The Tudors were dramatic enough without us making things up.

Five monarchs. Six wives. Two queens named Mary. One king who changed the religious landscape of England because his marriage had become a national emergency. And several centuries of myths, legends, scandals, and very confident historical storytelling later, figuring out what actually happened can feel a little overwhelming.

The Tudors, Actually is Tudor history for people who are curious but don't necessarily know where to begin.
Starting with the Wars of the Roses and Henry VII's unlikely rise to the throne, Laura-Ann Ambrose follows the Tudor dynasty from its precarious beginnings through Henry VIII and his six wives, the turbulent reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, Lady Jane Grey's nine-day crown, and the extraordinary reign of Elizabeth I.

Along the way, she looks beyond the famous portraits and familiar stories to ask the questions that make Tudor history so fascinating. What do we actually know? What is disputed? What familiar stories hold up when we look at the evidence? And what happens when the surviving evidence simply isn't enough to give us the answer we want?

Written with humor, curiosity, and unapologetic appreciation for historical chaos, The Tudors, Actually makes the dynasty approachable without treating its readers - or the evidence - like an afterthought.

You don't need a history degree.
You don't need to memorize a family tree before you begin.
And you definitely don't need to already understand why everyone seems to be named Henry, Edward, Elizabeth, or Mary.

You just need to be curious.
The Tudors, Actually will take it from there.