This week I read Elizabeth I: Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey. It is a great book which explores her life from birth to accession and how the events of those years formed her opinions and beliefs. It touches on the controversial subject of sexual abuse at the hands of Thomas Seymour, the influence of Kateryn Parr and other reformers in her life as well as her own sexuality. However, readers should be aware that Starkey leans very pro-Elizabeth, justifying every action she makes, however heinous. He always presents some of his assertions as proven fact. Despite these short-comings I really enjoyed this book and it helped me to understand Anne's daughter on a much deeper level. Pick up a copy today and enjoy!
I really disliked this book. I read it last year and found it so boring and hard to read. Not Starkey's best work.
ReplyDeleteHey Alicia! Thank you for the feed-back! Yes, it definitely was less readable than Starkey's other work. It is a book for a person looking for in-depth, minute details on Elizabeth and her early years. If you did not enjoy this work but are still looking for a fun Elizabeth read check out The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir. It is written in a much more "reader friendly" way.
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