The Private Lives of the Tudors - by Tracy Borman (Paperback)

About the Book

The internationally bestselling author of Thomas Cromwell and Elizabeth's Women takes readers behind closed doors and into the intimate lives of the Tudor monarchs

Book Synopsis

England's Tudor monarchs--Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I--are perhaps the most celebrated and fascinating of all royal families in history. Their love affairs, their political triumphs, and their overturning of the religious order are the subject of countless works of popular scholarship. But for all we know about Henry's quest for male heirs, or Elizabeth's purported virginity, the private lives of the Tudors remain largely beyond our grasp. In The Private Lives of the Tudors, Tracy Borman delves deep behind the public face of the monarchs, showing us what their lives were like beyond the stage of court. Drawing on the accounts of those closest to them, Borman examines Tudor life in fine detail. What did the monarchs eat? What clothes did they wear, and how were they designed, bought, and cared for? How did they practice their faith? And in earthlier moments, who did they love, and how did they give birth to the all-important heirs? Delving into their education, upbringing, sexual lives, and into the kitchens, bathrooms, schoolrooms, and bedrooms of court, Borman charts out the course of the entire Tudor dynasty, surfacing new and fascinating insights into these celebrated figures.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Private Lives of the Tudors:

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

"For Borman, the intimate particulars of everyday life are what help the past come bracingly, stirringly alive. Her full-quivered social history of the Tudor monarchs . . . furnishes readers with a 'Hey, did you know . . . ?' on almost every page . . . [An] authoritative work."--New York Times Book Review

"[Written] with effortless verve . . . [A] riveting history."--O, The Oprah Magazine

"Borman's passion for the Tudor period shines forth from the pages of this fascinatingly detailed book."--Allison Weir, author of The Six Wives of Henry VIII

"[A] fascinating new book . . . No royal family is better known . . . But there's still much to learn from The Private Lives of the Tudors thanks to the expertise and persistence of Borman . . . The most captivating moments of Private Lives, and there are plenty of them, bring the reader into other personal Tudor moments of strength, weakness, and heartache."--Christian Science Monitor

"Comprehensively researched and compulsively readable . . . The potions, plots, liaisons and marriages described in this book are thoroughly entertaining . . . A bloody good read."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"This is a fascinating and informative account of the personal lives of the Tudors. So much so that it is certain that the average person would surely be unfamiliar with much of this history."--New York Journal of Books

"A measured, precise, and humanizing overview of the behind-the-scenes monarchical lives of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I . . . Fascinating . . . This Downton Abbey-like peek into the everyday lives of these privileged yet cloistered rulers and their households will appeal to both serious scholars and Tudor enthusiasts."--Booklist

"Amusing [and] well-researched . . . [An] entertaining mixture of esoteric social history and well-known details of the persona lives of the Tudor monarchs."--Kirkus Reviews

"Borman . . . unearth[s] some obscure and intriguing tidbits that have been overlooked by other historians . . . Though all five Tudor monarchs made even their most private moments into courtly spectacles . . . Borman's fine book goes far toward humanizing them. Recommended."--Publishers Weekly

"[A] fascinating, detailed account . . . Borman ranges far and wide in her quest to throw light on what the Tudor kings and queens ate, what they wore, what they did with their days and how they spent their nights . . . This is a book of rich scholarship. Tracy Borman . . . knows her Tudor history inside out."--Daily Mail (UK)

"Borman approaches her topic with huge enthusiasm and a keen eye . . . All good fun. And there is plenty of it . . . Borman really succeeds when she uses her store of homely tidbits to recast our perceptions of Tudors we thought we knew . . . This is a very human story of a remarkable family, full of vignettes that sit long in the mind."--Sunday Times (UK)

"Tracy Borman's eye for detail is impressive; the book is packed with fascinating courtly minutiae . . . [Borman is] a very good historian and this is a wonderful book."--Times (UK)

"Like Alison Weir . . . Borman is an authoritative and engaging writer, good at prising out those humanising details that make the past alive to us."--Guardian (UK)

About the Author

Tracy Borman is England's joint chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces and chief executive of the Heritage Education Trust. She has written seven previous books, including the highly acclaimed Elizabeth's Women and Thomas Cromwell. She has a PhD in history from the University of Hull and lives in Surrey with her family.