Location: Home > Art, Architecture & Photography > Historical > The Lady Elizabeth

The Lady Elizabeth

Author: Alison Weir
Publisher: Hutchinson
Category: Book

List Price: ~~Ł12.99~~
Buy New: Ł7.62
You Save: Ł5.37 (41%)

New (24) Used (5) Collectible (2) from Ł5.80

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

6 reviews
Sales Rank: 240

Media: Hardcover
Pages: 496
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7

ISBN: 0091796725
EAN: 9780091796723
ASIN: 0091796725

Publication Date: April 3, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW and IN STOCK - dispatched within 48 hours from the UK

Similar Items:

•	The Other Queen
•	Revelation (Matthew Shardlake 4)
•	Innocent Traitor
•	Vengeance Is Mine: A Novel of Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, and Lady Rochford--the Woman Who Helped Destroy Them Both.
•	Katherine Swynford

Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

a pacy, moving historical novel May 12, 2008
Acclaimed historian and author Alison Weir has evoked real empathy with her subject, the Princess who would one day become Queen Elizabeth I. Weir brings to life the intruige of the Tudor court, the fervent religious struggles and also the triumph and tragedy of the divided Tudor family; all of which the young Princess must rely on her wits to survive.

Disgraced and banished while still in her infancy, the child Elizabeth lives on the unpredictable whim of her father, King Henry VIII. A dangerous combination of precociousness and will, Elizabeth's yearning to win the love of her father vies with her increasing fascination with the controversy and conspiracy surrounding her dead mother, whom she is determined to exonerate. As an adolescent Elizabeth struggles torturously to reconcile her desire, in the form of the ambitious Admiral Seymour, and her duty; emerging as a courageous, astute and also passionate young woman with her heart set upon the English throne. But Elizabeth's path is fraught with danger in many forms; seductions, revolts and the interference of foreign powers: not to mention the lethal religious conflict embodied in her conflict with her troubled half-sister Mary.

While most biographers and novelists focus on Elizabeth's reign as Queen, Alison Weir has charted the journey from naivety to maturity of one of the most remarkable women in history. She gives real imaginative insight into what transformed a young girl into a feared and admired ruler and I would recommend this book not only as accessible historical fiction but as one of the most exciting lives ever lived beautifully transferred into script.

4 out of 5 stars

Really Enjoyable May 12, 2008
Having read `The Innocent Traitor' I was really excited about Weir's second book and I wasn't left disappointed. The story covers Elizabeth's first years right up until she was crowned Queen. It has some interesting subplots along the way with a possible pregnancy, the death of her younger brother and living with her sister Mary as Queen. I did feel that the story slowed down in the middle of the book and I did find myself wishing that things would hurry up but they did. A really good and interesting read.

3 out of 5 stars

Excellent Read May 5, 2008
Having enjoyed'Innocent Traitor' I could not wait to read Alison Weir's new novel - I was not disappointed. It was an excellent read particularly if you are an avid historical fiction reader like myself and find yourself quite critical - in fact, I could not put it down and was very disappointed to finish it - let's hope a sequel on the life of Elizabeth as Queen will follow!

5 out of 5 stars

A Terrific Read May 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Alison Weir is a much read and respected historian with a string of non fiction books to her name. She is widely known for her biographical books about British Royalty. She lives in Surrey with her two children, John and Kate.

In this her second novel it is plain to see that it has been written by someone who is at the very top of her craft. Fact and fiction blend so well together that at times it is difficult for the reader to know where one begins and the other ends.

The obvious knowledge of the author makes for a rare treat for the reader, who is taken to the very heart of Tudor England, in this, the story of the young girl Elizabeth before she became England's queen. Elizabeth of course had Henry VIII for a father, one of the most domineering men of his time. Who could fail to be impressed and to an extent moulded by such a father, even when that man has snuffed out the life of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother. Certainly not a young girl eager to please.

Elizabeth's young life has many twists and turns, not least her mother's death, but also the loss of a brother a tradgedy that culminates in her elder sister Mary taking the crown and then doing everything in her power to get Elizabeth to return to the true faith. She is said to have had a dalliance with Thomas Seymour, the Lord High Admiral, even though he was married to the old queen, Katharine Parr although this was short-lived as the admiral was shortly to lose his life as a traitor. The many other traumas she has to suffer as well as her own naked ambition are brilliantly woven together by the author into a book that is well worth reading.

4 out of 5 stars

Another great read! April 18, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I loved Weir's first novel 'The innocent traitor' so much and I couldn't wait for her next. She didn't let me down, 'The lady Elizabeth' was a wonderful read. It details Elizabeth's life from early childhood all the way up to becoming queen. Weir makes the reader really feel for the situations Elizabeth encounters, from her curiousity about the mother she never knew, the key relationships with the women in her life, her tender love for her family, her time in the tower and under house arrest and her first love. Just some of the elements within this book.

I enjoyed the novel just as much as innocent traitor and couldn't put it down until I had finished. It focuses on her life before she reigned and what made her the queen she was. Not everything is included but it does highlight many points and ponders over theories which can't be proved or completely disproved. By doing this Weir allows us to look at Elizabeth in a less than perfect way, which makes her very likeable and appealing.

I would recommand this book to anyone. It's an interesting, heart warming, tearful, exciting and enjoyable read. The story of Elizabeth is an extremely well known one but Weir manages to tell it in a refreshing and entertaining manner.