History of the Tudors in 100 Objects

The Tudor period of British history is explored through the objects left behind by the people, including a silver-gilt board badge, a signet ring, a Halifax gibbet, scientific advancements, and curiosities such as a ladies sun mask, a prosthetic arm, and a unicorn horn jewel. This narrative is based on contemporary accounts and modern scholarship and offers a vivid panorama of Tudor life.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 09 September 2019
Publisher: The History Press Ltd

This pivotal era in British history stands as a distant realm, where poverty, violence, and superstition intertwined with opulence, religious virtue, and a vibrant cultural landscape, both familiar and enigmatic to the contemporary reader. John Matusiak embarks on a quest to unveil the lives and times of the Tudors through the examination of the artifacts they left behind. Among these treasures, a silver-gilt board badge discarded at Bosworth Field after Henry VII's triumphant coronation; a signet ring possibly belonging to the legendary Shakespeare; the infamous Halifax gibbet, where over 100 individuals met their demise; scientific advancements such as a prosthetic arm and the first flushing toilet; and curious items such as a ladies sun mask, 'Prince Arthur's hutch,' and the enigmatic Danny jewel, believed to be crafted from the horn of a unicorn. In this thought-provoking and often myth-debunking narrative, Matusiak firmly anchors his story in contemporary accounts and the latest findings of modern scholarship.

The entire tapestry of Tudor life unfurls within this captivating and frequently challenging narrative, firmly rooted in contemporary accounts and the most cutting-edge research of our time. While the Tudors may seem distant, they possess a curious modernity. They possessed spectacles and metal prosthetic arms, reminiscent of our contemporary era. The "fuming pot," a precursor to the Air Wick, was merely a prototype of its modern counterpart. Matusiaks concise essays accompanying the photographs are flawlessly crafted, and the book itself is a pleasure to hold.

- Charlotte Heathcote, The Sunday Express

Weight: 802g
Dimension: 233 x 161 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780750991254
Edition number: 2 New edition