Susan DoranReseñas

I have been reading about Elizabeth I for 40 years. When I choose something new to read about this remarkable woman and her era, I hope to learn even more. Unfortunately this doesn't always occur, but this book has given me some deeper insight into Elizabeth's relationship with some of her most important councilors. For that, I am thrilled and I give it five stars.

This is a thoroughly researched, well-structured book that studies Elizabeth I through the lens of her relationships with others: her family, her courtiers, and her councillors. It is a good book to read if you’re interested in the period, but it requires sustained attention. I’d like to try it again sometime, or another book by Doran.½

Entertaining and well-laid out book that provides an overview of the history of England during the Tudor dynasty. The choice of illustrations is quite good, and is the outstanding feature of the book, since they are well-placed to illuminate the text narrative. Be forewarned: this is a very heavy book, physically. Not precisely bed reading!

I received this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have always had a fascination with the Tudors so I was very eager to read this new account of Elizabeth I’s life. So many times these books can be dull and lackluster but Susan Doran’s writing brought history to life in this new book. There were so many new things I learned. One of the things that interested me the most in her account was Elizabeth’s relationship with Henry VIII. In most accounts, Elizabeth is always shown to greatly admire and love her father in a way that makes it seem as if they were very close, even after sentencing her mother to die. Contrary to those beliefs, Doran points out why this was not necessarily the case. Royal children generally do not spend much time with their parents, often seeing them only a few times per year. And even when they do meet, it is not the type of quality time that modern parents share with their children. I thought that this book was incredibly fascinating and would recommend it 100% to any lover of history or of Elizabeth and the Tudor family.

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I didn't learn much new from this book, but it was a good review of who was who and what went on at court. I especially liked the structure of the book. It is divided into three parts: Kin, Courtiers, and Councillors, and each section is divided into chapters focused on small groups or specific persons. "Kin" has chapter on Parents & Siblings, The Suffolk Cousins, Mary Queen of Scots, and James VI of Scotland (her eventual heir to the English throne). Three favorites are the chapter subjects of "Courtiers": Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; Sir Christopher Hatton; and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. The section has an additional chapter on the noblewomen who served as ladies in waiting to the queen. Part Three, "Councillors," includes chapters on William Cecil, Lord Burghley; Sir Francis Walsingham; and Burghley's son, Robert Cecil. In the course of the book, relationships between the various subjects and Elizabeth are analyzed and important events (the succession, Elizabeth's "marriage game," the Spanish Armada, the Dutch wars, religious dissent, etc.) are discussed in detail. In short, it's a nice primer or reference book on Elizabeth's reign.½

This is a wonderful book for anyone who'd like to know more about the period in which the Tudors reigned. It has full pages of beautiful paintings of people and batles at the time. It's not supposed to be a real profound source of information about the Tudors, but rather, like the title implies, it's a chronicle year by year about the main events of one of the most important moments in British history.

This is a wonderful book filled with unbiased historical information on the Tudors, their enemies, relationships, supporters, and a vast number of color photographs & graphics.

Included is: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, & Elizabeth I. There is also the Tudor Succession: a Family Tree.

I received this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big fan of History & our Monarchy in particular
This book did not disappoint.I found it engaging interesting and i like the way in which Susan Doran breaks it up into bitesize chunks.
I will come back to this book in the future as i do my other History books

This is a book I would truly love to read. However. Currently (Aug 17, 2013) on Amazon the prices are:

Ebook:
Digital List Price: $136.00
Rent From: $31.94
Buy Price: $99.06

Hardback:
Amazon: $104.27
Used: from $40 to $80

Publisher: Routledge (November 1, 2002)
File Size: 993 KB
Print Length: 292 pages

Just judging by that price I'm going to assume that this is on some university reading list and that's why the prices are so horrible. I've ranted about this before elsewhere, but it bears repeating that there are many books that publishers may assume are only going to appeal to academics but that may appeal to a percentage of folk outside of that group. You know, like former academics or folk who just enjoy reading history.

So I'll look for this one only at a library, sadly. At those prices I'm going to assume that it's not likely to turn up at a reasonable price at a used book store either.

Looks great, full of color images. Available used on amazon.com, or on overstock book section at B&N.

If you're looking for an in depth book about Mary Queen of Scots, look elsewhere. If, however, what you're looking for is an overview of her entire life (including the mysterious murder of her 2nd husband and her 14 years as Elizabeth I's prisoner in England), this is a great book for that. It's also filled with pictures of documents, portraits and drawings of the people and events in Mary's life (including a sketch of her execution in England). Informative, without going into a lot of detail, I recommend this for people wanting to know just a little about Mary and as an introduction the warped and twisted intertwinings of English, French, Spanish, and Scottish politics.½

For what this book is, it's really unrateable, (is that a word?) but it's a beautiful book, one anyone who's a Tudor history person would be pleased to have as part of his or her library. This is a catalog of an exhibition at the British Library to commemorate 500 years since Henry VIII took the throne.

The book is structured in ten parts -- Nine about distinct periods during about the life of the king, and then there is a section about Henry the bibliophile.

1. Young Henry 1491-1509 : about his birth, his lineages and his childhood

2. Venus and Mars 1509-1513 : Henry VII dies and Henry VIII marries Katherine of Aragon

3. Triumph of Peace 1514-1527: Henry VIII brings peace with France; Wolsey is powerful; Charles of Burgundy becomes Emperor Charles V;

4. The Turning Point 1527-29 - In these years Henry begins the long process of his annulment to his marriage with Katherine, begins to question the pope's authority and secures a promise from Anne Boleyn for marriage -- three events, which the author notes, whose repercussions would be felt until the end of the century.

5. The Royal Supremacy (1529-35): Henry makes it mandatory that he be recognized as head of the Church of England; annulment, Anne Boleyn's first pregnancy and birth of Elizabeth

6. The Crisis of 1536: Dissolution of monasteries begins; Henry is attracted to Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn is arrested & beheaded; the Pilgrimage of Grace begins

7. The Making of a New Church (1536-40): Marriage to Jane Seymour; birth of male heir & death of Jane Seymour;

8. The Last Years (1539-47):
Integration of Wales and England; marriage to the last 3 wives; execution of Cromwell

9. Death, Will and Succession (1546-47): Death of Henry VIII; Edward Seymour becomes Lord Protector of King Edward

In each section, there is an article about what's going on in each period, as well as paintings, pictures of original documents and artifacts of the period.

This book is very well done, and if you're interested in Henry VIII, you'll probably enjoy it a great deal.

A very good find for SCAdians. Includes some good detailed color images of portraiture of the time, as well as some excellent illuminated manuscript images. Quotes from various first level sources (translated to modern english) are annotated throughout.