*Many thanks to Sapere Books and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
An interesting book in which author concentrates on social and political changes that shifted the economy of the Tudor England and on those who gained and those who lost in their wake. I admit at time this book was difficult for me to follow as the language was very academic and writing rather stiff. I appreciated, however, the amount of research that went into writing this non-ficiton.

342 pages

4 stars

This book is written more with the scholar in mind rather than the casual reader of Tudor history.

The sociological importance of understanding the difference between the everyday, common citizen and the rarified wealthy is important. When we read about the 16th Century, we most often read about Henry VIII, his wives, his children and so on. We learn about the glittering court life and the dissolution of the monasteries. But we don't learn how life was difficult for the poor and common people. Some literally starved to death. Visitors to England during this time did not fail to notice the discrepancies, although they may not have couched their observations in the “have versus have nots” when it came to writing about the country.

Mr. Hoskins writes an intelligent and interesting tome about this period in English history. I found myself somewhat surprised at the sheer poverty in which most citizens lived. It was a point of view that I had never considered before this. Nicely done, Mr. Hoskins.

I want to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for forwarding to me a copy of this informative book for me to read, enjoy and review.

I have always been a fan of the Tudor family and this book did not disappoint. It was very informative and well researched..

I was intrigued by the description of this book as a history of what life was like during the reign of Henry VIII. So may histories delve into the political and royal aspects of this time period, and I'm most interested in "average" people's lives. This book is full of information, but it's written for more of an academic audience. It was difficult to read, only because it was a bit beyond my reading level.