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by: Alison Weir  List Price: $17.00 Amazon.com's Price: $11.56 You Save: $5.44 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 942.055092 EAN: 9780345425508 ISBN: 0345425502 Label: Ballantine Books Manufacturer: Ballantine Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 560 Publication Date: 1999-10 Publisher: Ballantine Books Release Date: October 05, 1999 Studio: Ballantine Books Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: The long life and powerful personality of England's beloved Virgin Queen have eternal appeal, and popular historian Alison Weir depicts both with panache. She's especially good at evoking the physical texture of Tudor England: the elaborate royal gowns (actually an intricate assembly of separate fabric panels buttoned together over linen shifts), the luxurious but unhygienic palaces (Elizabeth got the only "close stool"; most members of her retinue relieved themselves in the courtyards), the huge meals heavily seasoned to disguise the taste of spoiled meat. Against this earthy backdrop, Elizabeth's intelligence and formidable political skills stand in vivid relief. She may have been autocratic, devious, even deceptive, but these traits were required to perform a 45-year tightrope walk between the two great powers of Europe, France and Spain. Both countries were eager to bring small, weak England under their sway and to safely marry off its inconveniently independent queen. Weir emphasizes Elizabeth's precarious position as a ruling woman in a man's world, suggesting plausibly that the single life was personally appealing as well as politically expedient for someone who had seen many ambitious ladies--including her own mother--ruined and even executed for just the appearance of sexual indiscretions. The author's evaluations of such key figures in Elizabeth's reign as the Earl of Leicester (arguably the only man she ever loved) and William Cecil (her most trusted adviser) are equally cogent and respectful of psychological complexity. Weir does a fine job of retelling this always-popular story for a new generation. --Wendy Smith Product Description: Perhaps the most influential sovereign England has ever known, Queen Elizabeth I remained an extremely private person throughout her reign, keeping her own counsel and sharing secrets with no one--not even her closest, most trusted advisers. Now, in this brilliantly researched, fascinating new book, acclaimed biographer Alison Weir shares provocative new interpretations and fresh insights on this enigmatic figure. 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. 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--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, The Life of Elizabeth I is a mesmerizing, stunning reading experience. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Not Weir's best workThis is a biography on the life of Queen Elizabeth I, not a political biography. If you are looking for the latter, then you will be immensely disappointed with this book. The majority of the book is dedicated to Elizabeth's many quarrels/reconciliations with Dudley and Essex. Alison Weir successfully brings the relationships to life with many excerpts from personal letters written by the Queen and her favorites. Unfortunately, I think Weir was over-generous with the information she ... Read More Rating:  - Beautifully written biographyAlison Weir does a fantastic job in recounting history in layman's terms. Details are vivid and engaging without the hyperbole you would expect in descriptions of the life and times of Elizabeth I. The book is very easy to read and compelling. The language is not so simplistic that you think you are being talked down to, nor is the language so difficult that you have re-read pages twice to understand. The personal life of Elizabeth I is presented against her public one, though, as Ms. Weir ... Read More Rating: - A Rather Narrow and Shallow TreatmentThis is the fourth Alison Weir novel that I've read and looking back, I've rated them all three stars. This is certainly not an endorsement, as the subject matter of these novels (mid-second millenium English history) is of great interest to me. Each of these works simply falls short in providing the kind of captivating reading experience that the subject matter offers. The Life of Elizabeth I is a perfect example. Someone relying on this work for their sole exposure to Elizabeth ... Read More Rating: - Amazing indepth information.I was hooked on this book.I could not put it down.Im amazed at the amount of historical paper work that still survives to this day for this kind of biography.I felt like like I eas there. Rating: - As background for ShakespeareI read this book as part of my interest in the Shakespeare authorship question. It was my first biography of Elizabeth, so I can't presume to compare to others. But I have read some other Tudor/Elizabethan history. I found Weir's book engaging, informative, relevant to my own interests, and colorful; and it seemed reasonably balanced. Take Me With You When You Go 
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