Book Description
Perhaps the most influential sovereign England has ever
known, Queen Elizabeth I reigned prosperously for more than
forty years, from 1558 until her death in 1603. During her
rule, however, she remained an extremely private person,
keeping her own counsel and sharing secrets with no one--not
even her closest, most trusted advisors. Now, in this
brilliantly researched, fascinating new book, acclaimed
biographer Alison Weir brings the enigmatic figure of
Elizabeth 1 to life as never before.
Here are provocative new interpretations and fresh
insights on the intimacy between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley,
who rose from Master of the Horse to become Earl of
Leicester; the imprisonment and execution of Elizabeth's
rival, Mary Stuart; Elizabeth's clash with Philip of Spain,
once her suitor and then her enemy; and the cruel betrayal of
her beloved Essex.
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,
exploring complex questions. 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, but 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, Alison Weir's The Life of Elizabeth I is a work of
deep reflection and extraordinary scholarship--a mesmerizing,
stunning reading experience.
