Customer Reviews

The First Elizabeth

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The major difference in "The First Elizabeth" by Carolly Erickson and "The Life of Elizabeth I" by Alison Weir is stylistic. Both women are thoroughly versed in the life of their royal subject, and obviously enthusiastic about her as well.

Erickson's style, however, leans more toward novelistic narrative. She seems to be sitting with you, telling you a story about this great monarch with her infamous "virgin" status, her political adeptness, her fearsome temper, her penchant for swearing oaths that made one's blood freeze, and her ability to command deep love and adoration from her subjects.

This style is especially appealing for those for whom this biography is their first foray into Tudor biography. It introduces the major players in the queen's life thoroughly so that one is well acquainted with Robert Dudley, Cecil and Walsingham, as well as Mary I and the many other colorful characters that populated the Queen's life. You also get a real feel for the terror and uncertainty of Elizabeth's youth, when she lived in fear of death at the hands of her unstable, Catholic sister.

Erickson adroitly paints a stunning (and sometimes shocking) picture of life at court - and what a life it must have been. Living at the various castles Elizabeth moved between (they changed castles regularly so that the one previously used could be cleaned and "aired out") was far from our 21st century idea of luxury, and when you read about the trials and travails inherent in the Queen's annual "progresses", you'll never gripe about rush-hour traffic again!

Again, I would recommend this to anyone starting out to read about Elizabeth I, and to the reader already familiar with the life of the greatest queen of England. Those of the latter group might find that the author falls in love a bit too much with her subject (and who wouldn't, as this lady is one of the most fascinating people in history). In some places towards the end the flow of the narrative (going from event to event) isn't quite as seamless as it could be (you feel as though you are jumping from one to the other without a lead-in sentence/paragraph) but never mind that. Erickson does a marvelous job of painting a portrait of the life and times of Elizabeth and it's a most pleasurable learning experience and enjoyable read.

After finishing "Elizabeth I", the reader would do well to continue on with Weir's biography mentioned above. I started with Weir and am now committed to reading Erickson's extensive series on the Tudors, including "Great Harry", "Mistress Anne", etc.

The recent film "Elizabeth" may look stunning - intense faces, fabulous costumes, great interiors - but the plot and characterizations are generic and thin, a pseudo-historical mishmash that's nowhere near as interesting as the real story.

If you want the real scoop on the "Virgin Queen," her handsome maybe-lover Robert Dudley, the traitorous Duke of Norfolk, the foppish Duke of Anjou, the thrillingly intricate plots and counter-plots that filled Elizabeth's long reign, then read this book.

I can't imagine how Erickson organized so many colorful characters, vivid depictions of Elizabethan life, and complex religious/political struggles into such a compelling and readable narrative. I couldn't put it down!

I have never had the pleasure of saying that a biography was hard to put down, but this is. I first encountered this book in college while taking a British History course, and I was hooked. It has been eight years since I took that course, and I am on my fourth re-reading. Every time I notice a detail that I did not before. I am fascinated by the Tudors and especially Elizabeth I. Erickson's prose is so engaging and lively you will forget you are reading a historical biography. I have the film Elizabeth, but I was disappointed in the lapses and the fact that it only covers her first year as queen. Of course, it would be a very long movie if it covered her entire reign, but buy this book to discover more of the "real" Elizabeth. Great read!

I have read a couple of her books, Mistress Anne and Bonnie Prince Charlie, and I enjoyed them. So when I got The First Elizabeth was extremely disappointed. Having read dozens of books on Elizabeth and knowing something about the subject, this book does not really paint an accurate picture in my opinion. She writes more on gossip and rumours without giving acutal facts. There are accurate statements but they are not in evidence on the whole. She also tended(IMO) to side more with Mary Tudor, who was not as intelligent or politically astute as Elizabeth. She gave the feeling that Mary was just misunderstood. The author seemed to relish in court gossip especially from Elizabeth's maids of honour. I would recommend Mary M. Luke's, Gloriana: The Years Of Elizabeth I, and Alison Weir's, The Life of Elizabeth I before I would recommend this book.

I have read this book many times, but the life of Elizabeth I never ceases to fascinate me. The abandoned child of a disgraced mother, Elizabeth survived her father and both her siblings to become the mistress of England. Shrewd, willful, charismatic, and completely in control, she dominated and used those around her to fulfill her goals. Ruling alone, she suceeded in unifying England under one church, defeating Spain, and making Britain a driving force in Europe.

This is my favorite of all of Carolly Erickson's books. Go ahead. Just read it!

This book was an enjoyable read and gave a realistic picture of what life was like during Queen Elizabeth's time. The vocabulary is appropriate for an educated person and is not too technical or too childish. There is quite a bit of background about Henry VIII and Bloody Mary, which then leads in to Elizabeth's reign. This book talks about Elizabeth as a real person, exploring her hopes and wishes as well as her political persona.

Somehow I actually managed to stick it out and read this entire biography; a real feat for me. A lot occurred during Elizabeth's reign. So much so that Carolly Erickson chose to concentrate on the person who was Elizabeth: what she went through, how she felt, her daily trials and tribulations (and later, the trials an tribulations of those close to her or wanting her favor.)

It was an enlightening book, but if you are looking for more of the historical impact of Elizabeth, and what was transpiring in her court, you might consider looking elsewhere.

I have read this book several times over the years and have found it engrossing both on the historical and dramatic level. The author manages to portray Elizabeth as an all powerful monarch as well as a very human woman with all of her strengths, weaknesses and faults. The personality of Elizabeth is emphasized throughout and so the reader is left feeling that something of the person behind the legend is revealed. Carolly Erickson also reveals a great deal of the political and social environment in which this woman functioned. Knowing the political and social environment in which she was raised, came to power and ruled makes her life story that much more remarkable. Overall I found this book very worthwhile and enjoyable reading.

Fascinating portrait of a complex woman, which tempers the Glenda Jackson/Cate Blanchet glamour and panache with realism about being a queen under seige most of the time. However, there are some annoying little lapses. For example, each chapter starts with a couplet, rhyme, or other verse apropos to Elizabeth's life--no source is given. Early in the book, there is an extended discussion of how important wet nurses were for children--how the character of the wet nurse was believed to be transferred to the child--yet the identify of Elizabeth's wet nurse is not given. These are perhaps minor points but do seem as loose threads in an otherwise rich, multi-textured tapestry.

A great book about a Queen whose story reads more like "The Godfather" than you'd guess.

Elizabeth I, thrust onto the throne while her country was still in the midst of it's centuries-long emergence from Roman rule, turned England into Great Britain through a heady mixture of guile, guts, and British steel(How's that for rhetoric?).

It's a great book, as are most of Erickson's titles.