Cover Image: The Tudors in Love

The Tudors in Love

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Member Reviews

This behemoth was right up my alley and suited my particular tastes in history. Im fairly biased toward the Tudor era (the drama!!!) and this book’s approach to romance in the era was thoroughly researched and explained. It doesn’t just discuss the Tudor era, it goes back centuries and discusses famous romances of the past and how they were viewed by the generations that came after them, all the way up to the Tudors themselves. It explains how history was able to foster this era of lust and legend. I enjoyed when the author took the time to paint for us scenes of flirtation and seduction techniques. It really felt like a movie, like I could insert myself into the scene and live out the fantasy for myself. It’s a unique blend of academia and story telling. The author does well to present all different perspectives of the romances, not forcing the reader to believe one way or another. They simply told us how it was perceived then and how that affects how we perceive it now. Overall, I had a great time reading this and walk away with plenty of discourse to bring to future discussions on the topic.

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As a long time fan of Tudor lore, I found this fascinating - to look through the lens of courtly love was super interesting.

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I really liked how thorough this book was and how in-depth it went into the intricacies of the Tudor family dynamics throughout their reign. It definitely could have been organized differently to make things a bit more fluid and clear, but it had a really interesting focus on the courtly influences and impacts of marriages and love. I would need to read it again in order to absorb everything in it and have a stronger idea of the connections and points Gristwood was making, but for readers that have experience and interest in non-fiction history books it would be a good read.

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I liked the general organization of this book. However, I did find it distracting how the book hopped between various individuals within each chapter. It felt a little abrupt and difficult to digest. Further, the book addressed certain people who were not necessarily popular/recognizable, while skimming over key historical figures and relationships. I think major relationships could have received more attention and description. I think the book in general would have benefitted from slowing down the pace and focusing on less relationships in more detail.

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I marked this one as currently reading in mid December but it actually took the whole month to read it. I would read ten minutes before bed and I just couldn't get into it. I have read many books about the Tudors so I know the history. I feel like this book is so full of history that if you do not already know the basics it will be hard to get through. There are a lot of players involved with all of the Tudors and it is hard to keep everyone straight. Never mind the fact that multiple people share the same name. This book is about "courtly love" and how it changed and evolved over the years and with each monarch. It was an interesting way to look at the different courts for each ruler. I do not think I have delved so deep into Elizabeth I though, which is at the end of the book, of course. I also learned more about Sir Walter Ralegh.

"...but a powerful woman must be careful because you can be blamed even for something very slight."

"...that the man who marries his mistress creates a job vacancy."

"Courtly love had been a dream and a challenge; a joke and an opportunity. Now in Cromwell's hands it became a tool."

"...a great part of the labour of government could with difficulty be undertaken by a woman."

"I never saw England weaker in strength, money, men, and riches...Here was nothing but fining, beheading, hanging, quartering and burning, taxing, levying, and beggaring, and losing our strongholds abroad." -this was under Elizabeth I

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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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The entire time I read this book, I pictured the actors in the Tudors series on Showtime. Now I have to go rewatch it. For Tudor fans, this book is excellent, but if you're not already familiar with the family and all their drama, this book might drag. It is definitely very "readable," though, not just a textbook - easily digestible and very interesting. I never knew that much about Elizabeth I’s reign, so I enjoyed that part. And the general info about life/love at court always fascinates me. I'd definitely recommend, but be warned that it's heavy on the historical facts.

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Tne tudors are truly so insanely fascinating and I loved this one so much I needed it for my personal collection so I bought physical copy. Thank you to SMP for the advanced copy

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Five stars! Informative, engaging, and completely sates my curiosity on the topic of courtly love. I find it fascinating that a phenomenon that seems frivolous can be seen threading through the shape of people's lives (and deaths). I love Sarah Gristwood's nonfiction books for giving a sample of these themes in a bunch of Tudor events and figures.

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This was a fascinating book, looking at how each generation of Tudor monarchs used the ideals of courtly love in their reign. Obviously most of the focus rested on Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, because they were the main Tudor monarchs to highlight courtly love. Author Sarah Gristwood does an excellent job explaining exactly what courtly love meant, and how it changed over time, how the legend of King Arthur was used by each monarch to help support their claim to the throne- either as part of or separate from the tropes of courtly love. I found it interesting how Henry VIII, in his younger years, tried to idealize living the life of a "Arthurian knight", with chivalric codes towards women as well as the sporting side of tournaments, and didn't just couch things in the literary terms his nobles might want to hear. In contrast, Elizabeth I almost weaponized chivalric codes and courtly love as a way of maintaining her power in a male dominated world, using chivalric tropes to keep her throne, and to communicate with her people as well as with her favorites.

Well researched and well written, I definitely enjoyed this book and learning about an aspect of Tudor psychology I hadn't understood well before. I certainly recommend this book to others interested in Tudor history!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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A little denser than I expected and spanning a long period of time. Definitely not for the light historical reader as it can be a lot of information at once and a lot of jumping around. But overall the author does a really great job of making history a bit contemporary and provides a good framework through which Tudor romances are formed. I’d recommend if this is your niche or you’re into overview history with some pockets of deeper focus - well researched and clearly a project of love!

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This is a look at the Tudor dynasty from a different focus, love and politics. The author starts with the legends and love of King Arthur and Guinevere and takes us from the start of the Tudor reign, through all 6 of Henry VIII’s wives, and the lives and loves of his successors: Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. It’s an interesting look into that part of history.

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“The Tudors in Love”, by Sarah Gristwood, is a fascinating book with an interesting premise of how 'courtly love" affected the Tudor reign from the 1200s through the 1600s. This includes the struggles within religion, romantic endeavors, illness, and war.

It goes very deep into history and research throughout, with plenty of source materials and references. It isn’t just a simple discussion of love and marriage within the Tudor dynasty, but a detailed look at courtly love – and ultimately how it formed history. It also takes you on an interesting journey through the tales of Guinevere and Lancelot and how they correlate to actual happenings.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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The Tudors is one of the most fascinating time periods in British history to me. I enjoy learning about all the main characters and the secondary characters pulling all the strings.

Sarah Gristwood's The Tudors in Love implies that the rules of "courtly love" shaped the politics and international diplomacy of the time. I found this thought interesting and agreed with some of the analyses given and disagreed or couldn't fully agree with others. It was a long read, but insightful and it definitely had me thinking.

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I found this to be an extremely interesting, engaging and captivating book. It is NOT your typical dry history book. It is an exceptional read that gives fabulous insight into the politics of courtly love and sex in the royal courts. Some of the stories I was aware of, many I was not. As an amateur historian, I highly recommend this book.

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The Tudors in love? Well, let’s hope they don’t lose their heads over that. Hehehe, bad pun, I know, but let’s face it — their lives were basically a neverending telenovela, with Henry VIII single-handedly responsible for quite a few bloody seasons.

(With my recent readings I think I’m reaching the point where the all the goings-on in the English monarchy/nobility lives of the 12th-16th century seem like current gossip. And I’m starting to forget what’s history and what comes from the lovely Lymond series by Dunnett. Hello there, Margaret Lennox-Douglas!).

Sarah Gristwood in The Tudors in Love is trying to view the lives of those monarchs through the popular at the time idea of "courtly love" - basically exaggerated flirting in the era that venerated chastity - while tying the idea to the legends of Guinevere and Lancelot, with varying success. For some it worked (Elizabeth I, who reversed the usual gender tropes in courtly love), for others less so (Anne Boleyn, who lost her head following them). At some points I thought it was a bit of a stretch, admittedly, but regardless of whether courtly love made sense in any particular sense of circumstances, it was still an interesting history of that age with the strong focus on women, accessible and interesting.

3.5 stars rounding up.
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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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The Tudors in Love is a fascinating book about courtly love during the Tudor era. The author goes into a well researched path of letters and poetry from that age. From King Arthur to Queen Elizabeth I everyone was influenced by love or was it only a facade for bigger games behind the scenes?

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII are the most fascinating personalities of the Tudor age for me. Once the book goes into their story, I had a wonderful time reading this book. It is a well researched book drawing from whatever material still exists. An interesting perspective of how shallow boundaries existed for the courtly love but how easy was it for men to cast aside women. Powerful men and their politics played their games and women were the pawn or the victim.

I really enjoyed the book though the writing could have been little simpler. With the heavy prose of Tudor era and the long sentences it was a little tough for me to follow the book especially very early on.

For the all the lovers of The Tudors, this book is perfect.

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Tudors? Of course you know who they are. King Henry VIII and his six wives, most famously Anne Boleyn. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth I.

Gristwood takes us back in time to the Middle Ages, where courtly love was just a game to some, but others a political mean. You may find your favor with the royals one day, and be in the Tower of London the next.

During these times, courtly love was used as a way to gain political power. Not love as we know it, but love as a way to align countries together. Most times you didn't see your future wife or husband until a deal had been made. As for King Henry VIII it didn't matter if you were already to be someone else's, he was King, so if he wanted you to be his wife, you were. As for Queen Elizabeth I, she surprised everyone by never marrying. She came to be known as the 'Virgin Queen', but was she really.

From the Tudors, comes the line of the Stuarts, which is a direct line to today's monarch. Read this book, and learn how what happened during these times, still effect some things today.

Gristwood researched this book extensively. You can tell by the depth of the book. This will publish on December 27, 2022.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Gristwood for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 📚😊

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This was a great insight into the royal dealings of love and lust long before and during the Tudor Era. It helped to put everything into perspective when it came to situations that happened hundreds of years ago.

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The Tudors in Love: Passion and Politics in the Age of England's Most Famous Dynasty by Sarah Gristwood is a great nonfiction that takes me back to one of my favorite periods in English history, the Tudors! Loved it!

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