History Today

Henry VIII as Military Commander

Top gun? Alexander McKee assesses Henry VIII's prowess as a commander by land and sea in the light of his 1545 campaigns against the French.

Tournaments and Early Tudor Chivalry

Business with pleasure - Steven Gunn shows how the spectacle of the joust oiled the wheels of service and diplomacy as well as building up the court's image, not just for Henry VIII but for his dynasty-founding father as well.

Realm and Castle: Henry VIII as European Builder

Henry VIII spent astronomical amounts on military fortifications from the Scottish border to the South Coast of England. Marcus Merriman discusses the locations and architecture of these fortifications.

Holding the Field

David Chandler enters a plea for a more sensitive treatment for Europe’s great battlefields.