A collection of historical biographies that tell the true stories of the struggles of Catholic men and women who were tortured and executed between 1535 and 1679. Generally, literature discussing this group of martyrs centers on the historical narrative of the English Reformation. The themes and backgrounds of the stories describe a period of severe persecution for Catholics under the rule of the English Crown, from the era of King Henry VIII to King Charles II. King Henry VIII passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which required the people to recognize the king as the supreme head of the church. Refusal to comply with this rule or activity by Catholic clergy (such as harboring Jesuit priests) was considered treason (high treason). This book documents the biographies of 40 selected individuals (including priests, monks, and laypeople such as Margaret Clitherow and Edmund Campion). They chose to stand for their faith, refusing to submit to royal coercion, and many were executed by hanging, drawing, and quartering at Tyburn. This struggle culminated in 1970 when Pope Paul VI officially canonized these 40 figures as saints of England and Wales.