{"title":"Books by John Guy","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780199674725","title":"The Tudors","description":"The monarchs of the Tudor period are among some of the most well-known figures in British history. John Guy presents a compelling and fascinating exploration of the Tudors in the new edition of this Very Short Introduction. Looking at all aspects of the period, from beginning to end, he considers Tudor politics, religion, and economics, as well as issues relating to gender and minority rule, and the art, architecture, and social and material culture of the time. Introducing all of the key Tudor monarchs, Guy considers the impact the Tudor period had not only at the time, but also the historical legacy it left behind. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201556447410,"sku":"9780199674725","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780199674725_dbb6ebe4-80f8-4b48-a885-d359fb593f37.jpg?v=1786012664"},{"product_id":"9781398110878","title":"Castles of Kent Through Time","description":"Kent has an impressive collection of castles, over sixty including the scanty ruins and earthwork remains of now vanished ones, as well as the more celebrated castles, such as Leeds, Rochester and Dover. Because of their picturesque and dramatic appearance they have often been the subject of antique prints, and early photographs and in Castles of Kent Through Time author John Guy draws on his extensive collection of historical images of Kent castles to produce an illustrated history through the ages, charting the castles’ changing fortunes over the decades. Many are now ruined, when once they were homes and fortresses. Others, like Allington, have been transformed from ruins back into habitable and very comfortable homes, while others, such as Dover, have been in continuous military use right across the centuries from the Iron Age through to the Second World War. Just a few, like Westenhanger, which once was a completely overgrown ruin, have since been rescued and brought back into use.This fascinating selection of old and new images of the castles of Kent shows how castles, which are often perceived as static elements of the historic landscape, are, in fact, ever changing. It will be essential reading for all those who are interested in the history of the county.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204243914930,"sku":"9781398110878","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398110878.jpg?v=1786018623"},{"product_id":"9781841157535","title":"My Heart is My Own","description":"\u003cp\u003eA long-overdue and dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots by one of the leading historians at work today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe was crowned Queen of Scotland at nine months of age, and Queen of France at sixteen years; at eighteen she ascended the throne that was her birthright and began ruling one of the most fractious courts in Europe, riven by religious conflict and personal lust for power. She rode out at the head of an army in both victory and defeat; saw her second husband assassinated, and married his murderer. At twenty-five she entered captivity at the hands of her rival queen, from which only death would release her. The life of Mary Stuart is one of unparalleled drama and conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the labyrinthine plots laid by the Scottish lords to wrest power for themselves, to the efforts made by Elizabeth's ministers to invalidate Mary's legitimate claim to the English throne, John Guy returns to the archives to explode the myths and correct the inaccuracies that surround this most fascinating monarch. He also explains a central mystery: why Mary would have consented to marry – only three months after the death of her second husband, Lord Darnley – the man who was said to be his killer, the Earl of Bothwell. And, more astonishingly, he solves, through careful re-examination of the Casket Letters, the secret behind Darnley's spectacular assassination at Kirk o 'Field. With great pathos, Guy illuminates how the imprisoned Mary's despair led to a reckless plot against Elizabeth – and thus to her own execution. The portrait that emerges is not of a political pawn or a manipulative siren, but of a shrewd and charismatic young ruler who relished power and, for a time, managed to hold together a fatally unstable country.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMY HEART IS MY OWN is a compelling work of historical scholarship that offers radical new interpretations of an ancient story.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205639536818,"sku":"9781841157535","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781841157535.jpg?v=1786028177"},{"product_id":"9781526631534","title":"Hunting the Falcon","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eTLS\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTIMES, PROSPECT\u003c\/i\u003e AND WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA groundbreaking examination of how the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn sent shockwaves across a continent and changed England forever.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'In many places, where once we had speculation, we now have certainty. This book is at once an education and a joy to read' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eLITERARY REVIEW\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Combines meticulously researched history and contemporary voices with narrative flair' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Anne Boleyn comes alive in this impressive study . . . Moves and informs' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The most cogent narrative reading of the evidence to date' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSPECTATOR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is one of the most remarkable in history: a long courtship followed by a shotgun wedding and then a coronation, ending just short of three years later when a husband’s passion turned to such hatred that he simply wanted his wife gone. In \u003ci\u003eHunting the Falcon\u003c\/i\u003e, John Guy and Julia Fox examine the most recent archival discoveries and peel back layers of historical myth to present Anne and Henry in startlingly new ways. They show how Anne and Henry's relationship was tied almost completely to the major events of international politics at one of the great turning points of European history, and dispel any assumptions that a sixteenth-century woman, even a queen, could exert little influence on the politics and beliefs of a patriarchal society. Anne was in fact a shrewd and ruthless politician in her own right, a woman who steered Henry and his policies - and whom Henry seriously contemplated making joint sovereign. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHunting the Falcon \u003c\/i\u003esets the facts and some completely new finds into a wide frame, unearthing the truth about these two extraordinary lives and their tumultuous times. It pays particular attention to the seven 'missing' years that Anne spent in France, and explores how she organised her side of the royal court in novel ways that ultimately sowed the seeds of her own downfall. In this feat of historical research and analysis, Guy and Fox offer a sumptuous retelling of one of the most consequential marriages in history and an exhilarating portrait of love, lust, politics and power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Better than \u003ci\u003eWolf Hall \u003c\/i\u003ebecause it's all true' \u003c\/b\u003eANDREW ROBERTS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A sumptuous drama of lust, intrigue and betrayal, underpinned by the harsh reality of politics' \u003c\/b\u003eAMANDA FOREMAN\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581273665714,"sku":"9781526631534","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526631534_2543fd06-3722-4558-9c5a-d21aafeb1d8d.jpg?v=1786022062"},{"product_id":"9780008304904","title":"Mary Queen of Scots","description":"\u003cp\u003eNow a major film, this is a dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary Queen of Scots by one of the leading historians of this period.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWho was the real Mary Queen of Scots? The most enigmatic ruler of England lived a life of incredible drama and turmoil: crowned Queen of Scotland at nine months old, and Queen of France at sixteen years, she grew up in the crosshairs of Europe's political battles to become Queen Elizabeth's arch rival. This book tells the story of the fraught and dangerous relationship between these two women of incredible charisma and power – a relationship that began with both seeking a political settlement, but which led them down a path of danger, from which only one could emerge victorious.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreviously published as ‘My Heart is My Own’.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221448438133,"sku":"9780008304904","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008304904_b9e7e58b-93a2-4541-b4ae-d6576a91ba5c.jpg?v=1785658658"},{"product_id":"9780192852137","title":"Tudor England","description":"From Henry VII's capture of the crown at Bosworth in 1485 to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, Tudor England witnessed far-reaching changes in politics and religion under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth herself. John Guy's compelling new history is the most complete account of that momentous period to appear in over thirty years.Based on the most thorough knowledge of the sources and literature relating to the Tudors, his book is the first to take note of fresh debates on the progress of the English Reformation, and on the strengths and weaknesses of Tudor government at national and local level. Authoritative, comprehensive, clearly argued, and crisply written, the story is enriched by lively character studies of monarchs and politicians. The main themes of the period are closely analysed, and topics such as the economy and society, and political culture are placed firmly in their historical context, in individual chapters.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56225641169269,"sku":"9780192852137","price":31.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780192852137_07ba9ccd-00f3-47ad-9308-68ba87d9f58f.jpg?v=1786011104"},{"product_id":"9780198700876","title":"The Children of Henry VIII","description":"Behind the façade of politics and pageantry at the Tudor court, there was a family drama. Nothing drove Henry VIII, England's wealthiest and most powerful king, more than producing a legitimate male heir and so perpetuating his dynasty. To that end, he married six wives, became the subject of the most notorious divorce case of the sixteenth century, and broke with the pope, all in an age of international competition and warfare, social unrest and growing religious intolerance and discord. Henry fathered four living children, each by a different mother. Their interrelationships were often scarred by jealously, mutual distrust, sibling rivalry, even hatred. Possessed of quick wits and strong wills, their characters were defined partly by the educations they received, and partly by events over which they had no control. Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, although recognized as the king's son, could never forget his illegitimacy. Edward died while still in his teens, desperately plotting to exclude his half-sisters from the throne. Mary's world was shattered by her mother's divorce and her own unhappy marriage. Elizabeth was the most successful, but also the luckiest. Even so, she lived with the knowledge that her father had ordered her mother's execution, was often in fear of her own life, and could never marry the one man she truly loved. Henry's children idolized their father, even if they differed radically over how to perpetuate his legacy. To tell their stories, John Guy returns to the archives, drawing on a vast array of contemporary records, personal letters, and first-hand accounts.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56226785395061,"sku":"9780198700876","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780198700876_05936d84-33b1-4a79-a640-ca6ea3e0e71b.jpg?v=1786011677"},{"product_id":"9780281076178","title":"Thomas More – A very brief history","description":"'If the English people were to be set a test to justify their history and civilization by the example of one man, then it is Sir Thomas More whom they would perhaps choose.' So commented The Times in 1978 on the 500th anniversary of More's birth.   Twenty-two years later, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Thomas More the patron saint of politicians and people in public life, on the basis of his 'constant fidelity to legitimate authority and ... his intention to serve not power but the supreme ideal of justice'.   In this fresh assessment of More's life and legacy, John Guy considers the factors that have given rise to such claims concerning More's significance. Who was the real Thomas More? Was he the saintly, self-possessed hero of conscience of Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons or was he the fanatical, heretic-hunting torturer of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall? Which of these images of More has the greater historical veracity? And why does this man continue to fascinate, inspire and provoke us today?","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56231978566005,"sku":"9780281076178","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780281076178_eee39f73-ed9d-4bf0-84fe-67e44a8e379b.jpg?v=1786012926"},{"product_id":"9780141044675","title":"Thomas Becket","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom Thomas Becket's early life as a merchant's son and his time as the Archbishop of Canterbury to his assassination in the Cathedral itself, this enlightening book brings to life a colossal figure of British history. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Lively, effortlessly readable, superb. A beautifully layered portrait of one of the most complex characters in English history' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the man, not the legend . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Thomas Becket lived at the centre of medieval England. Son of a draper's merchant, he was befriended and favoured by Henry II and quickly ascended the rungs of power and privilege. He led 700 knights into battle, brokered peace between warring states and advised King and Pope. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet he lost it all defying his closest friend and King, resulting in his bloody murder and the birth of a saint. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn award-winning biographer John Guy's masterful account, the life, death and times of Thomas Becket come vividly into focus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Suspenseful, meticulously researched . . . however well you think you know the story, it is well worth the read' \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Wonderfully moving and subtle. Reading of the assassination is almost unbearably intense and brings tears to one's eye' \u003ci\u003eDaily Express\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Compelling, marvellously measured, entertainingly astute, and in places positively moving' \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eIndependent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Scintillates with energetic scene-setting, giving us a tactile, visual feel for early medieval England . . . breathes new life into an oft-told tale' \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311568892277,"sku":"9780141044675","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141044675_5817e83c-925b-47a0-908d-785791fe12fd.jpg?v=1786011062"},{"product_id":"9780241963654","title":"Elizabeth","description":"\u003cp\u003eHistory has pictured Elizabeth I as Gloriana, an icon of strength and power -- and has focused on the early years of her reign. But in 1583, when Elizabeth is fifty, there is relentless plotting among her courtiers -- and still to come is the Spanish Armada and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. We have not, until now, had the full picture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis gripping and vivid portrait of her life and times -- often told in her own words (and including details such as her love of chess and marzipan) -- reveals a woman who was insecure, human ('You know I am no morning woman'), and unpopular even with the men who fought for her. This is the real Elizabeth, for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311659757941,"sku":"9780241963654","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241963654_f9a5999d-8a98-4181-a566-a082fdfed239.jpg?v=1786012569"},{"product_id":"9781788162371","title":"Gresham's Law","description":"Thomas Gresham was arguably the first true wizard of global finance. He rose through the mercantile worlds of London and Antwerp to become the hidden power behind three out of the five Tudor monarchs. Today his name is remembered in economic doctrines, in the institutions he founded and in the City of London's position at the economic centre of the earth. Without Gresham, England truly might have become a vassal state. His manoeuvring released Elizabeth from a crushing burden of debt and allowed for vital military preparations during the wars of religion that set Europe ablaze. Yet his deepest loyalties have remained enigmatic, until now. Drawing on vast new research and several startling discoveries, the great Tudor historian John Guy recreates Gresham's life and singular personality with astonishing intimacy. He reveals a calculating survivor, flexible enough to do business with merchants and potentates no matter their religious or ideological convictions. Yet his personal relationships were disturbingly transactional. He was a figure of cold unsentimentality even to members of his own family. Elizabeth I found herself at odds with Gresham's ambitions. In their collisions and wary accommodations, we see our own conflicts between national sovereignty and global capital foreshadowed. A story of adventure and jeopardy, greed and cunning, loyalties divided, mistaken or betrayed, this is a biography fit for a merchant prince.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312893899125,"sku":"9781788162371","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781788162371_e66215e6-8f24-4624-9f36-42fdcd0e89f3.jpg?v=1786026964"},{"product_id":"kent-from-the-air","title":"Kent From the Air","description":"Kent is a beautiful county and it can often look more stunning from the air, from that special bird’s-eye view. With today’s technology, drones have opened up the world, showing us new and unique perspectives on the world. In this book aerial photographer John Guy has used his drone to show his home county of Kent from the air. Through these pictures, the reader can peel back the layers of history to see what went before, the composite parts of historic landscapes.From its iconic landmarks, historic buildings and its long and varied coastline to its towns, cities, industries and rural areas, the drone’s-eye views on these pages show the beauty and fascination of this special part of South East England. It will give readers a new perspective on Kent’s rich and varied historical heritage and natural landscapes.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57503722537333,"sku":"9781398116306","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398116306.jpg?v=1786867432"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-john-guy.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}