An Associate Fellow with the Royal Historical Society, James D. Taylor Jr. is an independent scholar who has published a series of books with Algora pulling together all the available documentary evidence relating to key figures from English history. Painstakingly piecing together a wealth of details that were hidden away in archival records, old correspondence and other documents, he brings back in vivid color outstanding individuals whose flamboyance, character and stalwart dedication to their causes enabled them to shape the events of their times.

Taylor is particularly fascinated by figures from the treacherous era of the Tudors and Stuarts, times that tried men's souls but their characters as well — and it's their characters that shine clearly in the documentary evidence he unearths. The subjects of his books are paragons of courage, loyalty and integrity in the face of temptation and intimidation. Clear headed and well spoken under the direst of circumstances, these men and women lived life intensely, always keeping conscience ahead of comfort, whether they won their cause or lost everything. 

James Taylor has also published two books profiling actresses involved in creating beloved characters like Betty Boop who have been entertaining America since the 1930s.

The names of many of the subjects will be familiar to those who are interested in Tudor history, as they were prominent enough to be mentioned in books about the rulers they served. Biographies have been published about some of these individuals,...

The names of many of the subjects will be familiar to those who are interested in Tudor history, as they were prominent enough to be mentioned in books about the rulers they served. Biographies have been published about some of these individuals, including the events that led up to their trials, but all too often the trials themselves have been left out or have been included only by way of a few excerpts, so that this volume is the first to include as many as presented here. Some books about the period include the word Ã?¢'¬Ã??Trial of;¢ was in the title, but still only short excerpts of the actual trial are included. Other books on Tudor personalities are more about entertainment than factual history, enhanced by embellishing a few facts and rather skillfully weaving them into a great story that totally excludes the trials.The inducement to put together this book is two-fold. First, it is my opinion that the trials are an integral part of the individual's biographical story and of history; secondly, some readers of my past publications have asked for a book just about the trials of those best known to readers interested in English Tudor history. The trials included in this edition are accumulated from many sources. Only a very few have been left out because actual trial records were not found, only a conglomeration of notes from many sources that give the reader a basic account of the legal proceeding. During the reign of Elizabeth I, record keeping and trial transcripts became more frequent and regular.