Customer Reviews

The King's Quinto: The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618)

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The King's Quinto (The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh - 1552-1618) is in my opinion a compelling read in so much as, like the author C.S. Forrester with his technical ability to describe military men in action by his knowledge and insight of the subject in hand, likewise Barbara O'Sullivan has a similar approach to detail in the chapter entitled The Battle of Cadiz, leaving the reader a desire to continue on to the next chapter. As a complete layman on history, I found her book very satisfying.

good content in the book its an exellent reference book the drawings are brilliant.

The Kings Quinto by barbara O'Sullivan, is a fantastic book, for those intrested in history, I think it will be a great tool in helping us to understand the real truth about what really happened in the Elizabethan times and what really became of Sir Walter Riley, up until now there has been no book writing about him, only a reference to him, when talking about Queen Elizabeth the first. It seems that this author has done a great deal of research before she set out to write this book, and I expect that anyone who reads it will thoroughly enjoy such a delightful book, it left me wanting to know more about what happened all those years ago, in old England. Enjoy!

Raleigh trial is a classic for all time.
Excellent drawings in the book

Review
By
The Duke of Northumberland
Alnwick Castle
4th June, 2004

The King's Quinto: The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618)

I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it very `readable', well researched and interesting. The personalities came to life in a realistic manner adding flesh and blood to the skeleton of a complex historical period. By mixing the real letters and documents of the day with John Talbot's vivid `commentary', academic interest is softened and brightened, helping the reader to understand exactly what is going on.

The book, of course, has particular significance to me as my ancestor, the IX Earl of Northumberland, like Raleigh, spent many years imprisoned in the Tower of London and might well have suffered the same fate. His academic interests, luxurious apartments and friendship with Raleigh and other inmates, made this period of his life bearable if not welcome, as you clearly describe.

Congratulations for writing a first class book, which deserves success.

Duke of Northumberland

This very readable book chronicles the life and political career of one of Tudor England's most colourful characters. Miss O'Sullivan explores the political situation in England and in Europe, which formed a background to Raleigh's life. She also quotes directly from contemporary documents and looks at the realities of day-to-day life in Tudor times, the coinage, the food and personal hygiene. Told through the voice of Raleigh's personal servant, John Talbot, this book is an interesting addition to the considerable literature on a fascinating player at the Court of Queen Elizabeth.

Mr. John Wingfield Digby


Review by Reverend Canon E J Woods
Of
Sherborne Abbey, Dorset
2004


No-one can live in Sherborne for long without becoming aware of Walter Raleigh. He has not only entered into the mythology of England's heroes; his presence broods over the New Castle and, in the Abbey, St Katherine's Chapel, where he had his pew.

For many of us, the standard work remains Robert Lacey's Sir Walter Raleigh (1975), perhaps fleshed out by Sherborne's own Reg Wood in his historical novel Gold was his star (1991). But in the last year or two there has been a new burst of interest in Raleigh, and a number of books about him and his wife.

Amongst these, one of the most interesting is Barbara O'Sullivan's The King's Quinto: The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) . It lacks an index, so you can't just look up references to Sherborne. But it is packed full of intriguing cameos, long extracts from contemporary documents and other insights that you just won't find in the standard biographies. I have to confess I had always assumed that Raleigh's 1603 trial was in London. It wasn't: it was in Winchester. And Ms O'Sullivan's account of it from a 1677 pamphlet in the Hampshire Record Office makes gripping reading.

Beg, borrow or steal this volume. Better still, buy it. You will get more Raleigh and less author than in any other book I know. Ms O'Sullivan believes in letting her principal character speak for himself. I feel I know him a great deal better.

Review
By
The Duke of Northumberland
Alnwick Castle
4th June, 2004

The King's Quinto: The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618)

I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it very `readable', well researched and interesting. The personalities came to life in a realistic manner adding flesh and blood to the skeleton of a complex historical period. By mixing the real letters and documents of the day with John Talbot's vivid `commentary', academic interest is softened and brightened, helping the reader to understand exactly what is going on.

The book, of course, has particular significance to me as my ancestor, the IX Earl of Northumberland, like Raleigh, spent many years imprisoned in the Tower of London and might well have suffered the same fate. His academic interests, luxurious apartments and friendship with Raleigh and other inmates, made this period of his life bearable if not welcome, as you clearly describe.

Congratulations for writing a first class book, which deserves success.

Duke of Northumberland

This very readable book chronicles the life and political career of one of Tudor England's most colourful characters. Miss O'Sullivan explores the political situation in England and in Europe, which formed a background to Raleigh's life. She also quotes directly from contemporary documents and looks at the realities of day-to-day life in Tudor times, the coinage, the food and personal hygiene. Told through the voice of Raleigh's personal servant, John Talbot, this book is an interesting addition to the considerable literature on a fascinating player at the Court of Queen Elizabeth.

Mr. John Wingfield Digby


Review by Reverend Canon E J Woods
Of
Sherborne Abbey, Dorset
2004


No-one can live in Sherborne for long without becoming aware of Walter Raleigh. He has not only entered into the mythology of England's heroes; his presence broods over the New Castle and, in the Abbey, St Katherine's Chapel, where he had his pew.

For many of us, the standard work remains Robert Lacey's Sir Walter Raleigh (1975), perhaps fleshed out by Sherborne's own Reg Wood in his historical novel Gold was his star (1991). But in the last year or two there has been a new burst of interest in Raleigh, and a number of books about him and his wife.

Amongst these, one of the most interesting is Barbara O'Sullivan's The King's Quinto: The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) . It lacks an index, so you can't just look up references to Sherborne. But it is packed full of intriguing cameos, long extracts from contemporary documents and other insights that you just won't find in the standard biographies. I have to confess I had always assumed that Raleigh's 1603 trial was in London. It wasn't: it was in Winchester. And Ms O'Sullivan's account of it from a 1677 pamphlet in the Hampshire Record Office makes gripping reading.

Beg, borrow or steal this volume. Better still, buy it. You will get more Raleigh and less author than in any other book I know. Ms O'Sullivan believes in letting her principal character speak for himself. I feel I know him a great deal better.