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Alison Weir
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Book
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Publisher | Vintage | ||
ISBN | 978-009952425 | ||
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Ann
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Synopsis
In her highly praised "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and its sequel, "Children of England", Alison Weir examined the private lives of the early Tudor kings and queens, and chronicled the childhood and youth of one of England's most successful monarchs, Elizabeth I. This book begins as the young Elizabeth ascends the throne in the wake of her sister Mary's disastrous reign. Elizabeth is portrayed as both a woman and a queen, an extraordinary phenomenon in a patriarchal age. Alison Weir writes of Elizabeth's intriguing, long-standing affair with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, of her dealings - sometimes comical, sometimes poignant - with her many suitors, of her rivalry with Mary, Queen of Scots, and of her bizarre relationship with the Earl of Essex, thirty years her junior. Rich in detail, vivid and colourful, this book comes as close as we shall ever get to knowing what Elizabeth I was like as a person.
Review
Fantastic and fascinating !
Alison Weir's great talent is to pack in details without losing readability - I was hooked, and it's not as if it's a story we don't know ! Her knowledge of the period shines through.
As a book, it's the total picture of Elizabeth and her time, not just the politics and motives, but the clothes, the food, the customs, the court. The characters come to life. As an exposition of Elizabeth herself, it's masterly. For example, why didn't she marry, why did she procrastinate and vacillate over major decisions. Hypotheses are put forward, examined and supported. Such a treat to read so much of the letters and speeches of the time, many Elizabeth's own.
Highly recommended, as good as, if not better, than Alison Weir's books on Isabella and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
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