Harri Tudur - a wise, but distant King who pulled England into modernity - Rated 
Henry Tudor (in Welsh Harri Tudur as his Henry's paternal grandfather, Owen Tudor, was a Welshman) was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Neither than not today Henry has no popular appeal. He is totally eclipsed by the monumental reign of his son Henry VIII and the Golden Age of his granddaughter Elisabeth I. There is no spendour, no excotic private life, no royal mistresses, no successful wars, no extravagance but penny-pinching, a life devoted to royal duty, a somehow dark and distant, a bit lonely man. Sounds pretty boring.... Who was this man who laid the foundation for a modern England. He will never be the popular hero of novels.
Henry was born at Pembroke Castle, Wales in 1457, the only son of Edmund Tudor, half-brother of King Henry VI and Earl of Richmond, and Lady Margaret Beaufort, the heiress of the house of Lancaster. In exile since 1471 he defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485 and became king. Henry's claim to the throne derived from his mother as a descandent of John of Gaunt, thrid son of Edward III. His claim was somewhat tenuous; it was based upon a lineage of illegitimate succession, and overlooked the fact that the Beauforts had been disinherited by Letters Patent of King Henry IV. He also honoured his pledge of December 1483 to marry Elizabeth of York, daughter and heir of King Edward IV. The marriage took place on January 18, 1486 at Westminster. The marriage unified the warring houses and gave his children a stronger claim to the throne. The unification of the houses of York and Lancaster by Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth of York is represented in the heraldic symbol of the Tudor rose, a combination of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster.
Henry's main concern was to strengthen the weak monachry after the War of the Roses, a civil war of the high nobility which ahs ruined England. Bringing the nobility to heel was one of the most difficult tasks, but he succeeded. Thinking about how modern politicians struggle to bring a country back from civil war this is no meagre achievment. Henry VII's policy was both to maintain peace and to create economic prosperity.Henry VII was a fiscally prudent monarch who restored the fortunes of an effectively bankrupt exchequer by introducing ruthlessly efficient mechanisms of taxation. In this he was supported by his chancellor, Archbishop John Morton, whose "Morton's Fork" was a catch 22 method of ensuring that nobles paid increased taxes. The household staff rose beyond mere servitude: Henry eschewed public appearances, therefore, staff members were the few persons Henry saw on a regular basis. He created the Committee of the Privy Council ,a forerunner of the modern cabinet) as an executive advisory board; he established the Court of the Star Chamber to increase royal involvement in civil and criminal cases; and as an alternative to a revenue tax disbursement from Parliament, he imposed forced loans and grants on the nobility. He survived the Lovell Rebellion of 1486, the Perkin and Lambert threats. His name is however involved in the mystery of the Princes in the Tower.
The English Monarchs series has brought the highest standards of historical scholarship to the widest possible readership. Professor Chrimes's biography of Henry VII fits neatly into this programme and is properly the best to date about this king. It is a scholary assessment, reliable, trustworthy and full. But do not expect an easy read. Somehow it fits this king and his personality. It is an rewarding read and one admires him for his work, but one can not love him. He healed England and without him the popular appealing reign of Henry VIII would not be possible. He left the crown and England stronger. Henry VIII plunged England into a more dangerous devide than the civil war of the War of the Roses, a divide along the line of religion.Henry VII deserves more attention, but I am afraid that in a celebrity culture of today that is hardly ever forthcoming. This book restores him to his rightful place in history.
The last word should his earlier biographer Francis Bacon: "He was of a high mind, and loved his own will and his own way; as one that revered himself, and would reign indeed. Had he been a private man he would have been termed proud: But in a wise Prince, it was but keeping of distance; which indeed he did towards all; not admitting any near or full approach either to his power or to his secrets. For he was governed by none"
Henry VII - Rated 
I got this book to study alongside my AS level in this subject, however when I got down to it I found it really difficult to read. Let me clarify that, the words were fine, but it was so heavy, i could only read a few pages before i had to put it down and attempt to digest the huge amount of detailed information. It is so informative and interesting, although if you are looking for something to dip into or read when you're tired, just before you go to bed, then this probably isnt the right book. I found it difficult to absorb so much information being thrown at me in every sentence. However those of you looking for an in depth study as research for A level/uni work then this is great.
Excellent A Level Resource - Rated
After studying Henry VII in great detail, Chrimes' definitative work proves to be both useful and on occasions fascinating. His interesting ideas give an A level student some alternative viewpoints to consider, and it is split up so it is perfect for semi-quick referencing.
Slightly heavy at times, but definately worth it!
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