Tudor Books
Each Tuesday, on my Facebook page, I run a segment called ‘Tudor Bookshelf Tuesday’ where I invite people to share photos of their treasured Tudor books whether they be housed in a formal ‘library’, on a bedside table or just wherever space permits!
I regularly share pictures of my own much loved and well-worn collection and on numerous occasions have been asked to list the Tudor books that I own – so here it is! I have organised them into fiction and non-fiction and then in groups including Anne Boleyn, Six Wives, Children of Henry VIII etc.
Most of these books you will find for sale at On the Tudor Trail’s Amazon Bookstore here. You will find a list of Anne Boleyn fiction books here.
I will do my best to add to the list as new additions take their place on my shelves. I hope this is useful!
Fiction
Anne Boleyn by E. Barrington
Brief Gaudy Hour by Barnes
At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill
To Die For by Sandra Byrd
The Queen of Subtleties: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Suzannah Dunn
Dear Heart, How Like You This? By Wendy J. Dunn
The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry
The Concubine by Norah Lofts
Murder Most Royal by Jean Plaidy
The King’s Secret Matter by Jean Plaidy
The Lady Raised High by Laurien Gardner
Anne Boleyn by Evelyn Anthony
Anne Boleyn by Margaret Heys
The French Executioner by C.C. Humphreys
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Virgin and the Crab by Robert Parry
Virgin by Robin Maxwell
Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by Margaret Irwin
Elizabeth by Margaret George
The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd
In A Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener
Keeper of the King’s Secrets by Michelle Diener
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
The Virgin Widow by Anne O’Brien
Raven Queen by Pauline Francis
Uneasy Lies the Head by Jean Plaidy
The Sixth Wife by Jean Plaidy
Katharine the Virgin by Jean Plaidy
St Thomas’s Eve by Jean Plaidy
Dissolution by C. J Sansom
Sovereign by C. J Sansom
Heartstone by C. J. Sansom
Martyr by Rory Clements
The Shakespeare Curse by J. L Carrell
The Courier’s Tale by Peter Walker
Sacred Treason by James Forrester
The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau
At the King’s Command by Susan Wigg
The Voyage of the Destiny by Robert Nye
When Knighthood was in Flower by Caskode
A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir
A Likeness by Sonia Overall
Her Highness the Traitor by Susan Higginbotham
The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George
VIII by H. M. Castor
Mistress of Mourning by Karen Harper
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
The Women of the Cousins War by Philippa Gregory
Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth
The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham
Figures of Silk by Vanora Bennett
The House of Lanyon by Valerie Anand
The House of Allerbrook by Valerie Anand
The Exiled by Posie Graham Evans
The Last Queen by C.W Gortner
The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gortner
Non Fiction
Anne Boleyn
Memoirs of the Life of Anne Boleyn by Miss Benger
The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives
The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir
Anne Boleyn by P. Friedmann
The Life of Anne Boleyn by Philip W. Sergeant
Anne Boleyn by Elizabeth Norton
Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts
The Early Loves of Anne Boleyn by Josephine Wilkinson
Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England’s Tragic Queen
Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions by George Bernard
Anne Boleyn by Elizabeth Norton
The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn by Retha M. Warnicke
The Anne Boleyn Collection by Claire Ridgway
Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn
The Boleyns by David Loades
Anne Boleyn by Carolly Erickson
Six Wives
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Paul Rival
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by David Loades
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
Six Wives by David Starkey
Katherine the Queen by Linda Porter
Queen Katherine Parr by Anthony Martienssen
Catherine Parr by Susan James
Catherine of Aragon: Henry’s Spanish Queen by Giles Tremlett
Catherine Howard by Lacy Baldwin Smith
Jane Seymour by Elizabeth Norton
Anne of Cleves by Elizabeth Norton
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn by Alison Weir
Mary Boleyn by Josephine Wilkinson
Thomas Wyatt
Graven With Diamonds: The Many Lives of Thomas Wyatt: Courtier, Poet, Assasin, Spy by Nicola Shulman
The Complete Poems of Thomas Wyatt
Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser
Mary Queen of Scots by Carol Schaeffer
Lady Jane Grey
The Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda De Lisle
Lady Jane Grey by Hester W. Chapman
Lady Jane Grey by Alison Plowden
Henry VIII
The Divorce of Henry VIII by Catherine Fletcher
The Inventory of King Henry VIII – The Transcript
The Last Days of Henry VIII by Robert Hutchinson
Henry: Virtuous Prince by David Starkey
Great Harry’s Navy by Geoffrey Moorhouse
In the Lion’s Court by Derek Wilson
Henry VIII: 500 Facts Historic Royal Palaces
The Reign of Henry VIII Edited by Diarmaid MacCulloch
Henry VIII’s Last Victim by Jessie Childs
Other Notable Tudors
Winter King by Thomas Penn
Drake by Stephen Coote
Bess of Hardwick by Mary S. Lovell
Wolsey by Hilaire Beloc
Shakespeare by Anthony Burges
The Pilgrimage of Grace by Geoffrey Moorhouse
Children of Henry VIII
The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
May Tudor by David Loades
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey
Queen Elizabeth by John Hearsey
Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens
Edward VI: The Threshold of Power by W.K Jordan
The Tudors
The Private Lives of the Tudor Monarchs selected and edited by Christopher Falkus
Rivals in Power Edited by David Starkey
Henry VIII’s King & Court by Alison Weir
Henry VIII and His Court by Neville Williams
Henry VIII: A European Court in England Edited by David Starkey
The Tudor Court by David Loades
The Tudors by Richard Rex
Tudor England – Volume 1 by David Harrison
Tudor England – Volume 2 by David Harrison
The Earlier Tudors 1485-1558 (The Oxford History of England)
The Tudor Chronicles by Susan Doran
In Bed With The Tudors by Amy Licence
Life in Tudor England
Life in Tudor England by Penry Williams
Tudor Costume & Fashion by Herbert Norris
The Tudor Tailor by Ninya Mikhaila & Jane Malcolm-Davies
Birth, Marriages & Death by David Cressy
Food and Feast in Tudor England by Alison Sim
All the King’s Cooks by Peter Brears
Tudor & Stuart Gardens by Anne Jennings
Tudor Houses Explained by Trevor Yorke
Pleasures & Pastimes in Tudor England by Alison Sim
The Tudor Housewife by Alison Sim
The Pelican History of England
The Tudor Remedy Book
Tudor Buildings & Architecture
Uncovering Acton Court and the Poyntz Family
The Tower of London (Readers Digest)
Traitors of the Tower by Alison Weir
The Royal Palaces of Tudor England by Simon Thurley
Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History by Simon Thurley
The History of the King’s Works, Volume IV General Editor H. M. Colvin
The Early Tudor Country House: Architecture and Politics 1490-1550 by Maurice Howard
The Early Tudors at Home by Elizabeth Burton
What’s Left of Henry VIII by Deborah Jaffe
The Private Life of Palaces Historic Royal Palaces
The History and Restoration of Pashley Manor
Pashley Manor and Gardens
The Vyne by Maurice Howard & Edward Wilson
The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer
A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England by Suzannah Lipscomb
Medieval and Tudor England: Day Trips South of England by Sarah Valente Kettler & Carole Trimble
The Amateur Historians Guide to Medieval and Tudor London by Sarah Valente Kettler & Carole Trimble
Guidebooks
The Tower of London
Hampton Court Palace
Hever Castle & Gardens
Windsor Castle
Blickling Hall
The Vyne
Winchester
Elizabethan England
Elizabeth’s London by Liza Picard
The Elizabethan Underworld by Gamini Salgado
The Queen’s Majesty’s Passage & Related Documents edited by Germaine Warkentin
Miscellaneous
London: The Concise Biography by Peter Ackroyd
The Drama of Coronation by Alice Hunt
English Aristocratic Women by Barbara J. Harris
Tudor Women by Alison Plowden
Holbein Portrait Drawings
Holbein – Every Painting
The Lisle Letters Edited by Muriele St Clare Byrne
Blood & Roses by Helen Castor
Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir
I recommend “The making of the Tudor Dynasty” by RA Griffiths and RS Thomas
This book relates the Welsh origins of the Tudor Dynasty from Ednyfed Fychan, a major supporter of Llywelyn the Great to Henry VII the first and greatest Tudor king.
WOW, what a wonderful collection!!!!! Of course mine pales in comparison, LOL, but ty for making a list of your books, gives me more titles and authors to browse, and hopefully buy as I can 🙂
Found this site after watching first two of Downton Abby. Also watched the mini series The Tudors. My son’s girlfriend was able to visit England, Ireland, and Wales and brought a book able Anne Boyelyn as a gift for me. My ancestors were from England. One fought in the American Revolution! Was able to find that he was buried in a place very close to where use to reside. Looked up his name on Internet and apparently a book written about his family! What I found from my research is that it appears he was born in an area that was part of the a Northern Alliance during the reign of Henry VIII. Am very curious about this as I am about most English History since both sides of my family were listed as being English, Welsh, or Scottish. What is best book to read to understand what each were like during different periods and what that may have meant about them! My ancestors last name was Dent, Williams, Jarman, and Thompson!
I just found this article with all the books! I was making my own list but if I want to find new ones to add I know where I can pick up titles! Thank you for sharing it!
My pleasure Jessica!
Good Gracious! Thank you for sharing the titles in your library with us! Much appreciated. Would love to compare titles. I know that you have some that I lack and vice versa. I also have quite an extensive collection of Historical Romance Novels set in the period primarily written by classic romance authors, Bertrice Small, Virginia Henley and Jude Deveraux amongst others. What a Lovely Collection!
Thanks Mary! I must update my list, as it has really grown since I posted this. I’ll try and do this in the next few weeks. Thanks for saying hello! Natalie
As a descendant of Maredudd ap Tudur , I would like to congratulate you on a brilliant and informative library.R.A Griffiths is a most intelligent and worthy historian.
Hi Natalie,
I found your website after feeling a certain sense of emptiness and yearning for England. My fist visit to Hampton Court was absolutely astounding and made me realize why I was always so fascinated in school by English History. I enjoyed reading through your list of books and cannot wait to delve into more history regarding The Tudors and Tudor England.
I do have one question though; I could not help but notice that your list does not have that many of Philippa Gregory’s works. Is this a personal preference? Please share your thoughts with me because I am very curious to know. I have watched many documentaries and read many historical articles. I never got into the fiction portion of Tudor novels until Philippa Gregory. I couldn’t get enough of her writing.
Again, thanks for the list and I would love to know your opinions!
Dear Tiffany,
Welcome to On the Tudor Trail! I put together this list of books some time ago, I think it’s time I updated it with the many books that have joined this collection since. As for Philippa Gregory, I happen to think her fiction is wonderful. I particularly enjoyed ‘The White Queen’, about the life of Elizabeth Woodville, set against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses. I will endeavour to update this list with more titles soon!
Best wishes,
Natalie
Hi Natalie,
Just wanted to say how informative your website is and thank you for listing your collection of books.
I first picked up on your website when I was arranging my wedding last year. I love anything to do with Tudor history and I have been gradually increasing my collection as I get to read the books I have purchased! 23 and counting!
I got married last year at Sudeley Castle and we had our blessing in St Mary’s chapel where Kathryn is buried.
I have recently finished reading “She Wolves” and so Ian and I went to Le Mans and saw where the Plantagenets began and where Geoffrey is buried! We stayed in a lovely hotel and our room looked out onto the cathedral only a stones throw away! We then moved onto the chateau at Blois where Francis 1st lived and then we stayed at the lodge in the grounds of the chateau at Chambord, again our room looked out at the chateau and we could walk in the grounds at night when all the visitors had gone home, it was wonderful! Especially as it was Francis who met with Henry at “The Cloth of Gold”.
Thank you for your website as really helped and inspired me to research further!
Best wishes,
Janice
Thank you for your lovely message, Janice! I really need to update this list but as I’m currently writing my second book, I’ve had very little time for anything else. Sudeley Castle is one of my favourite Tudor places, how lucky you are to have been married there. I’m sure all your photos are amazing! Best of luck with your research. Warm regards, Natalie.
Check out the P.F. Chisholm series featuring Sir Robert Carey, son of Henry Carey, Baron Hunsdon. Sir Robert is up in Carlisle in the 1590s, with a mission to bring law and order to the reiver-ridden, very unsettled and lawless borderlands. First title is A Famine of Horses, publisher is Poisoned Pen Press.
Another fiction series featuring lesser-known players is Anna Castle’s collection featuring Francis Bacon and his law students at Gray’s Inn. Not just a philosopher-statesman, Francis is called upon to collect intelligence for his uncle Lord Burghley, tracking down treasonous Catholics and other miscreants. First title is Murder by Misrule, published by author.
Wow! Thank you so much for this amazing site! I am (borderline) obsessed with everything Tudor, Plantagenet, Lancaster,all of it! I got a little worried that this was not an updated page seeing all the posts from 2012 until I scrolled down to see a post from just very recently! I wish I would have found this before. Again, thank you and keep em coming! ?
Hello Joey, the website is still very active! Glad you found it. Have you had a chance to listen to my Tudor podcast yet? If you love all things Tudor, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s called ‘Talking Tudors’. Happy listening! https://talkingtudors.podbean.com
Awesome! I will definitely be checking that out today.
Hello! Thank you for the exceptional book recommendations. I especially love the Mary Queen of Scots one as I have been having trouble picking out the best one to read. I was wondering if you have any recommendations for the Princes in the Tower? I’ve seen several books but would love one that seems to be the most accurate with the most up to date information. Thank you!
Jacqueline
Hello Jacqueline, lovely to hear from you. I most certainly do have a recommendation about the princes. Matt Lewis has written a wonderful book entitled ‘The Survival of the Princes in the Tower’. I highly recommend it. You’ve also reminded me that it’s time to update this page with lots more titles. Watch this space!
My ever growing to read list just quadrupled in length… what a wonderful site you have here. I listen to your podcasts all the time!!!! Just wondering if there were any good fiction or non fiction books about Anne Boleyn’s time in the courts of Margaret of Austria and Queen Claude of France??
I have read many fiction novels, they only briefly cover this time, and I would love to indulge in Anne’s early life some more. Thanks! Rach
Hello Rachel, so glad you’re enjoying the podcast! As for fiction books about Anne’s early years, do check out Natalia Richards’ novels, The Falcon’s Rise and The Falcon’s Flight. I think you’ll really enjoy these!
I am so grateful for this list. Thanks so much. “Brief Gaudy Hour” was my first Tudor book. It was the one that drew me in. Natalie, Thanks so much for the podcasts they brighten my day, I learn so much and I am starting to listen to them all over again.
I love book lists and this is stunning! It brings me so much joyful anticipation! I’ve been listening to your podcast for a couple of years or so and I love it! I’ve been thinking for a long time about becoming a Patreon & I think this next month will be the time for me to do it! Now just to decide what level. I’d love to be at the highest level because you are definitely worth it, but I have to fit it into my budget. Especially now that I see all these lovely books I also need to read! Thanks for all you do for Tudor history lovers!
Thank you for your very kind comment, Meredith! I look forward to welcoming you to the Patreon family when you’re ready. Warm wishes, Natalie