Elizabeth

Description

In this spirited United Kingdom bestseller, Starkey presents a brilliant examination of the formative years of the "Virgin Queen, " recreating a host of extravagant characters, mad-cap schemes, and tragic plots, while using original documents to depict the princess's tumultuous life before her accession to the throne in 1588. Two 8-page color photo inserts. An abused child, yet confident of her destiny to reign, a woman in a man's world, passionately sexual -- though, as she maintained, a virgin -- Elizabeth I is famed as England's most successful ruler. David Starkey's brilliant new biography concentrates on Elizabeth's formative years -- from her birth in 1533 to her accession in 1558 -- and shows how the experiences of danger and adventure formed her remarkable character and shaped her opinions and beliefs. From princess and heir-apparent to bastardized and disinherited royal, accused traitor to head of the princely household, Elizabeth experienced every vicissitude of fortune and extreme of condition -- and rose above it all to reign during a watershed moment in history. A uniquely absorbing tale of one young woman's turbulent, courageous, and seemingly impossible journey toward the throne, Elizabeth is the exhilarating story of the making of a queen.

Description

"An abused child, yet confident of her destiny to reign, a woman in a man's world, passionately sexual - though, as she maintained, a virgin - Elizabeth I was to be famed as England's most successful ruler. This new biography, by concentrating on the formative early years - from her birth in 1533 to her accession in 1558 - shows how her experiences of danger and adventure formed her remarkable character and shaped her opinions and beliefs. A tale of one young woman's turbulent, courageous and seemingly impossible journey towards the throne, it is the story of the making of a queen.". "David Starkey re-creates a host of extravagant characters, madcap schemes and tragic plots, while using original documents to point up the importance of the rituals of power and life at court. Elizabeth, whose own Protestant faith was personal and sophisticated, was extremely judicious in her handling of Reform, as in her choice of advisors and councilors. Here, too, is a fresh view of the famous rivalry between the daughters of Henry VIII: the pious Catholic Mary and her clever sister. While Elizabeth remained utterly devoted to her father, she was also determined not to lose her opportunity for power - and not to make the same mistakes as Mary. The skill with which she achieved her goal proved to be a sign that England had reached a watershed moment in its history."--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects

Genres

• Biography

Other Editions

• Elizabeth: the struggle for the throneHarperCollins Publishers2001-01-01
• ElizabethHardcoverHarperCollins Publishers2000-11-21
• ElizabethHarperCollins Publishers2000-11-21
• ElizabethThorndike Press2001-01-01
• ElizabethPerennial2001-01-01
• ElizabethHarperCollins Audio2001-02-19