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Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years
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.
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.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
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3097 people want to read
About the author
John Guy
164 books256 followersJohn Guy is recognised as one of Britain's most exciting and scholarly historians, bringing the past to life with the written word and on the broadcast media with accomplished ease. He's a very modern face of history.
His ability for first class story-telling and books that read as thrillingly as a detective story makes John Guy a Chandleresque writer of the history world. Guy hunts down facts with forensic skill, he doesn't just recite historical moments as they stand; he brings names and faces to life in all their human achievements and weaknesses. He looks for the killer clues so we can see how history unfolded. Like a detective on the trail of a crime, he teases out what makes his subjects tick. With his intimate knowledge of the archives, his speciality is uncovering completely fresh lines of enquiry. He's never content to repeat what we already know but rather, he goes that extra step to solve history's riddles. He takes you on a journey to the heart of the matter. Forget notions of musty academics, when Guy takes hold of history the case he states is always utterly compelling. Whether it's Thomas More or Mary Queen of Scots, Guy makes these people so real you suddenly realize you are hearing them speak to you. You enter into their world. You feel you can almost reach out and touch them.
Born in Australia in 1949, John Guy grew up in England and by the age of 16 he knew he wanted to be a historian. In 2001 he made an accomplished debut as a presenter for the television programme Timewatch, on the life of Thomas More. Today he's turning history books on their head as he wins universal praise and the 2004 Whitbread Prize for biography for his thrilling account of the life of Mary Queen of Scots.
As well as presenting five documentaries for BBC 2 television, including the Timewatch film The King's Servant and the four-part Renaissance Secrets (Series 2), he has contributed to Meet the Ancestors (BBC 2), and to Channel 4's Time Team and Royal Deaths and Diseases. Wolsey's Lost Palace of Hampton Court was a short-listed finalist for the 2002 Channel 4 television awards.
John Guy also appears regularly on BBC Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, BBC World Service and BBC Scotland. In print he currently writes or reviews for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Economist, the Times Literary Supplement, BBC History Magazine and History Today.
His broadcast and journalism experience builds upon his impeccable CV as an academic and author.
Having read History under the supervision of Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton, the pre-eminent Tudor scholar of the late-twentieth century, John Guy took a First and became a Research Fellow of Selwyn College in 1970. Awarded a Greene Cup by Clare College in 1970, he completed his PhD on Cardinal Wolsey in 1973 and won the Yorke Prize of the University of Cambridge in 1976.
John Guy has lectured extensively on Early Modern British History and Renaissance Political Thought in both Britain and the United States. He has published 16 books and numerous academic articles.
John Guy lives in North London. He is a Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge, where he teaches part-time so he can devote more time to his writing and broadcasting career.
His ability for first class story-telling and books that read as thrillingly as a detective story makes John Guy a Chandleresque writer of the history world. Guy hunts down facts with forensic skill, he doesn't just recite historical moments as they stand; he brings names and faces to life in all their human achievements and weaknesses. He looks for the killer clues so we can see how history unfolded. Like a detective on the trail of a crime, he teases out what makes his subjects tick. With his intimate knowledge of the archives, his speciality is uncovering completely fresh lines of enquiry. He's never content to repeat what we already know but rather, he goes that extra step to solve history's riddles. He takes you on a journey to the heart of the matter. Forget notions of musty academics, when Guy takes hold of history the case he states is always utterly compelling. Whether it's Thomas More or Mary Queen of Scots, Guy makes these people so real you suddenly realize you are hearing them speak to you. You enter into their world. You feel you can almost reach out and touch them.
Born in Australia in 1949, John Guy grew up in England and by the age of 16 he knew he wanted to be a historian. In 2001 he made an accomplished debut as a presenter for the television programme Timewatch, on the life of Thomas More. Today he's turning history books on their head as he wins universal praise and the 2004 Whitbread Prize for biography for his thrilling account of the life of Mary Queen of Scots.
As well as presenting five documentaries for BBC 2 television, including the Timewatch film The King's Servant and the four-part Renaissance Secrets (Series 2), he has contributed to Meet the Ancestors (BBC 2), and to Channel 4's Time Team and Royal Deaths and Diseases. Wolsey's Lost Palace of Hampton Court was a short-listed finalist for the 2002 Channel 4 television awards.
John Guy also appears regularly on BBC Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, BBC World Service and BBC Scotland. In print he currently writes or reviews for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Economist, the Times Literary Supplement, BBC History Magazine and History Today.
His broadcast and journalism experience builds upon his impeccable CV as an academic and author.
Having read History under the supervision of Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton, the pre-eminent Tudor scholar of the late-twentieth century, John Guy took a First and became a Research Fellow of Selwyn College in 1970. Awarded a Greene Cup by Clare College in 1970, he completed his PhD on Cardinal Wolsey in 1973 and won the Yorke Prize of the University of Cambridge in 1976.
John Guy has lectured extensively on Early Modern British History and Renaissance Political Thought in both Britain and the United States. He has published 16 books and numerous academic articles.
John Guy lives in North London. He is a Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge, where he teaches part-time so he can devote more time to his writing and broadcasting career.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
May 22, 2016
We definitely aren’t troubled with the lack of information available surrounding Queen Elizabeth I as the material is abundant and bountiful. Yet, much of what has been said of her persona is pure propaganda especially of her later years, starting with the Spanish Armada. John Guy, a popular historian and author, attempts to show Elizabeth as she truly was in the latter part of her reign in, “Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years”.
As in most of Guy’s other history works; “Elizabeth” is not a straight-forward chronological biography. Rather, Guy portraits this monarch on a subject-by-subject chapter break, attempting to deconstruct Elizabeth’s actions and thereby show who she “really was”. Unfortunately, Guy isn’t as successful in this as one would hope. The text and dates of events jump back-and-forth which makes it difficult both to retain the facts and to see the big picture juxtaposition. This also results in Guy presenting too much information and going off on various tangents instead of streamlining the material.
It is very evident; however, that Guy underwent a hefty investigation and research project. Guy procured some hidden documents which have not been previously discussed, thereby, helping to debunk myths or offer new angles to well-known Elizabethan events. Yet, Guy isn’t overly biased and is quite objective in his presentation.
The noticeable flaw in “Elizabeth” is the lack of genuinely showing a new view of Elizabeth which is Guy’s aim. The pages ‘tell’ events but they don’t really ‘show’ Elizabeth so the reader will not get to know her better or in a new way. Guy falls short of the main point to penning “Elizabeth”.
“Elizabeth” increases in reader value at the halfway point as Guy cuts down the intricacies of Elizabeth’s politic reactions and includes document excerpts which allow the reader to dive deeper than the usual propaganda. Overall, the pages are still more in the vein of Elizabethan government versus displaying Elizabeth herself; but it is stronger than the earlier pages perhaps meaning that Guy finds his groove.
With that being said, Guy still falls victim to weaknesses such as scrambling to fill space (which ends up being repetitive). For example, in between discussions when Guy is a loss for information or for a proper transition; he repeatedly returns to the argument that Elizabeth tried to fight the physical aging process and hide it from the public. Although this is maybe true, the constant empty and superficial (no pun intended) mentioning of it becomes tedious and doesn’t add to the text. We got it, Guy. No reason to revisit it constantly merely because you don’t know what to say.
The conclusion of “Elizabeth” focuses on Elizabeth’s last days both in political and personal terms. Guy does well with closing the circle of Elizabeth’s aftermath and allowing the reader to see Elizabeth’s impact. This is followed by an Epilogue which is more in the realm of an essay arguing why Elizabeth was the way she was and how this bled into the reign of James I. Guy’s basics are well-explained and backed by evidence even though he lets personal opinions flow into this section. Therefore, the Epilogue is compelling and interesting but some readers may take it with a grain of salt.
“Elizabeth” includes three sections of photo color plates plus notes although these are not thoroughly annotated. It should be noted that there is an editing flaw (misspelled word) on page 368.
Guy’s “Elizabeth” is a well-detailed look at the later years of Elizabeth’s reign pointedly discussing political maneuvers while exposing some rare documents and debunking some myths. However, Guy’s aim to reveal a new or lesser-discussed version of Elizabeth falls short and thus “Elizabeth” isn’t what Guy set it up to be. “Elizabeth” is a decent read and is recommended for Tudor and Elizabeth fans but it doesn’t really reveal any new information and is not a life-changing piece.
As in most of Guy’s other history works; “Elizabeth” is not a straight-forward chronological biography. Rather, Guy portraits this monarch on a subject-by-subject chapter break, attempting to deconstruct Elizabeth’s actions and thereby show who she “really was”. Unfortunately, Guy isn’t as successful in this as one would hope. The text and dates of events jump back-and-forth which makes it difficult both to retain the facts and to see the big picture juxtaposition. This also results in Guy presenting too much information and going off on various tangents instead of streamlining the material.
It is very evident; however, that Guy underwent a hefty investigation and research project. Guy procured some hidden documents which have not been previously discussed, thereby, helping to debunk myths or offer new angles to well-known Elizabethan events. Yet, Guy isn’t overly biased and is quite objective in his presentation.
The noticeable flaw in “Elizabeth” is the lack of genuinely showing a new view of Elizabeth which is Guy’s aim. The pages ‘tell’ events but they don’t really ‘show’ Elizabeth so the reader will not get to know her better or in a new way. Guy falls short of the main point to penning “Elizabeth”.
“Elizabeth” increases in reader value at the halfway point as Guy cuts down the intricacies of Elizabeth’s politic reactions and includes document excerpts which allow the reader to dive deeper than the usual propaganda. Overall, the pages are still more in the vein of Elizabethan government versus displaying Elizabeth herself; but it is stronger than the earlier pages perhaps meaning that Guy finds his groove.
With that being said, Guy still falls victim to weaknesses such as scrambling to fill space (which ends up being repetitive). For example, in between discussions when Guy is a loss for information or for a proper transition; he repeatedly returns to the argument that Elizabeth tried to fight the physical aging process and hide it from the public. Although this is maybe true, the constant empty and superficial (no pun intended) mentioning of it becomes tedious and doesn’t add to the text. We got it, Guy. No reason to revisit it constantly merely because you don’t know what to say.
The conclusion of “Elizabeth” focuses on Elizabeth’s last days both in political and personal terms. Guy does well with closing the circle of Elizabeth’s aftermath and allowing the reader to see Elizabeth’s impact. This is followed by an Epilogue which is more in the realm of an essay arguing why Elizabeth was the way she was and how this bled into the reign of James I. Guy’s basics are well-explained and backed by evidence even though he lets personal opinions flow into this section. Therefore, the Epilogue is compelling and interesting but some readers may take it with a grain of salt.
“Elizabeth” includes three sections of photo color plates plus notes although these are not thoroughly annotated. It should be noted that there is an editing flaw (misspelled word) on page 368.
Guy’s “Elizabeth” is a well-detailed look at the later years of Elizabeth’s reign pointedly discussing political maneuvers while exposing some rare documents and debunking some myths. However, Guy’s aim to reveal a new or lesser-discussed version of Elizabeth falls short and thus “Elizabeth” isn’t what Guy set it up to be. “Elizabeth” is a decent read and is recommended for Tudor and Elizabeth fans but it doesn’t really reveal any new information and is not a life-changing piece.
April 30, 2016
John Guy’s “Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years” is a dense biography about a very specific time period in Elizabeth’s reign—the post-menopausal war years when she reinvented herself as The Virgin Queen. As soon as I started reading the introduction, I immediately found myself taking notes in the margin, and I continued doing this throughout the book. It’s not necessarily a page-turner, but it is quite thought-provoking for anyone interested in this monarch and the politics of Europe during this time. I enjoyed it but, like I said before, it is rather dense with information. I would not recommend this to readers who are not already familiar with Tudor England. If you’re into this time period, then this is a great book for you.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Goodreads.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Goodreads.
June 26, 2016
John Guy observes that most material on Elizabeth essentially ends with the Spanish Armada, her dubious victory against Philip II. He builds the case that in these later “forgotten years”, Elizabeth comes into her own and that these years define Elizabeth in a less favorable way than the early ones when others were in control.
At the beginning of her reign, it seemed as though Elizabeth was “out of the loop”. The all male royal advisors found ways to work their will through her. Guy poses that William Cecil, who is usually portrayed as her loyal secretary was working for the Protestant cause (as well as himself) and bringing her along. He sees the turning point being the execution of Mary Queen of Scots when Elizabeth’s grief over Mary’s beheading is most often portrayed as a reaction to the violence and/or loss of a cousin whom she never met. Guy interprets it as Elizabeth’s realization that her advisors did not believe in the divine right of kings and had the power and the will to commit regicide. For the advisors, the reality set in that she would not be marrying and producing an heir.
Guy shows that as Elizabeth takes the reins she becomes authoritarian and self-centered. No longer do we see the “Good Queen Bess”. She hires and promotes those who will hunt down and/or terrorize Catholics. She indulges favorites, particularly Robert Devereux, Lord Essex whom she gives impressive but micromanaged assignments. She flirts with Sir Walter Raleigh, but punishes him severely when his voyages do not yield the riches she expects. She does not pay her soldiers and leaves them stranded.
The post-Armada period is characterized by war: There was Spain’s new strategy of reaching England through support for the Irish rebels, England’s military support for protestant King Henry IV and desire to re-establish influence in France and England’s military support for the support for the Dutch protestants as a buffer against Catholic Spain. In these wars, Elizabeth promotes her favorites: Leicester, Essex and Raleigh, giving them risky assignments with very little support or consideration for unforeseen events.
There is a lot on Essex and as Guy develops his character and his relationship with Elizabeth you can get a deeper understanding of him and his famously failed revolt. The post-Armada wars with Spain feature the the piracy that was part of it. James VI of Scotland proves to be a canny cousin. He cleverly accepts Elizabeth’s pension and deals with her staff (all forbidden to communicate with him) and assures his own seamless transition to the throne. There is a new, to me, character, a converso from Spain, Dr. Lopez, Elizabeth’s physician who is accused of attempting to poison her and who later channels diplomacy to the Ottoman Empire (also new to me).
As you read of Elizabeth counting her plunder and holding her favorites accountable when it does not come, not paying her soldiers, forcing those who break unwritten rules into debt and or the tower, hunting down and torturing Catholics you see more of her father than the "Good Queen Bess".
The text is usually readable, but can get lost in itself, for instance several pages on Elizabeth’s clothing and how provocative it may or may not have been and military operations in the Netherland. The Index is nicely annotated which is appreciated given that the book jumps in chronology. The plates of portraits are very good. Scholars will appreciate the reproductions of original material.
I’d be interested in a response to all of this by scholars and writers who may have other interpretations of these “forgotten years”.
January 21, 2025
I had to start this all over. I fell asleep. So far there has not been one anecdote that I haven’t read in about five other books, so I’ve let it play while I make noodlies or go to the bathroom little stuff like that and can pick right back up (audiobook). I am glad I bought it though because at the speed I read it’s a good refresher or something one of my nieces could read for a report or something.
January 26, 2023
A studious, well-researched and well-written consideration of those years of Elizabeth I's life with which history has gingerly dealt (so initial historians, from whom would come primary source materials, could keep their heads, I'm thinking. . .). Elizabeth I ("E.I" hereinafter) had a big life, and yet, at times she needed a shoulder, an atta-girl, and someone who really would tell her what no one else would. John Guy does a great job of filling in the gaps on how E.I got through her royal days.
Surprises, and new info for me kept me to the end of this visit across the pond. As with E.II, I do wish E.I had had a more normal life. . . .I think they both would have been happier women. But there I go again, changing history. I'll abandon that wish. Mostly.
John Guy has other topics of a similar nature, Mary Queen of Scots, and T. Becket as well, for future days.
Surprises, and new info for me kept me to the end of this visit across the pond. As with E.II, I do wish E.I had had a more normal life. . . .I think they both would have been happier women. But there I go again, changing history. I'll abandon that wish. Mostly.
John Guy has other topics of a similar nature, Mary Queen of Scots, and T. Becket as well, for future days.
May 13, 2017
Excellent for what it is, not quite so for what Guy intended it to be. His aim was to portray Elizabeth with fresh insights that changed more traditional ways of looking at her, particularly the way she has been represented in popular culture. It is undeniably true that movies like Elizabeth and Essex, The Virgin Queen, Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age have permanently shaped the way that Elizabeth I has been viewed (by the public at least), although somewhat oddly Guy focuses upon Fire Over England. He also mentions Glenda Jackson's towering performance in Elizabeth R. All of these represented the hagiography that grew up around her thanks to historians like Neale, although the elements of the legend were cemented within thirty years of her death by Camden's Annales.
I am not sure Guy has presented enough evidence to contradict the hagiography. If anything, his work reinforces the estimation in which Elizabeth can be held as a ruler, if not as a personality. She was essentially interested in two things, foreign policy and the Church. Guy is persuasive in debunking her fabled "marriage" to her average subjects as something that existed on anything but a theoretical level. The 1590s were excruciating in terms of harvests, and Elizabeth did nothing to alleviate the sufferings endured by commoners. Indeed, her taxation increased at the same time prices rose. Her view was strictly hierarchical, with herself at the top of the heap. This also caused her to be antipathetic to Puritans (not enough deference), Roman Catholics (ditto, with the allegiance to the Pope thrown in) and any attempt by ordinary citizens to limit the power of the Queen in terms of such things as granting ruinous monopolies to courtiers. However, in his epilogue, Guy admits that she was successful in (mostly) keeping England out of ruinous war. It is unpleasant, but not news, to read of her ingratitude to her soldiers and sailors after the Armada and sorties into France and Holland. Guy drily records again and again that the Queen did not stint herself on any significant level. At the very end of the book he uses Ralegh's phrase "she was a lady surprised by time" as a coda, then adds his explanation --- she ruled at a time when her concept of her authority's base had begun to be questioned. But surely most of her reign passed before this arose? It probably did gall Elizabeth Tudor that some of the hotheads who surrounded her --- Essex and Ralegh most prominently --- failed to take her seriously as a military leader because of course she could not take the field. Again, Guy gives numerous examples of the advice with which she peppered them, most of which they ignored. Guy has to admit that the majority of it was sound. Only a lunatic could have maintained that the English should have attempted to take and hold a coastal Spanish city as a port from which further attacks could have been launched. It is to Elizabeth's credit that she refused to play the role as arbiter of the Reformation and Keeper of the Military Flame for Protestants. She would have bankrupted England, as Philip II did Spain on the other side.
So Elizabeth pretty much stays the same figure. None of the material Guy has uncovered (to his credit) seriously alters her status as incredibly good at her job.
What The Forgotten Years does accomplish is provide a good look at the period of the reign most often ignored. Guy uses the end of her menstrual cycle as a liberating moment; she was no longer hostage to her council's insistence that she marry (although he fails to really confront the fact that she had ignored it when she might have had children) and could begin to really rule as herself. It would probably be more correct to date this from the execution of Mary Stuart and the following year's defeat of the Armada, when her personal stock was riding high. Guy relentlessly chronicles how stressful the last full decade of the reign was, with it effectively ending with the fall of Essex.
The writing is excellent, and the book is a pleasure to read. Recommended for anyone with an interest in her or the general period.
I am not sure Guy has presented enough evidence to contradict the hagiography. If anything, his work reinforces the estimation in which Elizabeth can be held as a ruler, if not as a personality. She was essentially interested in two things, foreign policy and the Church. Guy is persuasive in debunking her fabled "marriage" to her average subjects as something that existed on anything but a theoretical level. The 1590s were excruciating in terms of harvests, and Elizabeth did nothing to alleviate the sufferings endured by commoners. Indeed, her taxation increased at the same time prices rose. Her view was strictly hierarchical, with herself at the top of the heap. This also caused her to be antipathetic to Puritans (not enough deference), Roman Catholics (ditto, with the allegiance to the Pope thrown in) and any attempt by ordinary citizens to limit the power of the Queen in terms of such things as granting ruinous monopolies to courtiers. However, in his epilogue, Guy admits that she was successful in (mostly) keeping England out of ruinous war. It is unpleasant, but not news, to read of her ingratitude to her soldiers and sailors after the Armada and sorties into France and Holland. Guy drily records again and again that the Queen did not stint herself on any significant level. At the very end of the book he uses Ralegh's phrase "she was a lady surprised by time" as a coda, then adds his explanation --- she ruled at a time when her concept of her authority's base had begun to be questioned. But surely most of her reign passed before this arose? It probably did gall Elizabeth Tudor that some of the hotheads who surrounded her --- Essex and Ralegh most prominently --- failed to take her seriously as a military leader because of course she could not take the field. Again, Guy gives numerous examples of the advice with which she peppered them, most of which they ignored. Guy has to admit that the majority of it was sound. Only a lunatic could have maintained that the English should have attempted to take and hold a coastal Spanish city as a port from which further attacks could have been launched. It is to Elizabeth's credit that she refused to play the role as arbiter of the Reformation and Keeper of the Military Flame for Protestants. She would have bankrupted England, as Philip II did Spain on the other side.
So Elizabeth pretty much stays the same figure. None of the material Guy has uncovered (to his credit) seriously alters her status as incredibly good at her job.
What The Forgotten Years does accomplish is provide a good look at the period of the reign most often ignored. Guy uses the end of her menstrual cycle as a liberating moment; she was no longer hostage to her council's insistence that she marry (although he fails to really confront the fact that she had ignored it when she might have had children) and could begin to really rule as herself. It would probably be more correct to date this from the execution of Mary Stuart and the following year's defeat of the Armada, when her personal stock was riding high. Guy relentlessly chronicles how stressful the last full decade of the reign was, with it effectively ending with the fall of Essex.
The writing is excellent, and the book is a pleasure to read. Recommended for anyone with an interest in her or the general period.
June 30, 2024
Wow. Did not disappoint. Guy is brilliant.
May 19, 2016
The woman behind the myth...
In his preface, John Guy suggests that biographers of Elizabeth I of England tend to have paid less attention to the later years of her life, often relying on the accepted story created by earlier writers. Guy has gone back to the original source documents, stripping back the accumulated layers of mythology surrounding her to reveal the complex and very human character beneath.
During the first part of Elizabeth's reign, she was under continual pressure to marry, partly to provide an heir but also because of the prevailing feeling that women were not suited to be monarchs. Having seen the unhappy and unsuccessful marriage of her sister Mary to Philip of Spain, not to mention the hardly idyllic marriage of her tyrannical father to her soon-to-be-headless mother, Elizabeth was always reluctant to reach a decision that would make her subordinate to a husband. However, marriage negotiations rumbled on throughout her child-bearing years.
But by the age of 50 when it was finally clear that the Queen would have no direct heir, Guy suggests she was for the first time really accepted, however reluctantly, as a monarch in her own right – a Prince or King as she often referred to herself – and felt herself freer to stamp her royal authority on those around her. These later years – the period covered in this book – were dominated by the interminable wars in Europe, concern over the succession, power struggles and conspiracies at home, and, of course, Essex, her arrogant young favourite.
As well as being a serious historian, Guy has a gift for storytelling which always makes his books a pleasure to read. It seems to me he has mastered the art of presenting history in a way that makes it fully accessible to the casual, non-academic reader without ever 'dumbing down'. He does masses of research, from original sources where possible, then, having decided what 'story' he is going to tell, he distils all that information down to those people and events that will illustrate his arguments. It's a simplification in presentation, but not in scholarship. As with all the best historical writers, he knows what information should appear in the main body of the text and what can be left to the notes at the back for people who wish to look into the subject more deeply. As a result, the cast of 'characters', which can often become overwhelming in history books, is kept to a small, manageable level, and the reader gets to know not just the principal subject but the people who most closely influence events.
So in this book, as well as a revealing and convincing picture of the ageing Elizabeth, we also get a thorough understanding of those who were most relevant to her at this later period: an equally ageing Burghley, and the younger men, struggling amongst themselves to win her favour and the political power that came with it – Burghley's son Cecil, Sir Walter Ralegh, and Essex, who almost shares star billing with the Queen herself.
The first few chapters romp through the early years of Elizabeth's accession and reign, really just to give the reader a bit of background, then each subsequent chapter focuses on a particular person or event. As is my usual way, I found the sections relating to the wars least interesting, though Guy does a good job of explaining all the shifting allegiances and showing how the various campaigns led to the rise or fall of those leading them. He also shows the contrast between Elizabeth's concern for her aristocratic commanders and her casual disregard for the welfare of the ordinary soldiers, sometimes leaving them unpaid and with no way to get home from their campaigns. But throughout the period, as usual in these endless wars, those at the top were constantly changing sides or even religions, and no-one really ever seems to win or lose, and I just don't care!
Much more interesting to me are the power struggles at home and Guy gives a very clear picture of the personalities involved here. In the latter years of Elizabeth's reign, Burghley was ageing, while Walsingham's death left a vacancy Elizabeth found difficult to fill. But worse, she had also lost Leicester, the love of her life. She may have had disagreements with all three of these men at various times, but she also depended on them and trusted them to a degree that she would find difficult with the young men coming up. Guy makes clear that, while Essex was a favourite, he was no replacement for Leicester and Elizabeth was fairly clear-sighted about his weaknesses and unreliability. Burghley was keen that his son, Cecil, should succeed him as the main power in the government, while Ralegh and Essex looked to war and naval exploits to gain favour.
Once it was clear that Elizabeth would never have a child, her advisers wanted to settle the question of the succession. However, Elizabeth would never allow this to be discussed, partly through a dislike of thinking about her death and partly because she feared that a settled succession may lead to conspiracies to force her to abdicate or, worse, to murder her, thus making way for the new king. The obvious successor in terms of bloodlines was James VI of Scotland and he had the further advantage of having been brought up in the Protestant religion. Elizabeth's refusal to name a successor meant that, as she approached the end of her life, even her nearest courtiers were carrying on secret correspondences with James – Essex primarily for his own advantage and possibly to the point of treason, but also Cecil who, while looking out for his own interests too, seemed genuinely to want to avoid major disruption on Elizabeth's death.
Guy's portrait of Elizabeth feels credible and human. She seems to have been vain and capricious, temperamental, cruel when angered and vindictive when she felt betrayed. But as we see her age, with all her early advisors dying one by one, including Leicester, her one true love, and eventually also Kate Carey, her greatest friend, in the end she seems a rather lonely and pitiful figure. Another first-class biography from Guy – highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Viking Books.
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In his preface, John Guy suggests that biographers of Elizabeth I of England tend to have paid less attention to the later years of her life, often relying on the accepted story created by earlier writers. Guy has gone back to the original source documents, stripping back the accumulated layers of mythology surrounding her to reveal the complex and very human character beneath.
During the first part of Elizabeth's reign, she was under continual pressure to marry, partly to provide an heir but also because of the prevailing feeling that women were not suited to be monarchs. Having seen the unhappy and unsuccessful marriage of her sister Mary to Philip of Spain, not to mention the hardly idyllic marriage of her tyrannical father to her soon-to-be-headless mother, Elizabeth was always reluctant to reach a decision that would make her subordinate to a husband. However, marriage negotiations rumbled on throughout her child-bearing years.
But by the age of 50 when it was finally clear that the Queen would have no direct heir, Guy suggests she was for the first time really accepted, however reluctantly, as a monarch in her own right – a Prince or King as she often referred to herself – and felt herself freer to stamp her royal authority on those around her. These later years – the period covered in this book – were dominated by the interminable wars in Europe, concern over the succession, power struggles and conspiracies at home, and, of course, Essex, her arrogant young favourite.
As well as being a serious historian, Guy has a gift for storytelling which always makes his books a pleasure to read. It seems to me he has mastered the art of presenting history in a way that makes it fully accessible to the casual, non-academic reader without ever 'dumbing down'. He does masses of research, from original sources where possible, then, having decided what 'story' he is going to tell, he distils all that information down to those people and events that will illustrate his arguments. It's a simplification in presentation, but not in scholarship. As with all the best historical writers, he knows what information should appear in the main body of the text and what can be left to the notes at the back for people who wish to look into the subject more deeply. As a result, the cast of 'characters', which can often become overwhelming in history books, is kept to a small, manageable level, and the reader gets to know not just the principal subject but the people who most closely influence events.
So in this book, as well as a revealing and convincing picture of the ageing Elizabeth, we also get a thorough understanding of those who were most relevant to her at this later period: an equally ageing Burghley, and the younger men, struggling amongst themselves to win her favour and the political power that came with it – Burghley's son Cecil, Sir Walter Ralegh, and Essex, who almost shares star billing with the Queen herself.
The first few chapters romp through the early years of Elizabeth's accession and reign, really just to give the reader a bit of background, then each subsequent chapter focuses on a particular person or event. As is my usual way, I found the sections relating to the wars least interesting, though Guy does a good job of explaining all the shifting allegiances and showing how the various campaigns led to the rise or fall of those leading them. He also shows the contrast between Elizabeth's concern for her aristocratic commanders and her casual disregard for the welfare of the ordinary soldiers, sometimes leaving them unpaid and with no way to get home from their campaigns. But throughout the period, as usual in these endless wars, those at the top were constantly changing sides or even religions, and no-one really ever seems to win or lose, and I just don't care!
Much more interesting to me are the power struggles at home and Guy gives a very clear picture of the personalities involved here. In the latter years of Elizabeth's reign, Burghley was ageing, while Walsingham's death left a vacancy Elizabeth found difficult to fill. But worse, she had also lost Leicester, the love of her life. She may have had disagreements with all three of these men at various times, but she also depended on them and trusted them to a degree that she would find difficult with the young men coming up. Guy makes clear that, while Essex was a favourite, he was no replacement for Leicester and Elizabeth was fairly clear-sighted about his weaknesses and unreliability. Burghley was keen that his son, Cecil, should succeed him as the main power in the government, while Ralegh and Essex looked to war and naval exploits to gain favour.
Once it was clear that Elizabeth would never have a child, her advisers wanted to settle the question of the succession. However, Elizabeth would never allow this to be discussed, partly through a dislike of thinking about her death and partly because she feared that a settled succession may lead to conspiracies to force her to abdicate or, worse, to murder her, thus making way for the new king. The obvious successor in terms of bloodlines was James VI of Scotland and he had the further advantage of having been brought up in the Protestant religion. Elizabeth's refusal to name a successor meant that, as she approached the end of her life, even her nearest courtiers were carrying on secret correspondences with James – Essex primarily for his own advantage and possibly to the point of treason, but also Cecil who, while looking out for his own interests too, seemed genuinely to want to avoid major disruption on Elizabeth's death.
Guy's portrait of Elizabeth feels credible and human. She seems to have been vain and capricious, temperamental, cruel when angered and vindictive when she felt betrayed. But as we see her age, with all her early advisors dying one by one, including Leicester, her one true love, and eventually also Kate Carey, her greatest friend, in the end she seems a rather lonely and pitiful figure. Another first-class biography from Guy – highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Viking Books.
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October 11, 2016
I look so forward to any new book on Elizabeth II that I can get my hands on, that I grabbed this one and stuck it in my library bag with very little perusal. I began it with great relish and was very quickly so frustrated that I almost gave up. It's got a really ugly undertone of " I want to be different and cool so I am gonna criticize and undermine one of the greatest women to ever live". I was extremely annoyed through the entire book. It's not to say that there is not some interesting information here--there are some great details from letters and documents and some interesting and different viewpoints of Elizabeth, but overall it smacks of sexism. It has the undertone of attempting to undermine the Queen by indicating that she was a pawn of her advisors and that she was an opportunistic and cruel woman who thought only of her own vanity and reputation. Ugg. In the climate we find ourselves in at this point in time, I am in no mood to see one of the most amazing women who ever lived reduced to a stereotype by an author who sounds bitter and threatened. I would not recommend.
March 5, 2018
There is so much we think we know about Elizabeth I, Queen of England. We would be highly mistaken.
In this well researched book, John Guy, shines a light on a very, very strong woman who took her place in a male dominated world and earned her place in royal history. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was repeatedly told her "job" was to marry and produce an heir. However, it is understandable that Elizabeth was in no hurry to marry, considering her tyrannical father beheaded her mother, and her sister was quite unhappily married to Philip of Spain.
The book focuses on the time period after people finally came to accept that she would neither marry nor produce an heir.
Guy also covers Elizabeth's darker side: her violent outbursts, and her deep fears which made it impossible for her to sleep alone.
The book is well researched and very well written.
In this well researched book, John Guy, shines a light on a very, very strong woman who took her place in a male dominated world and earned her place in royal history. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth was repeatedly told her "job" was to marry and produce an heir. However, it is understandable that Elizabeth was in no hurry to marry, considering her tyrannical father beheaded her mother, and her sister was quite unhappily married to Philip of Spain.
The book focuses on the time period after people finally came to accept that she would neither marry nor produce an heir.
Guy also covers Elizabeth's darker side: her violent outbursts, and her deep fears which made it impossible for her to sleep alone.
The book is well researched and very well written.
December 14, 2021
An excellent book; well-researched, and written, thoroughly engaging, and a fascinating, much-overlooked periods of Elizabeth's reign. Highly recommended
November 3, 2018
Myths are best served exploded, otherwise they can overinflate and thus hide the substance of any dish. And if that dish be the national consciousness or identity of a nation, then such over-egging must be avoided, lest it become the overelaborated norm.
In recent times the Tudors have become entertainment currency, and not only in British media. From television series to historical novels to feature films, we have seen a plethora of offerings, mainly stories of Henry VIII and Elizabeth, it has to be said. These often degenerate into costume dramas or whodunits of political intrigue, where accuracy is smoothed out of the history to create the kind of simplistic cliché of plot that mass markets are deemed to demand. “Based on a true story”, that overworked and internally contradictory byline, is now so overworked that it would be better omitted. “Fabricated around historical names” would be better. And though there is nothing wrong with fiction, since it often allows interpretations that challenge received wisdom, there are real difficulties when that fiction is transferred into myth whose acceptance becomes so widespread that it may not be challenged. It could be argued that connotations associated with terms such as Good Queen Bess, Golden Age or even simply Elizabethan are in danger of relying more on fiction than fact. Or perhaps these are nostalgic labels for contemporary ideal states that are thought to be lacking in our own times.
And so what an absolute delight it is to come upon a book such as Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years by John Guy. This is a book that really is based on true stories, since this academic historian of Clare College, Cambridge references and describes any sources that the reader may need to back up any point. Timescales are not stretched, statement is supported by facts and mystery is only allowed to obscure fact when evidence does not exist.
The forgotten years of John Guy’s title refer to the latter part of Elizabeth's reign. The earlier years that preceded the Armada in 1588, with their multiple plots, proposals, matchmakings and conspiracies are the ones that form the backdrop for most of the fictions. These later years were characterized by war, economic difficulties and political intrigue. They were perhaps dominated by considerations of succession, since Elizabeth, of course, had no heir. It is worth noting here, however, that John Guy, by virtue of a discursive style that deals with issues rather than a mixture of events arranged chronologically, does offer as context much background material relating to the years before 1588. This picture that is purportedly a selective encounter with the later years of Elizabeth's reign thus contains much rounded and detailed description of her entire reign.
John Guy states several assumptions that must guide our understanding of the period. In the sixteenth century, he says, status did not trump gender. Elizabeth was a woman, and that meant that many of the males at court had little or no respect for her apart from their recognition of her birthright. And, because her mother was Anne Boleyn, whom her father married after his denied divorce, even that was questioned by many, especially those of the old faith, who would also have wanted to do more than merely undermine this Protestant queen. The author, incidentally, is not implying that gender issues are or were different in other centuries. As a professional historian, he is simply defining the scope of relevance that is to be ascribed to his comment. Secondly, because Elizabeth was a single woman, the issue of succession had to dominate her reign. In the earlier years this meant various scrambles to find her a husband in the hope that a male heir might materialize. But later on, in the period that John Guy's book covers, Elizabeth was too old to bear children anyway. Discussion on succession, therefore, shifted from matchmaking into more strategic and political territory.
In Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years, the queen is portrayed as a fundamentally medieval monarch. She saw herself as descended from God, the assured kin of all others who shared this enthroned proximity to the Almighty. Hence, she could not bring herself to sign the death warrant for Mary Queen of Scots, believing that a decision to kill a royal by anyone would legitimize the practice, and who then might be next to get it in the neck? And since this by definition was a direct attack on God, it also carried damnation as a consequence. Hence Elizabeth's duplicity in letting it be known she wanted Mary disposed of whilst at the same time denying any responsibility for the act, thus requiring the person who enacted her wishes to be hauled up for treason. These medieval royals were above reason, it seems, as well as above the law. And messengers, it seems, have always been fair game.
This unwillingness to sign a death warrant was not a weakness that affected Elizabeth very often. It seems that the mere whiff of a plot or conspiracy quickly resulted in all smells being masked by the odor of fresh ink forming her signature on an invitation to the Tower. John Guy’s book regularly takes us to the gallows with these condemned people - usually men, of course - and offers detail of their fate. A particularly memorable sentence, specifically suggested by the queen, had one condemned man hanged for just one swing of the rope, so he could then be cut down and, still alive and still conscious, witness his own guts and beating heart being placed on the ground beside him. In an age that still believed in the resurrection of the mortal body, these treasonous felons had to be dismembered and their parts separated to ensure they would never have their souls saved. It may have been God’s will, but it certainly was that of His reigning representative on earth.
This Good Queen Bess, incidentally, was in the habit of handing down similar fates quite regularly. She also refused to pay salaries to soldiers and sailors who fought for her, dressed herself in finery while her war wounded received no assistance or pension and were forced to sleep rough. She turned two blind eyes to disease and epidemic that ravaged her forces and population. Elizabeth the patriotic hero also and perhaps duplicitously sued for peace with Spain, offering Philip II near surrender terms if she and he could agree to carve up the economic interests between them.
She handed out monopolies to her courtiers and lobbyists in exchange for a cut of the earnings. A real strength of John Guy’s book is the insistence on translating Elizabethan era values into present day terms. The resulting multiplication by a thousand brings into sharp focus the extent to which national finances were carved up by elites. While parsimonious when others were due to receive, Elizabeth for herself demanded only the finest and most expensive treatment. It was, after all, her Right.
Elizabeth also countenanced an English economy that raised theft on the high seas to a strategic goal. And her courtiers treated the expeditions as capitalist enterprises, with ministers and the like taking shares in the ventures in exchange for a share of the swag. And much of this would be stolen before it was declared or as it was being landed by handlers or mere thieves who clearly learned their morals and behavior from the so-called betters. The market was free, apparently, but those who operated it at risk of incarceration.
Thus, Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years will be a complete eye-opener for anyone who has absorbed popular culture’s portrayal of this age. John Guy’s book identifies the very human traits displayed by this Godly queen and posits them absurdly alongside the attitude of her contemporaries that she was a mere worthless woman.
There are not many figures in John Guy’s wonderful book who come out unscathed, either in reputation or body. Neither does he set out to destroy anyone’s reputation. As a historian, he presents evidence, assesses it and then offers an informed and balanced opinion. This, however, is healthy, for in the current climate populism is too often allowed to merge its own version of history into its message. It does so to achieve some control of a contemporary agenda via the creation of myth, and Tudor melodramas are not exceptions to this rule. Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years demands we remember our real past accurately in all its folly, and in so doing explode many dangerous myths.
In recent times the Tudors have become entertainment currency, and not only in British media. From television series to historical novels to feature films, we have seen a plethora of offerings, mainly stories of Henry VIII and Elizabeth, it has to be said. These often degenerate into costume dramas or whodunits of political intrigue, where accuracy is smoothed out of the history to create the kind of simplistic cliché of plot that mass markets are deemed to demand. “Based on a true story”, that overworked and internally contradictory byline, is now so overworked that it would be better omitted. “Fabricated around historical names” would be better. And though there is nothing wrong with fiction, since it often allows interpretations that challenge received wisdom, there are real difficulties when that fiction is transferred into myth whose acceptance becomes so widespread that it may not be challenged. It could be argued that connotations associated with terms such as Good Queen Bess, Golden Age or even simply Elizabethan are in danger of relying more on fiction than fact. Or perhaps these are nostalgic labels for contemporary ideal states that are thought to be lacking in our own times.
And so what an absolute delight it is to come upon a book such as Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years by John Guy. This is a book that really is based on true stories, since this academic historian of Clare College, Cambridge references and describes any sources that the reader may need to back up any point. Timescales are not stretched, statement is supported by facts and mystery is only allowed to obscure fact when evidence does not exist.
The forgotten years of John Guy’s title refer to the latter part of Elizabeth's reign. The earlier years that preceded the Armada in 1588, with their multiple plots, proposals, matchmakings and conspiracies are the ones that form the backdrop for most of the fictions. These later years were characterized by war, economic difficulties and political intrigue. They were perhaps dominated by considerations of succession, since Elizabeth, of course, had no heir. It is worth noting here, however, that John Guy, by virtue of a discursive style that deals with issues rather than a mixture of events arranged chronologically, does offer as context much background material relating to the years before 1588. This picture that is purportedly a selective encounter with the later years of Elizabeth's reign thus contains much rounded and detailed description of her entire reign.
John Guy states several assumptions that must guide our understanding of the period. In the sixteenth century, he says, status did not trump gender. Elizabeth was a woman, and that meant that many of the males at court had little or no respect for her apart from their recognition of her birthright. And, because her mother was Anne Boleyn, whom her father married after his denied divorce, even that was questioned by many, especially those of the old faith, who would also have wanted to do more than merely undermine this Protestant queen. The author, incidentally, is not implying that gender issues are or were different in other centuries. As a professional historian, he is simply defining the scope of relevance that is to be ascribed to his comment. Secondly, because Elizabeth was a single woman, the issue of succession had to dominate her reign. In the earlier years this meant various scrambles to find her a husband in the hope that a male heir might materialize. But later on, in the period that John Guy's book covers, Elizabeth was too old to bear children anyway. Discussion on succession, therefore, shifted from matchmaking into more strategic and political territory.
In Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years, the queen is portrayed as a fundamentally medieval monarch. She saw herself as descended from God, the assured kin of all others who shared this enthroned proximity to the Almighty. Hence, she could not bring herself to sign the death warrant for Mary Queen of Scots, believing that a decision to kill a royal by anyone would legitimize the practice, and who then might be next to get it in the neck? And since this by definition was a direct attack on God, it also carried damnation as a consequence. Hence Elizabeth's duplicity in letting it be known she wanted Mary disposed of whilst at the same time denying any responsibility for the act, thus requiring the person who enacted her wishes to be hauled up for treason. These medieval royals were above reason, it seems, as well as above the law. And messengers, it seems, have always been fair game.
This unwillingness to sign a death warrant was not a weakness that affected Elizabeth very often. It seems that the mere whiff of a plot or conspiracy quickly resulted in all smells being masked by the odor of fresh ink forming her signature on an invitation to the Tower. John Guy’s book regularly takes us to the gallows with these condemned people - usually men, of course - and offers detail of their fate. A particularly memorable sentence, specifically suggested by the queen, had one condemned man hanged for just one swing of the rope, so he could then be cut down and, still alive and still conscious, witness his own guts and beating heart being placed on the ground beside him. In an age that still believed in the resurrection of the mortal body, these treasonous felons had to be dismembered and their parts separated to ensure they would never have their souls saved. It may have been God’s will, but it certainly was that of His reigning representative on earth.
This Good Queen Bess, incidentally, was in the habit of handing down similar fates quite regularly. She also refused to pay salaries to soldiers and sailors who fought for her, dressed herself in finery while her war wounded received no assistance or pension and were forced to sleep rough. She turned two blind eyes to disease and epidemic that ravaged her forces and population. Elizabeth the patriotic hero also and perhaps duplicitously sued for peace with Spain, offering Philip II near surrender terms if she and he could agree to carve up the economic interests between them.
She handed out monopolies to her courtiers and lobbyists in exchange for a cut of the earnings. A real strength of John Guy’s book is the insistence on translating Elizabethan era values into present day terms. The resulting multiplication by a thousand brings into sharp focus the extent to which national finances were carved up by elites. While parsimonious when others were due to receive, Elizabeth for herself demanded only the finest and most expensive treatment. It was, after all, her Right.
Elizabeth also countenanced an English economy that raised theft on the high seas to a strategic goal. And her courtiers treated the expeditions as capitalist enterprises, with ministers and the like taking shares in the ventures in exchange for a share of the swag. And much of this would be stolen before it was declared or as it was being landed by handlers or mere thieves who clearly learned their morals and behavior from the so-called betters. The market was free, apparently, but those who operated it at risk of incarceration.
Thus, Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years will be a complete eye-opener for anyone who has absorbed popular culture’s portrayal of this age. John Guy’s book identifies the very human traits displayed by this Godly queen and posits them absurdly alongside the attitude of her contemporaries that she was a mere worthless woman.
There are not many figures in John Guy’s wonderful book who come out unscathed, either in reputation or body. Neither does he set out to destroy anyone’s reputation. As a historian, he presents evidence, assesses it and then offers an informed and balanced opinion. This, however, is healthy, for in the current climate populism is too often allowed to merge its own version of history into its message. It does so to achieve some control of a contemporary agenda via the creation of myth, and Tudor melodramas are not exceptions to this rule. Elizabeth - The Forgotten Years demands we remember our real past accurately in all its folly, and in so doing explode many dangerous myths.
January 31, 2018
'Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years' is an extremely in-depth biography about the latter part of the Virgin Queen's reign, focusing heavily on her relationships with key courtiers. The book succeeds in providing a reliable character portrait of Elizabeth, as well as giving great insight into how she was perceived by domestic and foreign courtiers.
John Guy is a brilliant historian with a knack for bringing events to life whilst simultaneously addressing the historiographical debate and issues surrounding Elizabeth's reign. Many of this book's twenty-three chapters could be read as self-contained pieces, tackling a couple of events in great detail and concluding with remarks about their significance within the whole narrative.
As suggested, this is not a book for people wanting an overview of England as a whole during Elizabeth's reign, but rather for those who want a comprehensive understanding of Elizabeth the woman and the characters who surrounded her.
John Guy is a brilliant historian with a knack for bringing events to life whilst simultaneously addressing the historiographical debate and issues surrounding Elizabeth's reign. Many of this book's twenty-three chapters could be read as self-contained pieces, tackling a couple of events in great detail and concluding with remarks about their significance within the whole narrative.
As suggested, this is not a book for people wanting an overview of England as a whole during Elizabeth's reign, but rather for those who want a comprehensive understanding of Elizabeth the woman and the characters who surrounded her.
June 2, 2023
A strong biography of one of England’s most talked-about monarchs, seeking to challenge many of the myths surrounding the Virgin Queen by focusing on the latter part of the reign - beginning, rather than ending, with the Armada.
The author does this by drawing from a wide range of sources, which he occasionally casually challenges in the way so common in popular histories, but also draws on the symbolism of art history in depth at times.
Guy concludes his assessment of Elizabeth by saying that “she might not have changed, but the world had”, which perhaps captures the essence of Elizabethan England as a place on the cusp of modernity against the wishes of its sovereign in a way that many other biographies fail to do.
The author does this by drawing from a wide range of sources, which he occasionally casually challenges in the way so common in popular histories, but also draws on the symbolism of art history in depth at times.
Guy concludes his assessment of Elizabeth by saying that “she might not have changed, but the world had”, which perhaps captures the essence of Elizabethan England as a place on the cusp of modernity against the wishes of its sovereign in a way that many other biographies fail to do.
February 10, 2021
Highly enjoyable. Loaded with fascinating detail, but smoothly delivered so that the names and dates and ambassadors and dynastic successions and lords of this and that were actually accessible to the brain of an American. Elizabeth comes alive, and so do the men she cared about; at times the last third or so started to feel like a biography of Essex, but the narrative momentum leading up to his fall was dazzling and gripping. Rather darkly delightful when he got what he deserved.
November 30, 2022
A historical study of the (semi-) neglected final two decades of Elizabeth I’s reign, which benefitted from going back to historical first principles and being written mainly from contemporary sources. Very much enjoyed how it captured the atmosphere which crept in around the ageing and heirless Queen.
October 16, 2017
I both applaud and appreciate the prodigious amount of research that went into this book. Guy clearly scoured archives and thoughtfully examined original documents, comparing them against the usual stories told about Elizabeth I. Although his insights often come across as self-aggrandizing (“THEY didn’t get it right, but of course I know the real truth”), there’s no denying he has done his research. And he’s right that the years after the Spanish Armada rarely get the attention they deserve.
The reason I can’t give this book higher than 3 stars is that I hate it (HATE it) when a book isn’t promoted (that is, in its title, back cover description, online bookstore descriptions) as what it is. This really isn’t the story of who Elizabeth was — I didn’t come out feeling like I knew her any better than before. And about 1/4 of the way through, I realized why — this seems to be mostly a history of the MEN around Elizabeth. The more I read, the more convinced I was.
I don’t know if this was deliberate. And it’s true that many of her closest advisors and friends and courtiers were men. Yes, yes, OK, I get that. But the author’s interest, as far as I was concerned, was too much on their stories at the expense of what the book promised in its title and book jacket and blurbs: trying to understand or explain or offer new insight into Elizabeth.
There’s nothing wrong with doing a book about the men in Elizabeth’s life. But don’t present as a story primarily about Elizabeth.
I would consider this a great companion book to a biography of Elizabeth I.
The reason I can’t give this book higher than 3 stars is that I hate it (HATE it) when a book isn’t promoted (that is, in its title, back cover description, online bookstore descriptions) as what it is. This really isn’t the story of who Elizabeth was — I didn’t come out feeling like I knew her any better than before. And about 1/4 of the way through, I realized why — this seems to be mostly a history of the MEN around Elizabeth. The more I read, the more convinced I was.
I don’t know if this was deliberate. And it’s true that many of her closest advisors and friends and courtiers were men. Yes, yes, OK, I get that. But the author’s interest, as far as I was concerned, was too much on their stories at the expense of what the book promised in its title and book jacket and blurbs: trying to understand or explain or offer new insight into Elizabeth.
There’s nothing wrong with doing a book about the men in Elizabeth’s life. But don’t present as a story primarily about Elizabeth.
I would consider this a great companion book to a biography of Elizabeth I.
December 16, 2018
A bit of a long slog to read, with a font that wasn't easy to read in bed by lamplight - but overall well worth it.
I was rather put off by the paragraph in the Acknowledgements focusing on John Guy's wife and helpmate Julia, which includes the following: "She [Julia] came to tolerate, and perhaps also to admire Elizabeth (as I think I came to do), more than I expected either of us would when I began, not least given that I first approached this topic in a frame of mind shaped by my 2004 biography of Mary Stuart." This brought home to me (yet again!) that I would generally prefer to read biography written by someone who is on the subject's side, as it were. History and biography cannot ever be wholly objective, and I'd rather that the necessary interpretations and perspectives give the subject the benefit of the doubt. Call me naive, if you will! But the loyalties to Elizabeth I and to Mary Stuart feel particularly divisive to me, especially in this context.
Having got past that, though, I appreciated Guy's thorough work. He has accessed more original source material than has been available before, and this book is the result. Despite his stated reluctance to admire or even tolerate Elizabeth, there were some wrongs and misconceptions about her put right, and I very much appreciated that. In the end, the book felt as fair and was definitely as detailed as anyone might ask for.
Recommended for all those interested in the life and times of Elizabeth I - at least as one book of many, to find enough balance to form your own views.
I was rather put off by the paragraph in the Acknowledgements focusing on John Guy's wife and helpmate Julia, which includes the following: "She [Julia] came to tolerate, and perhaps also to admire Elizabeth (as I think I came to do), more than I expected either of us would when I began, not least given that I first approached this topic in a frame of mind shaped by my 2004 biography of Mary Stuart." This brought home to me (yet again!) that I would generally prefer to read biography written by someone who is on the subject's side, as it were. History and biography cannot ever be wholly objective, and I'd rather that the necessary interpretations and perspectives give the subject the benefit of the doubt. Call me naive, if you will! But the loyalties to Elizabeth I and to Mary Stuart feel particularly divisive to me, especially in this context.
Having got past that, though, I appreciated Guy's thorough work. He has accessed more original source material than has been available before, and this book is the result. Despite his stated reluctance to admire or even tolerate Elizabeth, there were some wrongs and misconceptions about her put right, and I very much appreciated that. In the end, the book felt as fair and was definitely as detailed as anyone might ask for.
Recommended for all those interested in the life and times of Elizabeth I - at least as one book of many, to find enough balance to form your own views.
July 2, 2016
Absolutely fascinating and meticulous study of Elizabeth I's 'forgotten years', the last period of her reign after the execution of Mary Stuart and the defeat of the Armada, when the carefully constructed myth of 'Good Queen Bess' began to fall apart. In fact, given that England was floundering economically and she was too old to play the marriage game any more, it is a minor miracle that Elizabeth managed to die in her bed as queen. John Guy focuses a lot on the struggle for power at court, mainly waged between the Earl of Essex and Walter Ralegh, and this book is a must for anyone interested in those two figures. We also see the huge role that William Cecil, and eventually his son Robert, played in ensuring Elizabeth's survival and Guy also doesn't shrink from highlighting the Tudor queen's own very ruthless, if not outright cruel, side. She regarded herself as engaged in a life and death struggle for supremacy and she was determined, whatever the cost, to prevail. Excellent book.
April 9, 2017
This is a fascinating book in which john Guy casts a cold eye on the later years of Elizabeth Tudor. He sets her meanness and spite against her worthier qualities and she emerges more as a human than the stereotyped picture of Gloriana. Her statecraft is well depicted and her relationships with her great officers of state and advisers are described and analysed well. Her penchant for favourites such as Leicester and Essex comes over but interestingly her liking -perhaps even love for the former - does not cloud her judgement about affairs of state. Having read the book, I know much more of the woman and of the age.
December 7, 2017
It's fitting that I finished this book on the day I submitted my last essay for my Elizabethans unit at uni. The past few weeks, I have been surrounded, encompassed, submerged by the late Elizabethan succession crisis, so whilst I expected succession politics and foreign policy in abundance in this book based solely on Elizabeth's last decade, what I didn't expect was how human Guy paints her.
Gone is the cult of Gloriana, cast aside to reveal a lonely woman, whose oldest and most trusted friends and advisors are dropping like flies. She suffers from arthritic pains and bouts of depression, and as she ages, she seems not only psychologically uncomfortable with facing her mortality, it's something she just can't bring herself to do. Her counsellors are looking elsewhere to secure the future, talking behind her back and all the while she manages to fight of a Spanish invasion whilst dealing with rebellion in Ireland, and eventually has to face the rebellion of Essex, her erstwhile favourite.
Until recently, when I started reading this book & studied Elizabeth's reign in more detail, I never thought of Elizabeth the human. I thought of Elizabeth the Queen, the Virgin Queen, the Faerie Quene - Gloriana. Guy shows the real Elizabeth, a woman who broke the fingers of one of her ladies after hitting her in a violent outburst; the woman who battled with herself over the execution of her cousin; the woman who constantly fought an uphill battle for the respect and authority that should have been hers by rights. The woman that had Leicester's last letter hidden under her bed until her death. The woman who refused to lie down after the death of her oldest friend Kate Carey, complaining that her whole body ached. The story of Elizabeth is actually a sad one, and Guy succeeds in showing us the real Elizabeth.
I'd challenge anyone to read this and not feel overwhelming sympathy for her. It must have been a lonely existence, and I don't think anyone could not sympathise with her.
Gone is the cult of Gloriana, cast aside to reveal a lonely woman, whose oldest and most trusted friends and advisors are dropping like flies. She suffers from arthritic pains and bouts of depression, and as she ages, she seems not only psychologically uncomfortable with facing her mortality, it's something she just can't bring herself to do. Her counsellors are looking elsewhere to secure the future, talking behind her back and all the while she manages to fight of a Spanish invasion whilst dealing with rebellion in Ireland, and eventually has to face the rebellion of Essex, her erstwhile favourite.
Until recently, when I started reading this book & studied Elizabeth's reign in more detail, I never thought of Elizabeth the human. I thought of Elizabeth the Queen, the Virgin Queen, the Faerie Quene - Gloriana. Guy shows the real Elizabeth, a woman who broke the fingers of one of her ladies after hitting her in a violent outburst; the woman who battled with herself over the execution of her cousin; the woman who constantly fought an uphill battle for the respect and authority that should have been hers by rights. The woman that had Leicester's last letter hidden under her bed until her death. The woman who refused to lie down after the death of her oldest friend Kate Carey, complaining that her whole body ached. The story of Elizabeth is actually a sad one, and Guy succeeds in showing us the real Elizabeth.
I'd challenge anyone to read this and not feel overwhelming sympathy for her. It must have been a lonely existence, and I don't think anyone could not sympathise with her.
July 11, 2017
I found this to be a compelling read, although I haven't read the first volume. The book was engrossing without being bogged down in irrelevant detail. I did get a good idea of the main characters evolving around Elizabeth, their motivation and key actions, of the main events in this part of the queen's life, and of her personality. I haven't read anything else about her so I can't compare with other biographies of hers. I did feel once or twice that the author was trying too hard to provide fresh insights, especially when he talked about the misrepresentation of Elizabeth due to translation errors in someone else's account (about how she dressed in her old age). But this is a really good book overall.
October 29, 2018
In my nearly impossible goal to read everything about the Tudors, I picked this book about the latter years of Elizabeth I reign. There has been so much written about one of England’s longest running monarchs, but this one does an especially good job of humanizing and demystifying the so-called virgin queen. She is portrayed as vain, petty and snobbish but also cautious and tactical. She was forced to put her faith in men who had little faith in her ability as a woman to reign. This is a compelling and readable account of an aging woman’s attempt to prove that a woman with no heirs could be a legendary monarch. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2018
Excellent, academic biography of Elizabeth 1. In-depth research that disputes several myths about Elizabeth…that her people loved her as “Good Queen Bess” is highly disputed. Really good back stories to the people in her court, particularly the intrigues and schemes. A good deal of elaboration on the power and influence her two main advisors had over her: Lord Burley (William Cecil), her principal secretary and Francis Walsingham, her spy chief. The book opens with Elizabeth soon to turn 40, and no longer accepting offers of marriage. Highly recommended.
June 10, 2019
3.5 stars. Guy definitely did his research and I was most interested in sources that no one has featured in writing about Elizabeth I before. But the issue was that he seemed to focus more on the people, especially the men, around Elizabeth and not Elizabeth herself. I'm glad Guy chose to focus on these years, as few do, and I did learn something, which is always why I read a non-fiction book.
March 8, 2019
Extremely interesting but not the best first book to read about Elizabeth. I find that John Guy focussed more on the men in her life than her. I left this knowing a lot about how mad she would get at incompetent men who could barely follow basic instructions but who was she? Still not really sure.
March 4, 2025
Elizabeth I zal voor altijd mijn favoriete historische figuur blijven ❤️
April 19, 2024
It takes a great historian to produce a page turner about an aged monarch who lived nearly 500 years ago but Guy has. This biography of Elizabeth 1st focuses on her later years but covers critical moments including the Spanish Armada and her relationships with Didly, Essex, Raleigh and Drake as well as Mary Queen of Scots and James VI/I. The research was exceptional specially relatively newly found primary sources. The prose substantive but not drab. The author’s analysis and conclusions are logical and fascinating. Highly recommended.
August 4, 2016
Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years is the latest biography by the authoritative Tudor historian John Guy, and it is easily the best, definitive account of the second half of Elizabeth's reign that I have read. Featuring new sources, both hidden and forgotten, and incorporating a global perspective, Guy is able to analyse the figure we all know so well in a new light.
The book easily fits into the 'two reigns' thesis currently popular with historians. It suggests that the nature of Elizabeth's reign changed after the Spanish Armada in 1588. This is often considered the turning point, when Elizabeth became more confident in her own authority, asserting her own power.
Guy complicates this picture by teasing out the woman underneath the wig. He doesn't fall for the trap that so many biographers do - he does not fall in love with his subject. The level of research Guy committed himself to in this book is extraordinary, which enables him to explore the period in the immense detail evident on each of the 403 pages. So often when a biographer immerses themselves so deeply in the world of their subject, they become blind to the faults of someone to whom they may dedicate years of their life.
Thankfully, Guy consistently contrasts Elizabeth's weaknesses with her strengths. Historical reality is the heart of this book. It is no aggrandisement of a queen so revered in English history. Guy is largely laying to one side the copious amount written about Elizabeth, and sought out primary sources to build this new image of the aging queen from the ground up. This is a myth-busting bonanza, which makes the book so enjoyable to read.
Read more at www.victoriaannesbookshelf.wordpress.com
The book easily fits into the 'two reigns' thesis currently popular with historians. It suggests that the nature of Elizabeth's reign changed after the Spanish Armada in 1588. This is often considered the turning point, when Elizabeth became more confident in her own authority, asserting her own power.
Guy complicates this picture by teasing out the woman underneath the wig. He doesn't fall for the trap that so many biographers do - he does not fall in love with his subject. The level of research Guy committed himself to in this book is extraordinary, which enables him to explore the period in the immense detail evident on each of the 403 pages. So often when a biographer immerses themselves so deeply in the world of their subject, they become blind to the faults of someone to whom they may dedicate years of their life.
Thankfully, Guy consistently contrasts Elizabeth's weaknesses with her strengths. Historical reality is the heart of this book. It is no aggrandisement of a queen so revered in English history. Guy is largely laying to one side the copious amount written about Elizabeth, and sought out primary sources to build this new image of the aging queen from the ground up. This is a myth-busting bonanza, which makes the book so enjoyable to read.
Read more at www.victoriaannesbookshelf.wordpress.com
June 19, 2016
And I thought Starkey was my favorite! -And he still is- but this bio has become my second favorite!
John Guy has taken all the myths that have been proliferated about Elizabeth and deconstructing them, explaining why they were created in the first place, and why people still cling to them. One of the things that he said in his introduction is that he wasn’t going to tell the same old story where Bess is this great monarch who triumphs against all odds and is flawless. Instead he was going to show why she came to be one of the greatest monarchs in English history, and how that reputation came to be. Moreover, his book is about the later years of her reign, when her legend began. Not all is pretty, not all is stable. There are many people still plotting against her, and most of all, she is not always triumphant. Most of her ventures where she acted as the peacemaker, and also as the schemer, didn’t always succeed.
Like her father, Bess wanted it all but she came to a realization that she couldn’t have it, and one of these instances was during the time she was aiding the Dutch, to prevent the Spain from becoming more powerful.
Bess could be cruel, she could be pragmatic, and sometimes she could be emotive. More than once her councilors threatened her, reminding her that while she presented herself as semi-divine, she was still subject to the laws of the land. And more than once Bess had to reach a compromise to keep them happy and by her side.
This doesn’t diminish her figure, on the contrary. What emerges from this book is a strong, intelligent, proud and pragmatic woman who knew how to bend the rules, and when to compromise. A flawed individual, who despite the many subtle threats and plots, kept her crown and ruled for over forty years.
John Guy has taken all the myths that have been proliferated about Elizabeth and deconstructing them, explaining why they were created in the first place, and why people still cling to them. One of the things that he said in his introduction is that he wasn’t going to tell the same old story where Bess is this great monarch who triumphs against all odds and is flawless. Instead he was going to show why she came to be one of the greatest monarchs in English history, and how that reputation came to be. Moreover, his book is about the later years of her reign, when her legend began. Not all is pretty, not all is stable. There are many people still plotting against her, and most of all, she is not always triumphant. Most of her ventures where she acted as the peacemaker, and also as the schemer, didn’t always succeed.
Like her father, Bess wanted it all but she came to a realization that she couldn’t have it, and one of these instances was during the time she was aiding the Dutch, to prevent the Spain from becoming more powerful.
Bess could be cruel, she could be pragmatic, and sometimes she could be emotive. More than once her councilors threatened her, reminding her that while she presented herself as semi-divine, she was still subject to the laws of the land. And more than once Bess had to reach a compromise to keep them happy and by her side.
This doesn’t diminish her figure, on the contrary. What emerges from this book is a strong, intelligent, proud and pragmatic woman who knew how to bend the rules, and when to compromise. A flawed individual, who despite the many subtle threats and plots, kept her crown and ruled for over forty years.
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