing as Henry the VII has been far overshadowed by his children and grandchildren, it was nice to see another author put some effort into uncovering the mysteries of this Tudor king. Recommended for anyone interested in Tudor history.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I don’t read many non-fiction books. Truth be told, I usually find them boring. This book, however, managed to tell me all about the history of Henry Tudor in a way that actually kept me reading. It’s non-fiction, but engaging. I know a considerable amount about his descendants, but knew next to nothing about the man himself, so I’m glad I got to read this.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for the chance to review this book.

An accurate account of the Wars of the Roses and Henry Tudor's life; from his birth, adolescence and exile to his return and his ascend to the throne after defeating King Richard III on 22 August 1485 (The Battle of Bosworth).

An interesting book for those who would like to know more about the least known of all the Tudor kings and queens, whose reign lasted 24 years and laid the foundations for the most powerful dynasty Britain had ever seen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for a copy of this book to read and review.

4 stars

I read the Kindle edition.

This book is a detailed and comprehensive study of the life of Henry Tudor, who was to become King Henry VII. I have read a great deal about Henry VII and his marriages and children, but not very much on Henry VII. I was anxious to read more about his history. The book is well documented and pulls from references such as Polydore Vergil (Henry's chronicler), a contemporary of Henry Tudor's. Many treatises of Henry's landing in Wales with his troops were written years later and the author gave copious reasons why these references should not be taken at face value.

Henry's seizure of the Crown of England and his marriage to Elizabeth, a Yorkist princess, effectively put an end to the War of the Roses and the very old battle between Yorkist and Lancastrian factions.

The book is well annotated and reads easily. I found the material to be interesting and it added to my store of Tudor knowledge. His descriptions of the Battle of Bosworth, while in parts surmised, was very well done. His attention to detail is fantastic. Mr. Carradice's writing style is more story-like rather than dry pure historical. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of his work.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword/Pen and Sword History for forwarding to me a copy of this very good history for me to read, enjoy and review.

** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
La verdad es que la historia de los Tudor me resulta fascinante, por lo que desde un comienzo este libro corría con ventaja. La lectura ademas es bastante fácil y amena, el autor logra que prácticamente veamos todo de verdad por los ojos del protagonista. Disfrute de lo que me transmitía sobre los lugares que recorrió, y ya quiero tener la oportunidad de verlos yo misma y recordar lo que ocurro en ellos a cada paso.

We are all aware that Henry Tudor was the founder of the Tudor dynasty. A dynasty that lasted for 122 years. The Tudors are mostly remembered for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I but how much is known about the life of Henry leading up to the famous Battle of Bosworth?

Carradice succeeds in writing this to read as a novel with excerpts of contemporary evidence thrown in. The evidence is presented how it was written including the spelling which I enjoyed reading.

Henry Tudor was a threat to the Plantagenet rule and the last hope of the Lancastrians in the War of the roses. He was exiled for 14 years and the book follows his exile to his return to England for that well known victory.  Although we cannot know how Henry or Richard must have felt during this time Carradice does an excellent job of surmising. He also provides arguments for and against certain aspects of Henry's life, for instance where did Henry's fleet land?

The evidence is presented in a easy to read format and I enjoyed the book overall.

I found this to be an informative book which I'd recommend to any fan of the Tudors.