Take a photo of a barcode or cover
133 reviews for:
Elizabeth, the Queen: From the Sunday Times Bestselling Historian
Alison Weir, Alison Weir
4.02 AVERAGE
133 reviews for:
Elizabeth, the Queen: From the Sunday Times Bestselling Historian
Alison Weir, Alison Weir
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I recently read The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Weir and really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd give another of her biographies a go - that of Henry's daughter Elizabeth. It wasn't as good. It's clearly well-researched and I enjoyed reading it... just not as much. I can't help but think it's because the focus was too narrow. Obviously the focus of Wives was marriage, and Henry's constant limping from one marital disaster to the next, and I wonder if Weir was too concerned with reinventing the wheel here. The first 200 pages of this biography seem to be nothing but Elizabeth manipulating men into thinking she'll marry them and then getting out of it - and, you know, this was a significant part of her reign. The way that Weir has constructed this book, however, it's very nearly all of it. Yes, there are subplots regarding the Spanish Armada and Mary Queen of Scots, but for the most part this is "who will Elizabeth trick into courtship this year?" and with the best will in the world by page 200 I was sick of the prevarication and repetition. I realise that I should feel admiration for Elizabeth's handling of a tricky situation, and how she managed to keep hold of her own power, yay feminism and all that, but really, by the end, all I felt was sympathy for the flunkies who had to deal with her.
She reigned for near 45 years. That's a long time. Surely, from all those decades, Weir could have found a broader range of things to write about?
She reigned for near 45 years. That's a long time. Surely, from all those decades, Weir could have found a broader range of things to write about?
I love Alison Weir books, but I had to give this 4 stars. Not because of her writing, but because of Elizabeth's personality of going back and forth. It drove me nuts quite a bit. She was an amazing queen and one hell of a lady who knew how to get her way, but this book has made me understand why she drove some of the men in her court mad! Yet being a lady of that time she used her wits, good looks, and her mothers flirtatiousness and her fathers temper to give her country the golden age it longed for.
Normally I find the non-fiction genre far too dry and difficult (i.e. too many dates, places, and assumed knowledge) to read to make it through much of it. Perhaps it was the subject, perhaps the author, but I thoroughly enjoyed this in depth recap of Elizabeth I reign as queen.
I love Weir's books. She writes so well about such a fascinating period of English history. I picked up Weir's The Six Wives of Henry the VIII because of my interest in the Showtime series The Tudors and am so glad I found her books.
“Elizabeth the Queen” by Alison Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never thought a historical monograph would make me cry but here we are.
“Elizabeth the Queen” not only highlights the events of Elizabeth I’s reign but also pulls the monarch down and builds her character and the depiction of “Gloriana.” A true role model for the age, Elizabeth was both woman and man, merciless and merciful. She knew the bounds of her sex and used it to her advantage. The political intrigue of her reign along with her personal struggles really shines in this book.
Weir captivates her readers by keeping them intrigued with her writing. Just as you thought the story was going one way, a turn was not far ahead. Although this biography mainly covers Elizabeth’s life from when she ascends the throne at 25 in 1558 to her death in 1603 at the age of 69, Weir offers her readers enough information of Elizabeth’s childhood to set the scene of why Elizabeth chose to become the Virgin Queen.
From court pleasures to political coups, “Elizabeth the Queen” is a must read for all of those who favor her above all monarchs.
Never thought a historical monograph would make me cry but here we are.
“Elizabeth the Queen” not only highlights the events of Elizabeth I’s reign but also pulls the monarch down and builds her character and the depiction of “Gloriana.” A true role model for the age, Elizabeth was both woman and man, merciless and merciful. She knew the bounds of her sex and used it to her advantage. The political intrigue of her reign along with her personal struggles really shines in this book.
Weir captivates her readers by keeping them intrigued with her writing. Just as you thought the story was going one way, a turn was not far ahead. Although this biography mainly covers Elizabeth’s life from when she ascends the throne at 25 in 1558 to her death in 1603 at the age of 69, Weir offers her readers enough information of Elizabeth’s childhood to set the scene of why Elizabeth chose to become the Virgin Queen.
From court pleasures to political coups, “Elizabeth the Queen” is a must read for all of those who favor her above all monarchs.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Really good and fascinating history. Little long at time with the details of marriage proposals but overall I highly recommend this book.
For me, and avid reader, Allison Weir is a HARD read. By that I mean that you have to really be dedicated to reading for the sake of information/history rather than storytelling. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but it took me much longer to read it than from other authors. She is concise, well researched, and a great author but not for the flighty!
It took me what seemed like forever to read. It was fairly slow at parts and dragged along, but I got through it mainly because I wanted to know the Queens full life and not just half of it. I enjoyed Alison Weir's book about King Henry much more than this one.