Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I [Hardcover]

Jane Resh Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 1998

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) impressed herself more vividly on the memory of the world than any other monarch in the history of England. She successfully established and maintained power while refusing to bow to the wishes of those who believed no woman was fit to occupy the English throne. This biography describes the opulent but cruel childhood that shaped the woman Elizabeth became and details her triumphant reign, as well as the unrelenting forces that opposed her. Exploring the answers to some of history's most persistent and intriguing questions, Jane Resh Thomas has created a compelling account of Elizabeth's life that shatters the myths surrounding her and allows readers an unprecedented view of the queen as a human being. Full-color insert, chronology, bibliography, index.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thomas (The Princess in the Pigpen) recounts events in the life of England's legendary queen with the page-turning urgency of a thriller. With copious source notes, the author chronicles the dramatic childhood of the daughter of Henry VIII: her unorthodox youth demanded finely tuned instincts that served her well when she became Queen Elizabeth I at the age of 25. Thomas carefully portrays the climate of political and religious infighting Elizabeth inherited with the throne in 1558 (due to her sister's disastrous marriage to Philip?later King Philip II?of Spain, and Mary's allegiance to the Catholic church calling for Protestants to burn at the stake), as well as her uncanny leadership at a time when women were considered unfit to rule. Duplicitous plots to marry off Elizabeth (who remained a Protestant, like her father) for political, religious and self-serving reasons dot the volume, yet the regal young woman evades her pursuers admirably throughout her life. The author assuredly sets the stage for the eponymous Elizabethan Age by explaining the unusual circumstances of the queen's early education (coinciding with the English Reformation and Renaissance movements), her lifelong appetite for reading and her insatiable curiosity. Thomas makes a complex period in England's history (and in Europe at large) digestible and fascinating for readers by allowing them to view it through Elizabeth's eyes. An opening cast of characters makes an easy reference for readers as they go along; glorious color state portraits and black-and-white photographs and engravings underscore the public images of Queen Elizabeth I. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-A well-crafted examination of the second daughter of Henry VIII. Before inheriting the crown, Elizabeth led an often traumatic life including imprisonment by her half-sister, Mary. However, she bore everything with a patience and wisdom that served her well when she took the reins of an England in the throes of war and religious upheaval. She surrounded herself with trusted male advisors, but chose not to marry. The author argues convincingly that the queen did not want to give up her control to anyone, especially through marriage. Thomas re-creates the historical and social context in which Elizabeth ruled by examining the relationships between other countries in Europe and the role of the Catholic Church. Finally, the personal side of the queen is explored and her relationships are examined. Black-and-white photographs and reproductions and seven full-color portraits add to the presentation. An obvious choice for a biography assignment, this book should also be recommended to anyone looking for an interesting read.
Carol Fazioli, The Brearley School, New York City, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; 1St Edition edition (October 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395691206
• ISBN-13: 978-0395691205
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #493,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The author shows young readers that history is slippery., January 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

Give Behind the Mask:The Life of Queen Elizabeth I by Jane Resh Thomas to every young person you know. Give it to the older folk as well but especially young people who are threatened nearly every day with History as dead skin cells and dates when it should be what Ms. Thomas has given us--a life.

Ms. Thomas delivers us to the England of Henry VIII, where baby girl Elizabeth is born, where neither mother, father, sister, brother, teacher, nor priest is to be trusted. The author leads us through the early years of Elizabeth's life, her lessons in poetry, penmanship, intrigue, and suspicion, and lands us in Elizabethan England with a very clear understanding of why the Queen is who she is and why she does what she does.

The pictures are lush. The captions are even better, inviting the reader to look again at the paintings and their details, and again and perhaps a tenth time, to uncover the personalities and mysteries within the frames.

Best of all, Thomas shows us that history, although it is non-fiction, is not the truth. Every historian has a point of view, a way of looking at events, a reason it matters. Without this, history is merely lists of dates and possibly accurate facts. Obviously, telling the story of Elizabeth I mattered to Ms. Thomas. And I think we, the readers, matter to her as well for she has given us a chance to love history.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect a book to be something it isn't supposed to be, November 28, 2000

By 

Marisa James (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

The San Francisco reader ignored the fact when he bought it that this book was published for young people "10 up" and for adults who don't have degrees in British history and who want basic information. Now he complains because because of its "lack of sophistication" and "reading level". My son and his friends, sophisticated black teenaged boys, love this book for giving history and historical figures some humanity. Now he's reading all he can find about the Renaissance times and people. Ilearned a lot from it too, enough to make sense of the recent movies about Queen Elizabeth the first.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The least frumpy queen on record, July 7, 2004

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I (Hardcover)

Take a look at the cover of this book for just a moment. Just a single solitary moment. Maybe the last thing you want to do is read a young adult biography on England's greatest queen, and I can understand where you're coming from. But take a good long look at the image presented on the cover here. This portrait of Queen Elizabeth was fashioned in her time and is commonly referred to as The Rainbow Portrait. It is, to my mind, the most flattering painting ever made of the ruler and it hasn't been touched since she posed for it. When you first look at it, it seems pretty standard. There she is with the high forehead (considered attractive at the time), the bright curly red hair, and the ostentatious finery. In fact, let's take a closer look at that finery. If you look carefully you cannot help but notice that her gown is covered in ears and eyes. You heard me right. Honest to goodness ears and eyes are all over this thing! You don't notice it at first, but once you've seen it you can never forget it. Such is the case with Thomas's book itself. It may not look like much at first, but once you take even a glance at the text you immediately become transfixed by the lives of Elizabeth, her crazy family, suitors, and enemies.

Elizabeth was born the second child of the (in the words of the great comic Eddie Izzard) "big fat hairy king", Henry VIII. Fond of killing off his wives when they either displeased him or couldn't produce male heirs, Elizabeth was the daughter of the soon-to-be beheaded Anne Boleyn. Her life was touch and go from the start. One minute she was treated as a prized pet and the next she was sent to royal grounds far from court. What followed soon after was a series of deaths and accessions to the throne. When Henry VIII died he was followed by Elizabeth's little half-bro Edward VI. When Eddie died he was followed by the Lady Jane Grey (for nine days). After she was tossed out came Elizabeth's older half-sis Mary (Bloody Mary to you commoners). Finally, Mary kicked it and Elizabeth rose to the throne. She was only 25 or 26 at the time and extraordinarily canny in the choices she made. Refusing to marry (and thereby give up her ruling power) Elizabeth remained sexy and single. Over the course of her life she dealt with assassination attempts, the continual threat of Mary Queen of Scots, an invasion of England by the Spanish Armada, excommunication, and all sorts of fun stuff. The result? Elizabeth remains perhaps the best remembered Queen of them all, making her an excellent subject of bios and bio-pics.

I'm easily bored. If I pick up a children's book that won a Newbery Award pre-1950 to read, you'll probably find me curled up in a corner fast asleep in five minutes time. Non-fiction is therefore one of the banes of my existence and I heap large helpings of praise onto any author that can make a realistic subject even halfway interesting. Not being familiar with Jane Resh Thomas, I was understandably nervous when I confronted this tome of a book and its 16th century subject. To my vast relief, my fears were more than unfounded. Here is a history book that has plumbed every interesting tidbit, rumor, factoid, and story for the eager ears of the reader. Want to hear how Queen Elizabeth would expose her chest to foreign diplomats (to put them on edge, you see)? Read it here. Curious about her six foot tall rival who was a queen that disguised herself as a boy to gain English sanctuary? It's a great tale. None of this is to say that Thomas neglects actual informative facts about the Elizabethan era and its people. In fact, this kind of information is so plentiful that it fills each and every page without ever drawing undue attention to itself. I think I learned more about ancient court life within these pages than I could have hoped to anywhere else.

In addition to fabulous factual storytelling and a wonderful ear for narrative, tension, and intrigue, Thomas has filled the book with numerous paintings of the characters involved, even going so far as to include Elizabeth's life in portraits as a color filled section of seven portraits that follow her through the years. To help the easily confused (like my pretty self) there's a fabulous opening section that names and describes many of the book's major players. There's also a portrait gallery of Henry VIII's wives and description of their mostly shortened lives. The back of the book contains a useful chronology of events, a well-cited bibliography of every source Thomas used or even thought of using, and an index. You're in safe hands with this thorough researcher.

Thomas attempts in this book to show the life of Elizabeth without commenting on her too much. Yes, Elizabeth could be as cruel and calculating as her predecessors and she wasn't afraid to "Off with their head" a couple of her closest compatriots. In the end, however, she comes off as a remarkable woman. Thomas leaves plenty of room for speculation on lurid topics that cover everything from Elizabeth's sex life to her love of sweets for dinner. Nothing here is written in stone, but this is probably as good a teen biography of this great woman you're going to get for at least another one hundred years. As someone who looked upon reading this book initially as a chore, I can tell you honestly that it was a joy to go through. A biography that deserves remembrance.