Welcome to History
The A level course comprises three parts - the Tudors, the American Dream and the NEA (Non-Examined Assessment). The NEA won't start until the end of Y12, so we'd suggest that you prepare for the course as follows:
The Tudor Century, 1485-1603
Why not...
…read a book? I am not a fan of historical fiction in general, because novelists have to fill in the blanks in the historical record from their own imagination. However, two books which give a good impression of the complexities of Henry VIII’s reign are Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel, and Dissolution, by C J Sansom. As long as you are reading them for atmosphere and overview (rather than for their factual accuracy), they are well worth a read. You should also read The Tudors: a very short introduction – read over it, but don’t feel you need to take notes. Winter King, by Thomas Penn, is a very highly regarded biography of Henry VII (unlike The Winter King, by Bernard Cornwall, which isn’t). In terms of understanding the background to Henry VII's reign, finding out about the Wars of the Roses is useful; Professor John Gillingham's The Wars of the Roses is a very good introduction.
…visit a historical site? Two obvious places to go (once they are open again) would be the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey (containing the graves of just about all the Tudors, with the exception of Henry VIII) and Hampton Court Palace.
…watch a film? The 1966 film A Man for All Seasons was a massively influential portrait of Sir Thomas More, to the extent that it has been hard for other views to be accepted. The TV version of Wolf Hall was also very good, though it becomes historically more questionable once you get towards 1535; you can find the first episode here. Thomas Penn also produced a documentary based on his book Winter King (see above) which can be accessed here.
…answer a few questions?
How old was Henry VII when he came to the throne, and what was his background? How long did he reign for?
How old was Henry VIII when he came to the throne, and how long did he reign for? How long had he been king before the question of the divorce came along? For how long was he married to each of his wives?
The American Dream, 1945-1980
Why not…
…read a book? Something that would give you an insight into the lives of Americans at the time of the growth of the civil rights movement would be I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou.
…visit a historical site? Unless you can persuade your parents to fly you to Washington D.C. (good luck with that), you could take a stroll around the various monuments in Grosvenor Square, London (where the US Embassy used to be) and visit the “Peace and Security” gallery at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth.
…watch a film? There is a plethora of possible films you could watch. You might try Thirteen Days, about the Cuban Missile Crisis which can be found here; Born on the Fourth of July, a really good film starring Tom Cruise (no, honest - click here if you don't believe me) as soldier and anti-Vietnam War protester Ron Kovic; All The President’s Men, about the Watergate Scandal; and Nixon, about, well, Nixon.
…answer a few questions?
What were the backgrounds of Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy, and to which political parties did they belong? What were the dates of their presidencies?
Do some research about key events which shaped the USA in this period – the Arms Race, Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement.