London's Triumph
The story of Tudor London’s transformation and its emergence as a city with global reach.
‘People have helped me to bring something of Tudor London to life. Indeed, it is impossible in its story not to be struck by the sheer cumulative weight of human life, energy and experience, the rich variety of community, the sheer force applied to far parts of the globe, all in one city.’
Reviews
‘London’s Triumph feels very fresh. Alford … is outstanding on the mercantile networks that enmeshed not only the livery companies and the court of aldermen, but also parish councils, immigrant communities and Westminster. He throws out long threads … and weaves them into an exceptionally rich and variegated fabric.’ Jessie Childs, Guardian
'Consistently illuminating … Like all the best stories, it is about the timeless tides of power and influence … trade deals can sometimes be sexy, thrilling and epic' Sinclair McKay, Spectator
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Edward VI
A short life of King Henry VIII’s son and heir, Edward VI, Britain’s last boy king.
‘There are other child kings in English history but Edward stands out from them all. … Our Edward is the Peter Pan of English monarchy. King for nearly seven years, he really never grew up.’
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The Watchers
A Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph Book of the Year
A secret history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
‘Here in this book you will find a world shaded in tones of grey rather than drawn clearly in white and black. … Nothing could be more different than the conventional story of Elizabeth’s reign, the glamour of court, the heroic quest for a national destiny of peace, stability and empire. This book explores a darker and more disturbing world.’
Reviews
‘Gripping, engrossing … vividly evokes a murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises and forgeries … he tells an exciting story.’ Keith Thomas, Guardian
‘Fascinating … cat-and-mouse reminiscent of le Carré.’ Tim Martin, Daily Telegraph
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Burghley
Short-listed for the Marsh Biography Award
A biography of the most powerful man in Elizabethan England, William Cecil, Lord Burghley
Reviews
‘Alford’s scholarly but pacey biography reads so fluently, and his subject’s career is so rich, it felt over too quickly. … Cecil really leaps from the page, as father and husband, but above all as politician and propagandist, with a sheathed sword at his belt, and the face of a man in his prime: dynamic, ruthless, and with a long reach, even into our own time.’ Leanda de Lisle, Spectator
‘For anyone interested in the reality of power politics before and during Elizabeth’s reign there can hardly be a better book. … It seems at times to have been written with Lord Burghley in the room – and is all the better for it.’ Stephen Pound, Tribune
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Stephen Alford studied Tudor history at the University of St Andrews with John Guy. He taught for fifteen years at Cambridge University, where he was a Fellow of King’s College. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he is now Professor of Early Modern British History at the University of Leeds.
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