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Elizabeth I: Legendary Queen Of England
When Elizabeth I took the throne of England in 1559, hardly anyone knew what to make of her. Born the heir to the throne, she was declared a bastard when she was three years old, after her mother was executed for treason, witchcraft, and incest. During the reign of her sister, Mary I, she was a prisoner in the Tower of London, where she was expected to die. But when she became Queen, at the age of 25, she swiftly stunned the royal court by stepping into the seat of power with grace, intelligence, and an air of majesty that maddened and enchanted the men around her. For 44 years, Elizabeth I guided England through religious upheavals and plots to overthrow the government. Courted by all the most powerful princes in Europe, she baffled her advisors by refusing to marry any of them. And when England stood under threat of invasion by the most powerful nation in Europe, Elizabeth’s navy destroyed the Spanish Armada so decisively that it was seen as an act of God. In this book, you will discover why no English monarch has ever been more famous, more successful—or more deeply loved by her people.
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2016
191 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 11, 2019
This is about the life of the woman they called glorianna, possibly the greatest queen of the British empire who from the time of her birth faced peril and possibly death even at the hands of her father king Henry V111 and rose to become England's greatest and best loved monarch
November 8, 2016
Interesting book - I didn't know a lot about Queen Elizabeth I, and enjoyed learning more about her life. I feel like this book was just an overview, rather than a deep and comprehensive biography.
September 18, 2019
To me Elizabeth I is one of the most fascinating characters in English history. She had a rather hard life growing up. In line for the throne, then taken out of that line, then put back in. Henry VIII as her father, a guy that would have made the 'off with her head' Queen of Hearts happy.
One thing becomes evident right off, though, and that was she was an extremely intelligent woman. She had solid book learning but at the same time had common sense understanding of things. This was fortunate because she had some major problems to deal with, including:
The Protestant vs. Catholic feelings in her own country and in other countries.
A couple of Popes that wanted to control her.
Constant pressure from Parliament trying to force her to get married.
Her own understanding that, if she should marry, it basically paints a target on her back. (Read the book to find out what that involves.)
Spain wanting to invade England. Twice.
Mary I, a woman that was totally Catholic and basically expected to become Queen of England some day. She was also a woman that caused a multitude of problems for Elizabeth.
Various rebellions and uprisings.
She managed to handle all of that and more. To me there's no doubt she was a great woman and a great leader. The book is really worth reading.
One thing becomes evident right off, though, and that was she was an extremely intelligent woman. She had solid book learning but at the same time had common sense understanding of things. This was fortunate because she had some major problems to deal with, including:
The Protestant vs. Catholic feelings in her own country and in other countries.
A couple of Popes that wanted to control her.
Constant pressure from Parliament trying to force her to get married.
Her own understanding that, if she should marry, it basically paints a target on her back. (Read the book to find out what that involves.)
Spain wanting to invade England. Twice.
Mary I, a woman that was totally Catholic and basically expected to become Queen of England some day. She was also a woman that caused a multitude of problems for Elizabeth.
Various rebellions and uprisings.
She managed to handle all of that and more. To me there's no doubt she was a great woman and a great leader. The book is really worth reading.
July 30, 2017
Fascinating book
Fascinating book. I very much enjoyed reading it. It was hard to put down. I didn't know that Elizabeth was a frugal queen or that she had a bad temper. I thought it was funny how some people were scared of inciting her anger. I liked this book a lot and recommend it.
Fascinating book. I very much enjoyed reading it. It was hard to put down. I didn't know that Elizabeth was a frugal queen or that she had a bad temper. I thought it was funny how some people were scared of inciting her anger. I liked this book a lot and recommend it.
May 18, 2017
This is more of a synopsis of some events of Elizabeth's life than a true biography.
December 27, 2018
Average. Not bad, but nowhere near as in-depth as a book should be on history. More a chronological history; simple to get through.
March 17, 2019
(B-school) Elizabeth I was a pretty amazing person - she overcame female stereotypes and became a power leader against intense opposition, led with compassion and allowed for a period of religious freedom in England, and overcame Spanish suppression that setup England for dominance over the next 200 years.
The book itself is very short and shallow; if you want to learn about Elizabeth you're probably better off reading the Wikipedia article.
The book itself is very short and shallow; if you want to learn about Elizabeth you're probably better off reading the Wikipedia article.
February 20, 2025
Elizabeth I was a force to be reckoned with. She lived during a time where women had little power or purpose besides bearing children. Her childhood was not easy and for years she was considered Henry VIII’s bastard daughter. She went on to become the second female monarch in England and ruled for 45 years. She thwarted many attempts by her councilors to encourage her to marry, and she is perhaps the most famous queen to ever rule.
April 9, 2022
Kind of OK
Reading this book was kind of like reading Cliff Notes in high school. A lot of facts but not much knowledge. Like a lot of books I read I became interested in Elizabeth after reading something else about her in some other book. This book educated me somewhat but it wasn’t very deep. I am sure there are much better sources out there.
Reading this book was kind of like reading Cliff Notes in high school. A lot of facts but not much knowledge. Like a lot of books I read I became interested in Elizabeth after reading something else about her in some other book. This book educated me somewhat but it wasn’t very deep. I am sure there are much better sources out there.
April 28, 2023
4/5
⚠️TW/CW: Brief entions of war, SA, and rape ⚠️
I'm not normally someone who picks up a book about a historical figure because I'm definitely a fiction reader but I've always been interested in Elizabeth I. This book was short but it was very informative and I throughly enjoyed it. Though I went into this book already knowing alot about her I learned quite alot. I love that it went in depth about her life and all her life experiences that caused her to not want to marry. If you want to learn more about her and all that she went through I would definitely recommend reading this book!
⚠️TW/CW: Brief entions of war, SA, and rape ⚠️
I'm not normally someone who picks up a book about a historical figure because I'm definitely a fiction reader but I've always been interested in Elizabeth I. This book was short but it was very informative and I throughly enjoyed it. Though I went into this book already knowing alot about her I learned quite alot. I love that it went in depth about her life and all her life experiences that caused her to not want to marry. If you want to learn more about her and all that she went through I would definitely recommend reading this book!
August 9, 2018
Very good, his biographies are contemporary and broad, if a bit shallow.
July 2, 2023
An excellent resource
I have read many books on Elizabeth I. Michael Simmons' work is succinct and devoid of the meandering narratives found in so many other books on the subject.
I have read many books on Elizabeth I. Michael Simmons' work is succinct and devoid of the meandering narratives found in so many other books on the subject.
March 10, 2017
Good overview of Queen Elizabeth I
Simmons biography on Queen Elizabeth I is a good overview of her life, capturing key events and relationhips that illustrate the impact of her reign. Much of his observations are grounded in the work biographer Allison Wier did before him. If you are a student of Tudor history, you won't find anything new here, though it is refreshing for someone to point out that many of the Queen's theatrical tactics that books and movies use against her character were very strategic on her part.
For those not as familiar with Elizabeth I, this is an excellent stating point. Simmons' narrative is interesting and easy to read. He includes excerpts of Queen Elizabeth's own writings, then summarizes and interprets her meaning. From her marital prospects and troubling line of succession to her peace keeping efforts and brave battlefield persona, in this book Simmons explores Elizabeth I and her long reign as Queen of England.
Simmons biography on Queen Elizabeth I is a good overview of her life, capturing key events and relationhips that illustrate the impact of her reign. Much of his observations are grounded in the work biographer Allison Wier did before him. If you are a student of Tudor history, you won't find anything new here, though it is refreshing for someone to point out that many of the Queen's theatrical tactics that books and movies use against her character were very strategic on her part.
For those not as familiar with Elizabeth I, this is an excellent stating point. Simmons' narrative is interesting and easy to read. He includes excerpts of Queen Elizabeth's own writings, then summarizes and interprets her meaning. From her marital prospects and troubling line of succession to her peace keeping efforts and brave battlefield persona, in this book Simmons explores Elizabeth I and her long reign as Queen of England.
February 10, 2021
A short biography of the Tudor queen with glimpses of the English politics of the era. The events are presented well but have a slight prejudice towards the queens decisions and she is painted as justified in many controversial situations including the execution of Mary Queen of Scotts. All the verbatim famous speeches made for tedious reading and had to skip some really long ones. It will just about wet your appetite for a longer and better written English history book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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