As 17-year-old Henry VIII took the throne, he offered England a hope of renewal after years of corruption and repression under his father. Yet the kingdom he inherited in 1509 was not the familiar Tudor realm of Protestantism and playwrights; it was a land of sacred pilgrimages, boy bishops, and Corpus Christi pageants. This fascinating portrait of a people at the crossroads of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance explores the views of the young king and his court but also those of merchants, ploughmen, apprentices, laundresses, and foreign workers, juxtaposing the politics in Westminster with religious, agrarian, and social events in 16th century England. "Johnson is a terrific guide to a country on the brink of profound and permanent change, connecting everyday life with the thrust of great political events. This is a gripping and important work from a talented new writer."—Dan Jones