I understand this is historical FICTION, but basing a plot on Elizabeth I's interest in making Britain first in healthcare is preposterous. One would hope that this author's next book in the series is more fiction and less fantasy!

This is the fourth book written by Karen Harper that features Queen Elizabeth the First as the main character. So it is a little far-fetched to think that Queen Bess might be a crime-solving sleuth, but who is to say she wasn't? She was a brilliant ruler, with many interests, so it isn't so far-out that she would want to help solve perplexing mysteries of her day,especially when the mystery involves herself or one of her close subjects.
I find these novels fascinating. They are well-researched,and presented in a lively, intriguing manner.
I look foward to the next installment of this series.

Sharon Galligar Chance, TIMES RECORD NEWS

This book is one the best mystery books I have ever read... Karen Harper has managed extremely successfully to blend the historical setting of the Elizabethean era with a well thought and written plot. The imagination combined with her obviously well founded knowledge of the history results in a breathtaking story... Those not familiar with the imminent profiles of the period may find the book difficult to grasp, however, for those who are interested in this spesific era, this is definitely not a book to miss....Congradulations to Karen Harper...

I love both of these women and their place in history, but Plowden's work leaves me cold. This could have been a fascinating, gripping, dynamic fiction tale of love, ambition, politics, history and royalty such as Susan Kay's "Legacy". Despite the alluring title, it's not. Not worth buying.

Ms Plowden does a great job of keeping to the facts and keeping your attention. A must have for anyone interested in or required to learn about English and European history.

I read this book for a British History class and loved it. Plowden makes the history of the relationship between Elizabeth and Mary come alive with many anecdotes. She describes in such detail the way the two lived and the era that the reader can almost visualize it.

Wonderufl read - not just for a class but for pleasure-reading as well!

Having just finished Anne Somersets more definitive bio on Elizabeth I have to agree with previous reviewers that the author seems to have it in for his subject. Does he even like her?. He portrays her more as vindictive, vascillating, procrastinating,vain and downright bloodthirsty. Most notably in her relations with the english puritans, the protestant rebels in the Netherlands and especially her close relatives. The latter being her treatment of Katherine Grey, sister of the beheaded Jane for whom there was no love lost. He does not give her any credit for being a woman in a mans world and having the guts and wisdom to choose some very bright men as ministers and councillors and not yes-men at that. Walshingham and William Cecil openly disagreed with her on many issues but at no time did she contemplate dismissing them. He also appears to be saying that Elizabeth's foreign policy was based on the divine right of princes to rule their own kingdoms, and that rebels against their rightful lords be they protestant or catholic deserve to be severely punished hence her sympathetic correspondence with Philip of Spain. Ridley also has a penchant for drawing out in unnecessary detail execution and torture scenes. When the assassin of William of Orange is submitted to all kinds of horrific torture before his eventual execution, smiling the whole time the reader finds himself squirming uncomfortably. Despite the authors elegant prose I prefer the Sommerset or even Antonia Fraser biographies. They may not deify the woman but at least they dont vilify her.

What a refreshingly well-written, concise and historically well-researched book! Ridley is a master of the historic biography, and every book I have read so far (having started off with his account of Henry VIII) is a riveting read and impossible to put away.

May Royal Tunbridge Wells continue to serve as an inspiration to this gifted writer and connaisseur of the depth of the English language.

Jasper Ridley's biography of Elizabeth is well-written and coherent, broken into chapters that examine pivotal events during the reign in foreign and domestic policy. Ridley's work differs from most Elizabethan biographies in its focus on political and military aspects rather than personal studies of the queen. While at times the text drags, for the most part it is crisp and solid reading, and paints a fascinating picture. What makes the book stand out, however, is the quality of its documentation and use of primary sources, and its tremendous value as a research tool. Mr. Ridley has made assiduous use of archived state papers and contemporary commentaries that depict events as they were actually experienced and grasped by the people in the 16th and early 17th centuries. A student partaking in research on this period or studying the European Renaissance in general would benefit tremendously from a consultation of the bibliography, since the author essentially gives an index of the calendars of state publications that detail various decisions and military planning of the late 1500s. Furthermore, Mr. Ridley is careful to delve deeply into foreign sources as well; he makes extensive use of the archives in Simancas, Spain, as well as archival resources in Italy, to furnish shades of detail often overlooked. The overall result is that Mr. Ridley's biography has an unparalleled "real-time" feel to it. And, the author covers territory that too often is neglected in Elizabethan biographies, especially in regard to military affairs that are difficult to research elsewhere. He examines the English defeat and expulsion from Le Havre in France that resulted in the permanent loss of Calais in 1563; the long Anglo-Spanish war of the 1590s that crippled the finances of both countries, and (with Spanish victories at sea) frustrated English attempts at colonization in the Western Hemisphere while preserving Spain's foothold; and also at the bitter Anglo-Irish guerrilla war of the century's last decade, which devastated the Irish countryside and drained England's resources to the limit. For a detailed biography, Jasper Ridley's biography (along with that of Anne Somerset) is top-notch, and as a research tool it is of inestimable help.

It's hard to imagine two words that could do more to kill a book's sales than "history" and "celibacy" ("algebra" and "asphyxia," perhaps). Nevertheless, A History of Celibacy has proven a huge best-seller in Canada (if that counts), giving South Park fans one more reason to hoot in derision at their northern neighbors.

Toronto historian Elizabeth Abbott traces religious celibacy in exhaustive detail from Athena and the vestal virgins of pagan Rome to the Catholic obsession with virginity and the role of self-denial in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths. If the reader can get past Abbott's sociology-textbook prose in these first 200 pages, the book picks up considerably in the second half as she turns her attention to celibacy in the secular world. Abbott pokes fun at the Male Purity Movement of the 19th century and the scientifically unproven link between abstinence and improved athletic performance, but she appears completely sympathetic with female celibacy to transcend traditional gender roles (the section on Elizabeth I is particularly poignant).

Under Abbott's double standard, women in secular society give up sex for career or country (Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, Rachel Carson), whereas men abstain because they are repressed homosexuals, incurable pedophiles or superstitious jocks (Leonardo da Vinci, Lewis Carroll, Muhammad Ali). Equally discomfiting is Abbott's account of her own conversion to celibacy: "Much as I once reveled in sexual indulgence...I am immensely relieved that someone else's domestic demands no longer dominate my daily agenda." Yeah, love stinks.

Despite getting bogged down in various minutae in regards to different religious sects, this book is an entertaining and informative read. The author adroitly links the cultural mores of societies across the earth, and analyzes the reasons for celibacy or eternal virginity among different religions and cultures. She also, interestingly enough, emphasizes the practical nature of celibacy, and the role it plays in today's sex-driven culture. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a bit of odd cultural history or someone just interested in the rise and fall of celibacy.

A history of celibacy is a deeply compelling book that offeres a plathora of cultural views on celibacy. From china to native americans, ancient greeks to today, Elizabeth Abbott introduces the reader to a world populated by eunuchs, transvestite nuns, tormented ascetics, empowered virgins and AIDS-weary homosexuals. Abbott's wit and wry sense of humor makes this scholarly research a joy to read. I feel more knowledgble of both my own and other cultures view on sex, the close relationship between religion and sex, and how centuries of sexual principles affects many of todays issues concerning homosexulality, teenage pregnancy, pedophile priests, etc...
A must read for the curious.

I read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory and loved it, so I chose this as a follow up and was very disappointed. It lacked any interest or excitement.

This book is amazing. It gives a wonderful description of an area of Elizabeth's life that few have ever explored. You really get a good sense of the times as well as the characters. A MUST READ!!

Robin Maxwell has it almost exactly right, but not quite. The detail of her book is astounding and fills in the period with the appropriate characters in her usual high level of style and wit.

However, truth in this case is stranger than fiction: Elizabeth was sent to Cheshunt in May 1548, after her well recorded encounter with her step-father, Thomas Seymour. Conventional historians portray this as Katherine Parr taken precautions and separating the two.

A closer look at the situation reveals a deeper motive, Princess Elizabeth was already pregnant. She gave birth on July 21, 1548 to a son, who was taken and placed in the home of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford. John de Vere was forced into a marriage with Margery Golding by Edward Seymour (Lord Protector) and his secretary William Cecil. The bond between William Cecil and the young Princess was to last the remainder of Cecil's life, because he was the one who solved her pregnancy problem. Thomas Seymour never knew he was the father. The young boy was raised as Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. He was a known poet, author, theatrical producer in the court of Elizabeth. He is best known by his works under the pen name William Shakespeare.

Elizabeth eventually had five more children. Four by Robert Dudley. The last was Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, the young man to whom Shakespeare dedicates Venus and Adonis and Lucrece.

This work fills in the imaginative details of the period. But leaves out the critical one, Elizabeth had a child in 1548. Truth is stranger than fiction. The book is almost right on.

Paul Streitz
Author
Oxford: Son of Queen Elizabeth I

All the Queen's Men provides a wealth of knowledge about Elizabeth 1, and also about the men that helped her to become one of the greatest queens in England's history. For example, Elizabeth's Privy Council was filled with many intelligent and capable people. One of these people was William Cecil, who was an extremely hard-working Secretary of State. Under Elizabeth's reign, she surrounded herself with men of knowledge. But, she also appreciated the arts. Many artists and writers evolved during the Elizabethan rule. One of the most historical writers during this time was William Shakespeare who wrote plays like Romeo and Juliet. Through her entire life, Elizabeth 1 had men surrounding her. But she never picked one for the most important positions in her life to be filled by a man, her husband. She had an extensive string of suitors, but never settled down with one. Among these suitors were Philip of Spain, Charles the Archduke of Austria, and Henry the Duke of Anjou. Overall, this is a very well written book. It contains many relevant illustrations that help you while you are reading. All the Queens Men will delight anyone who is interested in the Elizabethan era.

Looked forward to this book with great anticipation, but was rather disappointed. Many of the stories in the book, especially in the courtiers and statesmen chapters, were very familiar to me, having read them elsewhere. I'd recommend, instead, a book by Neville Williams with the same name (All the Queen's Men), if you can find a copy (currently out of print). The most interesting personalities of the period are examined in greater depth and the book is better illustrated than Brimacombe's.

I have one of the earlier editions of this book... if you are studying Elizabeth I or are simply interested in reading a chronological account of the "Who's Who" of Elizabeth's court and courtiers, this is the book for you. If you're bent runs to historical costuming for the Elizabethan era, this is also the book for you. For the costumers: this book contains more source material (by means of portrait reproduction) than you can imagine or shake a stick at. I used this book not only for historical research, but as a costuming reference as well until I found Janet Arnold's book "Patterns of Fashion." The print plates (and there are A LOT of them) are both in color and b/w in my edition. The book is incredibly well researched and written... very little in it could be considered dry. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a page turner, but after almost 20 years with this book in my library I still use it as a reference... it's THAT good... I HIGHLY recommend it!!

This book may be the story of Willie Dixon's music, but it's certainly not Willie's story. I kept waiting to find out more about Willie, the man, but my questions were never answered.

...also, it is important for whomever is into music recording and songwriting and performing to read this. Talk about being forefront in rhythm and blues and rock & roll and not getting your dues? Dixon, although he did not get all the monetary benefits and fame of a brilliant career, still comes up on top because of his uplifting attitude and strength of character exhibited in his great book. Read it, today.

Willie Dixon was a big man, not only physically. He was colorful, confident, ambitious and intelligent. And in addition to all that, he had a remarkable talent for writing songs. He wrote such Blues classics as "I'm Ready","Spoonful", "Hoochie Coochie Man", and "I Just Want to Make Love to You.". His contemporaries included Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and Muddy Waters, all of whom recorded Dixon's songs.

With a title like "I Am the Blues", you can expect Dixon to talk a lot about The Blues. And he does. And there's no one better to provide a first hand account of Blues music and it's evolution from the 1940's through the 1980's. But Dixon also describes his own life in vivid detail. Love and the loss of love. Hard work and hard living. A man of principles, Dixon was arrested on stage in 1941 for evading the draft. As a struggling black man and musician, he refused to go to war for the country that he felt had done nothing for him. Later in his life, Dixon fought for the rights to his own songs, and profits he never made from many recordings of those songs.

In later years, Dixon's songs were recorded by new blues legends like Buddy Guy, and British rock artists like The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Many of his songs remain Blues standards, today. But the best legacy Willie Dixon leaves behind is his human legacy. This is best reflected in the words of his own favorite self-penned song, "It Don't Make Sense (You Can't Make Peace):

"You take one man's heart and make another man live
You even go to the moon and come back thrilled
Why, you can crush any country in a matter of weeks
But it don't make sense you can't make peace."

Amen to that, Mr. Dixon.

Elizabeth and Essex is perhaps the finest example of Strachey's incomparable style. More poetic than prosaic, ripe with imagery and atmosphere, Strachey's elegant, vigorous prose is a treat to read.

This is all the more unusual given that Strachey is a historian. In most cases, his style doesn't get in the way of the story; his subjects are usually represented accurately and with respect.

Unfortunately, he doesn't quite succeed in this case. Strachey's Victorian sensibilities and Freudian view of his subjects often take him on wild flights of fancy that fail the test of Occam's razor. For instance, he asserts that Elizabeth was sexually disorganized based on a smattering of rumours which, he claims, prove that she had a deep-seated fear of sex and perhaps a hysterical block which prevented her from engaging in intercourse. Pretty convoluted reasoning, especially considering the fact that Elizabeth had perfectly sound political reasons to remain single.

Strachey's portrait of Essex is likewise suspect. He turns the proud scion of an ancient family into a manic-depressive basket case, but his evidence for this is scanty and his reasoning difficult to follow. Again, is it really likely that Essex plotted to overthrow the government because he saw himself as the true King of England, when a much more simple explanation (he was angry and felt insulted) comes to mind?

Yet even through the flights of psychological fancy and the wildly improbable motives, Strachey's portrait continues to enchant. I cannot stress strongly enough how enjoyable and entertaining this book is. Yes, one does have to take Strachey's explanations with a grain of salt, but the journey itself is a lot of fun and should not be missed.

I highly recommend this book.

If you are interested in the personal details of the latter half of Queen Elizabeth's life, this is an excellent book to read. Her wars and reconciliations with the headstrong Lord Essex (many years her junior) are covered in just the right level of detail, so that the reader is never gorged on nor starved for insights into what made Gloriana such a remarkable figure. Strachey's first chapter gives a particularly adept placement of the Queen's personality within the court of England and the field of late-16th century Europe. Following chapters contain less politics and more humanity. (The slow, initially frustrated but inevitable rise of Francis Bacon's star is interesting.)

There are too many biographies of Elizabeth I out there--thankfully this isn't one of them. The author purposely avoided another one, and instead focused on the evaluation of the way the virgin queen used her power. Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, and had to rebuild the country after the disastrous reign of Bloody Mary. This book shows how she effectively maintained control of the public, the church, the nobility, the court, the council, and the military, and tells us why Elizabeth was able to hold the throne almost 45 years.

Again, this is not meant to be a biography, so this book assumes that you already have a basic knowledge of Elizabeth's reign. If not, you'll find yourself lost, but if so, you'll learn all kinds of stuff and find yourself looking at this English queen in a whole new light. If you're a student of Tudor England, this one's for you.

This short book is a good summary of Elizabeth during her reign. It focuses on eight different aspects of her life: the throne, church, nobility, council, court, parliament, military, and her people. It is not very detailed. If you want quick information on the queen, this is the book for you.

The photos are darling and the concept is cute, but it said for ages 4-8 and the child shown is very young. Don't think it will work for an 8 year old. Also, they show the flower girl doing things like balancing spoons on her nose at the reception and complaining about an itchy dress -- not exactly things you want to encourage.

This is a very cute story. I think the photographs are wonderful too - they seem so real, and the little girl so natural. She is also a beautiful child - the kind you might really know. The story involves the entire family which is a nice thing for children to see - their place in the wedding reflecting their place in the family.This book makes me wish I had a clothing store specializing in wedding and bridal party dresses or childrens dress clothes. I would display a copy for customers amusement.