 "Amazing indepth information." | 2008-09-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2GMJA5O5NPS4J |
| I was hooked on this book.I could not put it down.Im amazed at the amount of historical paper work that still survives to this day for this kind of biography.I felt like like I eas there. |
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 "As background for Shakespeare" | 2008-06-14 |
| - Reviewed By avenable4 |
| I read this book as part of my interest in the Shakespeare authorship question. It was my first biography of Elizabeth, so I can't presume to compare to others. But I have read some other Tudor/Elizabethan history. I found Weir's book engaging, informative, relevant to my own interests, and colorful; and it seemed reasonably balanced. Take Me With You When You Go |
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| "Great book!" | 2008-01-23 |
| - Reviewed By vhaberman |
| I love reading books on the royal family,and this is a great book. Lots of history, very interesting, best book I've read in a long time. She was a great lady. Get ready for a LONG read! |
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 "Interesting but dry at times" | 2008-01-08 |
| - Reviewed By d2jaramillo |
Weir does a great job of giving the flavor of the times and the Virgin Queen. However, she gets bogged down in too much detail sometimes. There are hidden bits of humor that are fun to find, as well.
Overall I believe this is a good biography of the Queen, however, it isn't for those looking for a quick or simple read. |
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| "Time for a Queen" | 2007-11-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: ABNCL5WR6ZQUX |
| This magnificent book has me convinced that a woman can rule a complex country. My mind is changed and I think it's time for this country to elect a female president. |
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| "Pretty Good!" | 2007-11-16 |
| - Reviewed By horse_lover |
| This book reads like a history book and not a story book so might get a bit boring for some. But I liked it. It gave insight on even the smallest things in QE1 life (clothes,her teeth,household, etc) I think this book covers alot of things in her life and I am glade I bought this book! |
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| "OK but......" | 2007-11-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8BR8U4SBYOQS |
| While I recognize that her neverending courtships, both for politics and her own vanity are important, I do feel that this subject dominated the book. Of course Dudley and especially Essex reflect her faults. The book does not focus on many other very important aspects of her reign. It seems to want to be a "love story" as opposed to a complete biography. I did find it to be "easy reading" for a book of this kind but I must recommend Anne Somerset's biography for a more well rounded and informed view. |
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| "quite an insight" | 2007-08-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: ACTEP9WCZHOY0 |
| I have read many books on the lives of the Tudors. This one is so realistic, it is like she was writing about the present instead of 500 years ago. It is a fascinating book |
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| "Historical Read" | 2007-04-04 |
| - Reviewed By faitheudy |
| I am an Elizabethan freak so it takes a lot for me to really get into a book about the period and not nit pick it. This book follows Elizabeth across her life. I didn't think it offered much of a new perspective or new data however. It was a pretty standard biography of her (I've read about 10), but Alison Weir is a good writer which makes it enjoyable. If you are looking for new facts or a more thought provoking read, I would suggest David Starkey's Elizabeth. It explores her youth more and discusses many of the possible theories of a pregnancy, dispells tower gossip stories based on scientifc records from the time period, and is also an enjoyable read. So if you want something a little mindless and entertaining, or if you are new to this field of study, this is a good book. If you're a little more seasoned, I would choose the Starkey book and if you can afford both, I would suggest that so you can compare and contrast. |
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| "Much better than anticipated" | 2007-03-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: AL902MQSNKN04 |
I had heard several negative reviews in regards to Alison Weir and her "take" on history regarding Elizabeth I from friends. As a historical actress at our local renaissance faire for many years, I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. Ms Weir does state that some of the events are historical while others had to be imaginative at times so I dont feel this book misrepresents anything at all. The accuracies are fraught with historical proof therefore the uncertainties don't really matter. Sadly there arent any valid historical documents from Elizabeth's personal journals to compare with, so assumption on what she thought, how she felt or what influenced her at times is perfectly acceptable based upon common knowledge of Elizabeth's upbringing.
I personally own now 4 of Ms Weir's books and have yet to find one I haven't enjoyed. Highly recommend it though it is a bit long and you dont want to put it down. |
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