Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne

Queen Elizabeth I was an extraordinary ruler. Her remarkable leadership abilities, mastery of political theater, and immensely successful policies ushered in England’s golden age. But she was also the most unlikely of monarchs. The daughter of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, she was only three when her mother was executed. Her Catholic sister Mary imprisoned her for treason, a crime punishable by death. How Elizabeth managed to go from the Tower of London to the throne of England is a thrilling tale of bravery, wit and at times pure chance.

Historian David Starkey captures the danger and excitement of Elizabeth’s early years, from her birth in 1533 to her coronation at the age of 25. Elizabeth is a masterful biography, offering a new and vivid portrait of the vicissitudes of fortune that shaped England’s greatest queen.

David Starkey is a historian and commentator, and Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He is the author of several works on the Tudor period, including The Reign of Henry VIII and The English Court: From the Wars of the Roses to the Civil War. He lives in London.

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