Elizabeth

Elizabeth I is hardly a neglected figure, but Starkey?s analysis of her life before her accession to the throne at the age of 25 manages to treat the subject in a new and exciting way. As he points out, in order to understand the woman it is essential to know about the child, and Elizabeth?s youth could hardly have been more troubled ? her mother executed when she was two, a succession of stepmothers, an unstable father, possible sexual abuse by her stepfather and a narrow escape from being executed herself under the orders of her sister Mary. However, Starkey avoids the temptation to over-dramatize Elizabeth?s traumas. Rather than getting bogged down with psychological analysis, he sets her youth in the context of the court as a whole. He emphasizes the continuity of much of her life and is particularly good at writing about her household staff, who were the most important people in her day-to-day life but tend to get neglected in traditional accounts. He is also very astute when looking at her relationships with members of her family as seen through their letters, and demonstrating how what might seem to be standard letters and gifts actually illuminate these relationships. For instance, Elizabeth sends her stepmother Catherine Parr a translation of a book about the Protestant faith, allegedly to demonstrate her fluency in Latin, but also emphasizing their shared interest in religious reform. The most interesting and novel aspect of this book is Starkey?s analysis of court ceremonial. Every public action, even the most minor, had significance at the Tudor court and Starkey shows what each one meant and what it said about those involved. This gives an insight into the 16th-century mindset which is essential for an understanding of the world in which Elizabeth operated. Starkey knows all his facts backwards, so can choose his evidence carefully and never overloads the reader. The story he has to tell is gripping in itself, and his fascinating depiction of Elizabeth?s world prevents any staleness caused by overfamiliarity. He clearly admires Elizabeth and by the end of the book the reader has lost any tendency to see her as a victim. In fact, our main emotion is a desire to find out what happened next ? and to read Starkey?s take on it. (Kirkus UK)