Product Description

In this major biography of the queen, Wallace MacCaffrey focusses on Elizabeth's career as a practising politician, taking into account her testing personal experience, her temperament, her own view of her role and the constraints she frequently faced whether imposed by the inheritance from her predecessors or by contemporary events. The Elizabeth who emerges from these pages has a more human appearance than the stiff, richly garbed, bejewelled Elizabeth of the royal portraits. She is more fallible. And more interesting.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #573225 in Books
• Published on: 1994-04-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
...surely the most important [biography] since Neale's appeared nearly sixty years ago...gives us a persuasive picture of the queen, sympathetic but wholly without hagiography?

Shrewd Judgements are numerous, and the narrative incorporates subtle analyses of events, personalities, and the relationships between them. (Journal of Modern History ) --History



Now at last it [Sir John Neale's 1934 biography of Elizabeth I] faces an academic challenge. --The Times Higher Education Supplement



The strength of Professor MacCaffrey's treatment lies in the clarity with which he presents the portrait of Elizabeth as policy maker, and her strengths and weaknesses in that capacity. As a public figure his skills do justice to her role. --Archive for Reformation History

Review
...surely the most important [biography] since Neale's appeared nearly sixty years ago...gives us a persuasive picture of the queen, sympathetic but wholly without hagiography? (History )

Now at last it [Sir John Neale's 1934 biography of Elizabeth I] faces an academic challenge. (The Times Higher Education Supplement )

The strength of Professor MacCaffrey's treatment lies in the clarity with which he presents the portrait of Elizabeth as policy maker, and her strengths and weaknesses in that capacity. As a public figure his skills do justice to her role. (Archive for Reformation History )

Shrewd Judgements are numerous, and the narrative incorporates subtle analyses of events, personalities, and the relationships between them. (Journal of Modern History )

Customer Reviews

Elizabeth Rules
MacCaffrey takes a refreshing look at Elizabeth. A number of biographies have tended to focus on Elizabeth the woman, picking out the genealogical and succession problems of a female ascending the throne - Elizabeth the woman versus Elizabeth the queen. This biography explores the political dimension - in an era before party politics it is simplistic to dismiss the 'political' nature of the struggle for the throne and for control of power. MacCaffrey offers a corrective to the dynastic / aristocratic power struggle by considering the practical nature of political intrigue.