Overview

"COSTA AWARD FINALIST  ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR  Film rights acquired by Gold Circle Films, the team behind My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A groundbreaking reconsideration of our favorite Tudor queen from the author of Queen of Scots, now a feature film starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie “A fresh, thrilling portrait… Guy’s Elizabeth is deliciously human.” –Stacy Schiff, The New York Times Book Review Elizabeth was crowned queen at twenty-five, but it was only when she reached fifty and all hopes of a royal marriage were behind her that she began to wield power in her own right. For twenty-five years she had struggled to assert her authority over advisers, who pressed her to marry and settle the succession; now, she was determined not only to reign but to rule. In this magisterial biography, John Guy introduces us to a woman who is refreshingly unfamiliar: at once powerful and vulnerable, willful and afraid. We see her confronting challenges at home and abroad: war against France and Spain, revolt in Ireland, an economic crisis that triggers riots in the streets of London, and a conspiracy to place her cousin Mary Queen of Scots on her throne. For a while she is smitten by a much younger man, but can she allow herself to act on that passion and still keep her throne?   For the better part of a decade John Guy mined long-overlooked archives, scouring handwritten letters and court documents to sweep away myths and rumors. This prodigious historical detective work has enabled him to reveal, for the first time, the woman behind the polished veneer: determined, prone to fits of jealous rage, wracked by insecurity, often too anxious to sleep alone. At last we hear her in her own voice expressing her own distinctive and surprisingly resonant concerns. Guy writes like a dream, and this combination of groundbreaking research and propulsive narrative puts him in a class of his own. ""Significant, forensic and myth-busting, John Guy inspires total confidence in a narrative which is at once pacey and rich in detail.""  -- Anna Whitelock, TLS   “Most historians focus on the early decades, with Elizabeth’s last years acting as a postscript to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Guy argues that this period is crucial to understanding a more human side of the smart redhead.” – The Economist, Book of the Year"

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9780143110095

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Reviews

-A fresh, thrilling portrait... Guy's Elizabeth is deliciously human.- -Stacy Schiff, The New York Times Book Review -A superb book. . . Guy persuades us that pretty much everything we think we know about Elizabeth is wrong. . . Considering that she was a Protestant in a Catholic-dominated Europe, a woman in a male-dominated world, the daughter of one parent who had been executed by the other. . . [she] should be seen as the most remarkable individual to have worn a European crown between Charlemagne and Napoleon.- -Andrew Roberts, The Wall Street Journal -Guy is a master of the early modern archive: few historians are better equipped to navigate the tangled skein of Elizabethan records. . . .his careful work with documents known and unknown, scattered throughout Europe's archives, allows him to paint a novel portrait of a complex--maybe even unknowable--queen.- --The Guardian -[A] fresh, illuminating portrait of one of England's greatest monarchs...Guy uses Elizabeth's handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect.--The Financial Times -An illuminating study of England's most revered monarch. Guy, a leading authority on the Tudor period, uses Elizabeth's handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect.- - Financial Times, Best Book of the Year-Significant, forensic and myth-busting, John Guy inspires total confidence in a narrative which is at once pacey and rich in detail.- -- Anna Whitelock, TLS -John Guy's Elizabeth presents a beautifully rounded portrait of both the woman and the queen. Thanks to Guy's prodigious use of previously untapped material, we see, for the very first time, the full panoply of ambition and insecurity, plotting and deceit that marked the middle years of her reign. This is a masterful biography.- - Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire -A gripping story of Queen Elizabeth's last years, authoritatively researched and engaging recounted by the leading Tudor historian of our age.--James Shapiro, author of The Year of Lear -This is a very good read, a vivid and fascinating warts-and-all portrait of the ageing Elizabeth, backed by meticulous research.- --Claire Tomalin, author of Jane Austen-Magisterial... the definitive account of that era for the present generation--Country Life-Outstanding. . . This page-turning book is history, biography, scholarship personified, and a crystal-clear look at Elizabeth in the war years that erases the myths and presents the real woman. Absolutely one of the best biographies of Elizabeth ever.- -Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)-Guy gives readers a fuller view of the confident, experienced, and adaptable queen whose long, eventful reign--one sprinkled with -Kafkaesque elements---continues to fascinate.--Publisher's Weekly-Meticulously researched and highly readable. . . Readers will be fascinated by Guy's careful psychological portrait of the aging monarch in the sunset of her reign.--Library Journal

A fresh, thrilling portrait Guy s Elizabeth is deliciously human. <b> Stacy Schiff, <i>TheNew York Times Book Review</i></b> A superb book. . . Guy persuades us that pretty much everything we think we know about Elizabeth is wrong. . . Considering that she was a Protestant in a Catholic-dominated Europe, a woman in a male-dominated world, the daughter of one parent who had been executed by the other. . . [she] should be seen as the most remarkable individual to have worn a European crown between Charlemagne and Napoleon. <b> Andrew Roberts, <i>The Wall Street Journal </b> Guy is a master of the early modern archive: few historians are better equipped to navigate the tangled skein of Elizabethan records. . . .his careful work with documents known and unknown, scattered throughout Europe s archives, allows him to paint a novel portrait of a complex maybe even unknowable queen. <b><i> --The Guardian </b> [A] fresh, illuminating portrait of one of England s greatest monarchs Guy uses Elizabeth s handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect. <b> <i>The Financial Times </b> An illuminating study of England s most revered monarch. Guy, a leading authority on the Tudor period, uses Elizabeth s handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect. <b><i> Financial Times, </i> Best Book of the Year<i></b> Significant, forensic and myth-busting, John Guy inspires total confidence in a narrative which is at once pacey and rich in detail. <b><i>-- </i>Anna Whitelock, <i> TLS</i></b> John Guy's <i>Elizabeth </i>presents a beautifully rounded portrait of both the woman and the queen. Thanks to Guy's prodigious use of previously untapped material, we see, for the very first time, the full panoply of ambition and insecurity, plotting and deceit that marked the middle years of her reign. This is a masterful biography. <b><i> </i> Amanda Foreman, author of<i> <i>Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire</i> </b> A gripping story of Queen Elizabeth s last years, authoritatively researched and engaging recounted by the leading Tudor historian of our age. <b><i><b> James Shapiro, author of<i>The Year of Lear</i></b><i> </b> This is a very good read, a vivid and fascinating warts-and-all portrait of the ageing Elizabeth, backed by meticulous research. <b><i> </i>--Claire Tomalin<i>, </i> author of <i><i>Jane Austen</i></b><i><i></i> Magisterial... the definitive account of that era for the present generation <b><i><i><b><i>-Country Life</i></b></b> Outstanding. . . This page-turning book is history, biography, scholarship personified, and a crystal-clear look at Elizabeth in the war years that erases the myths and presents the real woman. Absolutely one of the best biographies of Elizabeth ever. <b> <i><b>Kirkus Reviews</b></i><b>(Starred review)<i></b> Guy gives readers a fuller view of the confident, experienced, and adaptable queen whose long, eventful reign--one sprinkled with Kafkaesque elements --continues to fascinate. <b><i><b> Publisher's Weekly</b></i> Meticulously researched and highly readable. . . Readers will be fascinated by Guy's careful psychological portrait of the aging monarch in the sunset of her reign. <b><b> <i>Library Journal</i></b></b>

Guy s Elizabeth is deliciously human. . . . While she believed herself a queen first, and a woman second, few others did. That tension animates the life. Guy is exquisitely attuned to the backwards-and-in-heels nature of Elizabeth s reign. . . .A fresh, thrilling portrait. Stacy Schiff, TheNew York Times Book Review A superb book. . . Guy persuades us that pretty much everything we think we know about Elizabeth is wrong. . . The queen emerges as an even more impressive figure than before, precisely because of her wiliness and endless deception operations. . . Considering that she was a Protestant in a Catholic-dominated Europe, a woman in a male-dominated world, the daughter of one parent who had been executed by the other. . . Elizabeth should be seen as the most remarkable individual to have worn a European crown between Charlemagne and Napoleon. Andrew Roberts, The Wall Street Journal [A] fresh, illuminating portrait of one of England s greatest monarchs [John Guy] uses Elizabeth s handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect. The Financial Times Magisterial... One is quickly aware that he haswritten what will be the definitive account of that era for the present generation -Country Life Significant, forensic and myth-busting, John Guy inspires total confidence in a narrative which is at once pacey and rich in detail... Guy makes the case that these 'forgotten years' ushered Elizabeth's own personal empowerment. -- Anna Whitelock, TLS Outstanding. . . This page-turning book is history, biography, scholarship personified, and a crystal-clear look at Elizabeth in the war years that erases the myths and presents the real woman. Absolutely one of the best biographies of Elizabeth ever. Kirkus Reviews (Starred review) Fascinating Tudorist, take heed: This fresh consideration of the queen a vulnerable, jealous and generous, unapproachable and compassionate at the finis of her rule is a rousingly good read. BookPage Guy s copious research results in a fresh, absorbing biography. Booklist John Guy's Elizabeth presents a beautifully rounded portrait of both the woman and the queen. Thanks to Guy's prodigious use of previously untapped material, we see, for the very first time, the full panoply of ambition and insecurity, plotting and deceit that marked the middle years of her reign. This is a masterful biography. Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire A gripping story of Queen Elizabeth s last years, authoritatively researched and engaging recounted by the leading Tudor historian of our age. James Shapiro, author of A Year In The Life of William Shakespeare and The Year of Lear As you d expect from John Guy, this is a very good read, a vivid and fascinating warts-and-all portrait of the ageing Elizabeth, backed by meticulous research. --Claire Tomalin, author of Jane Austen Guy gives readers a fuller view of the confident, experienced, and adaptable queen whose long, eventful reign--one sprinkled with Kafkaesque elements --continues to fascinate. Publisher's Weekly Meticulously researched and highly readable. . . Readers will be fascinated by Guy's careful psychological portrait of the aging monarch in the sunset of her reign. Library Journal Praise for John Guy's Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel A triumph: a beautifully layered portrait of one of the most complex characters in English history, which gives a new narrative coherence to a very peculiar life. . . . It is to Guy's immense credit that he has written such a lively, effortlessly readable biography a book that not only corrects many historical errors and uncertainties, but merits reading more than once, for the sheer joy of its superb storytelling. The Times (London) Both darkly comic and deeply tragic, Guy's biography is a portrait of a saint with plenty of shadows. The New York Times Book Review A suspenseful, meticulously researched biography . . . Guy's biography scintillates with energetic scene-setting, giving us wherever possible a tactile, visual feel for early medieval England, and London especially. His portraits of Thomas Becket and King Henry II, from the early period of their relationship, are subtle and telling. . . . He breathes new life into an oft-told tale of throne and altar antagonism, with its complex undercurrents of money, politics, religion and shocking violence. However well you think you know the story, it is well worth the read. Financial Times A significant reading experience, offering insight, perspective and fresh understanding . . . In a concise and highly readable narrative, Guy examines Becket's character and upbringing, his career as Chancellor and Archbishop, his break with Henry, his murder, and subsequent canonization as saint. He takes up the question of Becket's spirituality, his sexuality, his tactics, his judgment and the rightness of his cause, modifying and correcting many established views and assumptions. Dallas Morning News A fine and thought-provoking book . . . The worldly man of power did not become an ascetic overnight; instead as Guy brilliantly demonstrates through a forensic examination of the texts Becket studied the new archbishop experienced an intellectual and spiritual reawakening, as his highly strung mind grappled with the gravity of his responsibilities. The Sunday Times (London) From the Hardcover edition.

A fresh, thrilling portrait Guy s Elizabeth is deliciously human. <b> Stacy Schiff, <i>TheNew York Times Book Review</i></b> A superb book. . . Guy persuades us that pretty much everything we think we know about Elizabeth is wrong. . . Considering that she was a Protestant in a Catholic-dominated Europe, a woman in a male-dominated world, the daughter of one parent who had been executed by the other. . . [she] should be seen as the most remarkable individual to have worn a European crown between Charlemagne and Napoleon. <b> Andrew Roberts, <i>The Wall Street Journal </b> [A] fresh, illuminating portrait of one of England s greatest monarchs Guy uses Elizabeth s handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect. <b> <i>The Financial Times </b> An illuminating study of England s most revered monarch. Guy, a leading authority on the Tudor period, uses Elizabeth s handwritten letters and other rarely exploited primary sources to impressive effect. <b><i> Financial Times, </i> Best Book of the Year<i></b> Significant, forensic and myth-busting, John Guy inspires total confidence in a narrative which is at once pacey and rich in detail. <b><i>-- </i>Anna Whitelock, <i> TLS</i></b> John Guy's <i>Elizabeth </i>presents a beautifully rounded portrait of both the woman and the queen. Thanks to Guy's prodigious use of previously untapped material, we see, for the very first time, the full panoply of ambition and insecurity, plotting and deceit that marked the middle years of her reign. This is a masterful biography. <b><i> </i> Amanda Foreman, author of<i> <i>Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire</i> </b> A gripping story of Queen Elizabeth s last years, authoritatively researched and engaging recounted by the leading Tudor historian of our age. <b><i><b> James Shapiro, author of<i>The Year of Lear</i></b><i> </b> This is a very good read, a vivid and fascinating warts-and-all portrait of the ageing Elizabeth, backed by meticulous research. <b><i> </i>--Claire Tomalin<i>, </i> author of <i><i>Jane Austen</i></b><i><i></i> Magisterial... the definitive account of that era for the present generation <b><i><i><b><i>-Country Life</i></b></b> Outstanding. . . This page-turning book is history, biography, scholarship personified, and a crystal-clear look at Elizabeth in the war years that erases the myths and presents the real woman. Absolutely one of the best biographies of Elizabeth ever. <b> <i><b>Kirkus Reviews</b></i><b>(Starred review)<i></b> Guy gives readers a fuller view of the confident, experienced, and adaptable queen whose long, eventful reign--one sprinkled with Kafkaesque elements --continues to fascinate. <b><i><b> Publisher's Weekly</b></i> Meticulously researched and highly readable. . . Readers will be fascinated by Guy's careful psychological portrait of the aging monarch in the sunset of her reign. <b><b> <i>Library Journal</i></b></b>

Author Information

 John Guy is an award-winning historian of Tudor England. A Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, he is the author of Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart, a major international bestseller that won  the Whitbread Award and the Marsh Biography Award and was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. His other books include A Daughter's Love: Thomas More and His Dearest Meg; Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel; the biography of Henry VIII for the Penguin Monarchs series and a landmark, bestselling history of Tudor England.

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