IST 605: The Ruling Class of Britain

This biography details the life of Henry VII, the father of Henry VIII and the unifier of the country after the War of the Roses. It describes his role in the military and politics, and how he not only took care of rebellions but was a doting father, remarking that his lowest point was the loss of his son. Its main strength is that it describes how Henry VII set up Tudor rule for his family to benefit from. However, its limitation is that it doesn’t go into much detail about his faults, describing him as a king who benefited from the fall of the Yorks.

This book is a biography of Henry VIII, describing his reign until his death. The book is not very long, but it is a good account of Henry VIII's court, from the clothing, the marriages, and the defining moments in his reign. It’s main strength is that it also extends to the people of his court that werent his wives, taking into acount the many people who controlled the crowns powers and influenced him. It’s main weakness is that some of it’s facts are not very detailed.

Lady Jane Grey, is one of the most elusive and tragic characters in English history. In this radical reassessment, Eric Ives rejects traditional portraits of Jane both as hapless victim, breathing life into her aside from the men that defined her. It’s strength is that Ives promotes Jane’s strength during her reign, how she was controlled by the Duke of Northumberland and her husband, and her last moments.

This original and deeply researched biography paints a far more detailed portrait of Mary and offers a fresh understanding of her religious faith and policies as well as her historical significance in England and beyond. Its main strength is its connection to Spain through her mother and through her husband, who promoted her faith in Catholicism to the detriment of the country. The main limitation is the viewpoint of the book. In it, it described Mary as a woman who is constantly facing threats from everyone around her, and tries to downplay her actions because of her culture as a Spanish with Catholic faith.

Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of Elizabeth I's reign, this history tells the story of her life and reign using artifacts from her life, books, pamphlets, letters, paintings, maps, and more. The collection of objects paints a picture of the life of the famous queen and her thoughts during her reign. The strength of this book is that it thematically approaches her life through these objects, utilizing knowledge of England during this period to create clear pictures of how Elizabeth lived. Its limitation is that it spends much time talking about the image she now has, describing how the world's view of her has shifted throughout the ages.