The Children of England: Heirs of King Henry VIII by Alison Weir  (7)  £6.74

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir  (20)

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir  (67)  £5.49

The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir  (5)  £8.57

Henry VIII: King and Court by Alison Weir  (11)  £6.99

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Elizabeth I survived to become queen by being very careful. The fact that she avoided being used or implicated by the various plots against her radically Protestant brother Henry VIII, and fanatically Catholic sister Mary I, was a triumph in itself, and she never forgot the lesson that survival needed to be her first goal. What many of her contemporaries took for irritating womanly indecision was a refusal to be hurried; some situations change and some go away, but you can never escape the consequences of your actions--she protected Mary, Queen of Scots for as long as she could.

Alison Weir's new biography covers the facts well enough, but she understands Elizabeth's situation imaginatively, and that is what makes her book special. Elizabeth not only overcame the misogyny of the world she lived in--she exploited it; Weir's own feminism gives her insights into the canny role-playing that was so crucial to Elizabeth's chameleon nature. Everything had to be policy from wigs and fans to rack and gallows; this is a biography which understands not only what happened, but how it seemed and felt at the time. This is an excellent conclusion to Weir's series of Tudor biographies--popular history which brings good sense to bear on scholarly fact. --Roz Kaveney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Synopsis
In her highly praised The Six Wives of Henry VIII and its sequel, Children of England, Alison Weir examined the private lives of the early Tudor kings and queens, and chronicled the childhood and youth of one of England's most successful monarchs, Elizabeth I. This book begins as the young Elizabeth ascends the throne in the wake of her sister Mary's disastrous reign. Elizabeth is portrayed as both a woman and a queen, an extraordinary phenomenon in a patriarchal age. Alison Weir writes of Elizabeth's intriguing, long-standing affair with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, of her dealings - sometimes comical, sometimes poignant - with her many suitors, of her rivalry with Mary, Queen of Scots, and of her bizarre relationship with the Earl of Essex, thirty years her junior. Rich in detail, vivid and colourful, this book comes as close as we shall ever get to knowing what Elizabeth I was like as a person.

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The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir  (5)  £8.57

The Children of England: Heirs of King Henry VIII by Alison Weir  (7)  £6.74

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir  (3)  £8.54

The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir  (19)  £8.09

Henry VIII: King and Court by Alison Weir  (11)  £6.99

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10 Reviews 5 star:  (9) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (10 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   27 of 27 people found the following review helpful: An insight into Elisabeth as she must have been, 18 Jul 2000 By A Customer This book, like all others by Alison Weir on the Tudor period, was a delight. The author manages to bring the reader so close to Elisabeth that I really had the feeling I was getting to know her. Particularly enjoyable is the way Weir produces historical evidence : she provides several contemporary accounts on an issue, explains why one account seems to be more reliable that the other - and in the process, never does the record get tedious or scholarly, which in itself is a feat. This approach only gives the impression of a very neutral, objective account - which adds tremendous force to the whole story. And what style, what elegance! A pleasure to read. A great, enjoyable book, which I warmly recommend to anybody interested in history.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   10 of 10 people found the following review helpful: Very sympathetic portrayal of Elizabeth, 28 Jul 2006 By  Catfish "Ania" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews    Alison Weir writes a very engaging and sympathetic account of Queen Elizabeth, taking the reader right into the heart of Renaissance England and Elizabeth's splendid court. This is a vivid portrait of Elizabeth and her relationship with her rivals, suitors, courtiers, subjects, foreign diplomats and enemies. All aspects of court life are covered, from social relations and life at court, to war and the politics of 16th century England, thus providing not just an engaging biography but also a journey in time, taking the reader back 500 years to an England at once imperial, majestic, and in the midst of civil political turmoil. One star less because I feel as if not enough space was given to Elizabeth's relationship and dealings with Mary Tudor or the character and motifs of the Earl of Essex, the uprising of the latter being glossed over very quickly and in little detail, despite Essex's influential role at court.  Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: A captivating portrait of Englands greatest monarch, 12 Aug 1999 By A Customer This was by far the best written and most instantly engaging book I have read on the Elizabethan period. Alison Weir perfectly captures the atmosphere at court and the machinations and intrigue which occured there. Her portraits of figures such as Walsingham and Essex really make these people come alive to the reader, and the account of Essex almost drawing his sword on the queen, was one of the finest pieces of historical writing I have encountered. The detail is not overwhelming and is set within a compelling narrative, which makes it accesible to both experts and the interested novice alike. I cannot rate this book highly enough, and I will certainly be reading Alison Wiers' other books.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 10 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews Great non-fiction read. I was totally hooked on this book right from the start, although I usually read historical novels rather than non-fiction. Read more Published 6 months ago by Patience Deeply compelling I have read many of Alison Weirs' books (the latest being the Princes in the Tower) and can not fault her. Read more Published on 22 Oct 2003 by happygit A most enthralling read I found Alison's book one of, if not the best I have ever read on Elizabeth, whom I find quite the most fascinating heroine of any age. Read more Published on 24 Jun 2001 An extremely readable biography of a fascinating woman This was my first try at a book written by Alsion Weir. I have always been enchanted by Queen Elizabeth 1st & it was pure joy to read a book written by someone who has done... Read more Published on 8 Feb 2000 by jacqui@carberry.sagehost.co.uk accessible and fascinating The best thing about Wier is that documents, accounts,paintings and events are integral to her storytelling. Read more Published on 15 Aug 1999 A gripping story The other books I've read by Weir have been really interesting, but this beats thm all. It's vibrant, accessible and utterly absorbing. Read more Published on 6 Aug 1999 Royal red-head rules the roost and the roosters To those like me who always thought that history was as dry as the minds that teach it in schools; books like this are a revelation. Read more Published on 11 May 1999 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 10 customer reviews...