Elizabeth I (Profiles in Power) [Paperback]

Christopher Haigh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582319749 | ISBN-13: 978-0582319745 | Publication Date: July 1998 | Edition: 2 Sub

This celebrated and influential study of Elizabeth I is now revised and updated in an important new edition. Christopher Haigh reappraises her role in government and explores the ways in which she exercised her power.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A sustained reflection on the nature of Elizabethan power relations that will challenge historians for a long time to come' History Today

From the Back Cover

Elizabeth I

"A sustained reflection on the nature of Elizabethan power that will
challenge historians for a long time to come" History Today

The reign of Elizabeth I was one of the most important periods of expansion and growth in British history, the so called 'Golden Age'.

This celebrated and influential study of Elizabeth reconsiders how she achieved this and the ways in which she exercised her power. Looking at her role in government and in the nation it:

examines Elizabeth in terms of her power rather than her policies

explores her relations with the statesman of her time

shows how she interacted with the key institutions of sixteenth century
political life.

As this invaluable account shows, in the Tudor age, it was hard enough to be a king; it was doubly hard to be a queen. Throughout her long reign, Elizabeth's target was survival. And she survived. This introduction to Elizabeth I tells us how.

Christopher Haigh is Student and Tutor in Modern History at Christ Church, and a lecturer in Modern History at the University of Oxford.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 209 pages
• Publisher: Longman Pub Group; 2 Sub edition (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582319749
• ISBN-13: 978-0582319745
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,906,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( E ) > Elizabeth I

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good evaluation of Elizabeth's use of power, November 13, 2002

By 

bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elizabeth I (Profiles in Power) (Paperback)

There are too many biographies of Elizabeth I out there--thankfully this isn't one of them. The author purposely avoided another one, and instead focused on the evaluation of the way the virgin queen used her power. Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, and had to rebuild the country after the disastrous reign of Bloody Mary. This book shows how she effectively maintained control of the public, the church, the nobility, the court, the council, and the military, and tells us why Elizabeth was able to hold the throne almost 45 years.

Again, this is not meant to be a biography, so this book assumes that you already have a basic knowledge of Elizabeth's reign. If not, you'll find yourself lost, but if so, you'll learn all kinds of stuff and find yourself looking at this English queen in a whole new light. If you're a student of Tudor England, this one's for you.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Always interesting, October 15, 2000

By 

Isabella U. (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elizabeth I (Profiles in Power) (Paperback)

This short book is a good summary of Elizabeth during her reign. It focuses on eight different aspects of her life: the throne, church, nobility, council, court, parliament, military, and her people. It is not very detailed. If you want quick information on the queen, this is the book for you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Harsh Perspective of Elizabeth I, May 16, 2009

By 

Scaramouche - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elizabeth I (Profiles in Power) (Paperback)

Haigh has a good point about Elizabeth being concerned about her image, but is very harsh in portraying her as simply lucky in what success she has. He argues that she is very indecisive throughout her rule as evidenced particularly in her handling of religion. Unsure as to whether she should acceed to Catholic or Reformist demands, she ended up making concessions for both, to create the more current form of religion. Ultimately, Haigh concludes that as much as Elizabeth I concentrated on her image, she ended her reign relatively unpopular and not as successful as historians have portrayed her in the past. While Elizabeth I's previous historians may have been to generous in their assessments, Elizabeth certainly had more direct effect on her country and rule than Haigh gives her credit for in his work.