England's Other Countrymen: Blackness in Tudor Society (Paperback)

England's Other Countrymen: Blackness in Tudor Society By Onyeka Nubia Cover Image
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Description


The Tudor period remains a source of timeless fascination, with endless novels, TV shows, and films depicting the period in myriad ways. And yet our image of the Tudor era remains overwhelmingly white. This ground-breaking and provocative new book seeks to redress the balance: revealing not only how black presence in Tudor England was far greater than has previously been recognized, but that Tudor conceptions of race were far more complex than we have been led to believe.   

Drawing on original research, Onyeka Nubia shows that Tudors from many walks of life regularly interacted with people of African descent, both at home and abroad, revealing a genuine pragmatism towards race and acceptance of difference. Nubia also rejects the influence of the “Curse of Ham” myth on Tudor thinking, and persuasively argues that many of the ideas associated with modern racism are therefore relatively recent developments.  England’s Other Countrymen is a bravura and eloquent forgotten history of diversity and cultural exchange, and casts a new light on our own attitudes towards race.

About the Author


Onyeka Nubia is an award-winning novelist, playwright, and historian of the black British experience. His previous books include Blackamoores: Africans in Tudor England and the novels Waiting to Explode, The Black Prince, and The Phoenix.

Praise For…


“One of the most moving aspects of the book is its presentation of ordinary black Tudor lives, in country villages as well as the metropolis. Nubia seeks to restore their place in the story and in the nation.”
— Ewan Fernie, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham (Stratford-upon-Avon)

“An exciting work, well-researched and well-written, and offering a new perspective. It provides evidence not only of the African presence but also demonstrates that Africans were a normal and integrated part of English society.”
— Hakim Adi, University of Chichester

“A fascinating, rigorously researched and readable book restoring the Black presence to early modern British history. Onyeka offers a bold interpretation with significant repercussions for understanding Tudor society, revealing much too about our own times.”
— Paul Ward, Edge Hill University


Product Details
ISBN: 9781786994219
ISBN-10: 1786994216
Publisher: Zed Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2019
Pages: 208