27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Virgin Queen's Favorite Favorite, November 6, 2007
This review is from: Elizabeth & Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics (Hardcover)
Sarah Gristwood's new book is good, especially for understanding Elizabeth's relationship with her chief favorite, Robert Dudley, later Earl of Leicester.
Gristwood tells the familiar story of Elizabeth's background and upbringing, and the not-so-familiar one of Dudley's. His father and grandfather were supporters of Edward VI and Henry VII, and were executed for their pains. The narrative picks up with earnest at Elizabeth's accession and appointment of Dudley as Master of the Horse. Rumors soon began about the queen's relationship with him, and Dudley's wife died in mysterious circumstances not too long after. Gristwood evenhandedly examines the possible explanations for her death, and with plenty of hedging, suggests that Cecil was the main beneficiary.
Immediately after his wife's death, Dudley fell out of favor with Elizabeth for some time. Reconciliation followed, as did many more fallings out and reconciliations. Her many suitors were a source of conflict (and Dudley was one of them), as were the ladies at court who caught his eye and that he secretly married or promised to marry. Nevertheless, Dudley was at Elizabeth's side through most of her reign, influential and supportive, resented and admired.
But this book is also disappointing in some ways. There are passages where so many rhetorical questions are used that the implications aren't clear; and awkward modern phrases occasionally intrude (e.g., regarding the birth of his long-awaited heir: "emotionally he must have been in the money"). Charts of family connections would also have been useful, especially for the Dudleys and Elizabeth's maternal relations.
This subject is timely, what with all the recent interest in Elizabeth I and her favorites (Leicester and Essex respectively in the two parts of the HBO miniseries with Helen Mirren,
Elizabeth I; and Leicester and Raleigh in the two movies with Cate Blanchett,
Elizabeth (Spotlight Series) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age). For an introduction to Elizabeth's life and reign, I prefer Christopher Hibbert's
The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius of the Golden Age. I recommend Sarah Gristwood's book for thorough collectors of Elizabethan material, or for people specifically interested in Leicester himself (books about him are somewhat hard to come by, but Derek Wilson's
The Uncrowned Kings of England: The Black History of the Dudleys and the Tudor Throne is an alternative).
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nicely Written - Lots that was new to me, April 1, 2008
This review is from: Elizabeth & Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics (Hardcover)
With the primary documents basically known and castles and historic sites fully documented, 21st century writers are providing general readers with more focus on specific aspects of Tudor history and more interpretation. Recently I've read :
The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire,
Edward VI: The Lost King of England and
After Elizabeth: The Rise of James of Scotland and the Struggle for the Throne of England These books, like this one, are devoted entirely to a particular aspect of a Tudor reign (or as in the case of one, the end of the Tudor reigns).
Gristwood zeros in on the unique relationship of Elizabeth and Leicester who has been euphemistically called her "favorite". Griswold explores what this might be a euphemism for. There are lots of possibilities, but the author sticks with what is documented and what is credible. She also sticks with her focus, and brings in issues and people only as they relate to her main subject.
I did not know of Leicester's role in sending Mary of Scotland her second husband, nor his role in Elizabeth's French flirtations. I knew of the death of his wife, Amy, but nothing of the other two women in his life. While I had assumed his motives in this royal romance, I never considered his emotional state as he waited for Elizabeth with whom he had shared the experiences of having a beheaded parent. Gristwood, who has obviously poured over every word related to these two as a couple, interprets her findings in a wonderfully readable way.
I eagerly await the many more of these focused Tudor histories, that I presume are in the works. I'm guessing that the next generation of writing will provide more psychological analyis. Some of the topics are suggested by this book. They could be how the royals and their courtiers respond to the socially repressive dangers of the times or how their behavior or political posture results from the trauma in their respective families. One such interesting history could be a serious study of the Essex revolt through a psychological lens.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Illuminating, December 19, 2008
Elizabeth & Leicester is one of the best books I've read (and I've read a lot) about Elizabeth I. Gristwood brings together a satisfying combination of historical accuracy, engaging writing style, and common sense about human beings and their interactions with one another.
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