On the Tudor Trail

Thomas Cromwell – The untold story of Henry VIII’s most faithful servant by Tracy Borman

Thomas Cromwell is known to millions through Hilary Mantel’s best-selling Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. But who was the real Thomas Cromwell? Born a lowly tavern keeper’s son, Cromwell rose swiftly through the ranks to become Henry VIII’s right hand man. A ruthless politician, he was also a loving husband, father and guardian, and a loyal and devoted servant. With fresh research and new insights, Tracy Borman tells the story of Henry VIII’s most faithful servant. As a fan of … [Read More...]

On the Tudor Trail’s Pop-up Facebook Giveaways

Conditions of Entry For your chance to win the prize advertised on Facebook, you must like On the Tudor Trail’s Facebook page and the giveaway post. Then simply leave a comment after the post to be entered. Giveaways are open internationally, unless otherwise stated. A winner will be randomly selected shortly after the competition closes, and a comment will be posted to the giveaway thread announcing the winner, whose responsibility it is to message the page with their postal details … [Read More...]

Joan Beaufort – Mother of the Fifteenth Century by Nathen Amin

I'm delighted to be hosting Day 2 of Nathen Amin's blog tour for his latest book, House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line that Captured the Crown. Nathen has written a fascinating guest article about Joan Beaufort, daughter of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. Joan Beaufort – Mother of the Fifteenth Century By Nathen Amin At a distance of between 500 and 600 years, it is difficult sometimes to view proceedings in the fifteenth century as anything other than a group of … [Read More...]

The Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis

I am excited to share with you a guest post by Matthew Lewis, author of the upcoming book, 'The Survival of the Princes in the Tower: Murder, Mystery and Myth'. The disappearance and alleged murder of Edward IV's sons, Edward and Richard, remains one of the greatest mysteries in British history. In this article, Matthew explores the question, "Who, if anyone, killed the Princes in the Tower?". The Princes in the Tower By Matthew Lewis One of the primary reasons that I wanted to write a book … [Read More...]

Attention Book Lovers!

Are you an avid reader with a passion for writing and Tudor history? I’m looking for a book reviewer for my website, On the Tudor Trail. Ideally, this person will be a UK resident and able to commit to reading and reviewing one book every 4-6 weeks. In exchange for your time and energy, you’ll receive free books! To register your interest, please get in touch with me via the contact form on my website. I look forward to hearing from you! Natalie … [Read More...]

A Review of ‘Young and Damned and Fair’ by Gareth Russell

Young and Damned and Fair Guest Review by Wendy J. Dunn Something is not right, rife with errors from top to bottom, leading to suspicion of motive. If the authorities knew about the problems and chose not to prevent them, then clearly something is rotten in the state of Denmark ~ Marcellus in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I I confess to not liking Henry VIII. Reading Gareth Russell’s Young & Damned & Fair, my view of Henry Tudor has not changed, but only been reinforced. Whilst it can … [Read More...]

Giveaway Time!

Thanks to the generosity of my publisher The History Press, I have a copy of ‘Colouring History: The Tudors’ to give away! Rather than ask entrants to leave a comment here on the blog, Kathryn Holeman (aka illustrator extraordinaire) and I thought we’d do something a little different. Since our book’s release in May, some very kind folk have been sharing pics of their finished colouring pages with us on social media, using the tags #colouringhistory and #colouringtudorhistory. We … [Read More...]

Anne Boleyn’s Final Journey

Early on the morning of 19 May 1536, Anne Boleyn, resplendent in a grey damask gown lined with fur, made her final journey from the Queen’s Apartments at the Tower of London, where she’d been imprisoned for the last 17 days, to the site of the scaffold. Escorted by Sir William Kingston, the Constable of the Tower, and four attendants, she made her way past the now lost King’s Hall, the setting of her lavish coronation festivities just three years earlier, and, more recently, her and her brother … [Read More...]

Did Anne Boleyn Suffer From Gender Disappointment?

To celebrate the upcoming release of Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession, the second novel in Alison Weir's Six Tudor Queens series, Alison has written a guest post, which explores whether Anne Boleyn may have suffered from gender disappointment after the birth of Elizabeth in September 1533. I'd love to hear what you think, so be sure to leave a comment after Alison's guest article. DID ANNE BOLEYN SUFFER FROM GENDER DISAPPOINTMENT? By Alison Weir On 7 September 1533, Henry VIII’s second … [Read More...]

Colouring History: The Tudors

Last week saw the UK release of ‘Colouring History: The Tudors’ and already I have some very exciting news to share. Our book is currently listed in the top 20 bestselling books on The Book Depository! This is quite an achievement and Kate and I are so very thankful for your support. If you haven’t yet picked up your copy, it’s currently on sale – 45% off RRP to be exact – over at The Book Depository, which offers free worldwide shipping. That’s right, whether you live in Spain, North America, … [Read More...]

Historical Novel Society Australasia

The 2017 Historical Novel Society Australasia Conference is being held on Saturday 9th – Sunday 10th September 2017 in Melbourne, and will explore the theme of Identity: Origins and Diaspora. The full programme can be found here. Some more information from the Historical Novel Society’s blog: Over 60 fabulous speakers In a celebration of the historical fiction genre, our three day informative and interactive weekend program will showcase over 60 speakers discussing writing … [Read More...]

Queen Anne Boleyn’s Friendship with Margery Horsman

A ‘great friendship’ between Queen Anne Boleyn and Margery Horsman by Sylvia Barbara Soberton In my newest book, Great Ladies: The Forgotten Witnesses to the Lives of Tudor Queens, I’m focusing on the forgotten ladies-in-waiting who led interesting lives but who are often only footnotes in history. I’ve always been interested in Anne Boleyn and her women, and I was particularly keen on researching her relationships with them. One of the women with whom Anne was especially close was … [Read More...]