Any recommendations for a good history of the development of the Anglican Church and the events surrounding the break?
'English Reformations' C. Haigh The English Reformation 1530-1570' W.J. Shiels 'The English Reformation' A.G. Dickens 'The Impact of the English Reformation' 1500-1640' Ed. Peter Marshall 'The Study of Anglicanism' Editors: Booty, Sykes & Knight
I've just bought on Kindle (but haven't yet read) Mark Chapman's "Anglicanism - a very short Introduction". It gets quite good crits., though one reviewer said that Martin Davie's "A Guide to the CofE" was better.
I went to the Book Depository Website and typed in "Anglicanism" and there were quite a few responses, many by Paul Avis, an Anglican priest. Also there was Anglicanism and the Western Catholic Tradition, by Eamon Duffy, the distinguished RC historian, and Rowan Williams. But they were all a bit expensive, as they were on Amazon.
Seagull, If you are interested in Classical Anglican literature l would suggest Wakeman's History for a comprehensive view from the beginning to fairly modern days. For the English Reformation, Peter Heylin, Ecclesia Restaurata 2Vols. Also Jeremy Colliers Ecclesiastical History, Vol1/ 8. These can be got via Google for reading at leisure on a computer, or on an e,book. There are many others, such as Butler's Handbook on the Papacy! Which can be got from secondhand bookshops. good luck to you!
Another useful book is Henry Chadwick, Consulting Editor, and Allison Ward, Commissioning Editor, Not Angels but Anglicans: A History of Christianity in the British Isles, Canterbury Press, Norwich 2000. It consists of mostly of short essays by a number of authors, so you will find some that you like better than others. As the title states, the focus is on the British Isles, mainly Britain itself.
Henry Chadwick is good in my estimation, but better by far is Bishop Jeremy Collier's Ecclesiastical History of Great Britain. He was Primus of the Non Juring Church, a writer of proven probity and principal. These books are obtainable as from Amazon as a very modern publication with quick delivery, for me it was next day. There are EBook's, from various sources, but the photography is a bind. I have the first three volumes of ten, on my Sony! It has been a. interesting read ,but hard. How-and-ever . Collier, a seventeenth century Bishop starts at the beginning on paper and discusses the questions raised from the claims for apostolic genesis! The first edition finishes with the death of Harald the Saxon . His faith in the Catholicity of Anglicanism never wavers and we are led through various claims both Roman & Anglican, there's no doubts, no foot in both camps. He is quite honest but firm. I have read English Church History, for well over a half century and Collier is ahead of all other writers, if he doesn't know, or has doubts he says so , but if he's certain he sticks to his guns with references from all sides.. We are blessed , he is no affirming catholic, but an English Churchman. I think Kindle has a copy, at least I was told so, but with this Edition, and the importance I attache to them I preferred to buy the book. Amazon also has some copies of Collier, that are simply copies of the 1840's Ed this is the one I have on my Sony ,I suspect, better than nothing, but in my opinion no where near as good as the latest one . Amazon cheaper copies are better than nothing, but the difference between the paper backs and the photography are miles apart, in my estimation.