Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is a well researched and documented book telling the history of one of the most notorious buildings in British History.
He touches on the known stories (Anne Boleyn/Princes in the Tower) but focuses on the stories we don’t hear about all the time in documentaries and other books.
As an Anglophile and British Monarchy nerd this is going to forever be a must have/must recommend book when it comes to British History.
If you have a British history nerd in your life, or you’ve just come back from London and can’t get enough British knowledge now this is a great book.

An interesting fascinating read which has been researched so well.
It was very engrossing. A fantastic book

I would have loved to have read this book since I love this time period, but I did not get a chance to get this book before it was archive. I am sad that I missed out.

A Hidden History of the Tower of London by John Paul Davis
Genre: History and Non-Fiction
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Publish Date: 28 February 2020

Star Rating: 3/5

This book is a good book to read for a history of the Tower as you can tell though the writing how much the author is passionate about his subject. The Tower of London casts a long and sometimes infamous shadow and anyone who is interested in the history of the UK needs to know something about the Tower. The book covers from the foundations of the Tower, in the mind of the Conqueror, up to the present day, and has interesting stories within about prisoners, eras, and a possible origin story for J. R. R. Tolkien's, Lord of the Rings.

A negative for me about the book is that the stories are not so hidden. I was looking forward to reading about little known facts and people (and there are some) but the majority are well-known stories with the most expansive chapters given over to the Tudor period (which I didn't mind, and the Queens, Boleyn, Howard, and Grey are always fascinating). Another disappointment is how long the book is. After finishing it I was left with the feeling that the book could have done with a good edit. But on the other hand, the author's passionate voice coming though makes it forgivable, to a point. It felt like I was in a pub with a loveable uncle chatting away.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a historical and insightful tutorial to say the least. Although the book reads like a tome at times, covering the world renown tower through the royal reigns (i.e. Willam the Conquerer to King George VI), the copious amount of information kept me engaged while and I was pleased in the end.

Keep in mind that a bulk of the research is committed to the agonized prisoners who once filled the cells and endured excruciating torture (everyone from poets to kings and queens). John Paul Davis peppers up the overall experience of those who perished (and in some cases absconded) by describing the architectural progress of the tower, key battles and events, and royal succession. The accounts are significant in their own ways, and as an American who only knows enough about British history and various monarchs, I can only conclude that some of these prisoners did not die in vain and were pivotal in England’s overall success and development.

If the history doesn’t fancy your interest, check out some of the ghost stories in the back of the book. And the ravens, don’t forget about he ravens.

The book was a little dry for my taste but I love the history of the Tower and how much the author loves the subject. I’ve been there twice now and I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning new things about the site!

I love this kind of book and couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

I thought that the different sections were great and I will admit my favourite periods in the book were those in the run up to the end of the Tudor period. Personally I am not a huge fan of the time of James I and after that until we get to Victorian times but there were still a few interesting characters in that period.

I liked the descriptions given as to why the people were in the Tower, the different escapes that were attempted, those that were successful, and those that weren’t, the things that had affected the Tower through its different periods of construction too including fires and more recently attacks from the IRA. It was a genuinely interesting book and I found it to be an easy read too – definitely one I would recommend – it was packed with detail!

It is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon, I thought it was a well-crafted book and I loved the snippets that author selected to illustrate the history of one of the world’s most famous buildings!

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Loved this - I've only been the once but so enjoyed reading about the history of it
Loved the writing style, so accessible and interesting

For anybody interested in history, an absolute must read

The Tower of London is my most favourite place to visit. Jam packed with History, full of atmosphere, I read everything and anything I can get my hands on written about it.

Full of facts and information, I’d recommend this to all history fans of all ages.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read in return for an honest review

Princess Fuzzypants here: I am not sure I would consider this book the “hidden” secrets of The Tower of London since I was quite aware of most of the tales, sufficiently to take exception on occasion to an interpretation of one thing or another. However, a more complete story of the Tower and its various inhabitants both voluntary and involuntary, a reader is unlikely to find.. Let’s face it, most of us are mostly intrigued by those involuntary ones who seldom lived to tell the tale.
It goes right back to when the Tower was first erected by William The Conquerer who wanted those upstart Londoners, living within the old walls, to know who was boss. They definitely got the message although it was a “sport” from time to time to torment rebellion of one form or another and the Tower usually played an integral part in the game. Often it was where those in power sheltered. Often it was where those who failed were housed and taught the errors of their ways. In the centuries it went from being a home and stronghold of the monarch to a combination of home and prison and then solely prison, expect for the Yeoman Warders and ravens who live there.
It is a fascinating place to visit and thanks to the guides, quite entertaining. This book is a good adjunct to a first hand visit or a great prep for a future one. Either way, it is complete and very detailed.
Four purrs and two paws up.

This is a non-fiction book and I did find it very interesting even though it isn't something I would usually read.

I do highly recommend if you are into reading and learning about history.

An interesting and fascinating read, well researched and full of information.
I found it engrossing and informative, an excellent read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book is a 1000 year history of the Tower of London. Certainly a fascinating place both architecturally and historically, the book is chock full of stories, rumors lives and deaths of it’s many and varied inhabitants over the years. At times I felt it was a bit like reading a history textbook, with some parts more interesting than others. Certainly a big subject to undertake!

Not time-specific - from first built to its end as a prison. The environment of the monarchy and those around them. Do get some specifics and a decent timeline through the book of it.

I was excited to be chosen to review this book as I'm very interested in the Tower of London and the British royal history. However, I must say I was very disappointed. I liked the narrative quality of the book, but the author rarely sites the sources he used to form his opinions. He has also made errors particularly in the Tudor era. Regarding Anne Boleyn he stated, she desired the throne from an early age. When she was younger she spent her life at the French court and when home in England made a clandestine engagement/marriage with Henry Percy, son of the Duke of Northumberland. She couldn't have cared less for the throne of England. When speaking of Jane Seymour he calls her the "beauty of the court" when she was anything but. She is known for being plain in appearance and of no great beauty. Henry VIII admired her for her submissive manner. He also stated that Jane died from a long and probably painful death. It's been said that Jane died of puerperal fever for centuries, however a recent review of the contemporary evidence by Alison Weir reveals that Jane was well after delivery and received guests following the delivery. Weir had the evidence reviewed by a very experienced midwife and it is believed that when, a couple of days after delivery Jane experienced a "flux" she was having diarrhea possibly from the rich foods she was eating, possibly even food poisoning that lead to dehydration. The evidence then states that the day she died she was struck suddenly with shortness of breath and passed quickly. Weir and the midwife she consulted believe she suffered from a pulmonary embolism, which would certainly be possible after dehydration, followed by lying down for days after delivery, allowing blood to pool and clot in the legs. All it took was the clot breaking off and traveling to her lungs.. I happen to be a nurse who has worked in postpartum and nursery for 7 years and I agree that the primary evidence does not point to a long, drawn out, or painful death. .
I also found this book to be very similar to that of Nigel Jones. VERY similar.
I do appreciate being given the opportunity to read this book.

If you enjoy the Tower of London, then you really are going to need to grab a copy of this book. Get the ins and outs of daring escapes, fires, prisoners of renown, and the little known history that lay behind the Tower of London.

While reading through this book, there were several pieces that were presented that I was acquainted with, but there were many that I had never heard of. We know of some of the higher profile nobility that were held within the tower, but this book gives you so much more.

The stories presented in this book, and the tidbits of history left me wanting to dig deeper! To whet the appetite of a historian - well, you can imagine the copious amounts of notes, highlighting, and research that could be delved into.

A great and amazing read - I look forward to hearing more from this author in the future! Well written, and full of wonderful information, this book is a winner!

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but when I come across a book like this I really have to ask myself why. Packed full of the people and events surrounding the Tower of London, author John Paul Davis really brings history alive in "A Hidden History of the Tower of London". It honestly surprised me how little I knew. This book is very informative and written in a very engaging way.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This is a very comprehensive book of those imprisoned in the Tower. As a Tudor fan I found it pretty interesting and it was a great way to learn more about the Tower itself. The ok oy downside is a personal preference that I would have preferred it to be referenced throughout so I could look up certain things but as I said that's my personal preference. The bibliography is extensive and provided me with much further reading! This is clearly the result of much effort and research and I will be keeping my copy to refer back to. Thank you pen and sword for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my review.

3 stars

This is a (very) comprehensive history of the life and times of those who at one time or another inhabited the Tower of London from its inception by William the Conqueror. It was remodeled several times throughout the years, so much so that William wouldn't have recognized it.

The names and the pages fly by in this chronicle. In fact the names blur, there are so many. The poor, hapless souls (for the most part), who were sentenced to terms in the Tower or death by various means were innocent victims of politics, intrigue or happenstance.

The language in the book was difficult to follow in some areas. I had to read the sentence twice, or even three times to get the sense of it. Also, if I had not known the story behind many of the incarcerations, especially those of the Tudor period, I would hardly have understood much of the book. My hat is off to Mr. Davis for having the courage and stick-to-it-evness to tackle this huge subject. There is also a copious bibliography included at the end of the book for those who want to further explore the topic and its related issues.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword/Pen & Sword History for forwarding to me a copy of this very interesting and enlightening book for me to read, enjoy and review.