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' The Reign of Mary Tudor ' by James Anthony Froude delves into one of Englands most turbulent periods, marked by the Catholic revival and religious persecutions that earned Queen Mary I the epithet ' Bloody Mary. ' Froude, a controversial 19th-century historian, examines the five-year reign (1553.1558) during which Henry VIIIs daughter sought to reverse the Protestant Reformation initiated by her father. The book dissects political alliances with Spain, the executions of Protestant figures like Thomas Cranmer, and the lasting impact of these measures on Englands national identity.
Froude also explores Marys personal contradictions, torn between her devout faith and her quest for dynastic legitimacy. Accounts of the Smithfield burnings, where nearly 300 dissenters perished, underscore the intensity of religious conflicts that paved the way for Elizabeth Is reign. Froude contextualizes these events within European rivalries, particularly with France and the Holy Roman Empire.
This work is essential for enthusiasts of Tudor history and readers interested in 16th-century religious-political dynamics.
About the author
James Anthony Froude (1818.1894), a British historian and essayist, was among the most polarizing intellectuals of the Victorian era. Educated at Oxford and mentored by Thomas Carlyle, he sparked controversy with his History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1856.1870), which defended Henry VIII while critiquing the Catholic Church. His narrative approach, blending archival rigor with dramatic prose, revolutionized historiography.
' The Reign of Mary Tudor ' reflects his focus on religious crises and their socio-political repercussions. Though accused of bias, Froude profoundly influenced Tudor scholarship. Later works like The English in Ireland in the Eighteenth Century confirmed his penchant for contentious subjects.
