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England under the Tudors by G R Elton (Routledge, 3rd ed 1991) £12.99
The standard text, of particular interest to A-level and first-year undergraduate students of Tudor history.

Tudor England by John Guy (Oxford University Press, 1990) £12.99
A classic textbook that covers the whole period and includes both social history and high politics. Academic and very detailed.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Tudor and Stuart Britain, edited by John Morrill (Oxford, 2000) £17.50
Lavishly illustrated and thoroughly readable.

A Royal History of England: The Tudors by Neville Williams and Antonia Fraser (Cassell, 2000) £12.99
An accessible and readable account of the arrival and survival of the Tudor dynasty.

The Tudor Age by James A Williamson (Longman, 1979) £19.99
Well-written with excellent chapters on the Armada and Portugal, Drake, Ralegh and the quest for international trade.

New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The rule of the Tudors 1485-1603 by Susan Brigden (Penguin, 2001) £8.99
General account of politics and society in the Tudor era, which offers insights into the minds of its inhabitants. Especially strong on religion and personalities, with good sections on Ireland.

Big Chief Elizabeth: How England's adventurers gambled and won the New World by Giles Milton (Hodder, 2001) £6.99
Vividly evokes the courage and hardships of the 16th-century English colonists, with first-hand accounts of the mystery surrounding the first English settlements.

The Penguin Book of the Renaissance by J H Plumb (Penguin Classic, 2001) £5.99
In this vivid survey, the whole sweep of Renaissance achievement is brilliantly portrayed and analysed.

Events that Changed the World through the 16th Century by Frank W Thakeray (Greenwood Press, 1999) £31.95
The period from the late Middle Ages to the 16th century witnessed some of the most significant developments in the history of the world. These events and their impact have been carefully described and analysed in this student resource.

Shakespeare's England: Life in Elizabethan and Jacobean times by Ron Pritchard (Sutton, 1999) £12.99
Amusing vignettes from the 16th and 17th centuries. Takes a light-hearted look at the relationships between men and women, London life, crime and punishment, with a back-drop of plague and poverty.

The Penguin History of the World by J M Roberts (Penguin, 1995) £12.99
A revised edition of this survey of world history. The book, which contains 90 maps, gives a sound account of 16th-century events.

Who's Who in Shakespeare's England by Alan Palmer and Veronica Palmer (Methuen, 2000) £12.99
Covering the period from the Spanish Armada in 1588 to publication of the First Folio in 1623, this book presents over 700 biographies of the leading figures of the Shakespearean era, not only in theatre and the arts, but also in politics, the Church, the court and the secret service.

The Elizabethan Renaissance: The life of the society by A L Rowse (Penguin, 2000) £4.99
From the Court and the landed gentry to the middle and lower classes, the author presents a complete portrait of human nature. Chapters on customs, religion, sport, food, sanitation, sex, and a noteworthy examination of the Elizabethans' obsession with astrology, witchcraft, sorcery and alchemy.

Exploring the Spanish Armada by Winifred Glover (O'Brien Press, 2001) £8.99
Focuses on the court intrigue, the success of the English onslaught, battle formations, religious crusading, and the scattering of Spanish ships against the Irish coast by violent storms. It also reveals the treasures and historical artefacts found in its wrecks.

Mary, Queen of Scots: Politics, passion and a kingdom lost by Jenny Wormald (Tauris Parke, 2001) £10.95
This very readable account of Mary Queen of Scots gives a fascinating insight into Scottish politics as well as an account of her reputation since her death in 1587.

Tudor Ireland: Crown, community and the conflict of cultures 1470-1603 by S G Ellis (Longman, 1985). Currently out of print; may be available through libraries and specialist bookshops.
Standard textbook on Tudor Ireland

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