The Chronicles of the Tudor Queens by David Loades (Sutton, £20)

THE Tudors left an indelible mark on the history of the British Isles.

It was during their reign - a period spanning more than 100 years, and one which included the entire 16th Century - that the foundations of this country's imperial destiny were laid.

This was a fascinating era, and made all the more remarkable due to the fact that England was ruled by two headstrong women for the crucial middle 1500s, a time of great change, danger and turmoil.

Today, we remember these women as "Bloody Mary" or "Good Queen Bess", testimony to the notoriety or fame that is attached to their time on the throne. But such labels merely serve to obscure the truth.

The letters contained within these pages are more than just important documents.

For they offer an intriguing insight into the Tudor mind. Here are not only the thoughts of the main protagonists, but also the innermost musings of the major chroniclers of the day, men such as the redoubtable John Foxe.

Of course, no work such as this would be complete without the famous address to the troops at Tilbury on the eve of the Spanish Armada's arrival. Despite the passage of more than 400 years, the pulse still quickens to read such stirring words.

And therein lies the appeal of this book. For although the prose may be antiquated, the actions and deeds of these women who steered a turbulent course through history still come shining through.

John Phillpott