Political Culture, Military Power and Lordship in Tudor England
Alan Bryson
Warfare, Society and Culture
978 1 85196 665 3: 234x156mm: £60.00/$99.00
978 1 85196 666 0
Focusing on crown-locality relations between Henry VIII’s accession and the excommunication of Elizabeth I, this study is concerned with the way in which power was exercised in early modern England. Noble lordship (local and military power), and the way it was established and maintained through affinities, was central to medieval and early-modern government, politics and political culture, but this changed after the death of Henry VIII. After this point, a new Protestant polity emerged, which sounded the death knell for medieval kingship and saw the creation of a more symbiotic relationship between monarchy and nobility.
Bryson takes an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing Art History, History, Literature and Geography, broadening the scope of the study beyond regular political and social histories. In this way Bryson offers a new framework for studying the sixteenth century, looking at the various ways in which loyalties and affinities can be seen via literature and portraiture, as well as documentary sources. The book is split into three sections on affinity, polity and locality with chapters covering the careers of the major nobles of the era examined in the context of their influence both at Court and in the counties.
Readership
Early Modern History, Military History