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Tales From The Tower of London Hardcover – January 1, 2004

by Digby Diehl (Author), Mark P. Donnelly (Author)

4.2 188 ratings

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The brooding grey walls of the Tower of London circumscribe one of the most recognisable buildings on the planet. Over its thousand-year history the Tower stood as a symbol of the English monarchy and served as both a palace and a prison. It is a place where court intrigues, clandestine liaisons, unimaginable tortures and grisly executions took place with frightening regularity. Tales from the Tower is the factual history of the great building itself told through the true stories of the people, royal and common, good and bad, heroes and villains, who lived and died there. Including characters such as William the Conqueror, the Princes in the Tower, Jane Grey, Guy Fawkes, Colonel Blood and Rudolf Hess, the broad range of stories encompassed in Tales from the Tower present a microcosm of all human experience, from love and death to greed and betrayal, all played out against romantic period settings ranging from medieval knights in shining armour to the darkest days of World War II.. Anyone who loves history and adventure will find Tales from the Tower a classic page turner.

Print length

205 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Sutton Publishing
Publication date

January 1, 2004
Dimensions

6.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

0750934964
ISBN-13

978-0750934961
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Nigel Jones
161
Paperback
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sutton Publishing (January 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 205 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0750934964
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0750934961
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,356,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,870 in England History

Customer Reviews:
4.2 188 ratings

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About the authors

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Mark Donnelly
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MARK P DONNELLY is a gentleman, a scholar, and a professional historian with over 200 hours of historical documentary on air (for networks ranging from Discovery and the History Channel to National Geographic and the BBC)and over 20 books in print on a variety of non-fiction historical subjects.
He is also well known as a Professor of Arms with a number of organizations around the world and teaches dueling, swordsmanship, manly arts and self-defense on a regular basis. After 14 years in England, he currently resides in Pennsylvania.
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Daniel Diehl
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Daniel Diehl is an author, writer and investigative historian with thirty years experience in his field. For nearly twenty years Diehl has been involved in writing for publication and documentary television production.
Diehl’s work has won awards from the Houston (Texas) Film Festival, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (US) and the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Arts Foundation. Working alone and as a part of the multi-award winning team of Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly, Diehl has produced work in two main categories; trade publication and television documentary scripts. His canon of work includes eighteen non-fiction books (which have been translated into nine foreign languages) and scripts for more than one hundred and seventy hours of documentary television primarily for A&E Network, The History Channel, History International and Discovery Network.
In addition to his books and scripts, Diehl has served as historical consultant on such films as The Color Purple (Amblin Entertainment, 1986), Darrow (PBS Television Theatre, 1991) and Baskin’s Run (Finnegan’s Wake Productions, 1994). He has also written for such periodicals as Victorian Homes, Gilded Age (which he also edited), Old House Journal, Sacred Spaces, Country Victorian, FLAIR, Tournaments Illuminated, Popular Woodworking, Conde Nast Traveler and numerous other publications. He has also contributed short stories and wrote the introduction for Midici Books' collection '303 Short Stories'.
Diehl is ranked #72 of the top 100 History books sold per Writer and he is frequently interviewed for magazine articles and radio programs on a variety of history-related topics as they apply to his books.
"Revelations" Book One of his highly anticipated new series "The Merlin Chronicles" was released on-line world wide on 12/12/12 and is getting great reviews as well as causing a sensation.
--------
I invite you to browse through my titles here and on AmazonUK and also to visit my Facebook page at daniel(dot)diehl(dot)31. If you have enjoyed any of my books please review them here on Amazon and 'like' them on Facebook.
My first fantasy novel - 'Revelations: book one of: The Merlin Chronicles' - is available in print and all 'e' editions. It is creating quite a buzz and I am currently getting Book ll ready for publication. Check out the dedicated website for free, sample chapters, Merlin's Blog and lots of info at: www(dot)themerlinchronicles(dot)com.
I invite you to join in on this new fantasy sensation and to Live the Fantasy
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4.2 out of 5

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Mercedes B.

Great Stories...

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2012

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I really liked this book. While I had heard of many of the people showcased here, there were a bunch that were completely new to me. I loved how each story was written...not in a boring text-book kind of way that puts you to sleep, but in a way that makes you feel the author is sitting next to you telling you a really exciting story.

The book started with a brief history of who built the tower and what it was originally used for. Following that are individual stories of prisoners famous for their crimes or famous for what they did while in the tower. My favorite story was that of William Maxwell, Lord Nisthdale, and his wife Lady Nithsdale. It's not a story I had ever heard before, but I love the way it ended.

If you're a fan of the Tudors, royalty, London or its history, then I absolutely recommend this book. It's a quick and easy read that I found to be wonderfully entertaining. I hope they come out with a sequel!

21 people found this helpful

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Audio Fan

London's a tough town

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2012

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I enjoyed this book but sometimes lost track of who I was reading about. Too many Georges, Richards, James, Marys, etc. I liked the part about Richard III not being a hunchback, but it was a ploy by his enemies to defame him for history. It was like the GOP and Jack Kennedy.....destroy his rep. for the history books. Of course, I am sure we will do the same for George Bush. I do wish there were pictures of these people in the book so could judge for ourselves their appearance. The writer was wise enough to reference the standards of beauty at the particular time. I went on line and checked out as many as I could so I could judge by today's standards. It was great fun finding the pictures and being able to match them up with the character described in the book. For those who like a little grizzly with their historical facts - this book has it. Not to mention a whiff of gossip. Beheading was a pretty iffy practice at best. Being royalty in the old days was a tough gig! Better a wench in a pub, me thinks!

One person found this helpful

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theresaoregonian

What fun! Beheadings, Escapes, Murder....

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2013

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What a cool book ! The author takes you chronologically through the "nefarious" people who lived, died, escaped or were pardoned by the King. The vignettes of each "tower dweller" and their fate made for exciting reading.
How could one not be engrossed in finding out who did the wrong, who professed the right , and who got to lose their head over it?
What fun! Now I know who Guy Fawkes is and why there is a Guy Fawkes day in England.
I highly recommend this book. . You'll have great fun piecing together the Tower's mysterious and sometimes bloody past.

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2012

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This book contains a series of anecdotal accounts of various historical incidents at the famed Tower of London. For those of us interested in things British, it records a more matter of fact historical record. It is not sensationalistic and doesn't try to doctor the stories. British villains of the time didn't need doctoring to make them frightening! It brings out interesting historical facts both about the tower and the people involved. Having visited the Tower personally, I could relate easily to his references. It is too short, there are certainly many more fascinating incidents in the history of this landmark that could have been included. It doesn't get involved in popular conjecture concerning the Tower and legends concerning it but gives an objective albeit brief review.

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Edith Scobie

Tales From the Tower of London.

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2013

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The best read of British History I have had the pleasure to find for a long time.
As one of my interests is British History I was truly amazed at the depth of this book.
Once again thank you Kindle for this wonderful book. My Name is Edith .I knew it was an old English name but not quite how far back it went. Now I do. Read it to find out.

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2013

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An enjoyable read with enough history to keep one interested without coming off as a textbook. I hope the author does another volume and includes some of the people that were mentioned in the introduction as "not having room for in this volume".

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D. Catesby Jarvis

Intriguing and Engaging

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2013

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I found it to be a very engaging history of the Tower and the politics during the snap shots of time during the periods discussed. The book did better than most in giving you a feeling of the day to day life of what must have been a brutal existence. Was also surprised to read about one of my ancestors named and followed in the history of Britain.

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2012

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This book begins with the history of London's famed Tower, from its beginnings in the reign of William the Conqueror. It then tells the stories of several people who had the misfortune to reside there. From royalty (Mary Queen of Scots and Lady Jane Grey) to common thieves (John Wolfe and Alice Tankerville) these tales relate the experiences of those who (usually) found their incarcerations the last act of their lives. There were exceptions, such as the Scottish rebel Lord Maxwell, who was rescued from his date with the chopping block by his resourceful wife. This is not a particularly depp book, a fact the author readily admits in his foreword, but a collection of short nonfiction stories that make for a fun read.

One person found this helpful

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Bena Stutchbury

A real eye-opener

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2023

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I love this book and dip into it again and again, having already read it from cover to cover. The history of the Tower and how it developed is why I bought the book. The stories of those who were brave enough or crazy enough to escape from the Tower is why I keep returning to it. Who would think that so many tried to escape and so many were caught and brought back to within its walls?

Marie Sutcliffe

Four Stars

Reviewed in Canada on September 25, 2014

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well researched, informative and entertaining.

JPD

Unique insight into the Tower's history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2018

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Enjoyed this book, especially as the authors go into far more detail on certain subjects than others do. I particularly enjoyed their vibrant accounts of Thomas Blood and Lord Nithsdale. It doesn't cover everything that I had expected - offering an insight into every prisoner is impossible, but Flambard, Roger Mortimer and Anne Boleyn, in particular, I thought notable absentees - but the book is entitled Tales from the Tower of London, which is an accurate description. My only reasons for not giving five stars are the lack of original sources and bibliography. For the general reader, this will undoubtedly prove most enjoyable!

5 people found this helpful

Ian2463

A GREAT READ

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2012

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I am very interested in British history and have been since my school days. It was the only subject I was any good at! Her Majesty's Royal Palace And Fortress The Tower Of London,in particular,has always fascinated me. I have visited it more times than I can remember and I still do whenever I am in London! It is my favourite historical site.
I have several books on the Tower and this one is right up there with the best of them. Beginning in the eleventh century with the Norman Conquest of England and the founding of the Tower and concluding in the twentieth with the execution of Josef Jakobs,the authors,Daniel Diehl and Mark P Donnelly have put together a fascinating book.The history of the Tower Of London is the history of England and in this book you will read about some of the most famous,or should I say infamous,events and people in our history. No other building in Britain has witnessed so many happenings over the course of nine hundred years.This place has seen it all! It is unique.Royal palace,fortress,arsenal,mint,menagerie,record office and more infamously as a prison,the Tower has served all of these functions.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who has an interest in this unique institution and British history in general.A great read.

2 people found this helpful

S. L. Tyers

recommended book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2012

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absolute must for all children and adults interested in the history of Britain and the history of the British monarchy. It also mentions the King's zoo which was housed within the tower. It brings you right up to the Second World War when it was used to house the Kray twins who refused to register for their call up.

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Tales From The Tower of London Hardcover – January 1, 2004

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