The year was 1381, and England was engulfed in chaos. A band of ruffians and revolters descended on London to achieve political change and a fair chance for the lower classes who suffered greatly from war and plague. The young King Richard II watched as men like Wat Tyler and the preacher John Ball led this ragtag army to his doorstep, fighting against his advisors, like John of Gaunt, to end a poll tax that was their last straw. Why did this ragtag army march on London? How did men like Ball and Tyler convince the masses to march against their sovereign and his government? How did this revolt end, and did the people get what they wanted due to their revolution? Dan Jones brings the bloody story of the first significant revolution by the English people to life in his book, “Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.”
I have been reading books by Dan Jones for a few years now, but I have just read this particular title. The Peasants’ Revolt has always been a footnote or maybe a paragraph in books that I have read about the Plantagenets, John of Gaunt, and Richard II. I wanted a deeper dive into this momentous event in medieval English history, which is precisely what this book provides Jones’ audience.
The Peasants’ Revolt lasted from May to August 1381, sweeping across England, and was one of the most defining moments in English history. The Black Death had ravaged the English countryside, and the ones left had to pick up the pieces. Adding to the stress from the plague, England was at war with their bitter enemy France in the Hundred Years’ War, which the former King Edward III started, and the government was running out of funds. The English government under King Richard II had already created two poll taxes targeting the more affluent members of society. Still, they did not raise enough funds, so they came up with a brilliant idea in 1380 to create a third poll tax targeting the ordinary people of England.
To say the introduction of the third poll tax did not go over well with the people would be an understatement. The people were pissed off at their government, especially men like John of Gaunt, who they considered a tyrant and someone who did not care about the people. The revolt started in the town of Brentwood but soon spread like wildfire throughout Essex; men and women joined the cause to protest against the poll tax and corrupt politicians.
The angry mob would eventually adopt leaders like Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and John Ball, adding fuel to the fire. They would march on London during the festival of Corpus Christi, looting, damaging homes, and killing those they deemed an enemy of the state. Richard II and his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke were in the Tower of London while the city was on fire and heads were rolling. Jones explains how matters came to a head when the ragtag army faced off against King Richard II’s army at Smithfield, where Wat Tyler fell, and the terror of Richard II rose to prominence.
Dan Jones does a superb job telling the story of the Peasants’ Revolt from the perspective of the ordinary people who marched for a better life and a bit of chaos. This little book contains fascinating facts, anger, blood, and gore that will entice anyone interested in medieval England. If you want a book about the early days of Richard II’s reign and the revolt that caused him to grow up quickly, I would highly recommend you read “Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381” by Dan Jones.
Two kings, two rivals from different countries defined the 16th century. One was the spare to his father’s crown, but when his eldest brother suddenly passed away, he became the next Tudor king. The other was the sole heir to his parent’s large kingdom and would become the Holy Roman Emperor. Wars, the Reformation, and family drama kept these two men, Henry VIII and Charles V, busy and at each other’s throats. They would sometimes join and fight for one another’s causes, showing the importance of international politics. With each new scenario, their relationship would shift, either for the best or the worst. Richard Heath has combined the stories of these two monarchs, these “frenemies,” into one joint biography, “Henry VIII and Charles V: Rival Monarchs, Uneasy Allies.”
Today, I am pleased to welcome to my blog Anna Belfrage to promote the audiobook for her novel, “His Castilian Hawk.” Thank you, Anna Belfrage and The Coffee Pot Book Club, for allowing me to participate in this tour. 
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When we think about the legacy of Edward III, we often think about a warrior king who became king after his father, Edward II’s disastrous fall from grace. We know about his sons that he had with his beloved wife, Philippa of Hainault: Edward the Black Prince, Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester. Famously, we get the 15th-century conflict known as the Wars of the Roses through the descendants of Edward III. However, the male descendants only tell half the story of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault’s legacy in England and throughout Europe. In her latest book, “The Granddaughters of Edward III,” Kathryn Warner examines the lives of Edward III’s female descendants to better appreciate the strength of this group of branches of the Plantagenet family tree.
A queen locked in a struggle of being a single woman and the sole ruler of her kingdom must create the image that would help lead her divided country to a golden age. This image must comfort her people while showing strength and perseverance to her enemies who would try to take the throne from her. Elizabeth I worked hard with artists, poets, playwrights, and musicians to create the almost mythological image of “Gloriana,” the virgin goddess. Linda Collins and Siobhan Clarke explore how this image was created throughout Elizabeth’s reign in their latest book, “Gloriana: Elizabeth I and the Art of Queenship.”
When we think of the phrase “16th-century women,” we often consider those from royal or noble houses throughout Europe. We tend to think of women like the six wives of Henry VIII, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Catherine de Medici, Mary Queen of Scots, and others associated who made an impact during the Renaissance and the Reformation. However, the 16th century did not stop at the borders of Europe; it extended all over the globe. There are many stories of women from all over the world and from different social classes that can help us understand how the world changed in the 16th century. Amy Licence took this concept and decided to write her latest book about a variety of women from around the world who lived in the 16th century, “The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women.”
When we think of the word “education,” images of sitting in school rooms for hours, listening to lectures, and doing endless homework pop into our minds. Our modern education system tends to focus on math, science, language arts, and history as the core subjects we study, with music and physical education as something that we in America call an “elective.” But have you ever wondered what education looked like in the past? How did the Tudors pass on their knowledge to future generations? What subjects did the Tudors consider essential, and how did the amount of education you received change depending on your class? Amy McElroy explores these questions in her book, “Educating the Tudors.”
The year is 1560, and a young woman hatches a way to escape her loveless marriage. Her name is Amy Robsart, and she is the wife of Robert Dudley, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s favorites at court. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned, and the consequences reverberate throughout the centuries. Lizzie Kingdom, a television star, struggles to find her way in life. When tragedy strikes when her friend Dudley’s wife is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, the scandal breaks, threatening to ruin Lizzie’s life and reputation. A deadly secret from the past and an encounter with a mysterious young man will forever transform the lives of these two women from different centuries. Will Lizzie Kingdom discover the truth before it is too late? This mystery is masterfully told in Nicola Cornick’s Tudor novel, “The Forgotten Sister.”
Have you ever read a history book or watched a historical drama and dreamed of going back in time to know what the past was like? Since time travel is still something from science fiction, we can only experience history through one sense at a time. There are tons of historical costume designers, musicians who specialize in tunes from the past, dedicated caretakers who work hard to preserve homes from the past, and cooks who want to experience what past delicacies tasted like and understand the diets from centuries long ago. The cooks get a general idea of what kitchens might have smelled like, but what about the average history nerds who want to understand what pleasant scents the past might include? How can a casual history nerd experience a sensory journey from the past? 
Sweet Cacao
Secret Archives
My Dearest Friend
Bowes-Lyon
The struggle to be a king or queen in any country during Europe’s medieval or early modern era was only the beginning. They are either the next in line to the throne and inherit the crown, or they sometimes fight to the death to wear it. After the king or queen settles into ruling their respective countries, the real challenge emerges as they have to deal with rebellions and those who commit treason against their monarch. Take, for example, what happened during the reign of Elizabeth I. We consider her reign the “Golden Age” in English history. Still, she had to deal with numerous rebellions and conspiracies surrounding her viewpoints on religion and how she dealt with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots. In her first book, “Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue, and Treason,” Helene Harrison takes an in-depth look at each rebellion and how they left a mark on Elizabeth I’s reign.
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 