Steven Gunn, Fellow and Tutor in History, Merton College, Oxford

Steven Gunn studied at Merton College, Oxford. He has held research fellowships there and at the University of Newcastle, and is now Fellow and Tutor in History at Merton College and Professor of Early Modern History at Oxford. His books include Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, c.1484-1545 (1988), Early Tudor Government 1485-1558 (1995), and, with David Grummitt and Hans Cools, War, State, and Society in England and the Netherlands, 1477-1559 (2007).

"Each of these sections is richly detailed, drawing on the remarkable depth of research which is the book's most impressive feature. The footnotes bear witness to an astonishing amount of archival work. Material is cited from no fewer than 66 archives, scores of classes of documents in the National Archives, and copious printed works. In most cases Gunn's claims are supported by multiple examples, sometimes dozens. Throughout the book, the handling of argument and evidence is deft and the book is always readable." - Neil Younger, Spenser Review

"Gunn also leavens a staggering amount of scholarly evidence with moments of personal detail ... The insight gives a sense of the person as well as Gunn's own painstakingly acquired perceptions and deep knowledge of these men ... [This book] was well worth the wait." - Lisa Ford, Times Literary Supplement

"For more than 30 years, Professor Gunn has been trawling the archives, reading everything that might be relevant: governmental papers, parish records, letters, wills, you name it ... a brilliant historian has done his job." - Noel Malcolm, The Daily Telegraph

"Henry VII's New Men and the Making of Tudor England is essential reading for scholars of the early Tudor period. It is also a gold mine for anyone who wants to study the lives of those men in detail." - Barbara J. Harris, American Historical Review

"Professor Gunn has produced a book of breath-taking scholarship and thoroughness ... this work will never have to be repeated. Moreover, at no point is the author overwhelmed by his vast material: everything is clear, organised and to the point. One simply takes one's hat off." - Christine Carpenter, Reviews in History

"The long-awaited publication of Professor Gunn's masterful study will prompt many historians to re-think what the phrase extensive research might entail. Gunn offers a tour-de-force of the historians art of persistent archival digging and also the science of processing that historical evidence into a compelling study [] Gunn matches his own existing high standards and leaves a difficult trail for others to follow." - Sean Cunningham, The Ricardian