The Life of Elizabeth I

Amazon.com

The long life and powerful personality of England's beloved Virgin Queen have eternal appeal, and popular historian Alison Weir depicts both with panache. She's especially good at evoking the physical texture of Tudor England: the elaborate royal gowns (actually an intricate assembly of separate fabric panels buttoned together over linen shifts), the luxurious but unhygienic palaces (Elizabeth got the only "close stool"; most members of her retinue relieved themselves in the courtyards), the huge meals heavily seasoned to disguise the taste of spoiled meat. Against this earthy backdrop, Elizabeth's intelligence and formidable political skills stand in vivid relief. She may have been autocratic, devious, even deceptive, but these traits were required to perform a 45-year tightrope walk between the two great powers of Europe, France and Spain. Both countries were eager to bring small, weak England under their sway and to safely marry off its inconveniently independent queen. Weir emphasizes Elizabeth's precarious position as a ruling woman in a man's world, suggesting plausibly that the single life was personally appealing as well as politically expedient for someone who had seen many ambitious ladies--including her own mother--ruined and even executed for just the appearance of sexual indiscretions. The author's evaluations of such key figures in Elizabeth's reign as the Earl of Leicester (arguably the only man she ever loved) and William Cecil (her most trusted adviser) are equally cogent and respectful of psychological complexity. Weir does a fine job of retelling this always-popular story for a new generation. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

Perhaps the most influential sovereign England has ever known, Queen Elizabeth I remained an extremely private person throughout her reign, keeping her own counsel and sharing secrets with no one--not even her closest, most trusted advisers. Now, in this brilliantly researched, fascinating new book, acclaimed biographer Alison Weir shares provocative new interpretations and fresh insights on this enigmatic figure.

Against a lavish backdrop of pageantry and passion, intrigue and war, Weir dispels the myths surrounding Elizabeth I and examines the contradictions of her character. Elizabeth I loved the Earl of Leicester, but did she conspire to murder his wife? She called herself the Virgin Queen, but how chaste was she through dozens of liaisons? She never married--was her choice to remain single tied to the chilling fate of her mother, Anne Boleyn? An enthralling epic that is also an amazingly intimate portrait, The Life of Elizabeth I is a mesmerizing, stunning reading experience.

Customer Reviews:

quite an insight.......2007-08-31

I have read many books on the lives of the Tudors. This one is so realistic, it is like she was writing about the present instead of 500 years ago. It is a fascinating book

Mostly historical rubbish........2007-08-16

This is a sweet attempt to tell a somewhat romantic story of Elizabeth 1. For those interested in English history they might want to read 'Character's of the Reformation' by Hillaire Belloc. This English historian deals with the political side of the Tudor monarchy and the men who actually gave Elizabeth her marching orders and who ran the government during her reign.

Historical Read.......2007-04-04

I am an Elizabethan freak so it takes a lot for me to really get into a book about the period and not nit pick it. This book follows Elizabeth across her life. I didn't think it offered much of a new perspective or new data however. It was a pretty standard biography of her (I've read about 10), but Alison Weir is a good writer which makes it enjoyable. If you are looking for new facts or a more thought provoking read, I would suggest David Starkey's Elizabeth. It explores her youth more and discusses many of the possible theories of a pregnancy, dispells tower gossip stories based on scientifc records from the time period, and is also an enjoyable read. So if you want something a little mindless and entertaining, or if you are new to this field of study, this is a good book. If you're a little more seasoned, I would choose the Starkey book and if you can afford both, I would suggest that so you can compare and contrast.

Much better than anticipated.......2007-03-14

I had heard several negative reviews in regards to Alison Weir and her "take" on history regarding Elizabeth I from friends. As a historical actress at our local renaissance faire for many years, I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. Ms Weir does state that some of the events are historical while others had to be imaginative at times so I dont feel this book misrepresents anything at all. The accuracies are fraught with historical proof therefore the uncertainties don't really matter. Sadly there arent any valid historical documents from Elizabeth's personal journals to compare with, so assumption on what she thought, how she felt or what influenced her at times is perfectly acceptable based upon common knowledge of Elizabeth's upbringing.
I personally own now 4 of Ms Weir's books and have yet to find one I haven't enjoyed. Highly recommend it though it is a bit long and you dont want to put it down.

Don't let the 116 reviews be the reason you buy this book.......2007-02-01

I am reading this book after having read several others on the tudors. If you are interested in a very opinionated and dry take on the life of Elizabeth I--then this book is for you.

Lots of Weir's opinions but the content isn't any different than anything Ive read already.

Average customer rating:

A good biography of the Virgin Queen by Tudor Scholar Erickson
Nearly reads like a novel ...
First Elizabeth a reading pleasure
Hail Britainia
Elizabeth the Woman & the Queen

The First Elizabeth
Carolly Erickson
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 031216842X

Book Description

In this remarkable biography, Carolly Erickson brings Elizabeth I to life and allows us to see her as a living, breathing, elegant, flirtatious, diplomatic, violent, arrogant, and outrageous woman who commands our attention, fascination, and awe.With the special skill for which she is acclaimed, Carolly Erickson electrifies the senses as she evokes with total fidelity the brilliant colors of Elizabethan clothing and jewelry, the texture of tapestries, and even the close, perfumed air of castle rooms. Erickson demonstrates her extraordinary ability to discern and bring to life psychological and physical reality.

Customer Reviews:

A good biography of the Virgin Queen by Tudor Scholar Erickson.......2005-12-05

Carolly Erickson has done her homework on the Tudors of England and in her 1984 biography of Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603)
does a fine biographical profile.
Elizabeth's mother Anne Boleyn died at the stake failing to produce a male heir for the cruel HENRY VIII. Her only chld was Elizabeth who ruled Britain from 1558 to her death in 1603.
Elizabeth had a difficult and dangerous life dealing with such
enemies as:
1. The might of Spain and France.
2. Various Catholic groups wanting to assasinate the Protestant leaning queen.
3. Personal enemies include her half-sister Queen Bloody Mary
who at times had Elizabeth imprisoned in the tower. She burned
Protestants at the stake in her short reign from 1546-1553 following the death of her half-brother Edward VI (son of Henry and Jane Seymour). Another enemy was Mary Queen of Scots who Elizabeth had executed in 1587.
4. Elizabeth was very intelligent, crafty and skilled in survival in a dangerous time of civil war, various rebellions and complicated international political and religious warfare.
Erickson is good at writing Elizabeth's story focusing on her many love affairs most notably with the Earl of Leicester.
Elizabeth's reign is well told in this biography which is a good place for a burgeoning interest in Tudor History to bloom.
The book is one of the finest I have read on Elizabeth. I can
recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story well told about one of the great female rulers in history!

Nearly reads like a novel ..........2002-08-23

I tend to read mostly fiction, but for some reason earlier this year I decided to foray into biographies. This book gives you a peek into Elizabethan life, gives you insight into Elizabeth I's personality, and you learn quite a lot of history, scandals, and rumours-of-the-day along the way.

This book reads more like a biographical novel than a pure biography, which, considering the subject matter is about 500-years old, probably means some license was taken with dialogue, etc., however, I think the style makes the subject infinitely more memorable.

First Elizabeth a reading pleasure.......2002-01-25

The major difference in "The First Elizabeth" by Carolly Erickson and "The Life of Elizabeth I" by Alison Weir is stylistic. Both women are thoroughly versed in the life of their royal subject, and obviously enthusiastic about her as well.

Erickson's style, however, leans more toward novelistic narrative. She seems to be sitting with you, telling you a story about this great monarch with her infamous "virgin" status, her political adeptness, her fearsome temper, her penchant for swearing oaths that made one's blood freeze, and her ability to command deep love and adoration from her subjects.

This style is especially appealing for those for whom this biography is their first foray into Tudor biography. It introduces the major players in the queen's life thoroughly so that one is well acquainted with Robert Dudley, Cecil and Walsingham, as well as Mary I and the many other colorful characters that populated the Queen's life. You also get a real feel for the terror and uncertainty of Elizabeth's youth, when she lived in fear of death at the hands of her unstable, Catholic sister.

Erickson adroitly paints a stunning (and sometimes shocking) picture of life at court - and what a life it must have been. Living at the various castles Elizabeth moved between (they changed castles regularly so that the one previously used could be cleaned and "aired out") was far from our 21st century idea of luxury, and when you read about the trials and travails inherent in the Queen's annual "progresses", you'll never gripe about rush-hour traffic again!

Again, I would recommend this to anyone starting out to read about Elizabeth I, and to the reader already familiar with the life of the greatest queen of England. Those of the latter group might find that the author falls in love a bit too much with her subject (and who wouldn't, as this lady is one of the most fascinating people in history). In some places towards the end the flow of the narrative (going from event to event) isn't quite as seamless as it could be (you feel as though you are jumping from one to the other without a lead-in sentence/paragraph) but never mind that. Erickson does a marvelous job of painting a portrait of the life and times of Elizabeth and it's a most pleasurable learning experience and enjoyable read.

After finishing "Elizabeth I", the reader would do well to continue on with Weir's biography mentioned above. I started with Weir and am now committed to reading Erickson's extensive series on the Tudors, including "Great Harry", "Mistress Anne", etc.

Hail Britainia.......2001-12-10

A great book about a Queen whose story reads more like "The Godfather" than you'd guess.

Elizabeth I, thrust onto the throne while her country was still in the midst of it's centuries-long emergence from Roman rule, turned England into Great Britain through a heady mixture of guile, guts, and British steel(How's that for rhetoric?).

It's a great book, as are most of Erickson's titles.

Elizabeth the Woman & the Queen.......2001-11-26

I have read this book several times over the years and have found it engrossing both on the historical and dramatic level. The author manages to portray Elizabeth as an all powerful monarch as well as a very human woman with all of her strengths, weaknesses and faults. The personality of Elizabeth is emphasized throughout and so the reader is left feeling that something of the person behind the legend is revealed. Carolly Erickson also reveals a great deal of the political and social environment in which this woman functioned. Knowing the political and social environment in which she was raised, came to power and ruled makes her life story that much more remarkable. Overall I found this book very worthwhile and enjoyable reading.

Average customer rating:

subject intriguing but book is uneven
Arbella: Englands Lost Queen
So far....
An excellent historical biography
If You Are interested in Stuart/Tudor history

Arbella: England's Lost Queen
Sarah Gristwood
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618341331

Book Description

In this U.K. bestseller, Lady Arbella Stuart emerges as a most contemporary royal, a young woman determined to shape her own destiny in the midst of her plot-ridden world.

Arbella was niece to Mary Queen of Scots and cousin to Elizabeth I â who indicated that the teenage Arbella was to be heir to her throne. A critical pawn in the struggle for succession, particularly during the long, tense period when Elizabeth lay dying, the young Arbella endured twenty-seven years of isolation at the grand Hardwick Hall, held by her scheming and powerful grandmother.

The accession of James I, Arbella's first cousin, ended the young woman's royal aspirations but thrust her into James's licentious court. Then, at age thirty-five, she risked everything to make a forbidden marriage. An escape in disguise, a wild flight abroad, and capture at sea led in the end to an agonizing death in the Tower. Yet nothing is as remarkable as the almost modern freedom with which, in a series of extraordinary letters â more passionate and extensive than those of any other woman of this suffocating age â Arbella Stuart revealed her own compelling personality.

Customer Reviews:

subject intriguing but book is uneven.......2007-05-15

I read Arbella, England's Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood becuase the subject matter interested me. Who was this woman perpetually kept as a prisoner by her relatives for most of her short life? Was she that much of a threat to the throne of King James I?
Sarah Gristwood provides lots of pertinent information about Arbella and her relations and sets the stage describing the royal personages and scandals of the day. Yet this biography is uneven at best. At times, it does not flow smoothly and the author consistently interjects her 21st century voice that often gets in the way of the story. Many of the author's comments either needed to be edited or written in a way that flowed in sync with the story and the setting. Here is an example from the book," Arbella may have been at once ill and actively scheming;just because they are after you doesn't mean you aren't paranoid" p.340. Is this last line necessary? Here is another line,"We know she was subject to depression, the "dumps". Is this a direct quote from a seventeenth century source? Somehow, using contemporary phrases and trite aphorisms does not work for a 16th/17th century royal biography. I also noticed there were some typos, unusual for a reputed publisher such as Houghton Mifflin, once again indicating this book needed a more careful editing job.
The author has clearly done her research and does give the reader many sources that give us clues as to who Arbella was, what her motivations were and how she attempted to live her life. However, due to a dearth perhaps of information on Arbella, one still feels something is missing here. I felt as if I really got to know the other characters in the history, such as Arbella's scheming aunt, Mary Talbot and her maternal grandmother, Bess of Hartwick.
Overall, the subject matter was more interesting than the presentation of the material. I think an editing job omitting the author's several cliched phrases that disrupted the flow of the story would have helped. She does pose some intriguing questions and theories and I learned alot about the time period. The Epilogue was certainly complete and well written.
Sarah Gristwood definitely did her research on Arbella. Her theories are thought provoking. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the interjection of her own voice disrupted the flow of the book, created unnecessary distractions and some of the worn out phrases could have been edited out.

Arbella: Englands Lost Queen.......2007-03-09

I found the book quite interesting, especially since it seemed like Arbella was similar to her Aunt Mary Stuart Queen of Scots in some of her actions. Was there much influence on the young girl before the execution of her aunt? There does not seem to be much to confirm this. But then there is the question of the porphyria. Since Mary & Arbella were not blood relatives could the disease cause similarites in response to stressful situations? This book has certainly sparked an interest in myself to investigate such matters. I would certainly recommend this book for those curious in historical biographies.

So far...........2007-02-13

I have had this book for over six weeks, and am only halfway through. It's good, but not engrossing. I haven't had the inclination to continue reading, even though not finishing a book is something I'm fundamentally unable to do, for the most part. It's not that the story isn't interesting; it's just that it's very dry and takes a long time to get to the heart of the story.

An excellent historical biography.......2006-03-31

What I enjoyed most about this book was that it tied together historical figures I had read about elsewhere -- the earls of Leicester and Essex, Bess of Hardwick, James I, Elizabeth I -- in a completely different context and from a widely different perspective. Sarah Gristwood did an excellent job placing Arbella and her struggles within the larger political stories of her day. Her writing, although mostly accessible, does have its moments of insiderism -- such as when she refers to Penelope Rich as Sidney's Stella, for seemingly no reason and without further elaboration. I think you're better off reading this book if you already have a working knowledge of the court of Elizabeth I.

If You Are interested in Stuart/Tudor history.......2006-01-27

If You Are Interested in Stuart/Tudor History,and the Machinations of same, i think you will find this book
of interest>i had never heard of arbella so was interested
to read about who she was.Arbella was in line to inherit
the throne but did not-James I did.Although her life
and death were sad,i would still recommend this. Sarah Gristwood
did a good job regarding the forces and turmoil in play at this
time.

The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by her Nanny, Marion Crawford

Average customer rating:

Groundbreaking "tell all" has stood the test of time
This portrait by "Crawfy" is priceless!
Little Princesses
Charming, but in no way saccharine
A....C L A S S I C...A N D...A...R O Y A L...D E L I G H T !

The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by her Nanny, Marion Crawford
Marion Crawford
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312312156

Book Description

Once upon a time, in 1930s England, there were two little princesses named Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. Their father was the Duke of York, the second son of King George V, and their Uncle David was the future King of England.

We all know how the fairy tale ended: When King George died, “Uncle David” became King Edward VIII---who abdicated less than a year later to marry the scandalous Wallis Simpson. Suddenly the little princesses’ father was King. The family moved to Buckingham Palace, and ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth became the heir to the crown she would ultimately wear for over fifty years.

The Little Princesses shows us how it all began. In the early thirties, the Duke and Duchess of York were looking for someone to educate their daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, then five- and two-years-old. They already had a nanny---a family retainer who had looked after their mother when she was a child---but it was time to add someone younger and livelier to the household.

Enter Marion Crawford, a twenty-four-year-old from Scotland who was promptly dubbed “Crawfie” by the young Elizabeth and who would stay with the family for sixteen years. Beginning at the quiet family home in Piccadilly and ending with the birth of Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in 1948, Crawfie tells how she brought the princesses up to be “Royal,” while attempting to show them a bit of the ordinary world of underground trains, Girl Guides, and swimming lessons.

The Little Princesses was first published in 1950 to a furor we cannot imagine today. It has been called the original “nanny diaries” because it was the first account of life with the Royals ever published. Although hers was a touching account of the childhood of the Queen and Princess Margaret, Crawfie was demonized by the press. The Queen Mother, who had been a great friend and who had, Crawfie maintained, given her permission to write the account, never spoke to her again.

Reading The Little Princesses now, with a poignant new introduction by BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, offers fascinating insights into the changing lives and times of Britains royal family.

Customer Reviews:

Groundbreaking "tell all" has stood the test of time.......2007-07-28

For fans of the British royal family, this book is a must-read. While it may be a trifle dated and decidedly unsensational, the book holds a unique place in the now vast array of books about the royals because it was the first to break the rules and reveal details of life behind the gilded doors of Buckingham Palace. "Crawfie," who cared for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret for 17 years, was completely cut off by the royal family after the book was published, but the book itself lives on as a kind of time capsule of royal life before the press declared open season on the royal family.

This portrait by "Crawfy" is priceless!.......2007-03-02

Truly, this book is a national treasure and even the Queen should cherish it (apprently, she does not). After reading it, I have new-found respect for Elizabeth II and her family. No where else would you find such wonderful detail of the lovely lives these little girls led. Its also very revealing to see another side of the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII. I couldn't put it down and was left wanting more!

Little Princesses.......2006-08-30

absolutely fascinating story of Nanny Crawford which brings to life how the Royal Family live. I cannot understand why the Royals thought it was disrespectful to write this and cut Nanny Crawford off for the rest of her life. I wonder what the real reason was?

Charming, but in no way saccharine.......2006-05-07

A lovely portrait of royalty as it used to be, painted in the words of a woman who devoted years of her life to royalty's service. "Crawfie," as a very young Princess Elizabeth nicknamed her new governess, had no idea when she accepted the post that she would be staying for more than a short time. She'd come to help the Duke and Duchess of York begin their little girls' education, after which Miss Crawford fully intended to take up the classroom teaching career of which she had always dreamed. She wasn't planning on growing to love Elizabeth and Margaret as she did. Nor had she any clue that one of her charges would someday sit on England's throne.

The interlude Miss Crawford planned to spend with the Yorks lasted until after Princess Elizabeth's marriage. As a member of their household, she experienced history first hand when the abdication of King Edward VIII - otherwise known as "Uncle David" - forced her employers to give up their private, comfortable, family-centered life. She kept their daughters out of harm's way during the frightening war years that soon followed; and after the war's end, helped the family that by now considered her indispensible in guiding its "little princesses" from adolescence into womanhood.

Charming, but in no way saccharine, this recently re-released book provides invaluable insight into the character of the woman who has reigned for more than half a century as Queen Elizabeth II. Not by any means just for "royal watchers"!

A....C L A S S I C...A N D...A...R O Y A L...D E L I G H T !.......2005-02-20

This was the very FIRST book to present Royalty as human beings --and as such, it truly got its authoress, (to use the contemporary term), into much trouble with the English Royal family, whom she worked for in the capacity of Governess to the two Royal Princesses, Pss. Elizabeth and Pss. Margaret Rose, from the 1930s until they were grown young women -- and in Pss. Elizabeth's case, married.

This is the GENUINE article -- a first-person reminisence, the
REAL story of what went on behind the palace walls in the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s. It is great reading for royal-watchers, as one can almost feel oneself actually there, a "fly on the wall" as it were, to these auspicious royal happenings. And seeing the royal personages themselves, through Ms. Crawford's eyes: the dilligent and almost too-dutiful Pss. Elizabeth, the rather diffident, but still very brave Duke of York who became George VI, the artistic, rebellious, and elfin Pss. Margaret, the warm, friendly, yet very, very Royal Queen Elizabeth, the King's Consort, and the extremely regal, yet still very human
Queen Mary.

I got this book out of the school library when I was in college....but was so excited to have found it, that I just skimmed it. However, I have recently bought a copy, and am forcing myself to read it all the way through! So far I am only up to the Abdication of King Edward VIII -- but I realize this is a true turning point, and am loathe to go futher, though I know I must. Never, (believe it or not), was there ever such a reluctant couple to mount the throne of England as George
VI and Elizabeth -- the responsibilites, and separation from their children, were great burdens to them. The "fairy-tale" existance they had as the very private Duke and Duchess of York was no more.....

Later on, of course, WWII intruded even more into the Royal lives, changing royal routine even more.....forever.

It is interesting to see, even in the professed "simplicity" of the Princesses pre-war, (and post-war), lives, that little luxuries were taken for granted, even so. As a small child, Princess Elizabeth plays with imaginary ponies before going to bed, later graduating to toy ponies, and stil later, to real horses. Large grounds, many servants, and many homes complete the picture.....and even though Ms. Crawford does give some middle-class amazement at some of the priviledges, others are just taken as natural for her royal employers. I find myself wondering how the Princesses would have reacted, had they suddenly found themselves, "Twilight-Zone"-like, waking up to suddenly find themselves, instead, as Ruby and Margaret McDonald -- the Princesses' real-life sister-maids. (Probably,
the Dutiful Elizabeth would have taken it as a matter of course....but the independent and talented Margaret Rose would have definitely rebelled!)

Still, this is truly a book to cherish and delight in...especially if one wishes, secretly or not so secretly, to imagine oneself one (or both) of the Royal Sisters. There are
many royal secrets in this book too -- such as Queen Mary's
recommended "royal pick-me-up receipie", and the fact that the secret of the perfectly coiffed hairdos of the royal ladies, even after hours in a car, lay in the fact that the Royal cars were, in fact, hermetically sealed!

I can understand why the Royal Family were so upset that this book -- which doesn't critize them, but merely shows all their human strengths, and some of their all-too-human weaknesses. Royals are supposed to be 100% perfet. This book shows them to be 100% Human. Secrets are shared. And -- contrary to Baghot's
admonition -- light is, indeed, shed on the magic.

In the end, however, Ms. Crawford, (who had married just before
Princess Elizabeth herself did), left all of her papers and
diaries, etc. to her royal employers -- the very ones she had once been so close to, but who had cut her off, completely, from their lives, once "The Little Princesses" was published. It is a sad thing for curious commoners, such as myself -- for no matter how many authors write about the Royal Family of England, none, I feel, will have as intimacy with their royal material as Miss Crawford did. (With the possible exception of Paul Burrell, and Stephen Birmingham, valets to Princess Diana and the pre-married Prince Charles, respectively.) For English -- and perhaps other royals -- now reqire a signed statement from their possible servants, before employment, not to disclose anything of their employment in future books. This is another reason why "The Little Princesses" is such a true classic: the reality of the book was recorded without any constraint or even thought of constraint.
This alone makes the "fairy-tale become reality" sense of this book even more genuine -- and to royal-watchers, even more precious.

So this book -- and the others written by Marion Crawford -- are the true and genuine articlesw -- 24-karat gold, amongst all the other books on the royals, no matter how well written, or how engrossing.

"The Little Princesses" is thus not only a wonderful, involving, exciting, and easily-read book.... It is a piece of history, in and of itself.

Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I

Average customer rating:

Nothing New
The least frumpy queen on record
WONDERFUL
Well written, but content inappropriate for pre-teens
The First Book

Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I
Jane Resh Thomas
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395691206

Book Description

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) impressed herself more vividly on the memory of the world than any other monarch in the history of England. She successfully established and maintained power while refusing to bow to the wishes of those who believed no woman was fit to occupy the English throne. This biography describes the opulent but cruel childhood that shaped the woman Elizabeth became and details her triumphant reign, as well as the unrelenting forces that opposed her. Exploring the answers to some of history's most persistent and intriguing questions, Jane Resh Thomas has created a compelling account of Elizabeth's life that shatters the myths surrounding her and allows readers an unprecedented view of the queen as a human being. Full-color insert, chronology, bibliography, index.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing New.......2007-06-13

This woman was the greatest monarch England ever had. Ever. The book, however was a bit disapointing. It is a bare-bones just-the-facts telling of a great women's life and didn't near do her justice. I wanted more.

If general facts and a fast read are all you want, this book is perfect. Just not for me.

The least frumpy queen on record.......2004-07-08

Take a look at the cover of this book for just a moment. Just a single solitary moment. Maybe the last thing you want to do is read a young adult biography on England's greatest queen, and I can understand where you're coming from. But take a good long look at the image presented on the cover here. This portrait of Queen Elizabeth was fashioned in her time and is commonly referred to as The Rainbow Portrait. It is, to my mind, the most flattering painting ever made of the ruler and it hasn't been touched since she posed for it. When you first look at it, it seems pretty standard. There she is with the high forehead (considered attractive at the time), the bright curly red hair, and the ostentatious finery. In fact, let's take a closer look at that finery. If you look carefully you cannot help but notice that her gown is covered in ears and eyes. You heard me right. Honest to goodness ears and eyes are all over this thing! You don't notice it at first, but once you've seen it you can never forget it. Such is the case with Thomas's book itself. It may not look like much at first, but once you take even a glance at the text you immediately become transfixed by the lives of Elizabeth, her crazy family, suitors, and enemies.

Elizabeth was born the second child of the (in the words of the great comic Eddie Izzard) "big fat hairy king", Henry VIII. Fond of killing off his wives when they either displeased him or couldn't produce male heirs, Elizabeth was the daughter of the soon-to-be beheaded Anne Boleyn. Her life was touch and go from the start. One minute she was treated as a prized pet and the next she was sent to royal grounds far from court. What followed soon after was a series of deaths and accessions to the throne. When Henry VIII died he was followed by Elizabeth's little half-bro Edward VI. When Eddie died he was followed by the Lady Jane Grey (for nine days). After she was tossed out came Elizabeth's older half-sis Mary (Bloody Mary to you commoners). Finally, Mary kicked it and Elizabeth rose to the throne. She was only 25 or 26 at the time and extraordinarily canny in the choices she made. Refusing to marry (and thereby give up her ruling power) Elizabeth remained sexy and single. Over the course of her life she dealt with assassination attempts, the continual threat of Mary Queen of Scots, an invasion of England by the Spanish Armada, excommunication, and all sorts of fun stuff. The result? Elizabeth remains perhaps the best remembered Queen of them all, making her an excellent subject of bios and bio-pics.

I'm easily bored. If I pick up a children's book that won a Newbery Award pre-1950 to read, you'll probably find me curled up in a corner fast asleep in five minutes time. Non-fiction is therefore one of the banes of my existence and I heap large helpings of praise onto any author that can make a realistic subject even halfway interesting. Not being familiar with Jane Resh Thomas, I was understandably nervous when I confronted this tome of a book and its 16th century subject. To my vast relief, my fears were more than unfounded. Here is a history book that has plumbed every interesting tidbit, rumor, factoid, and story for the eager ears of the reader. Want to hear how Queen Elizabeth would expose her chest to foreign diplomats (to put them on edge, you see)? Read it here. Curious about her six foot tall rival who was a queen that disguised herself as a boy to gain English sanctuary? It's a great tale. None of this is to say that Thomas neglects actual informative facts about the Elizabethan era and its people. In fact, this kind of information is so plentiful that it fills each and every page without ever drawing undue attention to itself. I think I learned more about ancient court life within these pages than I could have hoped to anywhere else.

In addition to fabulous factual storytelling and a wonderful ear for narrative, tension, and intrigue, Thomas has filled the book with numerous paintings of the characters involved, even going so far as to include Elizabeth's life in portraits as a color filled section of seven portraits that follow her through the years. To help the easily confused (like my pretty self) there's a fabulous opening section that names and describes many of the book's major players. There's also a portrait gallery of Henry VIII's wives and description of their mostly shortened lives. The back of the book contains a useful chronology of events, a well-cited bibliography of every source Thomas used or even thought of using, and an index. You're in safe hands with this thorough researcher.

Thomas attempts in this book to show the life of Elizabeth without commenting on her too much. Yes, Elizabeth could be as cruel and calculating as her predecessors and she wasn't afraid to "Off with their head" a couple of her closest compatriots. In the end, however, she comes off as a remarkable woman. Thomas leaves plenty of room for speculation on lurid topics that cover everything from Elizabeth's sex life to her love of sweets for dinner. Nothing here is written in stone, but this is probably as good a teen biography of this great woman you're going to get for at least another one hundred years. As someone who looked upon reading this book initially as a chore, I can tell you honestly that it was a joy to go through. A biography that deserves remembrance.

WONDERFUL.......2003-11-28

This is a wonderful and very detailed book on Queen Elizabeth I of England- it explains everything from the divorce from Catherine of Aragorn to her reported affairs with Robin Dudley. If you want to know more about English history, this is definitely a great place to start.

This is the best biography on Elizabeth I that I've read so far, and it has pictures of the portraits that she appeared in in her life. And you'll learn pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about Elizabeth the First- from what her three nicknames were (Gloriana, Good Queen Bess, and the Virgin Queen) to the last lie that she every told her sister, Mary.

This is a great book, and I recommend it to everyone!

Well written, but content inappropriate for pre-teens.......2003-11-13

While the publisher touts this book as appropriate for children 10 and up, I think the School Journal recommendation of Grades 8 and up is much more appropriate. My eight year old wanted to read this book for a class project. I mistakenly thought it would be an excellent choice, but by page 17, I'd forbidden her to continue. By that time, I'd been asked to define ýprostitute,ý ýcastration,ý ýdisemboweling,ý ýliaison,ý "skin ulcer," and ýdeformedý as she read passages that included subjects like the corruption in the priesthood (priests living openly with prostitutes), the adultery charges against Anne Boleyn (including explanations of how the fact that her third child was born stillborn and deformed might have led to rumors about Anneýs morality, as deformity was believed to stem from the woman participating in witchcraft or sexual intercourse with the devil) , and Henryýs persecution of those who refused to accept his new authority as head of the Church of England (including the execution, castration, and disemboweling of priests who defied him). While all the information is accurate and well-researched, this gritty detail (much of which I didn't have to deal with until I was a sophomore in college) seems inappropriate for a child's introduction to the fascinating life of Queen Elizabeth I or Tudor England. It is much more likely -- especially for a sensitive child -- to put them off both subjects forever!

The First Book.......2003-07-28

When I was at my city library I was digging through all the children's biographies and came across this book on Elizabeth I. I thought it would be nice to study this "great" woman, so I decieded to give this book a try.
I did do a good choice. Though it confused me a little bit and was boring in places, I enjoyed it-and it increased my interest in not just Elizabeth, but all royals. I will have to say that another biography on Elizabeth II that I got at the same time was much better for me at the time.

Average customer rating:

Comprehensive and Interesting
Best biography of Elizabeth I
a clear-eyed personal and political bio
The First Iron lady?
A Well-Researched and Detailed Account

Elizabeth I
Anne Somerset
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394544358
Release Date: 1991-11-05

Book Description

Glitteringly detailed and engagingly written, the magisterial Elizabeth I brings to vivid life the golden age of sixteenth-century England and the uniquely fascinating monarch who presided over it. A woman of intellect and presence, Elizabeth was the object of extravagant adoration by her contemporaries. She firmly believed in the divine providence of her sovereignty and exercised supreme authority over the intrigue-laden Tudor court and Elizabethan England at large. Brilliant, mercurial, seductive, and maddening, an inspiration to artists and adventurers and the subject of vicious speculation over her choice not to marry, Elizabeth became the most powerful ruler of her time. Anne Somerset has immortalized her in this splendidly illuminating account.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive and Interesting.......2007-05-26

I had never read a historical biography before, and I had no idea a book like this could be such a page turner. I could hardly put it down! Somerset does a superb job placing this brilliant monarch in the context of her time period. She goes into detail about court intrigues, political strife, and personal relationships. I found the book much more exciting and dramatic than the movie. after reading this book, I felt that I understood not just Elizabeth better, but the whole Elizabethan era. To top things off, Somerset's style is easy to read. The book is well researched and objective; never over romanticizing or over criticizing. Plus, it's a thick book so you get more for your money. I would have liked to hear more about the Queen's supposed virginity (Somerset goes with the Virgin Queen angle) but I'd still pick this book over Allison Weir any day.

Best biography of Elizabeth I.......2007-05-13

This is the most substantial and elegantly written of the recent biographies of Elizabeth I. Somerset is especially good on Elizabeth's character (indecisiveness was a big element in it). The book includes excellent summaries of complicated and obscure issues like the England's campaigns in the Netherlands. You get a clear sense of Elizabeth's learning and mastery of languagde, but I did wish for more quotation from Elizabeth's speeches and letters. On that front, it's helpful to read this biography together with Elizabeth I: Collected Works, which includes modern-spelling versions of these (plus her poetry, etc.).

a clear-eyed personal and political bio .......2006-11-05

This is an insightful and fascinating look into the age of Elizabeth I: not only does the author explore her complex private life, but her techniques of holding and exercising power and diplomacy - always mixed together - are examined with a depth that never romanticises this remarkable leader.

The story begins with a frightening look into the battle for succession. Her half-sister, Bloody Mary, at the moment is attempting to re-convert the country with ruthless brutality to the Catholicism of her mother, whom Henry VIII divorced to marry Anne Boleyn, E I's mother. Thus, E I faced not only the normal suspicion of treasonous intent between bitter blood rivals with a personal twist, but also was open in her protestantism during the bloodiest epoch of the Reformation. While E I survived and was crowned as queen, the legitimacy of her claim was always under threat - her difficult though charismatic Catholic cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, served as a living reminder of how easily E I might be replaced on the throne. E I survives, of course, and more or less triumphs over all her adversaries, but she was never bloodthirsty.

Behind this basic plot, Somerset masterfully dissects the machinery of government of the time. As an absolute sovereign, E I had the last word, but she relied on a series of deeply trusted advisors as well as a network of courtiers, with whom she forged extremely close (perhaps physical) relationships. They form a fascinating backdrop as the story unfolds with their attempts to manipulate while serving her. It is as complex as a Shakespearean drama and yet Somerset is wonderfully even-handed in her treatmet of them all, from Cecil and Dudley to the deranged and dangerous step son of Dudley. E I's missteps, pride, and personal need for attention and love are criticially covered in just the right level of detail: not academically over-exhaustive, but satisfyingly complete nonetheless. After reading this, I went to the National Portrait Gallery in London and immensely enjoyed looking at paintings of virtually all of the characters. Finally, the finances of the Kingdon, so interlinked with the patronage system she managed to keep her aristocrats happy, are explained in perfect detail that is never excessive. There is also a clear explanation of E I's carefully engineered religious compromise as embodied in the Anglican Church.

Then there are the details of E I's diplomacy: she held out the prospect of marriage as a tool of this, ever enticing suitors, but never quite committing. It was a brilliant balancing act, in which she often felt personally vulnerable and perhaps even hopeful of finding a love match, while ever cunningly manipulative. This was perhaps the most fascinating for me, with characters surpassing her courtiers, such as the Duke d'Anjou, who preferred men and was later a transvestite before being murdered as the French King. But there were score of others, including Philip II, her great rival in Spain and former brother-in-law, whose Armada she crippled to make England a true world power with new naval techniques.

Warmly recommended. THis is a masterpiece of popular scholarship, beautifully written, and elegantly subtle as well as demandingly critical. It is the perfect supplement to those who enjoyed Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth. The only thing that I would have wanted in this is a more in-depth cultural explanation of the Age she was identified with, but that would be a book in itself.

The First Iron lady?.......2006-07-22

This is an excellent book and a lively and interesting read. Anne Somerset gives an insight into all sides of the character of Elizabeth. Her moods and feelings, (she was renowned at the time for her short temper), both as a woman and a Queen.

The glamour of the Tudor court and what it was like to be in or out of favour in a clique where a careless word could in some cases cost you your life.

Elizabeth did not suffer fools gladly and the book examines her religious feelings, her sexuality and the way she dealt with conflicts both at home and abroad in what was essentially a man's world. Elizabeth was nobody's fool and although she would listen to her advisers, she had a mind of her own, shrewd and extremely intelligent, and was quite capable of using her authority as monarch to make important decisions for herself.

The book is a delight for anyone with the slightest interest in history.

A Well-Researched and Detailed Account.......2005-07-07

I thought Somerset's Elizabeth I was an excellent biography. At almost every turn you were loaded with so many little facts and intricacies that seemed to go off on another tangent but somehow ended up where it began and leaving you with an even better understanding of the topic.

What I liked was how Somerset presented the information. She was not in awe, and her writing was straightforward and no-nonsense. She didn't try to make Elizabeth seem more than a person, and she included all the aspects of the woman's personality, including an outrageous vanity and an almost childlike stubborness.

While, of course, a biography of Elizabeth I, it is not so much about her, but of every person that had a factor in her life, including a weak, disastrous older sister and queen, a father desperate for sons, the queen's favorite but court-despised Dudley, and her tumultous relationship with her cousin, Mary Stuart.

From start to end, its only purpose is to be as informative as possible, and though it may occasionally wander, it is filled with detail and research, which is all one can truly ask of such a book.

Average customer rating:

great writer. period.
What a voice!

Elizabeth and Essex: A Tragic History
Lytton Strachey
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156027615

Book Description

One of the most famous and baffling romances in history-between Elizabeth I, Queen of England and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex-began in May of 1587, when she was fifty-three and he was just shy of twenty. Their relationship continued until 1601, when the Earl of Essex was beheaded for treason. And, in a succession of brilliant scenes, Strachey portrays the Queen's and the Earl's compelling attraction for on another, their impassioned disagreements, and their mutual contest for power, which led to a final, tragic confrontation. Here we also have superb portraits of influential people of the time: Francis Bacon, Robert Cecil, Walter Raleigh, and other figures of the court who struggled to assert themselves in a kingdom that was primarily defined by her sovereign, and so now seen through history's lens as Elizabethan England.

Customer Reviews:

great writer. period........2006-09-12

once upon a time it seems there was this fella who thought you could actually write creative and lively non-fiction. his name was lytton strachey and he carried his thought out onto paper. all of his books are wonderfully written non-fiction. why oh why do so few non-fiction writers swing for the fence with their writing? is it editors? i know nothing about the inner-workings of the book business. it just puzzles me why almost all non-fiction writing is so uncreative, so unimaginative. lytton strachey, God bless you man! wherever your soul may be.

What a voice!.......2005-10-04

Strachey is deeply sympathetic of both Elizabeth and Essex, recognizing their strengths and their tragic shortcomings. Most modern biographies of Elizabeth rake her over the coals for her famously dithering and constipated decision-making process, but Strachey makes a good case for indecision as a political weapon, and cites this quality as part of Elizabeth's genius. The relationship between this hugely complex 70-year old queen and the magnificent but deeply flawed earl is dissected factually and emotionally. An amazing achievement. Jill Masters has a beautiful, silky voice and brings real poignancy to this subtle work.

The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor

Average customer rating:

Yawn
Queen
The Daily Grind of Being a Monarch
Not much new information
Journalistic mishmash

The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor
Penny Junor
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312352743
Release Date: 2005-06-23

Book Description

The House of Windsor is a big business, though one with more ups and downs than the stock market. Prince Philip calls it “The Firm,” and all the royal executives and their powerful associates are supposed to make every effort to avoid even a hint of scandal that could diminish the reputation of the family business.

Unfortunately for the royals, for the past twenty years scandal and controversy have deluged the Queen’s family, putting everything at risk. Focusing primarily on the years after the death of Diana and leading up to the heir to the throne’s marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles this past April 9th, royal insider Penny Junor offers a sympathetic yet utterly candid look at a family that has made itself the world’s soap opera in THE FIRM: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor.

Can “The Firm” survive much longer? Will Charles or even William decide that the throne is not worth the trouble? Can this, the ultimate family business, weather this storm of spiritual (though not fiscal) bankruptcy, or will momentum and a cadre of brilliant advisors keep the enterprise in business for years to come?

THE FIRM investigates the Family’s relationship with government, the press and the people. It looks at whether the institution can reach out to those, particularly the young, who see the House of Windsor as insignificant. It asks, in short, whether the British monarchy has a future.

Penny Junor knows the answers in this sure-to-be controversial book—the first to be published on the newly restructured royal family.

Customer Reviews:

Yawn.......2007-10-11

I love things about the royal family. But this book put me to sleep faster than a double dose of Ambian.
Penny is a Prince Of Wales fan, through and through. And she quite likes Camilla. This felt like reading a book written by the Prince's PR machine.
The most disappointing book about the Windsors ever. Too much minutia and not enough substance. I agree, check it out of the library! Caution. DO NOT BUY!

Queen.......2007-03-08

Before watching the film -title Queen ý'D like to have some ideas about the Royal family and ý think Watching the film after having o good idea about the family and their sufferings of being a member of a royal family will give me a total understanding and pleasure of knownig what you are going to watch.
The book is perfect

The Daily Grind of Being a Monarch.......2006-11-11

Junor describes the nuts and bolts of how this institution runs. She covers the funding, the ownership, the organizational structure, how the ceremonies are arranged, how often chandeliers are cleaned. We get sketches of the principals and their staffs and their frustrations in managing their images through the fallout of Diana's star power and other less momentuous set backs.

I didn't know that the monarch can dissolve parliament and declare war, nor of the other powers on p. 398; nor did I understand the foundation (very loose) of the Commonwealth (p.289).

While there is a lot of information, it is not well organized. I didn't know what a lot of things were. Some are not explained, but some are explained in later chapters. This not very good organization and long quotes, make the book seem very much like it's been cut and pasted from previous columns and interviews.

The last chapter, discussing the future of this monarchy, gives some comparative information and contains a lot of quotes. It's a disappointment, because this chapter should have been substantive.

The current family has made itself relevant through charitable work, recognizing national achievement, being interesting to tourists and being helpful to the British Department of State. They (and their staffs) put in long hours, and are no doubt dedicated to their country and their work. It seems to me that this institution will probably fade when a generation of monarchs, themselves, tire of it.

Not much new information.......2005-09-01

Although the reading was easy and interesting there was not much new information to learn. Also, it seemed as though the author needed pages of quoted information from others just to fill up the book time after time again. I would recommend checking the book out of the library rather than buying it.

Journalistic mishmash.......2005-08-24

While this book does contain some new and interesting information; on the whole it clearly is not historiography in any normal sense of the term. The book reads like a series of newspaper columns untouched by editing or a thematic approach.
The author does however, as they say in the tabloids, 'name names' (whether or not the average reader knows who they are.)
As a piece of gossip and current events it bears reading; but a reader looking for serious scholarship or even decent biography should wait for the paperback edition.

Average customer rating:

Royal Year 1991
Tim Graham
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0671752022

Sir John Hawkins: Queen Elizabeth's Slave Trader

Average customer rating:

One of the Armada's Fab Four

Sir John Hawkins: Queen Elizabeth's Slave Trader
Harry Kelsey
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300096631

Book Description

Although his cousin Sir Francis Drake is more famous, Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595) was a more successful seaman and played a pivotal role in the history of England and the emergence of the global slave trade. Born into a family of wealthy pirates, Hawkins became fascinated by tales of the riches of foreign lands. Early in his career he led an illegal expedition in which he captured three hundred slaves in Sierra Leone and transported them to the West Indies. There he traded them for pearls, hides, and sugar—thus giving birth to the British slave trade. His voyages were so lucrative that Queen Elizabeth herself sponsored subsequent missions.

Discouraged from his career as a pirate by a near-fatal encounter with angry Spanish troops, Hawkins spent much of his later life in England at the service of the queen. Although he committed treason, murder, and adultery at various points in his career, he was nonetheless knighted in 1588 for his role in defeating the Spanish Armada. In this riveting book, Harry Kelsey, biographer of Sir Francis Drake, tells the story of this extraordinary man.

Customer Reviews:

One of the Armada's Fab Four.......2004-09-08

Those of us raised on tales of the Armada, and the gallant defense of the English homeland, will immediately recognize Sir John Hawkins as one of the fabulous Four heroes who repelled the Spanish attacks (the other three being Howard, Drake and Frobisher). Less admirably, Hawkins is also notorious for his freebooting in the Carribean, wherein he sought to bust the Spanish monopoly on slave-trading. Like Sir Francis Drake, Hawkins was a master of staging a phony "raid" on local Spanish officials who were all too keen to buy the Englishman's wares - but needed to stage a token resistace to the interlopers in order to satisfy King Philip that the dreaded English had forced them to trade at gunpoint. Kelsey tells Hawkins's life story passably well, but the narrative is, for the most part, an unexciting one; for a character this infamous, one might have expected something more.

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