This work is important for anyone interested in History or Literature of the English Renaissance. The author takes a fascinating, in-depth look at the cultural succession of the popular image of the Virgin Mary by the popular image of Queen Elizabeth I. The depth of her scholarship is evident in the work, and yet it is presented in a style that is easy to follow. I look forward to reading her forthcoming work on the genre of Romance in the Renaissance.

Frances Willard was a hardy, clear-spoken New England Temperance/Suffrage activist of the late 19th century. Until age 16, she had free run of the world, but then was bound by the corsets and hoops and restrictions of womanhood. That is, until she turned 53 and received the gift of "a wheel" -- a safety bicycle -- from a friend in the movement. Her reflections on riding the bicycle are amusing and profound. It was very much a community effort for her; she describes one lesson in which four friends stand at the corners (including one at each side of the handlebars, counterbalancing them) and walk her down the drive. BUT this book is ultimately more about life than it is about cycling. It is like a journal of all the insights sparked by this return to the unfettered freedom of Willard's youth. And for that, it is precious and challenging. The language reminded me of Mark Twain's dry observations on his own habits and predilections, and Willard is certainly his equal in exercising her powers of observation and analysis. Ultimately she reflects a universal experience: the experience of flight on two wheels that attracts so many of us to the sport and discipline of the bicycle.

This is at first glance a quite simple piece of work, with significant full-page attention grabbing pictures. As one takes time to study the photos and to understand the experience of the author, however, this book creates for the reader the beginning of an understanding for the basic rights of all humans. Living in the USA, where we take for granted our rights to such basics as survival, protection, development, and particaption, we choose to ignore the fact that Mr. Clark so poignantly communicates with a single word: "Focus" and a picture with two people -- one in the foreground, and one in the background, both fuzzy, while the land inbetween, scattered with garbage, is perfectly clear.

Not too long ago, I started reading Gilbert Morris' House of Winslow series and was absolutely enthralled. Once I got through all the books I own from that series, I was delighted to discover the Wakefield Dynasty series. Unlike a lot of other series, the plot always returns to England.

In The Winds of God, I was thouroughly impressed at the good transition from Book 1 to Book 2. Continuing the theme of Catholicism versus Protestantism, Morris entertainingly weaves a great story into this important part of England's history while taking time to examine the effects that hatred can have on a person's life.

So pull up a chair, sit down and enjoy the tale of Myles, Hannanah and especially Robin Wakefield.

Beware, Princess Elizabeth is an excellent read and I recommend it to anyone who has read the Royal Diaries.
This book is about Princess Elizabeth right after her father, King Henry, died. Her sister, Princess Mary, becomes the Queen. Mary then attempts to cleanse England of Protestant believers so England will become a Catholic nation. Princess Elizabeth--a Protestant--must pretend to convert so that she can escape the wrath of her sister, nicknamed "Bloody Mary," for the violent way she treated the people who would not convert.
I really enjoyed this book because Carolyn Meyer does an astounding job in making the characters seem real, describing the scene, and making you feel what Elizabeth is feeling.
I also highly reccomend the book Mary, Bloody Mary, to anyone interested in learning about Princess Mary's childhood. It is a great companion to Beware, Princess Elizabeth.

Beware, Princess Elizabeth is an excellent book! Carolyn Meyer writes wonderful historical fiction and I couldn't put this book down. I have read Mary, Bloody Mary also and it is a great book as well. But my mind always comes back to the same question: Mary or Elizabeth? Which one is the greater, better sister? Was Mary really as horrible as Elizabeth made her out to be? In all I've read of this time period I've always liked Elizabeth better. But in Mary, Bloody Mary, Mary seems almost...kind. She went through a lot to come to the conclusion that she would never like Elizabeth. I think that Mary wasn't horrible when she was a young girl and a young lady as shown in Mary,Bloody Mary but that her hatred of Elizabeth and her horrid treatment of Protestants was a developed characteristic. I believe that I will always like Elizabeth more. However, I feel that one should read each book and come to ones own conclusion of this question: Mary or Elizabeth?

As the daughter of King Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn, the wife he had executed on false charges of adultery simply because she did not birth him a son, the young Princess Elizabeth was at various times pampered, scorned, or simply ignored by her father. She and her young half-brother Edward, the heir to the throne, were close. But Elizabeth and her half-sister Mary - daughter of the woman Henry divorced to marry Anne Boleyn - were barely civil to each other. Mary hated Elizabeth simply for her mother's identity. When the King dies and Edward is crowned, the two sisters manage an uneasy peace - until Edward dies and Mary becomes Queen. Now Elizabeth is in grave danger. There are many reasons her sister could want her out of the way. Elizabeth will need all of her wits if she is to survive the dangers of her sister's reign so that someday she can become Queen of England. This was a fascinating portrait of Elizabeth as a teenager and young woman. I highly reccomend this book.

Elizabeth I is a young girl, often misunderstood and ignored, especially by her father, King Henry VIII. Life isn't easy for this princess; her mother was beheaded and her sister Mary often tries to embarass and frustrate her. Travelling from castle to castle, as well as from adoptive mother to mother, her friend Robin and her brother Edward are the only ones who seem to care about Elizabeth. Kat, her governess, seems obsessed with baths, inspecting all of Elizabeth's chambres from fear of poisoning. What with rumours about an attack from the French and trying to save her "new" mother and teacher, Catherine Parr, life has reserved many surprises for Elizabeth I, the soon-to-be Queen.

Historical dates and facts are also present in this book, just like they were in Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile. Mary's cruel character is especially interesting, and after having read the historical notes about her, it is no wonder to me that she has been nicknamed "Bloody Mary". Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor is a marvellous book that leaves a lasting impression due to the sometimes gory re-telling of the death of King Henry's wives.

While still being faithful to the story, one can easily relate to the atmosphere between Elizabeth and her sister. The feasts and banquets often held at the many palaces make the readers wish they lived in medieval times. However, Lasky also portrays the draw-backs of living in what was considered a romantic time: the public executions and talk of witchcraft and adultery, as well as the fear of being poisonned is always present throughout the diary entries. This book is informative, but still is a light and relaxing read, especially for those who wish to learn more about the Queens of the 1500-1600s'.

Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII of England, may live a life filled with comfort and luxury, but she is desperatley lonely. The year is 1544, and eleven-year-old Elizabeth is mostly ignored by her father. Most of the time, she lives in a palace in the countryside with her older half-sister, dour Princess Mary, her younger half-brother, sickly Edward, their stepmother, Queen Catherine, and their servants. Only Kat, Elizabeth's governess, seems to pay any attention to her. Elizabeth mourns the death of her mother, who she barely knew, and the deaths of two of her stepmothers. She wonders if her father truly loves her or views her as a political tool that he can someday marry off to gain land or wealth. I highly reccomend this book. Not only is it a richly detailed account of life in 16th century England, but it also a story of a lonely young girl yearning for her father's love.

This book is about Queen Elizabeth 1st of England. Kathryn Lansky, who wrote this book, Elizabeth 1st, Red Rose of the House of Tudor, chose to write it about the time when Elizabeth was a girl in England, in the years 1544-1547.

I like the way the author wrote this book in diary form. Each new day had its own date and year (except for a few dates in which the printers messed up). I also enjoyed the pictures in the back of the book that show Elizabeth and her family. It helps you get a view of how fat King Henry the Eighth really was. I also thought the gold color at the edges of the pages was very beautiful.

This book tells about the way of life when Elizabeth was 10 to 13 years old. It tells how she lived, what she wore, and what she did, in a very interesting and exciting way. It really gives you a great idea of what her daily life was like.

This book also tells of the sad times and hardships that Elizabeth suffered, like the time she was banished from her father's court for doing nothing wrong. That really hurt her feelings. What I think would have hurt her feelings the most was knowing that her father had beheaded her own mother, Anne Boleyn. Kathryn Lansky really captured the feelings that Princess Elizabeth must have felt with all these hardships.

She also described the happy times in Elizabeth's life, like the time her father would kiss and pinch her on her cheek. That made her very happy. Another time, on Elizabeth's birthday her half brother Edward gave her a monkey to play with and train. She liked that a lot!

It was really neat to learn about Princess Elizabeth, and discover more about daily life back then. I enjoyed this book a lot, and I know you will too!

My favorite thing about this book is the wonderful illustrations. It is the first biography on Elizabeth that I have found with just about every single portrait of her ever made. It also has all of the popular paintings shown in color in this book, which makes buying the book worthwhile even if you do not read it!

If you are interested in learning about more about Elizabeth, this is the first book you should read. The author keeps the story simple and easy to read, it almost seems like you are reading a very interesting novel. She gives you a brief, but very complete coverage of Elizabeth's entire life, which will enable you to pick up the more complicated and detailed volumes written about Elizabeth and be able to follow them much more easily.

Another wonderful thing about this book, is she gives a brief description/background of all the important people from Henry VIII 's reign as well as Elizabeth's. She also gives a bibliography per chapter, giving you the names of books to look into if you want to read further on more specific periods of her life.

Ms. Thomas did a wonderful job in creating this book about Elizabeth I. I found this book to be incredibly helpful when creating a report. It had me wish I knew this thoughtful and insightful queen. I felt I was in the time period because it had information and facts where other biographers made speculations and mere guesses. In other books, I felt as if the author had not even researched it at all. I would recommend this book to anyone, not just as a resource but also as a free read.

If you are interested in learning more about Elizabeth I, start with this book. While it is true that it targets an adolescent audience, it clears up much confusion and muddled facts surrounding the Virgin Queen's life. The story is presented in a clear, straightforward fashion and is an easy read (which DOES NOT mean that it is not worth reading!). I have read many biographies of "Good Queen Bess" and this remains one of my favorites.

Never before have I read a book that captures the desperation of love so eloquently. Elizabeth Smart is able to avoke such vivid images of pain that this novel left me breathless. The whole book is one major work of lyrical prose put together so magnificently that I simply had to read the whole thing out loud.

The ultimate in purple passionate prose by a love-sick woman. It might be too purple and passionate for some. A lot of agonizing guilt over the fact that her lover was married (in fact the real life George Barker was married many times so she might have been in doubt which wife to have the agonizing guilt about).
The basic story is of her meeting the British poet George Barker in California (where he was trying to stay to sit out the Second World War) and travelling across America to New York with him. He gets into jail and hospital and eventually has to return to England.
It becomes more coherent if you read Rosemary Sullivan's "By Heart" which is a biography of Elizabeth Smart. It's interesting to read of her later friendly contacts with Barker and his last wife. There's also a biography of George Barker by Robert Fraser which I haven't seen yet.

By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept is the
most amazing book I've read this year. Hands Down!!
Its a hymn to unrequited love and passion. It is the
fire burning deep within while it snows outside. It is
the feeling of being lonely and alone...It is a work
of sheer genius.

Ms. Smart recounts and retells her love affair with
the famous poet George Barker and thus gives us this
enchanting piece of art. Poetic prose it is one book
you could die for.

I just started this book today at 3:30 a.m. and
finished it in no time. Why? Because the language, the
plot, the genuineness of the tale enchanted and
enthralled me. The words sinked and seeped into my
existence. For anyone who has ever been in love, this
book is a must!!

I have never had the pleasure of saying that a biography was hard to put down, but this is. I first encountered this book in college while taking a British History course, and I was hooked. It has been eight years since I took that course, and I am on my fourth re-reading. Every time I notice a detail that I did not before. I am fascinated by the Tudors and especially Elizabeth I. Erickson's prose is so engaging and lively you will forget you are reading a historical biography. I have the film Elizabeth, but I was disappointed in the lapses and the fact that it only covers her first year as queen. Of course, it would be a very long movie if it covered her entire reign, but buy this book to discover more of the "real" Elizabeth. Great read!

This book is absolutely the best. I had to read it for a school biography and had a really great time learning about Queen Elizabeth. Her character, power, and history simply amaze me, and has gotten me more interested in world history. I feel very satisfied with the book and can't wait to read more of Ericksons books.

This book was an enjoyable read and gave a realistic picture of what life was like during Queen Elizabeth's time. The vocabulary is appropriate for an educated person and is not too technical or too childish. There is quite a bit of background about Henry VIII and Bloody Mary, which then leads in to Elizabeth's reign. This book talks about Elizabeth as a real person, exploring her hopes and wishes as well as her political persona.