Queen Elizabeth

Time for another book post! (I wish these could come more often, but all that textbook reading has been getting in the way...) I recently read Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne, by David Starkey. It's rather recent (2001), and it read like a novel, rather than a textbook. It covered Elizabeth's life up until the first few years of her reign. In the past few years I've read a lot of historical fiction about that exact time period, and have been accumulating biographies and history books about it so I could get some factual information, and this book was fascinating. Starkey gave some really good insight as to her perspective, as well as that of England, as she saw the end of her father's (Henry VIII) reign, and the rise and fall of those of her sister Mary and her brother, Edward the VI. (I'm finally getting some of this straight! Whoo hoo!) I found it to be emotional as well as informative, and also made me want to read more. There are also a few pages of pictures, which were much appreciated. I think it's especially good for those of us who previously didn't know much about her other than what's been in historical fiction books (though I still love them!) and movies. I learned a lot from Starkey's book, but also felt like I was reading a story, which made it more enjoyable. He was able to provide a great deal of detailed information and make it entertaining, without dumbing it down. It's really a great read!