A tour of Tudor England through the coroner's reports of ordinary people's various grizzly fatal accidents. A Horrible History for adults by leading Oxford historians.

How did ordinary people live in Tudor England? This unique history unearths the ways they died to find out.

Uncovering thousands of coroners' reports, An Accidental History of Tudor England explores the history of everyday life, and everyday death, in a world far from the intrigues of Hampton Court Palace, Shakespeare's plots and the Spanish Armada. Here, farming, building and travel were dangerous. Fruit trees killed more people than guns, and sheep killed about the same number as coalmines. Men stabbed themselves playing football and women drowned in hundreds fetching water. Going to church had its dangers, especially when it came to bell-ringing, archery practice was perilous and haystacks claimed numerous victims. Restless animals roamed the roads which contained some potholes so deep men could drown, and drown they did.

From bear attacks in north Oxford to a bowls-on-ice-incident on the Thames, this book uses a remarkable trove of sources and stories to put common folk back into the big picture of Tudor England, bringing the reality of their world to life as never before.

European and English courtly culture and history reappraised through the prism of the court as theatre. In the past half-century, court history has lost the air of frivolity that once relegated it to the margins of serious historical study and has rightfully taken a central part in the study of European states and societies in the age of personal monarchy. Yet it has been approached from so many different angles and appropriated to so many different models that it can be hard to put all our new understandings together to achieve a proper perspective on the functions of the court as a whole. This collection of essays uses the idea of the court as a stage for social and political interaction to re-integrate different styles of court history, focusing on courts in England and the Low Countries from the age of Richard II and Albert of Bavaria to that of Elizabeth I and Philip II. Themes studied include the relationship between court politics and cultural change, the social and political functions of court office-holding, the military, judicial and propagandist roles of the court, the economic relationships between courts and cities and the wider social and political significance of court rituals and traditions.

Brought together as a tribute to the distinguished Tudor historian C.S.L. Davies, the essays in this collection address key themes in the current historiography of the Tudor period. These include the nature, causes and consequences of change in English government, society and religion, the relationship of centre, localities and peripheral areas in the Tudor state, the regulation of belief and conduct, and the dynamics of England's relations with her neighbours. The contributors, colleagues and students of Cliff Davies, are all leading scholars who have provided fresh and interesting essays reflecting the wide ranging inquisitiveness characteristic of his own work. They seek to cross as he has done the traditional boundaries between the medieval and early modern periods and between social, political and religious history. A coherent collection in their own right, these essays, by showing the many new directions open to those studying the Tudor period, provide a fitting tribute to such an influential scholar.

Exploring the effects of war on state power in early modern Europe, this book asks if military competition increased rulers' power over their subjects and forged more modern states, or if the strains of war break down political and administrative systems. Comparing England and the Netherlands in the age of warrior princes such as Henry VIII and Charles V, it examines the development of new military and fiscal institutions, and asks how mobilization for war changed political relationships throughout society.
Towns in England, such as Norwich, York, Exeter, and Rye, are compared with towns in the Netherlands, such as Antwerp, Leiden, 's-Hertogenbosch and Valenciennes, to see how the magistrates' relations with central government and the urban populace were modified by war. Great noblemen from the Howard and Percy families are set alongside their equivalents from the houses of Cro and Egmond to examine the role of recruitment, army command, and heroic reputation in maintaining noble power. The wider interactions of subjects and rulers in wartime are reviewed to measure how effectively war extended princes' claims on their subjects' loyalty and service, their ambitions to control news and opinion and to promote national identity, and their ability to manage the economy and harness religious change to dynastic purposes. The result is a compelling but nuanced picture of societies and polities tested and shaped by the pressures of ever more demanding warfare.

Henry VIII fought many wars, against the French and Scots, against rebels in England and the Gaelic lords of Ireland, even against his traditional allies in the Low Countries. But how much did these wars really affect his subjects? And what role did Henry's reign play in the long-term transformation of England's military capabilities? The English People at War in the Age of Henry VIII searches for the answers to these questions in parish and borough account books, wills and memoirs, buildings and paintings, letters from Henry's captains, and the notes readers wrote in their printed history books. It looks back from Henry's reign to that of his grandfather, Edward IV, who in 1475 invaded France in the afterglow of the Hundred Years War, and forwards to that of Henry's daughter Elizabeth, who was trying by the 1570s to shape a trained militia and a powerful navy to defend England in a Europe increasingly polarised by religion. War, it shows, marked Henry's England at every turn: in the news and prophecies people discussed, in the money towns and villages spent on armour, guns, fortifications, and warning beacons, in the way noblemen used their power. War disturbed economic life, made men buy weapons and learn how to use them, and shaped people's attitudes to the king and to national history. War mobilised a high proportion of the English population and conditioned their relationships with the French and Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. War should be recognised as one of the defining features of life in the England of Henry VIII.

The reign of Henry VII is important but mysterious. He ended the Wars of the Roses and laid the foundations for the strong governments of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Yet his style of rule was unconventional and at times oppressive. At the heart of his regime stood his new men, low-born ministers with legal, financial, political, and military skills who enforced the king's will and in the process built their own careers and their families' fortunes. Some are well known, like Sir Edward Poynings, governor of Ireland, or Empson and Dudley, executed to buy popularity for the young Henry VIII. Others are less famous. Sir Robert Southwell was the king's chief auditor, Sir Andrew Windsor the keeper of the king's wardrobe, Sir Thomas Lovell, the Chancellor of the Exchequer so trusted by Henry that he was allowed to employ the former Yorkist pretender Lambert Simnel as his household falconer. Some paved the way to glory for their relatives. Sir Thomas Brandon, master of the horse, was the uncle of Henry VIII's favourite Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. Sir Henry Wyatt, keeper of the jewel house, was father to the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt. This volume, based on extensive archival research, presents a kaleidoscopic portrait of the new men. It analyses the offices and relationships through which they exercised power and the ways they gained their wealth and spent it to sustain their new-found status. It establishes their importance in the operation of Henry's government and, as their careers continued under his son, in the making of Tudor England.

Henry VIII fought many wars, against the French and Scots, against rebels in England and the Gaelic lords of Ireland, even against his traditional allies in the Low Countries. But how much did these wars really affect his subjects? And what role did Henry's reign play in the long-term transformation of England's military capabilities? The English People at War in the Age of Henry VIII searches for the answers to these questions in parish and borough account books, wills and memoirs, buildings and paintings, letters from Henry's captains, and the notes readers wrote in their printed history books. It looks back from Henry's reign to that of his grandfather, Edward IV, who in 1475 invaded France in the afterglow of the Hundred Years War, and forwards to that of Henry's daughter Elizabeth, who was trying by the 1570s to shape a trained militia and a powerful navy to defend England in a Europe increasingly polarised by religion. War, it shows, marked Henry's England at every turn: in the news and prophecies people discussed, in the money towns and villages spent on armour, guns, fortifications, and warning beacons, in the way noblemen used their power. War disturbed economic life, made men buy weapons and learn how to use them, and shaped people's attitudes to the king and to national history. War mobilised a high proportion of the English population and conditioned their relationships with the French and Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. War should be recognised as one of the defining features of life in the England of Henry VIII.

This informative, non-fiction book is titled "Christianity and Other Superstitions." It is controversial, while candidly showing how most religions are based on superstitions and how they affect us all in the modern world. Starting with the basic fears in early man that led to his creation of gods and religions, it traces the development of ancient myths and superstitions to the births of modern religions. It follows the evolution of Christianity and Islam from ancient Mideastern pagan beliefs to their present day doctrines and practices. Highlighted in this discussion are the absurdities and violence of the Old Testament followed by the tearing down of the sacraments, rites, and Christian traditions, which have their origins in earlier pagan cults. The New Testament is examined, beginning with the life of Jesus, His disciples, the nativity and the crucifixion. The historical background of the gospels and letters of the apostles are also explained. The purpose here will be to show how the biblical stories of Jesus have been taken out of context and falsified by the clergy throughout history in order to promote their earthly goals. The Crusades and The Inquisition, their motives and consequences are discussed at some length. Although the intent here is not to make a mockery of Christianity, at times the facts speak persuasively to this effect. Islam and its prophet Muhammad, are examined historically and philosophically. The influence of Islam in the world is shown in general and specific to the acts of terrorism seen today. The history and context of the passages in the Koran that are most responsible for this violence are also identified. Finally, the events before and after the bombing of the Twin Towers, the overpopulation of Muslims in Europe and the threat of this sometimes fanatic group to the Western World should generate concerns worldwide among any person who is in any way enlightened. Explored too, while only briefly, are fanatic groups such as; The Peoples Temple of Jim Jones, Scientology, David Koresh's Branch Davidians and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And yes, an expose' into the background of the Mormon religion should convince most readers that it too exhibits its own brand of fanaticism. A subsequent chapter delves into the inner workings of the Catholic Church and its involvement and cover-up of the epidemic of pedophilia among its clergy. Individual cases and the connection to the heirachy are examined. Names and dates of the abuses are documented in detail and the actions and inactions of Church authorities are revealed. Because of scientific advancement, controversy in the Roman Catholic Church, and the threat of Islam, books of this nature are seeing a surge in popularity. There are books that deal in faith vs. reason, creationism vs. evolution, examination of the gospels, Muslim fanaticism, atheism, the life of Jesus, roots of Christianity through paganism, false messiahs, renegade messiahs and the false nature of all belief in the supernatural. This book attempts to visit all of these subjects while taking one step further. One provocative chapter will show the implications that expose the ex-pope to charges of aiding and abetting criminal pedophile priests during his twenty four year term as head of the Congregration for the Doctrine of the Faith formally known as the Congregation for the Inquisition]. It spends time venturing into an up-to-the-minute and detailed expose of crimes against humanity by the Roman Catholic Church, crimes that were reviewed, condoned, and kept secret by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger AKA, Pope Benedict XVI. A call for the arrest and trial of the pope, himself, is suggested as a certainty were he outside of the realm, privileges and protection of Vatican City."

The time has now come, in mankind's long march toward civilization, to once again contemplate the commonly held viewpoints concerning that which is based in reality and that which is based in reason. Many of the real concerns we all have are addressed in this deep and philosophical book. Prepare to see your world from a new perspective looking back to our own ancient past and reaching ahead to the future of humanity.

The reign of Henry VII is important but mysterious. He ended the Wars of the Roses and laid the foundations for the strong governments of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Yet his style of rule was unconventional and at times oppressive. At the heart of his regime stood his new men, low-born ministers with legal, financial, political, and military skills who enforced the king's will and in the process built their own careers and their families' fortunes. Some are well known, like Sir Edward Poynings, governor of Ireland, or Empson and Dudley, executed to buy popularity for the young Henry VIII. Others are less famous. Sir Robert Southwell was the king's chief auditor, Sir Andrew Windsor the keeper of the king's wardrobe, Sir Thomas Lovell, the Chancellor of the Exchequer so trusted by Henry that he was allowed to employ the former Yorkist pretender Lambert Simnel as his household falconer. Some paved the way to glory for their relatives. Sir Thomas Brandon, master of the horse, was the uncle of Henry VIII's favourite Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. Sir Henry Wyatt, keeper of the jewel house, was father to the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt. This volume, based on extensive archival research, presents a kaleidoscopic portrait of the new men. It analyses the offices and relationships through which they exercised power and the ways they gained their wealth and spent it to sustain their new-found status. It establishes their importance in the operation of Henry's government and, as their careers continued under his son, in the making of Tudor England.