Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor

By Nathen Amin

Masterful historian Nathen Amin charts the rise of Henry Tudor.

As England's most celebrated royal dynasty, it's often overlooked that the Tudors have their origins in rural Wales, far from the urban centers of English power where they dared to become great. When Henry Tudor won the English crown by defeating Richard III in battle, he was a stranger to the people he now ruled, an 'unknown Welshman' in the words of his defeated foe. In his native Wales, however, Henry had long been championed as the Son of Prophecy, a foretold national messiah who would free his oppressed people from their lengthy misery. How had this remarkable situation come about?

In this lucid and riveting account, Nathen Amin deftly explores how one redoubtable Welsh family thrived during lean years of political chaos, national instability, and inter-generational bloodshed to leave behind a complex legacy that changed the face of England and Wales forever. It is a passionately told tale of treachery, cunning, love, and heartbreak.

From Penmynydd to Bosworth, this is the enthralling, action-packed story of the Tudors, but not as you know it.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1398110477
• ISBN13: 9781398110472
• Release Date: January 2025
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Another beautifully-written book from Nathen Amin

One thing I especially admire about Nathen Amin's books is his empathy for the people about whom he's writing. He manages to bring them to life while remaining respectfully within the bounds of non-fiction. He never invents dialogue and there aren't a ton of hypotheticals like, "Henry Tudor must have . . .". He does it more skillfully, such as describing the weather at an important event, so you're suddenly feeling it against your own skin. Nor is Amin's sensitivity only for his main subject. He has this to say about Jasper Tudor, Henry VII's uncle: "His steadfast loyalty to his kin and redoubtable courage in the face of great danger have only recently been recognised, as has his tenacity, which put lesser mortals to shame . . . Jasper is, arguably, the mightiest of all the Tudors, a luminary who gave everything he had so that others could strive for greatness." Beautiful writing, solid scholarship, and a close look at a factor that hasn't previously been given the attention it deserves: the Welshness of the Tudor family. I will add that I ordered this book through a service that ships internationally rather than wait for it to come to the American market. Hence the "early" review.