How to be a Tudor

How to be a Tudor

A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Everyday Life

Summary

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME WITH THE BBC'S RUTH GOODMAN

We know all about the dramas that played out in the Tudor court - most notably those of Henry VIII - but what was life really like for a commoner like you or me?


To answer this question, the renowned "method historian" Ruth Goodman has slept, washed and cooked as the Tudors did - so you don't have to!

She is your expert guide to this fascinating era, drawing on years of practical historical study to show how our ancestors coped with everyday life. Using a vast range of sources, she takes you back to when soot was used as toothpaste and the "upper crust" was served to the wealthier members of the house.

Exploring how the Tudors learnt, danced and even stood according to the latest fashion, she reveals what it all felt, smelt and tasted like, from morning until night.

If you enjoyed the writing of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory, you will love discovering the true stories.

*****

'Ruth is the queen of living history, long may she reign!' Lucy Worsley

'A deeply researched and endlessly fascinating account of what it was like to live as a Tudor' Tracy Borman, author of Thomas Cromwell

'Always entertaining, and her narrative is often lifted by the fact that she has taken the trouble to experience many of the alien aspects of Tudor life' Observer

'Goodman's latest foray into immersive history is a revelation . . . It's the next best thing to being there' Sarah Ferguson, New York Times Book Review

Reviews

  • Most historians simply research the past; she lives it ... she's experienced almost every activity she describes. This book is packed with delicious kernels of knowledge ... all served up by the most delightfully eccentric author I've ever encountered. Seldom have I had so much fun reading history. Seldom have I learnt so much.
    Gerard DeGroot, The Times

About the author

Ruth Goodman

Ruth Goodman is a historian who specializes in the everyday life of the past. She has written and presented numerous acclaimed BBC television series and is a regular presenter on the One Show. She is the author of How to be a Victorian, and has co-authored three other books, including the Number One Bestseller Victorian Farm.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more