I've been so busy being part of the judging panel for the Historical Writers' Association Crown Nonfiction Award that I've fallen behind with my usual reading, and the review copy of Nathen Amin's Son of Prophecy has been sitting for too long on my shelf. Luckily there's been a pause in the judging as we've now decided on our longlist, and I've been able to get round to reading this wonderful book.
Yes, this is a book about the rise of Henry Tudor but it begins with his forebear, Ednyved Fychan, the right-hand-man of Llewelyn Fawr (of whom readers of Sharon Penman or Edith Pargeter will be familiar).
What we have here is a well-constructed, impeccably researched book which charts the fates and fortunes of the members of the family which came to be known as the Tudors, and it is a fascinating read. I am familiar with the Welsh names, and the pronunciations thereof, but if you're not, don't worry. Amin has a knack of introducing the characters so deftly that at no point do the names become confusing.
So much has been written about the Tudors and yet this book adds to our understanding and needed to be written. It is a rarity - perhaps unique - in that it focuses on the history of the Welsh, through their battles with King John, Henry III, Edward I and into the period known as the Wars of the Roses. It is refreshing to read about history from the other side of the border, as it were, and yet Amin tells the story with an even hand, never shying away from pointing out where either side behaved badly, or even abominably.
That said, whether it was his intention or not, Jasper Tudor, for me anyway, emerges as a true hero - seemingly almost alone in being able to remain true to his allegiance throughout a period where so many changed their loyalties as often as political expediency dictated.
Amin also remains true to the title of his book: in showing us the history of a frankly beleaguered Wales he makes it clear why it was so important to have faith, a belief that one day the son of prophecy would rise up to reverse Welsh fortunes, even if a few along the way showed promise, only ultimately to fail.
Learning so much about Henry Tudor's upbringing gives insight into the man he became, whereas so often we only read about him as he emerges victorious from the field at Bosworth. Additionally, by doing nothing more than laying out the bare bones of Margaret Beaufort's story, he elicits our sympathies without overtly directing us.
Often books which focus on this period of history tend to concentrate on the Yorkist rule, their fallings out with Warwick and each other, and the scramble for the throne when Richard of Gloucester took charge of his young nephews and the crown. It's sometimes as if Henry Tudor then appeared from nowhere, to seize that crown on the field at Bosworth. Amin's book gives us the background to Henry's life, from his birth and his formative years in Wales, and his exile on the Continent until the moment came for him to take what he and his supporters believed was his crown by right. Yet the nuances are there; the very fact that Henry did not initially aim to be king shows how much more there is to this story, and Amin serves us the details which really round out his character. We even learn why he garnered a reputation in later life of being punctilious with his finances. We also see how his mother, Margaret, sought always to do right by her son, further his career, but not necessarily at any expense and she is seen here showing political astuteness and an ability to read the situation realistically.
Just as we should not forget how much of a Welsh story this was, neither did Henry. No, he didn't have buckets of Welsh blood, but he never forgot those in Wales who supported him and the book ends with the details of how Henry rewarded the Welshmen who had championed him, helping him to become that Son of Prophecy.
This is powerful story-telling and a riveting read and deepened my understanding of the period. I highly recommend it.
