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Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth
 
 
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Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth [Kindle Edition]

Mary Lovell (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews) |
Print List Price: £12.99
Kindle Price: £6.99 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
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Review

Lovell rehabilitates Bess's reputation, showing that she was shrewd rather than shrewish, kind rather than cold (THE TIMES )

This wonderfully researched book is an intimate portrait of [Bess's] life and a vivid insight into life in Tudor society (SUNDAY EXPRESS )

Lovell has excelled at bringing the Tudor Age to exuberant life... altogether this is a rattling good read (Hugh Massingberd, MAIL ON SUNDAY )

The best account yet available of this shrewd, enigmatic and remarkable woman (SUNDAY TIMES )

The Mail on Sunday, Hugh Massingberd, 21 August 2005

'Lovell has excelled at bringing the Tudor Age to exuberant life ... altogether this is a rattling good read'
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More About the Author

Mary S. Lovell
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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 70 people found the following review helpful
A fascinating read. 29 Mar 2006
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. The book is a balanced portrait of a very determined and intelligent woman who became rich and powerful in her own right, during a period when very few women were allowed to own any property. Her spirit and perseverance come through the pages and one cannot help but admire Bess of Hardwick. Ms Lovell balances the domestic life of Bess with the political upheavals she lived through seamlessly. This is a brilliant read, I know I will read it again and again.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By hiljean TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This is the third biography I have read by Mary S Lovell (the first two being the Mitford Sisters, and Jane Digby: A Scandalous Life). Both were excellent so I had high hopes of this one and was not disappointed. Lovell writes in a very accessible way despite cramming her books with well-researched detail.

Bess is a fascinating subject. Although she accumulated her wealth partly through a series of good marriages, she was a woman who had extraordinary business acumen for her time, and who believed in fighting for her rights. We are also given interesting insights into the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots (one of Bess's husbands, the Earl of Shrewsbury, was responsible for Mary's security for 15 years of her imprisonment). Elizabeth I is another of the principal characters as Bess was part of her close entourage at an early age and they remained lifelong friends. And I learnt something of the life of Arbella, Bess's granddaughter, who has been the subject of a recent biography by another writer.

If you are interested in the Tudor period, in strong women, and in seriously good biographies, this book is for you. Superb.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. Mrs Lovell captures the imagination and transports you to the Tudor age with ease, Bess's story is easy to follow in chronological order and it's interesting to note Bess is portrayed in a more favourable light than by previous biographers. Will read it again and look forward to Mrs Lovell's future books.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A fascinating insight into Her-story
Bess of Hardwick was an amazing character - and an inspiration to all modern women too. This book is so interesting, and though not a great or fast reader, I have been rivotted.
Published 10 days ago by Zanababy
Enjoyed this a lot
I'd heard the name Bess of Hardwick and who hasn't heard of Chatsworth, Hardwick or Bolsover? This was a very indepth biography of the indomnitable Bess, her husbands and her very... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Amanda Hall
a very interesting read
What an interesting read this book is,every page keeps you wanting more.All the more interesting for any reader who is familiar with the area of chatsworth,Hardwick ect. Read more
Published 4 months ago by ken hewitt
An interesting read
This is interesting if you like reading about people from history. Bess of Hardwick was a fascinating character and Mary S Lovell has obviously done her research. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ms. D. Talbot
Bess of Hardwick
Well researched and well written. It makes interesting reading without being labourious.
It gave me an indepth view of the life and times of a local celebrity that left a... Read more
Published 6 months ago by MacDoodle
Book Bess of Hardwick
Good historical account. Bought after a visit to Hardwick Hall. Original Elizabethan entity preserved by National Trust.Bess of Hardwick was to be admired.
Published 8 months ago by tim
Bess of Harwick
This small book showed me a snapshot of this fascinating woman and inspired me to read further about he life,
Published 8 months ago by Shonagh
Historical biography should not be this entertaining...
It's true. It really should not be this enjoyable. OK, what I really mean is that, having read a very great deal of history and historical biography, I cannot easily recall a... Read more
Published 10 months ago by G. D. Busby
Interesting book about an interesting lady
I didn't know much about Bess of Hardwick before I read this book, but certainly feel that I know a great deal more about her now. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Clare Topping
Ambitious and Remarkable Bess of Hardwick
Loved everything about this Tudor biography, Bess of Hardwick is impressively researched. The Author Mary S. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Andrea Bowhill
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