The Reign of Mary I

Until recently, the reign of Mary Tudor was generally seen as a sterile interlude in the Tudor century, with Mary herself dismissed as Bloody Mary. Extensive research in the past several decades has overturned these assumptions in almost every respect.  In this succinct and up-to-date introduction to Marys reign, Tittler and Richards provide new insight into the circumstances of Marys accession and go on to show that her reign was a lot more stable, and her regime much more competent and innovative, than once believed.

This fully revised third edition includes a diverse range of primary sources and sheds new light on a variety of topics, such as:

  The complexities of Marys relations with Philip of Spain

  The restoration of Catholicism

  The use of visual as well as literary means to legitimize and support Marys rule

  The context for the war with France

This concise and thought-provoking introduction is ideal for students and interested readers at all levels.

Robert Tittler has published ten books and some fifty essays on the national and local politics, economic and social life, and art and architecture of the Tudor/early Stuart era.

Judith M. Richards, of La Trobe University, Australia, has focused on early modern English history for much of her career, and published widely on aspects of that period. Recently she has worked intensively on the reign of Mary I, publishing five academic articles and her biography (Routledge, 2010).