Product Description

Elizabeth I ruled England in defiance of convention, exercising supreme authority in a man's world. With courage, brilliance and style, she reigned for nearly forty-five years. Anne Somerset's penetrating biography of this complex and uniquely gifted woman is unrivalled in its analysis of both Elizabeth's personal life and her career as leader. 'I strongly recommend this book...the writing is a delight' Daily Telegraph 'By applying herself industriously to the evidence, Anne Somerset presents a convincing as well as complex character at the centre of her long, but ever lucid narrative' Antonia Fraser

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55387 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 720 pages

About the Author
Anne Somerset was born in 1955 and educated in London, Gloucestershire and Kent. After reading History at King's College, London she worked as a research assistant for various historians. Anne Somerset is married and lives in London.

Customer Reviews

A king in queen's clothing
She was the virgin queen, the woman who would give her name to a glorious era in England's history. The truth, however, was somewhat different as Anne Somerset points out in absorbing detail in this new biography. For the Queen's long reign would be judged years later after many years of unsuccessful and occasionally disastrous Stuart rule. Elizabeth had a disturbing childhood. Her mother was put to death by Henry VIII and she was constantly at risk during the brief reign of her Catholic sister Mary. Perhaps because of this, Elizabeth grew into a powerful and independently-minded monarch who knew precisely how to deal with her male courtiers and to use her sex to her best advantage. In an age when women were considered weak and hopelessly inferior, Elizabeth proved the opposite. Somerset charts the milestones of her reign in detail - the execution of Mary Queen of Scots and the Spanish Armada to name but two. There is much discussion on the religious issue, the succession and her relationship with foreign courts but it is the woman herself who time and again proves so fascinating.

More Than a Man, Less Than A Woman
Anne Somerset's biography of Elizabeth 1st, is quite frankly the best.

I have read several other biographies on Elizabeth 1st and none have been able to capture the exciting nature of this time in history, whilst staying true and faithful to historical accuracy.

Anne Someret's biography shows Elizabeth in the kindest light, without coming across as overly bias.

She tells us the facts, and does so in an amazingly fluent and beautiful story-telling way.

I flew through the book. Not once. Nor twice. But three times!

The book sticks on Elizabeth throughout - which may sound obvious, but I've read one particular biography of Elizabeth where half the book is devoted to the people linked to her, rather than Elizabeth herself. Anne Someret manages to still mention all the same facts and the same events, whilst staying on track.

My all-time favourite biography! Love it!

Great
I read many books about Queen Elizabeth I, but this one is the best!

My "favourite period" in Elizabeth's life is her dangerous youth - you can see very clearly how a lively girl became a cautious, shrewd, indecisive young woman and, as Anne Somerset calls it, "an unerring judge" of human nature. She learned from experience and before long she became a good deal wiser than her grown-up governess and advisers!

The author, who is neutral and fair all the time, doesn't forget anything - for example, Elizabeth's attitude towards torture. She even mentions Elizabeth's attitude towards cruelty to animals. It made me very sad to read that Elizabeth delighted in bear-baiting - it's the only thing I don't like about her!

Though very detailed, the biography is never boring! It's great and exciting and I absolutely love it.