Until recently, the reign of Mary Tudor was generally seen as a 'sterile interlude' in the Tudor century, with Mary herself dismissed as 'Bloody Mary'. Extensive research in the past several decades has overturned these assumptions in almost every respect. In this succinct and up-to-date introduction to Mary's reign, Tittler and Richards provide new insight into the circumstances of Mary's accession and go on to show that her reign was a lot more stable, and her regime much more competent and innovative, than once believed.

This fully revised third edition includes a diverse range of primary sources and sheds new light on a variety of topics, such as:

· The complexities of Mary's relations with Philip of Spain

· The restoration of Catholicism

· The use of visual as well as literary means to legitimize and support Mary's rule

· The context for the war with France

This concise and thought-provoking introduction is ideal for students and interested readers at all levels.

Robert Tittler has published ten books and some fifty essays on the national and local politics, economic and social life, and art and architecture of the Tudor/early Stuart era.

Judith M. Richards, of La Trobe University, Australia, has focused on early modern English history for much of her career, and published widely on aspects of that period. Recently she has worked intensively on the reign of Mary I, publishing five academic articles and her biography (Routledge, 2010).