Product Description

The England of Elizabeth was a nation under threat, both from factions within and great powers without. Opposition to the Protestant establishment meant that the queen and her court constantly believed themselves menaced by subterfuge and plots. In this fragile climate, spies and spy networks were of cardinal importance. This is an unrivalled and impeccably detailed account of the 'secret services' operated by the great men of Elizabethan England. By stealthy efforts at home and abroad the Elizabethan spy clusters became forces to be feared. Kidnapping, surveillance, conspiracy, counter-espionage, theft and lying were just a few of the methods employed to defeat the ever-present threat of regicide. This book challenges many stale notions about espionage in Renaissance England and presents complex material in an absorbing way, so that the reign of Elizabeth I is shown in a compellingly new and bold light.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #144859 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Ciphers, secrets and spies
Alan Haynes is a great writer; his books are meticulously researched, and he makes the subjects accessible. You get the impression that he's passionate about what he writes about, and this is good news for the reader.

From the first page to the last page of this book I was hooked. Secret services and spies always make for interesting reading, but this period of espionage, I find, is the most interesting. How did spies work without tiny cameras and bugs?... It's all about real intelligence work; dangerous and usually life-threatening. The Throckmorton and Babington plots are detailed, as well as the Rodrigo Lopez and the Giordano Bruno/French Embassy cases. Plus all the court intrigues involving the earls of Northumberland, Essex and Leicester, and the spymasters Burghley and Walsingham - it's all here with the smallest details. (I can also recommend Haynes's Walsingham biography for further reading.)

I found it easy to get into, and it kept my interest held throughout. It's a book that I know I will return to again and again to reference certain events. Excellent.