Elizabeth I - Softcover

"The most comprehensive, the most reliable and the most readable biography of Elizabeth." -The New York Times Book Review

"This is my favourite among the biographies of Queen Elizabeth I. Anne Somerset presents a convincing as well as complex character at the center of her lucid narrative. She breathes new life into old sources so that we live the story again and see it afresh." -Antonia Fraser

"An ample, stylish, and eloquent life of the queen." -The Washington Post Book World

"Finely crafted, abundantly detailed. . . . Few biographies have explored the depth found here." -San Francisco Chronicle

"An excellent book. . . . Somerset is in some respects the most balanced and impartial of all Elizabeth's biographers." -Sunday Times (London)

"I am completely captivated by [Somerset's] Elizabeth I. . . . The writing . . . is a delight." -Peter Gwyn, Weekend Telegraph

"A gorgeous tapestry. . . . Even readers unfamiliar with the dynamic personalities of the Tudor era would do well to start their quest for knowledge here." -Booklist

"[Somerset] is an experienced biographer, a thorough researcher, an admirable writer and a reliable judge of character." -Financial Times

"[Somerset] gives us a portrait . . . with so much fidelity that the effect is just and exhilarating." -The Spectator

"Totally captivating. . . . A wry, convincing portrait of a complex character." -Publishers Weekly

In honor of the four hundredth anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth I, an detailed biography offers a close-up look at the political, social, and cultural forces that shaped Elizabethan England and Europe, the intrigue-laden Tudor court, and the woman who ruled in a male-dominated world. Reprint. 12,500 first printing.