I really enjoyed this book. It gives a real ground-level look at Tudor life - how they navigated sex lives amid what was expected from the church, family lives and work. I found the small details really interesting - the existence of pubic wigs, for example and the ways in which people married in the Tudor age. The book is written in a relaxed way, so it doesn't feel stuffy or academic as you read and is packed with facts.

A great look at an often forgotten aspect of Tudor life.

As a huge fan of Tudor history this book deals with a topic no doubt many people have been wanting to know more about but were afraid to ask. Carol Mcgrath focuses primarily on the reign of Henry VIII but there are also snippets that give us an indication of how the poorer classes lived; this aspect is naturally less well-documented than the lives of the aristocracy. Touching on courtship rituals, the Church's stance, contraception. pregnancy and prostitution, this book covers just bout everything you ever wanted to know about Tudor sex and sexuality - and perhaps a few things you wish you hadn't discovered. A fascinating and engrossing read.

This was a different read for me as I usually tend towards more biographies in the Tudor era. However, this looked fascinating. It's a unique look into how early modern sexuality is both similar and yet very different from our modern viewpoint. I enjoyed that I continue to learn more about the way people lived and not just who lived. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were not the only people living in the 16th century. It is a great look into a very adult topic. My only issues with the book were glitches within the kindle version, but I hope the editors will be able to fix these easily.

Facts and folklore abound in this fascinating, well-researched book. It gives us a glimpse into another side of

Tudor England. Church laws and sacred promises lie in the background of what really went on in the day to day

lives of the wealthy and the needy. A great read including chapters on hygiene, childbirth, the stews, art, dress,

and courting. Then, as now, we are people, looking for someone ..

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley.

It was perfect timing that I happened to start reading this while also binging the White Queen and White Princess. My mindset was ready for digesting some Tudor history. This was fast read that gave me some great context for other Tudor-based media I consume, and I learned a ton of fun facts my partner is less-than-enthusiastic to hear!

My first concern when approaching a book of this nature is the prospect that it will be too academic. I've got no problem with reading materials written with that voice, but sometimes a girl just wants a nonfiction book she can read without using like 25% of her braincells. Thankfully, Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was written in a really approachable way. It's not overly technical, doesn't treat its audience like an expert or a novice, and has some great wry humor.

If you're a prude, this might not be the book for you. McGrath certainly doesn't get graphic in details, but she is frank in her discussion of sex in 13th-15th centuries. Sex workers, homosexuality, pubic wigs, poetry, it's all fair game.

Loved this saucy read. The Tudor period is the best in all of history and this book was shocking and funny in more ways than one

What an incredible and well-researched book on sex and sexuality in the Tudor Era. Author Carol McGrath does a wonderful job at providing detailed and entertaining chapters on this subject. If you have ever been curious about attraction, marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, general sexuality and it's influence in poetry, art, and even witchcraft during the Tudor Era... I highly reccomend this book!
I learned quite a bit about how sex was deeply rooted and also controlled by the church and influenced by medieval beliefs during this time period. It's fascinating how many rituals and practices were utilized within sexual intercourse, marriage, relationships and childbirth, etc.
An engrossing and detailed account with use of well-founded sources, this book will leave you intrigued and with a plethora of interesting facts and knowledge of sex in the Tudor Era.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Great info without being dry.

Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England by Carol McGrath isn’t the normal fiction or poetry I pick up, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed learning about the Tudor time period and customs. I’m a trivia buff and can’t wait to bust out my new knowledge of courtly love!

I enjoyed this very much. It didn't spend too long on any one topic thus keeping my interest. There were lots of interesting little asides and a surprisingly varied wealth of knowledge. I would have liked more on LGBTQ+ people

An interesting and well researched history book, I found it entertaining and informative.
Tudor England is a fascinating time, a time of changes and revolution.
The author analyses the different aspects of the sexual life for both upper and lower class.
Some part are a bit repetitive but I liked the book.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The study of the Tudor dynasty has led us on many different adventures throughout the centuries. We have analyzed this period from numerous angles, from the royals and nobles to the essential lives of those who lived in England during this time. We tend to leave the more intimate moments for historical fiction novels and dramas, but one must wonder what those moments might have been like for those who lived in Tudor England. What were the romantic and the more intimate moments like for the Tudors? In her book, “Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England,” Carol McGrath gives her readers an in-depth look at these private moments.

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard great things about the Sex and Sexuality series by Pen and Sword Books, so when they announced the book about Tudor England, I knew that I wanted to read it.

McGrath begins by informing her readers that to understand how Tudors viewed sex and sexuality, we must know how the Catholic Church and Protestantism viewed sex. We also see what kinds of aphrodisiacs the Tudors found the most effective, where prostitution reigned supreme for a time, how music and dancing influenced courtship. They viewed hygiene and their overall health through the Humours Theory and how the Tudors viewed witchcraft compared to other dynasties that would follow.

She also mentions how those accused of adultery and impotence were tested and tried and how a couple could prevent an unwanted pregnancy. McGrath makes sure that no stone is unturned in this journey to understand better these private moments from love and lust, sex inside and outside of marriage, clothing, and symbols in art.

One complaint with this title was that she spent a little too much time on Henry VIII and his wives. Still, I wanted to see more about other less known Tudor relationships to gain a more comprehensive understanding of different Tudor relationships.

This is a well-written and informative book on the more private moments in Tudor history. They played a dynamic role in our understanding of the Tudors. It is educational, and a fun read for any fan of the Tudor dynasty. If you want to learn more about the more intimate side of the Tudor dynasty, I highly recommend you read “Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England” by Carol McGrath.

Review of Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England

I am a huge history fan and love finding out more about history in particular the Tudor period. So when I saw this title I thought it sounded like an interesting angle to view the history from. Also it would be interesting to see if females were allowed to enjoy themselves back then or if they did just have to "think of England" like we are lead to believe.
So, I found the book well wrote and nicely laid out and a good interesting read. Recommend.

Ever since I read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory in middle school, I have been deeply obsessed with all things having to do with the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII. The sex, the scandal, the beheadings - a veritable devil's playground, if the countless movies and TV shows have anything to say about it.

And yet, it's no wonder the sneaky sex-capades come across as so exciting - there were so many rules against it! I mean, come on, nothing is more thrilling than breaking the rules. Carol McGrath does a marvelous job illustrating those rules and how all things sex were perceived during that time.

Of course, most of those rules are concerning when you can and can't have sex (especially when you can't). For instance, sex was forbidden on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays. So explain to me, exactly, how the people of Tudor England fought off the Monday blues without a little nooky!? Oh, also - you weren't allowed to have sex naked and only in missionary! So basically, no one was allowed to have any fun at all - unless you're the king, of course.

That, my friends, is just the tippy tip of the iceberg. McGrath covers numerous sexually related topics, from witchcraft to naughty words. Did you know that "Cock" is a euphemism for God or that to "Die" can mean having an orgasm? I sure as hell didn't. But I do now, and I fully plan on adding everything I've learned to my mental lexicon.

It takes quite a bit for me to enjoy a work of non-fiction, but this one was a titillating mix of being both entertaining as well as informative. It's a quick read that's well written, so give it a chance if you need a brain break from the world of fiction! I assure you, real life (historical life, especially) can be so melodramatic, you'd think it was made up anyways.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword, for the ARC!

Link to review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4516649460

As a Tudor fan, this was always going to be exciting, It covers basic general knowledge about the climate of Tudor England and the changes re: sex/sexuality that sprouted through that era. Most of it was known to me, but people who are less of a Tudor freak can get some really good info here.

Peek behind the bedroom door at Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England.

England’s King Henry the VIII is known for his voracious appetites—both for food and women. He created an entirely new religion just so he could dump his first wife! Later, he realized it was easier to just execute them. With a king like that, how did the rest of England behave? The answer was wildly different from the mores and manners of today. Engagements were binding contracts. A public bedding ceremony was held for highborn couples. While virginity was a good way to ensure the groom was raising his own children in those pre-DNA testing days, 30% of English brides gave birth within eight months of their marriage.

In addition to the love and marriage practices of the time, the book also covers medicine, birth control, church, fashion, arts, witchcraft, and the naughty vocabulary of the time. It has extensive endnotes and a bibliography for further study.

Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England is an intriguing look back. It made me grateful to be living in the present. This book would be an excellent reference for historical fiction authors too. 4 stars!

Thanks to Pen & Sword History and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Being a member of an active Tudor history group this book appealed to me as I hoped to learn of some new customs or traditions but unfortunately it just recites a lot of what can be found in books following the courts of Henry VII and VIII

That said, it is well written and if you have little knowledge of the practices of that time you might find it interesting

Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England is an entertaining and informative book about love, lust, sex, marriage, childbirth, sex work, witchcraft, and religion in the famous time period.

I really enjoyed this book! I'm pretty familiar with the Tudor era and loved seeing it revisited in this light. I felt like this book had a good balance of covering the well-known monarchy and the common people, as the way that these groups approached sex and areas related to sex in different ways. I think that sometimes I read about the Tudor monarchy and forget that other people existed. I enjoyed seeing how things were different depending on class and rank!

The author also explored less well documented identities, such as same sex relationships and cross dressing. I was surprised that there weren't more historical documents to support these identities, but it definitely makes sense as these relationships were illegal and very taboo at the time. I felt like McGrath did a great job with the information that was available and provided some context without getting into pure conjecture as I think many other authors have.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you are interested in looking at this time period in a different light! Four stars. Thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book!

It was good, but if you are a die hard Tudor fan, it's nothing you haven't read about before. I like how they began with the reign of Henry VII, as I feel that time period gets passed over. If you are new to learning about the Tudors, or if you know a lot, it is still a quick and entertaining read.

This book is both an informative and easy read, sometimes with shocking details of daily practices Tudor nobility and commoners followed. Carol McGrath is the author of many historical fictions and maybe that's why this is an easy-going and entertaining book, not a heavy non-fiction. It was a quick read and I enjoyed reading about the peculiar (and sometimes repulsing) customs and beliefs of the time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for an Advance Review Copy.