Mary M. Luke, Gloriana: The Years of Elizabeth I

The sad thing about historical biographies is that the hero always dies at the end. 

Just imagine:  you follow the life of, in this case, Elizabeth I for seven hundred pages only to see her age and die.  A book with a claim for scholarly accuracy hardly can go any other way. 

I almost felt sad.  Just as well that the author, Mary M. Luke, chose not to dwell on the final years of the great monarch.  None of Elizabeth's biographies that I've read (quite a few by now) treated the subject with any more deliberation.  Perhaps there isn't really that much to tell - the Queen is dead, long live the King.  Maybe, though, various biographers become mildly attached to their heroine too and want to get through the unpleasant necessity as speedily as possible.  Or am I being sentimental?  

Compared to other books about Elizabeth Tudor, Gloriana: The Years of Elizabeth I holds its ground very well.  It's a massive tome but Mary  M. Luke managed to keep a reader captivated all the way through.  The main events and influences in the queen's reign are beautifully balanced, weaved together into a dynamic narrative that reads almost like a novel. 

Almost, but not quite; it is a history book after all.  The writer's creativity may have coloured some events for effect, some of the queen's reactions might be imagined rather than reported, but overall the book sticks to verifiable facts.  Original documents are often quoted to strengthen debatable statements and if some conjecture is inevitable, it is subtle enough not to irritate. 

Gloriana begins with queen's death (Mary's) and ends with queen's death.  For early years of Elizabeth it is best to turn somewhere else, because this particular book offers only glimpses of her years as a princess.  How about A Crown For Elizabeth by the same author, book two in the trilogy in which Gloriana is the final instalment?  I have not read it, nor the book one, but if I ever come across either, I won't hesitate.  Mary M. Luke had impressive skill in bringing Tudors to life, so I bet that her account of Elizabeth's twisting path to the throne is just as unputdownable as the story of her reign. 

Anne Somerset, Elizabeth I

Here's number 2 on my personal 'the best books about Elizabeth I' list (number one being J.E. Neale's timeless publication). 

Called Elizabeth I (not too original, I admit...), Anne Somerset's biography is the most detailed account of Her Majesty's life that I've come across so far.  The very size of the book is pretty intimidating - more than 700 pages - but don't let that scare you off.  The story is well written, so before you notice you'll be halfway through the brick-like volume. 

I was, anyway. 

Elizabeth I follows the queen's life from cradle to grave.  Somerset is fairly conservative in her version of history.  All the main events are described, political twists and turns demystified, major players at court presented and analysed.  While there are no surprises or groundbreaking discoveries, the 'usual stuff' is covered competently and in detail.  Somerset makes good use of sources available and although she sometimes presumes to know the queen's very mind (a capital crime in a historian), her account is overall well-balanced and convincing. 

Happily, the author knows that life (even royal life) is not all about politics - substantial sections of the book are given over to the study of Elizabeth's wardrobe, household and leisure activities.  I'm usually as far from a fashionista as it is possible to be, but I found description of Her Majesty's dresses and jewellery quite fascinating.  Elizabeth may have claimed to have a heart of a king but she was first and foremost a woman. 

The hunt for more books about the famous queen is still on. 

A.L. Rowse, The Elizabethan Renaissance: The Life of The Society

Once upon a time, I planned to write an article about Elizabeth I.  You can go about a plan like this in two ways - either you can read the appropriate page on Wikipedia, change the wording and thus become a totally legal copycat, or you can do it the hard way - get as many books on the subject as you can and put them to proper use.  Needless to say, I chose the second option, as you can see here and here and here.  Oh, and in today's post, too.

As far as I know, A.L. Rowse was a pretty famous historian.  This is the first book by his pen that I've ever read, but I'm familiar with the name, even though I can't exactly pinpoint how and why.

The book itself is not exactly about Elizabeth I, although the famous queen pops up on its pages often enough.  As the title suggests and the subtitle confirms (The Elizabethan Renaissance: The Life of The Society), it's about the times of Elizabeth, about life and social stuff and general reality during her reign.

As promised, so delivered.  There are chapters on food and drink, on customs, beliefs, social divisions, even on sex and witchcraft.  They all seem to be well-researched, too, with proper sources quoted (often in the text itself) and lengthy bibliography attached.  All good, but...

I found the book tedious.  It's full of names, both geographical and personal, which mean nothing to someone not in love with British topography or peerage - and when I say full, I mean it.  I'm sure there are people who would consider this a tremendous advantage, and confirmation of the book's scholarly merits but, how should I put it...  It's not exactly a page turner.  It has its moments, but overall - blah.

One exception:  The Elizabethan Renaissance is generously spiked with Rowse's personal remarks and these are absolutely precious.  Not that I agree with his views - he appears to have been an arrogant, snobbish bastard - but I'm charmed by his delivery.  SO politically incorrect.  SO sermon-like.  SO funny.

Oh, my intended article about Elizabeth never materialised, nor is it ever likely to.  I wrote a Squidoo page instead, collecting the reviews of all the Elizabeth-centred books I have got hold of so far.  You can view it here and if it catches your interest, check back now and again - I'll be adding to it slowly but surely.

Neville Williams, The Life and Times of Elizabeth I

I'm becoming an expert on books about queen Elizabeth I.  I'm still considering writing an online article about her (for Squidoo), so I have some rational explanation for this almost-obsession.  By now, selecting an Elizabeth-related book has become an integral part of my library trips.  They still have a few titles left, so if you are into British monarchy, check back now and again - there's more to come.

The Life and Times of Elizabeth I is a very good introduction to the studies of the famous queen.  The book begins with her birth and ends with her death (unlike two other Elizabeth related books I've read and reviewed so far).  It describes all the main events of her reign without going into too much confusing detail - the book is only three hundred pages long so there's not much space for an in-depth analysis.  A serious scholar would probably be disappointed but a beginner - relieved.

I have to admit - I'm not won over by Williams's style of writing.  The data seems correct, the narrative smooth and informative and yet...  I feel that he failed to bring Elizabeth to life.   His version of the queen is too proper for my liking.  OK, but not exceptional.

Only one thing saves the day - pictures.  The Life and Times of Elizabeth I is full of high quality images of the queen, her courtiers, residences, letters and more.  A teenager interested in history would probably love the book. 

As to the older readership - let's just say it is worth remembering that the book is there.

Alison Plowden, Elizabeth Regina

I'm planning to write a big article on Queen Elizabeth I soon, hence the sudden spike in books with her name in the title.  I'll let you know when I'm finished, in the meantime get ready for a nice portion of Elizabethan age stories :). 

This, by the way, has always been my favourite way of researching any subject:

1.  Read as many books on the topic as you can, quickly, without trying to ingest too much data
2.  Once a clearer, more objective image of the person you write about has formed in your mind, plan your article/thesis/essay/whatever
3.  Go back to specific sources for quotes, figures and citations. 

Works like a dream, because you have some no-pressure time to actually get acquainted with your subject.  Once you feel you're describing an old friend, it's easy.  But I'm getting off topic.

Initially, I was disappointed in Elizabeth Regina.  I picked it in a hurry and - ok, I'll confess - mainly because of a picture on the cover:  Elizabeth in a fancy, huge, white-and-red dress (obviously, I got hold of an older edition - one available today is not as eye-catching).  My recent Elizabeth book dealt in details with times before her accession, so this time I aimed for something general, the whole life kind of biography.  And...  Drat, I missed again.  All my fault - it clearly says 1588-1603 on the cover, I should have connected the dates to Elizabeth's reign.  Shit happens.

Elizabeth Regina starts with pushing off the famous Spanish Armada and continues on to the Queen's death.  Coincidentally, this is also the period when Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, played an important role in English politics.  To be frank, I think Essex is the book's main concern and Queen Elizabeth is added only for generating interest in reading public.  I might be wrong here, but sure as hell there's a lot of Devereux on the book's pages, from his rise to the shameful fall.  I quite understand the author - who would buy a book titled Robert Dux?

Even so, there's still plenty of Elizabeth left in Elizabeth.  Plowden had a knack for bringing the Queen to life as a person, so you can catch the royal face without make up from time to time.  Obviously, court politics come first, but an observant reader can snatch some tasty human interest bites.  For example - did you know that Elizabeth I had really, really bad teeth towards the end of her life?  Seems obvious when you think about medieval dentistry and yet - I've never imagined Her Majesty with toothless smile.  What a blow to public image it must have been.

The book gets better as it progresses and overall makes a decent reading.  Nothing life-changing, but thoroughly digestible.