Member Reviews

Firstly, what a beautiful cover! I love the imagery and vibrancy of this cover.

Who knew the story of the Tudors could be told through numbers?
Well that's exactly what Carol Ann Lloyd has done and it works perfectly!

The story of one of the most famous dynasties in the world is broken down into brilliant bite sized chunks that are informative and enjoyable to read.

I loved how each chapter begins with a short introduction to the topic followed by the caption, 'Let's find out. Let's Roll the Numbers.' We then delve into more information about each topic such as '2 Crowned Queens,' ' 6 Very Different Wives' and '7 Coronations.'

Each chapter then has smaller sections relevant to numbers making this a really fun and interesting read. It also means if you are interested in a specific topic you can easily locate it in the contents page, though personally I would recommend reading the whole book as it's great!

The final chapter is Top 10 Tudor Secrets and Surprises, which I really enjoyed and was the perfect ending to a brilliant book.
I recommend this to all Tudor enthusiasts, I will definitely be referring back to it in the future.

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I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
This was a very interesting different read. I did enjoy it a lot and would have never thought to write a book like this. But if you love history especially Tudor history you will love this one!

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Carol Ann Lloyd is the historian behind the fantastic podcast “British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics” and she has now released a non-fiction book for us! I will admit, I find that the Tudors can be a bit repetitive for me. However, The Tudors By Numbers was anything but repetitive. This was a fascinating and entertaining way to re-examine a dynasty that most of us are incredibly familiar with. And yes, I did learn a lot of new information with this book!

I think what impressed me the most about this book is the sheer volume of research that she did to write this book. People often assume that historians know all of this information off the top of our heads, but it takes an incredible amount of time, energy, and skill to research and write a book of this calibre. It also is not simply a list of statistics and different numbers; Lloyd tells so many stories of this infamous dynasty and tells them well. And I think that this book is particularly unique in that someone who knows absolutely nothing about the Tudors can fully enjoy this book, and a reader who is very well-versed in the dynasty will also come away having learned a lot!

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A fantastic new look at the Tudors through the lens of numbers - such as one rose, two warring families, three children of henry VIII, etc. I would have liked it to be in chronological order, but other than that, a great study of the Tudor reign.

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This was a super interesting book! I also thought it was a different take on a heavily-saturated field of Tudor history books. I love how the author incorporates statistics into everything in this book, if you are into data this is the history book for you.
Tudors by Numbers also covers a lot of subjects that I hadn't known about, or thought about-- especially for how much historians study and cover one thing, yet exactly how little time/people were involved in those things! Really eye-opening.
This would be cool as an audiobook, but I especially would love to see color images, so while I received this as a wishlist book from the publisher, it would be awesome as a hardcover book or for the author to present it on a history documentary. All in all, The Tudors by Numbers is a unique, well-researched and interesting book for anyone interested in British history, European history, medieval to renaissance history, or just looking for a different type of biographical history book.

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The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty by Carol Ann Lloyd is a new way of looking at the Tudors, giving a refreshing insight into the family and the 16th century.

When you think about ‘numbers’ as they relate to the Tudor dynasty, I am sure the first thig that comes to mind is ‘Henry VIII had six wives’ and I have to admit, that’s exactly where I went as soon as I saw the title of the book. I expected Carol Ann to dwell on Henry and his wives and, perhaps, add a few more numbers in the mix to flesh out the book. I actually thought there was not much breadth to looking at numbers with regard to the Tudors.

How wrong I was!

Carol Ann Lloyd presents the Tudors in a whole new light, looking at where numbers played a prominent role in England’s most famous dynasty.

It is illuminating!

The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty by Carol Ann Lloyd is a fun, engaging volume that will make you look at the Tudors in a different light. Written in short, easy to absorb chapters, the author guides the reader through the the Tudor era, highlighting where numbers had a significant influence on the dynasty, not just in the number of wives of Henry VII or the number of ruling queens, and not just in the years.

The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty by Carol Ann Lloyd is a must-read for any Tudor enthusiast. All the great characters of the time are put in the spotlight, from the kings and queens to those who served them, from the likes of William Cecil, Queen Elizabeth’s right-hand man, to Thomas Cranmer, Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell, men whose careers helped to usher in the Reformation and the foundation of the Church of England. As a consequence of which, Edward VI – that much desired male heir – was the first king of England to be crowned as the supreme head of the Church of England.

Every aspect of the Tudor dynasty is examined – and the numbers rolled. If you love the story of Mary Queen of Scots, Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon, you will find them here – presented in a new light.

Carol Ann Lloyd delves deep into the history of the time and uses her incredible knowledge of the dynasty in order to give the reader a fascinating insight into the Tudors. A study of the numbers highlights the great events of the period, from the dawn of the dynasty, through the pretenders who threatened Henry VII’s rule, Henry VIII’s obsession with having a male heir, to the great Elizabeth I and the twilight of the era.

The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty by Carol Ann Lloyd is an enjoyable read and a valuable edition to the library of any Tudor enthusiast. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

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Any fan of the Tudors knows that Henry VIII had 6 wives and that Lady Jane Grey was the 9 day queen. But did you know that Henry VII spent 14 years in exile? Or out of 7 coronations, only one was a join coronation? Or that Mary I went on one royal progress while Elizabeth I went on 25? If not, you will after reading 'Tudors by Numbers' by Carol Ann Lloyd.

What was particularly interesting for me was the detailed look at what happened during the 13 days in July 1553 when there were 2 Queens of England. By 'rolling the numbers' in this educational and amusing book, Lloyd presents the Tudor period through a different lens and would make a wonderful addition to your Tudor bookshelf!

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This is an information-packed wonder. If you studying the Tudors or are interested in the history of England it makes a wonderful resource for much of what happened during this time. Wow!

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A well researched history of the Tudors From the symbolism of the Tudor Rose, the imagery of the dynasty, and the royal family members, the numbers tell an extremely convincing story .
Alongside progresses, politics,
and plumbing, this was an amazing time of change. A very
Informative and enjoyable book.

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The Tudors by Numbers presents a fascinating new exploration into the infamous Tudor dynasty of England’s sixteenth century. Carol Ann Lloyd brings the dynasty’s facts, historical figures, and events to life in this new publication. While the book’s information appears to jump across the various monarchs and a 100+ year span, Lloyd has actually cleverly designed the book’s structure for coherence and comparisons across this dynasty. From Henry VII to Elizabeth I, Lloyd brings major and minor figures to life, really contextualizing the period and the similarities between the 5 (or 6, as Lloyd discusses) monarchs. Lloyd unearths fascinating facts about Tudor England at large for the reader and presents them in an informative and engaging manner. By bringing the period to life in this fun format, readers new to and familiar with the period interact with the information in an engaging way, ultimately enriching their knowledge about the period with these familiar and surprising historical details. Lloyd’s clear familiarity with and love for the topic shines throughout this book, and she clearly enjoys exploring this period and sharing the Tudors with her audience. The Tudors by Numbers is a great introduction to the Tudor dynasty while also serving the Tudor fan’s love for esoteric information about this dynamic, scandalous family.

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What a new and fun way to look at this era. The comparisons are unique and interesting. I loved the statistics and the math fascinated me. This book is a great way to learn about the Tudors in a different way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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This was a new way of looking at the Tudor dynasty, which I thought was refreshing and fun. Carol Ann Lloyd studies the similarities and the differences between the kings and queens, and their reigns, and 'rolls the numbers'. For example, she studies the two queens, the six wives, the seven coronations, etc. This was certainly an interesting take on the monarchy, and the court! The Story of 9 Ways the Tudors Changed Everything was especially enlightening.

I also enjoyed the unusual historical curiosities in the book, such as the history of breakfast, the top ten Tudor suprises, and the details about clothes and jewellery. There are several others.

The Wars of the Roses are usually messy, and somewhat difficult to understand, but LLoyd discusses them very clearly. I was a bit surprised that she went right back to the beginning of the Tudor dynasty, but it was an excellent idea. This was a very enjoyable book, and an easy read.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Tudor stories have been presented in many different ways over the years. Lloyd however, finds a new creative way to tell the Tudor Family Story - through numbers. Despite my hesitation toward anything math, I thought I should pick the book up and read some interesting statistics about the Dynasty.

I found the statistics part of the book quite interesting, as sometimes we are presented with facts, but don't look at the statistical side of the story. All of the Tudor Monarchs are mentioned, but not necessarily in order. However, there wasn't much about commoners or anyone outside of the court.

The book was a lot of fun, and easy to get through. It was quite different from many other books I have read for ARC reviews.

As it was her debut book, I hope she writes other books in the future. This was a great start and I found her writing very enjoyable. The only thing I would add next time would be more facts about the commoners during the Tudor period to bring more voices to life.

Thank you netgalley and Pen and Sword for sending me this book.

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The initial layout for the book is intriguing and instead of simply following the chronological order of the Tudor period, the author takes a different approach, and instead goes through a different method of following the path of one king, two women, and a systematic breakdown of the ruling period of the Tudor period. The inclusion of the references is an immense source of help for those who are interested either personally, academically, or in setting their work in the Tudor Period, but the use of a more numerical approach to the Tudors helps challenge looking at this time period in a different way.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Pen & Sword for the opportunity to read and review this intriguing book in exchange for my personal opinion.

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The story of the Tudor dynasty has been told in numerous different ways. We know the major figures, the significant events, and the stories of their love lives. We understand how they changed the history of England and Europe forever, but these are just the basic facts. If we look at the numbers surrounding the dynasty, what type of story does it tell? This is the approach Carol Ann Lloyd has taken in her debut book, “The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. When I heard about the concept for this book, I was intrigued to see how statistics and history could combine to make a fascinating read.

Lloyd begins her book by exploring how the Tudors came to the throne through the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses, typical for Tudor nonfiction books. However, unlike many nonfiction books about the Tudors, Lloyd has decided not to stick with the chronological order. Instead, she has chosen to highlight certain aspects of the Tudor dynasty to discuss in each chapter with a number corresponding to the topic, such as one rose, two crowned queens, etc.

I found this a refreshing take on telling the Tudor story. To see the stories of the monarchs of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, told through numbers and statistics was unique. Lloyd also tied these statistics to other English dynasties, before and after the Tudors, to show how this dynasty differed from the rest.

However, I wish Lloyd included facts about the nobility and common people in this book. Of course, it is important to discuss the monarchs of the Tudor dynasty, but that is only part of the story of the Tudors. What about the statistics of religious victims of the Tudors? How about statistics that showed the difference between the common people and the nobility? If Lloyd writes another book similar to this one, it would be a fun twist to share statistics from every walk of life during the dynasty featured in the book.

Overall, this was a fascinating fresh look into the Tudor dynasty from the statistics surrounding the monarchs. Lloyd has a unique way of approaching her Tudor dynasty research, making this a great debut book. If you want a stellar introductory book for the Tudor dynasty, check out “The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty” by Carol Ann Lloyd.

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I found this book to be great & informative. I plan on including it in my classroom library as well as a reference during our study on the Tudors.

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Here I was extremely impressed by the title of the book alone. It combines my profession and my hobby. The Tudors by Numbers? What does that mean?

The author takes a fresh look at Tudor history. She has a theme, and she presents it by numbers. Example:

Chapter 3 We 3 Kings
The Story of 3 Tudor Kings
7 Consorts Among 3 Kings
68 Years of Tudors Kings
...
I must say this is a perfect way to remember many facts. The bonus is that this information will stay in your memory for a very long time.

The author also has the ability to look at familiar facts from a new perspective. For example, she points out that every dynasty following the Tudors had a reigning queen.

I recommend it not only to analysts who like history.


Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for a free digital review copy. This is my honest review.

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The Tudors carve out a massive place in the general historic knowledge base of most people, thanks to Henry VIII and his wives. It's not uncommon to find a history book about this time period, so one that tries to organize the Tudors based on "stats" is slightly novel. This wasn't a ground shaking book for a reader of history, but if the numbers help people quantify and qualify people, places, and things then I'm all for it.

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I really enjoyed The Tudors by Numbers by Carol Ann Lloyd. It is an interesting concept to have thematically grouped chapters that jump around the Tudor time period to tell her story instead of a chronological telling of the time period. It helped keep the reader engaged although it occasionally was a little confusing. This book packs a lot of material into it and can be read by someone with limited knowledge of the Tudor time period or somewhat extensive knowledge. At the moment, there were a few formatting errors, and very nit-picky I think I would prefer the numbers spelled out instead of in numerical form. For example, it should be "one" instead of 1 throughout the chapter and subchapter headings. Additionally, I liked the "let's roll the dice," but it did not need to be repeated at every chapter. It became a little repetitive and less academic, although I think this is a popular history book rather than a purely academic text.

Overall, I think the book provides a lot of information on the Tudors and can be enjoyed by many people.

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