Characterised by an interest in the nature and expression of power, this collection of essays by George Bernard combines a number of previously published pieces with original studies. Chapters range from detailed studies of aspects of the political and religious history of the reign of Henry VIII to more general accounts of early-modern architecture, the development of the Church of England, and a polemical attack upon 'postmodern' historiography. The role of the nobility is a major theme. Emphasis is given to their social, economic, political and ideological power and the ways in which they exercised it in support of the monarchy. In-depth examinations of the falls of Anne Boleyn and Cardinal Wolsey and the relationship of the King and ministers challenge widespread views concerning the significance of factionalism. Analyses of such key events indicate that Henry VIII was very much in charge. Likely to provoke considerable debate, this stimulating collection is an important contribution to Tudor history.

This collection of hitherto unpublished material sheds important light on the English court and its relationship with a wider political society in the sixteenth century. The 'Journall' of political events covering 1547-52 and 1559-1562, possibly by the 'commonwealth man' John Hayles, offers arresting insights on court politics, foreign affairs and events in the life of London. It is published alongside a related account of the rivalry between the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland. Court religious ceremonial is illustrated through an edition of regulations for the royal chapel. The memoir of Jean Malliet, sent to England to solicit a loan for the beleaguered city of Geneva in 1582-3, demonstrates the 'Calvinist international' at work. A tranche of letters from Sir Robert Cecil to Sir Christopher Hatton offers fresh material on court politics in this period.

The later medieval English church is invariably viewed through the lens of the Reformation that transformed it. But in this bold and provocative book historian George Bernard examines it on its own terms, revealing a church with vibrant faith and great energy, but also with weaknesses that reforming bishops worked to overcome. Bernard emphasizes royal control over the church. He examines the challenges facing bishops and clergy, and assesses the depth of lay knowledge and understanding of the teachings of the church, highlighting the practice of pilgrimage. He reconsiders anti-clerical sentiment and the extent and significance of heresy. He shows that the Reformation was not inevitable: the late medieval church was much too full of vitality. But Bernard also argues that alongside that vitality, and often closely linked to it, were vulnerabilities that made the break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries possible. The result is a thought-provoking study of a church and society in transformation.

A new look at Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn "Will certainly make readers think again about what we really know about Henry VIII's most controversial wife-and what we have merely become accustomed to believe we know about her."-Paul Hammer, University of Colorado at Boulder In this groundbreaking new biography, G. W. Bernard offers a fresh portrait of one of England's most captivating queens. Through a wide-ranging forensic examination of sixteenth-century sources, Bernard reconsiders Boleyn's girlhood, her experience at the French court, the nature of her relationship with Henry, and the authenticity of her evangelical sympathies. He depicts Anne Boleyn as a captivating, intelligent, and highly sexual woman whose attractions Henry resisted for years until marriage could ensure legitimacy for their offspring. He shows that it was Henry, not Anne, who developed the ideas that led to the break with Rome. And, most radically, he argues that the allegations of adultery that led to Anne's execution in the Tower could be close to the truth.

A major reassessment of England's break with Rome Henry VIII's reformation remains among the most crucial yet misunderstood events in English history. In this substantial new account G. W. Bernard presents the king as neither confused nor a pawn in the hands of manipulative factions. Henry, a monarch who ruled as well as reigned, is revealed instead as the determining mover of religious policy throughout this momentous period. In Henry's campaign to secure a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, which led him to break with Rome, his strategy, as Bernard shows, was more consistent and more radical than historians have allowed. Henry refused to introduce Lutheranism, but rather harnessed the rhetoric of the continental reformation in support of his royal supremacy. Convinced that the church needed urgent reform, in particular the purging of superstition and idolatry, Henry's dissolution of the monasteries and the dismantling of the shrines were much more than a venal attempt to raise money. The king sought a middle way between Rome and Zurich, between Catholicism and its associated superstitions on one hand and the subversive radicalism of the reformers on the other. With a ruthlessness that verged on tyranny, Henry VIII determined the pace of change in the most important twenty years of England's religious development.

This collection of hitherto unpublished material sheds important new light on the English court and its relationship with a wider political society in the sixteenth century. The 'Journall' of political events covering 1547-52 and 1559-1562, possibly by the 'commonwealth man' John Hayles, offers arresting insights on court politics, foreign affairs and events in the life of London. It is published alongside a related account of the rivalry between the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland. Court religious ceremonial is illustrated through an edition of regulations for the royal chapel. The memoir of Jean Malliet, sent to England to solicit a loan for the beleaguered city of Geneva in 1582-3, demonstrates the 'Calvinist international' at work. A tranche of letters from Sir Robert Cecil to Sir Christopher Hatton offers fresh material on court politics in this period.

Are you thinking of applying to university or are you about to start? Studying at University offers thoughtful advice and guidance to sixth formers or those taking a 'year-out' who want to know more about what to expect from university life, and how they can make the best of it. The author addresses the most common of your concerns about this major life-changing experience, such as:
*deciding on the university that is best for you
*what your tutors and lecturers will be expecting of you when you get there
*how and why universities are so different from your school, sixth form or FE college
*what the point of universities is anyway
*how to get the most out of lectures, seminars and tutorials
*preparing the essays and assignments that your tutors will most want to see
*adapting the way you study to make it more effective in a university environment
*what to do before starting a university course to make the transition as smooth as possible
Written by a university tutor with vast experience of speaking to sixth formers about this understandably nerve-wracking process, this is a realistic yet inspirational assessment of what being a student really means in practice. It will be an essential companion to anyone who wants their move into higher education to be as stress-free as possible.