Elizabeth - David Starkey

...on the early years of Elizabeth I's life, so by the end she is still in her twenties and has only just been coronated. The book is accessible without being patronising. I don't claim to have a great historical knowledge and I stopped having history lessons at the earliest possible opportunity at school. But David Starkey has a great passion for his subject that enlivens the book no end, and the range of materials he has used for research purposes ...
...looks at the impact on Elizabeth of having such a domineering father as Henry VIII. All the beheadings/divorces/deaths of his rein are catalogued in a fascinating way that is much more interesting than my primary school history lessons. We are then shown how Elizabeth coped when her brother Edward VI was King, and later still when her sister Mary became Queen. During Mary's rein Elizabeth was the focus of many rebellions aimed against Mary, the Catholic ...

jonathancowley 19.05.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Elizabeth - David Starkey

...picture of the events that Elizabeth went through which shaped the person that she was. From an abused child, called a heretic, traitor and disinherited, Starkey clearly shows using original documents how the political, religious and consitutional trials of England shaped Elizabeth into the formiddable monarch she ultimately proved to be. Starkey examines Elizabeth in contrast to her sister Mary, and thus we gain an insight into 2 of the daughters ...

JsByrne 07.09.2003 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Elizabeth - David Starkey

...of the childhood of Queen Elizabeth I. This book was bought for me as a present and it is captivating. Starkey mixes in pure fact with amusing anecdote, which is always simple and clear to understand. He deals well with Elizabeths turbulent relationship with her father King Henry VIII, the man who beheaded her mother when she was 3, but who she so greatly admired. I think this book would suit anyone with an interest in history or British royalty. ...

Galiea 08.06.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Elizabeth - David Starkey