No period in British history today retains more resonance and mystery than the 16th century. The leading figures of the time have become almost mythical, and the terrors and grandeurs of Tudor Britain form an essential part of even the least historically minded readers. This book gives the reader a sense of the atmosphere of a great era and if its epochal events. Above all, the author sees the key to the Tudor world as religion - the new world of Protestantism and its battle with the old world of uniform Catholicism. This great religious rent in the fabric of English society underlies the savage violence and turbulence of the period - from Henry VIII's break with Rome to the overwhelming threat of the Spanish Armada. Full attention too is paid to Ireland and the critical role it played in determining English affairs.