This is the legacy of the common Welshman Owen Tudor and his “trophy bride”, and this is the legacy many readers will be introduced to as the Tudor family story begins. The Tudors are no different, and the earliest generations’ efforts, though they could not possibly have been foretold, laid the foundation for the future glory of the Kings, Queens, Queen Consorts, Dukes, Duchesses and assorted other nobility of their bloodline. For most of us, we parent in a way that we hope leaves our children to live in higher stead than we do. How did a Welsh commoner catch a Dowager Queen? How did their son become betrothed to the daughter of the Duke of Somerset, a Lady of bastard royal blood at that? How did the Duke’s daughter, Margaret Beaufort, build a life and raise her son after losing her husband at age 12 and giving birth at age 13? Leanda de Lisle tells their fascinating life stories, answering these questions and so much more, and in doing so gives readers a glimpse of the glory to come. Leanda de Lisle, however, begins the story much earlier, and readers are treated to learning about Owen Tudor, his wife Queen Catherine of Valois, and their two sons Edmund and Jasper.

Most books about the Tudor Dynasty begin with King Henry VII and end with his granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth I, beginning with the death of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Readers are taken on a journey rich in detail, where myths and common misconceptions are continually dispelled in a highly engaging and understandable writing style. Why would audiences in the United States purchase a book about a “family story” when they could scoop up the retelling of medieval “passion, manipulation, and murder from the most notorious of royal families”? The British title is far more appropriate, as Leanda de Lisle brilliantly teaches readers the fascinating medieval family history of the Tudors, and in doing so, illustrates convincingly the influence the early generation of Tudors and women throughout played in shaping the dynastic dynamics of the Royal House of Tudor. After all, publishers evidently believe Americans need more “juicy” inferences on their covers to sell books. Somehow publishers think they have all the answers, so when Leanda de Lisle’s outstanding book about the iconic Tudors of medieval England, Tudor The Family Story, was printed and released to American audiences, someone had the bright idea to rename it. QAB Book Review: Tudor The Family Story by Leanda de Lisle

Tudor by Leanda de Lisle