Customer Reviews

Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The last sentence of the book summarizes the excellent thrust of this book. "Elizabeth can not be separated from the legend that she helped create." This book is the companion to the traveling exhibit on Elizabeth I that I was not fortunate to see, but stands on it's own merits.

There has been a plethora of books on Elizabeth I; unfortunately many of them are just chronological listings of events or the author has an agenda or preconceived thesis. This book is stellar in avoiding the usual approach. It is thematic. This book concentrates on the effects of Elizabeth's surroundings on her, and her effect on her surroundings. There two very good reasoned chapters on the religion and sexuality of Elizabeth. The book was meticulously researched and documented and used the figures in the book to visually support the book's themes. A very perceptive, albeit brief, section analyzes how Elizabeth I has been portrayed in cinema. The writing is concise and fluid and to the point.

I give a book on the Elizabethan era or Elizabethan/Shakespeare literature to my family every year as gifts. This is probably the finest.