Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This was very informational. I always wondered how things were back in the day and now I can see how difficult it must have been to have some privacy!

This book went into a lot of detail on the subject and some tangents. It was overwhelming for the most part, but I also found some of the information pretty neat. How interesting it is to find out that there was a period of time when it was normal for masters of a house to share a bed with their servants, and not everyone always had their own quarters! Even wealthier people had their servants sleep in the hallway and just around the house rather than having their own rooms for sleeping. Those were some interesting tidbits that I picked up from this book, more than the content on sexuality. There were a lot of references to double standards between what was okay for men versus women, giving this book an editorial and opinionated vibe rather than just providing facts, which I did not appreciate; it lowered the quality and credibility, for me.

The author clearly has done a lot of research into the Tudor time period, and should be commended for all the work that must have gone into that information gathering and wrangling it into a cohesive book for publication.

Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was an interesting read of a time period that was fascinating. and complex. And it explained the real history in a very readable form with lots of details.

I was super excited about this book, the title and the premise. But for me, this book was pretty repetitive and I ended up skimming rather than really taking it all in.

First line: On a Monday morning of 13 February 1542, Katherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, first cousin to Anne Boleyn, young, vivacious, and captivating stepped, assisted, onto the scaffold, pale and terrified.

Summary: A look into the private lives of the Tudor society. The author gives in depth look at sex through religion, marriage, outside of marriage and how different classes dealt with the everyday parts of life.

My Thoughts: I was not very impressed with this. It seemed rather repetitive throughout. And there were times when it would repeat the same phrase but one or two times the saying was reversed so it did not match with what was said before. Some of the facts were not correct like Thomas Boleyn was called the Duke of Wiltshire, but he was the Earl of Wiltshire. These may have been fixed in editing but it just was something I forced myself to finish. I liked when actual cases were discussed giving a little more credence to the facts listed.

I was really excited to read this because I liked the author. However, I think I like. Mrs. McGrath’s historical fiction work instead of her nonfiction. I felt there was not enough information to carry a whole book and should have been published as a journal article instead. As a book, it left something to be desired. It was very repetitive and dry. Thus, I recommend this for anyone that loves the Tudors, but as a nonfiction book, it is very forgettable. It would have more enjoyable as a research article.

I’m really interested in history, and reading about times that are worse than the ones we’re in is something I find oddly comforting. Therefore, when I had an opportunity to read an advance copy of this, I did, and am glad for it. This was a really, really interesting look back and I learned a lot in my reading.

Reading this definitely makes you think about some of the happy freedoms most people enjoy - bathing frequently, and without a shirt on, the availability of birth control methods that work,

This is a fascinating look at historical misogyny, ahem, history and just how much worse things used to be.

A thorough exploration of what can be known about love, romance, and sexuality in the days of Henry VII and VIII of England: the end of the 15th and first half of the 16th centuries.

Yes, of course, there's the court drama of Henry VIII. But it was also very much a transitional time from the medieval consensus to the early modern way of thinking and acting. The author traces such things in terms of sexual behaviors, adultery, romance, childbearing, diseases, and the like.

There's not as many sources as one might imagine or hope, but the author does well with what has been maintained in her conversation. Worthy of consideration if interested in the topic.

This was such a great book!! I normally read fiction, but I was so intrigued by this non-fiction book. I love the Tudor England time period in historical fiction books, so this was a great supplement to all the books I read. I learned a lot from this and found out some interesting and surprising things. If you're interested in this time period at all I definitely recommend!

If asked why the Tudor era holds such a fascination for readers, this one included, I would be hard put to come up with an answer. Maybe it’s the still scandalous-sounding fact of Henry VIII’s six wives and their cruel treatment, or more broadly the fascinating times themselves, that in-between period where the Middle Ages flowed into the Renaissance and thus what historians call Modern Times. Whatever the reasons, add the topic of sex and sexuality, and you get an attention-grabbing title for sure.
As expected and hoped, this book turned out to be a fairly interesting read, too. Fortunately not the steamy, gossipy, bawdy text one could fear if it had been written by some less serious-minded author, but a historical look on the customs and mores of the times as far as they can be reconstructed. Of course, the emphasis lies on written sources, which as such must always be treated with a pinch of salt, which Carol McGrath does very skilfully. She’s also a good writer, who takes care not to drown her readers in too many dry details, too many unexplained quotes, or unexpected non sequiturs. Her style is fluid, sometimes with wry humour and a wink, and as an easily readable introduction into the topic, her book therefore turned out to be pleasant and entertaining as well as informative.
The book focuses mostly on the reigns of the two Tudor Henrys, VII and VIII, as well as Edward VI and Mary I. I would have liked the book to also include the reign of Elizabeth I, who was after all the last Tudor monarch, and I admit some topics were maybe not as deeply developed as I would have preferred (e.g. Henry VIII’s Buggery Act is mentioned, but I remained in the dark as to why that law was passed at that moment rather than another—was there a precise reason, something based on a scandal?). But this are only minor quibbles, I admit. All in all, the balance between information and entertainment I normally seek in history books was perfectly maintained throughout this one.

Umm....wow....who knew?! I was blown away with the ease of reading such an informative, intriguing and, clearly well-researched story. I am never sure when I take on a book of this nature in the way the content will be delivered in terms of clarity, interest, and complexity. I am so happy to share that this book reads easily, is almost transporting with the clarity of which such taboo and unfamiliar topics are explained, descriptively illustrated and brought to life. I really enjoyed this and am now more than intrigued by the topics in general! I recommend this to the fullest, and without reservation.

This was both an interesting and informative read. References sometimes seemed sparse, especially if you were keen to read further, but this was obviously a well researched book which dived into numerous topics. The title tells it all - the book explores sex and sexuality in Tudor England, with a focus in on the court of Henry VIII. Topics covered include sexuality, marriage, childbirth, courtship, beliefs and rituals with each chapter largely focusing on one overarching theme or idea. Interesting links are made to other periods in history which helped place the events and beliefs in context within both history and Europe.

I felt the book was well written and mostly easy to read. I did struggle on one or two occasions, however I think that was because it was topics I was less interested in. Which with a book like this I would normally skip over if not providing a review. The book is full of fascinating ideas while still being a accessible read for all. I enjoyed getting to dive back into this period and topic in history. I would recommend this book to both those starting out or with general interest as it’s an easy read and provides an excellent overview of the topic and discusses some interesting topics and ideas along the way.

Carol McGrath, a prolific novelist, here tries her hand at a non-fiction exploration of the role gender and sex in Tudor society. Ms McGrath is certainly knowledgeable; writing accurate historical novels takes loads of deep research. Unfortunately, she is not particularly skilled at presenting this information in a non-fiction form. The structure of the presentation is not tight. There are not enough reference dates sprinkled through the text to keep us oriented. There are far too few inline references. For my taste there are too many asides to the reader that amount to editorializing. So I didn't much like the book.

The book is an overview of the topic and if that's all you want, this will be fine. But the text isn't hefty enough, in my view, to merit the hefty price.

As with most nonfiction book the title is exactly what this book is about. It is a study of sex and sexuality during the Tudor era of England and everything that would be involved in that including courtship, hygiene and personal appearance, childbearing, adultery, sexuality in literature and art, and many other topics.

Overall I have to say this is a well written book. It delves into a wide variety of topics as related to sexuality and sexual expression. It spends a great deal of time talking about Henry VIII and his romantic life, courtships, and many wives. It also talks a great deal about how the average person would conduct their lives and courtships. Many of the topics were very well researched. However some of the topics were a little too delved into. The section of art was especially detailed and I think that is slightly to it’s detriment. Art history can be very interesting but it can also get very tedious if too much detail is put in. There were also several topics that were barely touched on. I don’t see that much of a pint in including something in the book if you are barely going to write a paragraph about it.

My main complaint is that the book is written in a very dry and clinical matter at times. It can feel like your slogging through a textbook. And it is my opinion that the rhetorical question to the audience is severely overused. Several typos were noticed at various stages in the book but it wasn’t severe enough to distract from what was being told.

Overall I think I do recommend this for history fans and especially fans of history from the Tudor era. Even more for people that like reading about Henry the VIII. Obviously do not recommend for younger readers.

I just looked it up and realized that this is, in fact, the third of these historical compendiums on sexual mores from the publishers I’ve read. First one was from Elizabethan age and the second one from Ancient Rome. That’s a lot of prurient interest, one might think. But it really is interesting how people…got down back in the day; it says a lot about the world they lived in.
Anyway, the Elizabethan book was ok, the Ancient Rome one was actually oodles of fun and funny. I was hoping for more of the same, but this book was, appropriately enough, much like the Elizabethan one – not quite all that juicy or humorous.
Then again, Ancient Romans knew how to have fun. The Tudors knew how to change country’s religion, over and over again. In the boudoir, they were, you know, as imaginative as people just emerging from Middle Ages into the shiny new Renaissance era might be – mildly adventurous yet terribly backwards (by today’s standards). Firmly holding on to some quaint antiquated notions about genders, sex and reproduction, they did their best. But then again, it wasn’t even that long of a span of time for them to really get interesting. The book mainly and heavily focuses on the main (and heavy) king, you know the one with all the wives. And as much fun as that guy was, it’s all very much a familiar territory, covered often in many formats, fictionally and nonfictionally due to its sheer built-in scandalousness.
So overall, a decent read, informative and quick. Disappointingly the publisher’s ARC didn’t come with any visual aid it normally is so generous with. So, no photos of ancient condoms, nothing fun like that. Text only. Thanks Netgalley.

Quite a comprehensive look at how sex and marriage were handled during the Tudor dynasty. Not really a whole lot of new information honestly. Still, Tudors always make for a good read!

Do yourselves a favor if you are a fan of the Tudor era, the House of Tudor, or even just the Renaissance period in general, read this book as soon as you can.

SEX AND SEXUALITY IN TUDOR ENGLAND had some info I already knew about, but a lot about the sexual norms and customs associated with Europe during this time period, but it also taught me a few things and it may have reignited the urge to write Tudor-era fiction. McGrath was a joy to read. Her prose was fun and informative, and it never really felt like you were reading history. It was a stark reminder that we are the same even centuries later.

Again, do yourselves a favor and read this really enjoyable book!

A very interesting and informative book written in a way that was easy to digest and read smoothly. If you are interested in the time period or subject matter definitely read this book!

After reading a book on “sex and sexuality in Ancient Rome” and finding it utterly fascinating, I obviously had to find out about the Tudors as well and this did not disappoint!

It was so fascinating to learn about attitudes, laws, art etc. on sex during this time period. Especially as this is a mostly Christian- religious time, and attitudes are quite strict.

Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England is an exploration of morality and the mores in one of the most popular and widely fictionalised period of British history. In this brilliant expose, Carol McGrath, historian and an acclaimed historical fiction author, dives under the bedsheets of Tudor lovers, joins in rowdy festivities, visits brothels, peeks into Henry VIII’s marital and extra-marital beds, learns about inventive if not quite effective contraception methods, dances, flirts and recites romantic poetry. She takes us from the highest echelons of Tudor society to the lowest, talking about the love life of Henry VIII and his highborn mistresses, his daughter, the virgin queen Elizabeth I, but also prostitutes, witches and wenches.
McGrath presents a full and comprehensive picture of Tudor sexuality, matrimony, childbirth, fashion, beliefs and rituals. She puts it into the context of religion, customs, philosophy and arts. She makes interesting links to the medieval, catholic era that preceded the Tudors, and contrasts it with the Protestantism and puritanism of the sixteenth century. She embeds the Tudors in the wider European context of the flourishing renaissance awakening. She makes reference to what came next.
Sex and Sexuality is written in easy flowing, accessible language. It is vivid, full of fascinating details and quotes, thoroughly researched and bristling with tasteful, dry humour. I can’t recommend it highly enough.