All the Queen's Men: The World of Elizabeth I [Hardcover]

Peter Brimacombe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312232519 | ISBN-13: 978-0312232511 | Publication Date: July 7, 2000

Opening with an overview of the reigns of the first four Tudor monarchs, the author emphasizes just how much England was in need of a strong and charismatic ruler, particularly after the disastrous reign of "Bloody Mary." Subsequent chapters examine the make up of the royal court and the personality of Elizabeth herself, showing how her perilous path to the throne taught her much that was to stand her in good stead as Queen.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

All the Queen's Men is an enjoyable and well-written introduction to Elizabethan England. Beginning with a look at the life of Elizabeth and her court, author and photographer Brimacombe (Gardens on a Grand Scale) devotes one chapter each to various groups of men (e.g., the Statesmen, Men of God, and the Suitors) and their relationships to the queen. For those unfamiliar with the period, he provides a good place to start. Though certainly not a necessary purchase for libraries that own many of A.L. Rowse's excellent works (Elizabethan Garland, Shakespeare the Man), this work is recommended for high school libraries where appropriate, as well as academic and public libraries.DElizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

If Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth piqued your curiosity about the Virgin Queen, Brimacombe’s elegant evocation of “the world of Elizabeth I” is for you.Here we meet not only Elizabeth, the charismatic ruler who ascended the throne in 1558, but the men of her retinue as well. We get to know Elizabeth’s Privy Council of advisers: William Cecil (the principal Secretary of State), Lord Robert Dudley (whose close relationship with the Queen was envied by other councilors), and Sir Christopher Hatton (who acted as liaison between the queen and parliament). Readers also get to know sailors and explorers: John Hawkins (who pioneered naval warfare), privateer Francis Drake (whose “easy rapport” with the queen inspired jealousy on the part of advisers who did not have direct access to Elizabeth), Martin Frobisher (who undertook a transatlantic voyage in an effort to discover a northwest passage to Cathay), and Sir Humphrey Gilbert (who died off the coast of Newfoundland). And we meet Elizabeth’s string of unsuccessful suitors—Philip of Spain, Charles the Archduke of Austria, and Henry the Duke of Anjou. As she navigated between the Protestantism of her half-brother Edward and the Catholicism of her half-sister Mary, Elizabeth was advised by leading theologians. Matthew Parker, her first Archbishop of Canterbury, was a rather conservative Protestant in the queen’s eyes—his only failing was that he was married (she disapproved of married clergy). John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury, was another theologian in Elizabeth’s circle—and one who was not afraid to speak out when he thought her religious reforms were headed in the wrong direction. Elizabeth was also keenly interested in scholarship and surrounded herself with men of learning—notably John Dee of Cambridge, who studied astrology, alchemy, and mathematics. She also appreciated the arts and underwrote the work of Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Robert Peake, Christopher Marlowe, and, of course, Shakespeare. This slender volume is easy reading, and will delight anyone who is intrigued by Elizabethan England. -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312232519
• ISBN-13: 978-0312232511
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,558,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( E ) > Elizabeth I

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing really new, September 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: All the Queen's Men: The World of Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

Looked forward to this book with great anticipation, but was rather disappointed. Many of the stories in the book, especially in the courtiers and statesmen chapters, were very familiar to me, having read them elsewhere. I'd recommend, instead, a book by Neville Williams with the same name (All the Queen's Men), if you can find a copy (currently out of print). The most interesting personalities of the period are examined in greater depth and the book is better illustrated than Brimacombe's.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best..., October 16, 2000

By 

"ghstdances" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Queen's Men: The World of Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

I have one of the earlier editions of this book... if you are studying Elizabeth I or are simply interested in reading a chronological account of the "Who's Who" of Elizabeth's court and courtiers, this is the book for you. If you're bent runs to historical costuming for the Elizabethan era, this is also the book for you. For the costumers: this book contains more source material (by means of portrait reproduction) than you can imagine or shake a stick at. I used this book not only for historical research, but as a costuming reference as well until I found Janet Arnold's book "Patterns of Fashion." The print plates (and there are A LOT of them) are both in color and b/w in my edition. The book is incredibly well researched and written... very little in it could be considered dry. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a page turner, but after almost 20 years with this book in my library I still use it as a reference... it's THAT good... I HIGHLY recommend it!!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All the Queen's Men, May 1, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Queen's Men: The World of Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

All the Queen's Men provides a wealth of knowledge about Elizabeth 1, and also about the men that helped her to become one of the greatest queens in England's history. For example, Elizabeth's Privy Council was filled with many intelligent and capable people. One of these people was William Cecil, who was an extremely hard-working Secretary of State. Under Elizabeth's reign, she surrounded herself with men of knowledge. But, she also appreciated the arts. Many artists and writers evolved during the Elizabethan rule. One of the most historical writers during this time was William Shakespeare who wrote plays like Romeo and Juliet. Through her entire life, Elizabeth 1 had men surrounding her. But she never picked one for the most important positions in her life to be filled by a man, her husband. She had an extensive string of suitors, but never settled down with one. Among these suitors were Philip of Spain, Charles the Archduke of Austria, and Henry the Duke of Anjou. Overall, this is a very well written book. It contains many relevant illustrations that help you while you are reading. All the Queens Men will delight anyone who is interested in the Elizabethan era.