Elizabeth I (Penguin Monarchs)

The ability of an historian to be a story teller is what makes history so interesting and accessible. Helen Castor is one of the best story tellers out there! I've watched all of her documentary videos, and read all but one of her books. (I wish she would write more!) The amount of research she's obviously done in preparation is staggering, and she can weave it into a story that's truly riveting. Her book on the Paston letters (Blood and Roses) is one I couldn't put down.

If you love all things Tudor, add this to your collection. A concise, intelligent portrayal of Elizabeth I. It doesn't bog down in intricate, minute details, but it does give you enough to keep you engaged. The section on further reading is a gem because it gives ideas for more in-depth reading.

I've read other bios of the Queen, but this is one is concise, interesting, and presents the history in a different light. Worth the read!

Interesting focus on the frailty of being a female monarch...clever, insightful woman. Helen Castor too.

Helen Castor admits this was a not an easy book to write, and is to be congratulated on fitting so much into less than a hundred pages. I like this Penguin Monarch's series, as the authors are cleverly chosen and have done remarkably well within the limitations of the format.The subtitle 'A Study in Insecurity' offers a good clue to Helen Castor's interpretation of Elizabeth's life. Even before she was queen, it must have been worrying to have the shadow of the executioner's axe hanging over her. As queen, she had to put up with insults and whispering both at home and abroad, and threats of assassins. She is reported to have claimed she was not afraid of anything, but Elizabeth could never feel truly secure on her throne.Dismissed by her enemies as a 'Jezebel' and a 'she-wolf', the most amazing thing about Elizabeth's life is how she managed to rise above it all. She told her advisors not to hold back secrets, but was prepared to send them to the Tower if they crossed her. This made her lonely in her later years, an insomniac with debilitating depression, yet Elizabeth ruled as Queen of England for forty-five years.I visited Westminster Abbey and sensed a new connection with Elizabeth as I laid my hand on her tomb. I feel inspired to re-evaluate my understanding of her life after reading this excellent little book. Highly recommended.

Helen is one of my favourite academics who delivers a narrative about Queen Elizabeth I with brilliant readability.One of the most famous women in English history, but also a person who understood loss, neglect, fear, humility, love, bravery, vanity... you name it... a very ordinary person. But also someone who understood fully the role of the Crown and Monarchy, and her function within it. Helen made Elizabeth very real... in both her personal and public roles, and I loved that. Elizabeth's letters were so well thought out and readable and their meanings so profound. Take from them what you will; I saw a person who understood the enormity of her rule, at a time when she was systematically and continually vilified by Catholic Spain and Europe, with the men of her court trying to tell her what to do. But she was different... yes, she was Tudor, but she was her own person and a woman. Women do things differently and I salute that.Well done Helen. A fantastic read.

For a concise introduction to one of England's iconic monarchs, this is hard to beat. The writing is so engaging, and the story so well told that events unfold before the reader like a tapestry. Elizabeth's personal psychology is explored and we develop an understanding of a very vulnerable woman who created an aura of invulnerability and controlled both her court and council through her intellect, wit, political maneuvering and sheer force of will. We can believe her when she is quoted at Tilbury addressing her troops before the Spanish Armada: 'I am come among you at this time... to live and die amongst you all... even in the dust.' When comes such another?

This is an excellent little book. It is very clear, well written and superbly informative. When you have finished this book you have a clear picture of Elizabeth 1st's reign, the dangers that she experienced before becoming queen and the threats to her reign throughout its course. It is a masterpiece of brevity together with clarity which could only be achieved through great skill and deep knowledge.

A surprisingly insightful life of an iconic figure. It is very informative while still giving a new view of Elizabeth’s life and reign.