The House of Dudley

A tour-de-force of Tudor history, as seen through the eyes of a family with a front-row view of almost every major political event in sixteenth-century England. Remarkable -- Dan Jones, Sunday Times bestselling author of Powers and Thrones Exciting and immersive. An immensely entertaining history, capturing in full Tudor brilliance the cut-throat glamour of the English throne and the most audacious family to play its game * Sunday Times * House of Dudley is a full-blooded affair, as good on the horrors of war as it is on the soft power of the Dudley women, and written in a lively, episodic style that presents each Dudley as a foil to the monarch they served -- Jessie Childs Breathes new life into an old and familiar Tudor story. [She] negotiates the labyrinth of Tudor politics with skill, producing a book much more comprehensible and illuminating than others I've read . . . It's delightful, a joy to read * The Times, BOOK OF THE WEEK * I am hugely impressed by The House of Dudley and by the depths of research. This is a pacy narrative, vividly written, that makes you want to read on and on. Joanne Paul is a major new talent in the field and I eagerly await her next book -- Alison Weir This is riveting stuff: death, desire, power and scandal. Paul has made the most of it, producing a well written and historically grounded page-turner . . . Game of Thrones looks tame compared with the real-life machinations of the Dudleys and the Tudors * Spectator * A twist on the Tudors . . . Enormously entertaining - a sheer joy to read * The Times, '25 BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2022' * A hugely entertaining history of three generations of the Dudley family, who dominated the Tudor court * The Times * A thrilling and deeply researched study of power and conspiracy: the rise and fall of the other Tudor dynasty. The House of Dudley illuminates the fascinating men and women who almost became kings and queens in their own right -- Simon Sebag-Montefiore Vivid, innovative and authoritative. I could not recommend The House of Dudley more highly. It's a real lesson in how to revitalise the writing of Tudor history -- Sarah Gristwood Joanne Paul's account of this family is rich and compelling. She manages to hit that sweet spot where scholarly history overlaps with dramatic storytelling; she conjures up the look and feel of Tudor life, down to the clothes, the medicines and the furniture, while also being a skilful filler-in of political background . . . Whether or not you have ever succumbed to Mantelmania, you will find yourself drawn in, fascinated, and richly informed * Telegraph * An enthralling read told by Paul with great verve and an eye for the telling detail . . . The family's complex history is concisely and compellingly related * Literary Review * The crowning jewel in its genre . . . I can't recommend this book enough. Unputdownable -- Lindsey Fitzharris When reading Joanne Paul's lively history of the house of Dudley, it is impossible not to be reminded of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy . . . Paul uses the experiences of the Dudleys to light up odd corners and backroom spaces of Tudor palace life * Mail on Sunday * Joanne Paul chronicles the meteoric rise and deadly fall of the Dudleys * BBC History Magazine * Joanne Paul reveals how the might of the Tudor dynasty was built on the blood and sweat of three generations of another family - the Dudleys * BBC History Magazine * Hugely entertaining * The Times, Best Books of Summer 2022 * Fascinating -- Catherine Fletcher * History Today * Brimming with power struggles, ambition and intrigue, this is the untold story of one of the most notorious families of the Tudor era. A spectacular achievement -- Nicola Tallis, critically-acclaimed author of 'Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch' Absorbing, meticulously researched and expertly executed. A tale of intrigue and manipulation that will lead you through the very dark corridors of Tudor history -- Lindsey Fitzharris, acclaimed author of 'The Butchering Art' Praise for Joanne Paul -- - Brilliant and lucid. This is an original and illuminating work that should be compulsory -- Suzannah Lipscomb