Dr Nicola Tallis is a British historian and researcher. Her debut book, Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey, was published to wide praise. She has previously lectured at the University of Winchester and worked with Historic Royal Palaces and the National Trust.
The first fully comprehensive biography of the young Elizabeth I in over twenty years, drawing on a rich variety of primary sources from both Elizabeth herself and those closest to her during her tumultuous youth. Through Tallis’s brilliant writing we see how Elizabeth was shaped. -- Alice Loxton * BBC History Magazine * Compelling new insights … meticulous research … superbly narrated, the Virgin Queen’s turbulent path to the throne is surprising, revealing and utterly irresistible. -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine * A pacy narrative, written with a clear love for and detailed knowledge of her subject. * The Spectator * A nuanced and realistic portrait of a formidable and multi-faceted woman. * Tudor Times * Tallis builds a thorough, credible recreation of the queen’s formative decades, providing insight into the proud, determined, insecure, and singular ruler she became. Tudor enthusiasts won’t want to miss this. * Publisher’s Weekly * Colourful, fast-paced...Tallis has written a gripping account of Elizabeth's eventful journey to the crown. -- Nick Rennison * The Mail on Sunday * Tallis’s Elizabeth is a formidable character, fiercely intelligent and remarkably self-possessed. With the benefit of hindsight it seems obvious that she would grow up to become Gloriana. But this engaging and thoroughly researched account of her turbulent youth reminds us that she could easily have shared her mother’s gruesome fate — or lived out her days as just another resentful, red-headed spare. -- Katherine Harvey * The Times * Nicola Tallis's biography of Margaret is a welcome and forthright riposte...[and] forms part of an important and growing area of scholarship on the significant involvement of women in fifteenth-century politics...A well-evidenced analysis of a fascinating woman...compelling. * The Times Literary Supplement * This is a stunning debut from a young historian who deserves to be recognized as a major talent in her field. It’s history as it should be written, vivid, colorful, pacy and evocative, but above all authentic and based on sound and innovative research. It’s an outstanding contribution to our knowledge of Lady Jane Grey. Most warmly recommended! -- Alison Weir, Number One New York Times bestselling author