The Tower of London The Biography eBook Stephen Porter
Download As PDF : The Tower of London The Biography eBook Stephen Porter 
The Tower of London is an icon of England's history. William the Conqueror built the White Tower after his invasion and conquest in 1066, to dominate London and it has become infamous as a place of torture, execution and murder. The deaths of royals attracted most attention; the murder of Princes in the Tower, the beheading of Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey, Henry's great-niece, and queen for just nine days. Few prisoners recorded their experiences, but John Gerard, a Catholic priest imprisoned during Elizabeth I's reign, wrote of being questioned in the torture-room, which contained 'every device and instrument of torture'. After being hung from manacles, his wrists were swollen and he could barely walk. Members of the aristocracy could not be tortured, and those incarcerated for a long time used their time to write. Sir Walter Raleigh wrote his vast History of the World in the Tower. Control of the Tower was vital at times of crisis, during rebellions and civil wars. It has also been the country's principal arsenal, it housed the royal mint, the national archives, the crown jewels and wealthy Londoners' riches, and in the royal menagerie it contained one of the earliest zoos. Stephen Porter's landmark new history traces the evolution of the Tower and it's changing role, the many personalities who lived or were imprisoned there, and the 'voices' of contemporaries during the Tower's long history, spanning almost 1000 years.
The Tower of London The Biography eBook Stephen Porter
Informative read. Lots of interesting background information and insight into the Tower's long history.The photographs were nice but my major problem with this book is the drawing at the beginning of the book is very small. Additional drawings of the footprint of the Tower would greatly enhance the value of this book.
Still, this is a good read for any Anglophile interested in the rich history of England.
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The Tower of London The Biography eBook Stephen Porter Reviews
As a fan of the History of London, including the Tower, I found this book to be engaging, if perhaps a little dry at times. A wonderful overview of the history of the infamous Tower.
*Review From Impressions In Ink Blog*
Summary
The Tower of London is one of the first historical places a tourist visits in London. In a guided tour group tourists are shown the grounds and various buildings, and told of the historical events that happened there. Darker tales of people who were prisoners and many who were later executed are shared with the tourists. But, not all these fascinating stories that are told are correct, some are traditions and or legends.
Stephen Porter has written a fascinating and beautiful historical book on the Tower of London. He has bypassed traditional stories, and has worked to write a book with accurate historical information.
From the beginnings of the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. The Tower was then built to be a fortification for William's newly captured city of London. It was built on the southeast quadrant of London and near the Thames river. The building was begun in 1078. An administrator named Gundulf was hired to build the first tower, which would later be named the White Tower. The tower was made from Caen stone, its "walls were 12-15 feet thick". It was in the 1200's that the White Tower was whitened. Most of the Tower of London's buildings were built during the middle ages, and "in its form as it is today." The author writes vivid descriptions of each of the buildings and their purposes. Most fascinating to me were the stories of men and women who were housed in the buildings as prisoners. A few of these stories I'd heard before, many of them were new to me. I was especially interested to read of the two princes that were placed in the tower during the upheaval and change of monarch to Richard III, these two boys were never seen again. A brief story of Sir Thomas More is also told, and his imprisonment in the tower. A more sinister part of the book is the description of the underground torture room.
Review
Positive Points
Beautiful stunning photographs, many of them in color.
Accurate information on a landmark of London, England. This landmark is known to most of the world as both a famous and infamous site.
Stories included of both well-known historical figures, and those not as well-known. To me it was the stories of those people I'd not heard of before that made this book unique.
A book that can be read and re-read with as much fascination as the first time when it was read.
Modern history of the Tower is given. From its beginnings in 1078 up until the 21st Century.
Not only was I given the history of the Tower of London, but a brief history of England.
I found no negative points. The book in my opinion was everything I'd hoped it would be. I loved reading this book, and I plan to use it as a source of accuracy against any other books I read on the Tower of London, and England.
Thank you to Amberley Publishing and Stephen Porter for my free review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Very good book
visited there awhile ago and enjoyed reading the history behind the tower.
I will never read enough history, tales, and anecdotes of the Tower! Visited there in the early 1980s, but unfortunately I cannot travel overseas again due to health reasons.
Very detailed, and interesting history.
Informative read. Lots of interesting background information and insight into the Tower's long history.
The photographs were nice but my major problem with this book is the drawing at the beginning of the book is very small. Additional drawings of the footprint of the Tower would greatly enhance the value of this book.
Still, this is a good read for any Anglophile interested in the rich history of England.
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