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An Accidental History of Tudor England by Steven Gunn (Hardback)
£25.00
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781529333749
Published:
19 Jun 2025
Format:
Hardback
Number of pages:
320 pages
Dimensions:
240x168x44mm
Weight:
0.500kgs
Author:
A new history of the Tudor world, told by uncovering ordinary people's grizzly fatal accidents. There is untold history of Tudor England - the history of the several million subjects of their famous kings and queens. What did ordinary people do all day, in their homes, their work, their leisure and travel? This title explores the history of everyday life, and everyday death. Here we learn that fatal accidents were much more likely to take place during the agricultural peak season, with cart crashes, dangerous harvesting techniques, horse tramplings and windmill manglings all as major causes.
'Brilliant, unpredictable and endlessly fascinating' IAN MORTIMER
'I love this book' TRACY BORMAN
'Gunn and Gromelski cast a brilliant light into a lost world' SUSAN BRIGDEN
A unique new window onto Tudor life, told through ordinary people's untimely deaths.
How did ordinary people live in Tudor England? This unique history unearths the ways they died to find out.
Uncovering thousands of coroners' reports, An Accidental History of Tudor England explores the history of everyday life, and everyday death, in a world far from the intrigues of Hampton Court Palace, Shakespeare's plots and the Spanish Armada. Here, farming, building and travel were dangerous. Fruit trees killed more people than guns, and sheep killed about the same number as coalmines. Men stabbed themselves playing football and women drowned in hundreds fetching water. Going to church had its dangers, especially when it came to bell-ringing, archery practice was perilous and haystacks claimed numerous victims. Restless animals roamed the roads which contained some potholes so deep men could drown, and drown they did.
From bear attacks in north Oxford to a bowls-on-ice-incident on the Thames, this book uses a remarkable trove of sources and stories to put common folk back into the big picture of Tudor England, bringing the reality of their world to life as never before.
About the Author: Professor Steven Gunn is Professor of Early Modern History at Merton College, Oxford. He writes for BBC History Magazine and History Today, has contributed to radio and television programmes such as In Our Time and Time Team, and speaks regularly to Historical Association branches and sixth-form conferences. He is currently a trustee of the Royal Armouries.
| Number of pages | 320 |
|---|
We will despatch your order as quickly as we can. If, for whatever reason, a product is out of stock we will contact you to discuss the likely delivery time or an alternative product.
| First Item | 2 Items & Over | |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| EU | £15.00 | £30.00 |
| USA & Canada | £30.00 | £50.00 |
| Rest of the World | £45.00 | £60.00 |
| Collect in Store | free | free |
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