Elizabeth I: The Golden Reign of Gloriana

by David Loades

The books in this series introduce England's royal heritage through the very stuff of history itself: priceless original papers, letters and other documents, mostly held at the Public Record Office - the UK's national archives. This work focuses on Elizabeth I, arguably England's greatest monarch. 16th century documents, many in Elizabeth's own hand, are reproduced in full colour, sometimes for the first time. Items are included which cover all aspects of her long and eventful life - from the crises and dangers of her youth, to her relationships with key members of her court and the problematic Mary Queen of Scots, and finally to the closing years of her life as "Gloriana". Each key document is reproduced in a double-page spread which also includes an extended contextualizing caption and a modern transcription where necessary. The original sources are woven together by a brief narrative history of the reign, fully illustrated in colour with portraits, photographs and other material from the archives.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

118 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2003

About the author

David Michael Loades was a British historian who specialised in the Tudor era. After military service in the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1955, Loades studied at the University of Cambridge. In the 1960s and 1970s he taught at the universities of St. Andrews and Durham. From 1980 until 1996 Loades was Professor of History at the University of Wales; after taking emeritus status, Loades served as Honorary Research Professor at the University of Sheffield from 1996 until 2008.

Reviews

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short and succinct read that serves it's purpose, for its length. Full review to come.

++++++++++++

http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...

www.facebook.com/AllTheBookBlogNamesA...

www.twitter.com/SarahsBookNook

If you have ever read any of my past reviews, you might know that I am no great fan of Elizabeth I. While I do understand and acknowledge that she is among the most successful of monarchs, I am wholly unimpressed with her woe-is-me behavior in regards to her favorites and the handling of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.

This does not mean, however, that I do not find value in books written about her. I still enjoy reading about the Tudor Dynasty, even if I am not fond of all the monarchs who reigned in that time.

The greatest strength of this short volume is the multiple uses of contemporary sources. In all, there are twenty documents that give readers a glimpse into the life of Elizabeth, four centuries on. The majority of these documents are letters to or from the queen at various points in her life. Each was first accompanied with a summary of the item, the full text following that, and then a photocopy of at least a portion of the original document. I found these most fascinating and could leaf through pages of parchment for hours.

In addition these primary sources, there book is filled with photographs from the period, giving faces to the numerous names that can sometimes be hard to keep straight. These really make the story and give life to the important players from that time. An additional resource at the end of the text is a 'Who's Who', which will be just as helpful for those who are new to the dynasty, as well as a chronology of events in Elizabeth's life and a solid list of 'further readings.'

So while this is a short review, I believe it is fitting for this short, succinct volume outlining the life of Elizabeth I. While I do not necessarily agree with all 'facts' as presented (some things will forever be up for debate), the text does its job for its purpose. The author states from the beginning it is not his intention to give an in-depth analysis of her reign. If that is what you are looking for, this volume will be disappointing. If you are looking for an overview, however, and want something that will not be overwhelming, give this one a try.