This is so well written. It is so informative and has been well researched.
The writing style makes it a very engaging book.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I learned a lot from this book. Except for movies, I wasnt quite sure about the details of Elizabeth's reign. This book was very interesting.

Just north of London is the town of Hatfield. Located there, and seen from the East Coast Mainline is Hatfield House. I see it whenever I'm traveling north on the train. It’s where Queen Elizabeth I was told she was queen following the death of her half-sister, Mary. I wanted to know what other locations had a connection to the “Virgin Queen” so I sought this book with a view of discovering those places I could visit on my frequent trips to England.

Paul Kendall introduces his book with a discussion about the impact Her Majesty had on her country. What was it like when she ascended to the throne, and what was the state of it when she died? We know she never married and, therefore, didn’t leave an apparent heir. What she did leave, however, was a vast legacy and a lasting impact not only on the country but on the known world at the time.

One hundred locations and objects are included here, many of which I didn’t know about prior to reading. They are listed in roughly chronological order, including people connected to Elizabeth and/or the Armada. Surprisingly, an abolition of slavery memorial in Puerto Rico is included. I say surprising because I learned here that the Queen supported a privateer involved in the trading of slaves. The Elizabethan era was when the slave trade took off in England. But is the only monument on the subject? Are there not any in England? There are also statues of Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh. Whatever we think of them now, they are – for good or bad – part of Elizabeth’s life story.

Not every entry in the book is connected to a place, however. There are many works of art and pieces of jewelry included, and their locations are seldom included. If they’re on public display I’d have been interested in knowing where we could see them. The object entries also reminded me of the Travel Channel series Mysteries at the Museum. in that the narrative wasn’t necessarily about the actual object.

Queen Elizabeth I: Life and Legacy of the Virgin Queen is an interesting book you can easily read and digest in small bites. Got ten minutes? That’s plenty of time to read one or more of the entries. I added 18 places to my to-visit list, although that could’ve easily been more given that I already had some listed and the objects didn’t always have a location attached.

Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.

*Review originally posted on blog April 6th, 2023

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was a great read. I love anything to do with Queen Elizabeth and the Tudor period. I know there are tons of novels out about her being fiction/non-fiction. The author did a great job with the research, and there were a lot of things that I have not heard. So you might want to check it out if you are interested in their period.

Read this at the perfect time, immediately on the heels on a biography of Mary I.

This was a very quick, very readable biography on Queen Elizabeth I. It's structured in short, loosely chronological chapters about her life, and while these chapters were always informative, I sometimes found them a bit disjoint.

The length of this biography was nice, as it was a fairly quick way to learn a lot of information, but the brevity came with downsides as I often found myself wanting more information in places. Some chapters were better than others at humanizing the events; some were just facts. I'll probably pick up another biography that goes into more depth.

Overall, a good biography if you'd like to get a solid overview of Queen Elizabeth I's life, but if you're looking for a more in-depth biography, this may need to be a starting place, rather than a fully comprehensive source of information.

3.5

A fascinating story of a queen who deserves a book like this to be written about her.
I read a lot of this genre and this novel had me hooked from the start, the story is thrilling and hard to believe it is in our recent history

To be honest, most of what I know about Queen Elizabeth 1 comes from a phase I went through of reading Tudor based historical fiction a few years ago, so I was keen to learn more about her. This was entertaining and very readable, but people who know more than me have pointed out a few errors. It's great for an overview of her life, which brought us a much needed period of stability after some very turbulent years.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and Pen and Sword for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

Maybe it was the death of Queen Elizabeth II that cause the subject of this book to interest me. I like reading history but I knew almost nothing about this particular period in time. It seems
Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Ann Boylen. Just that fact alone was enough to keep me reading. The early part of the book is about the turmoil going on even before Elizabeth was born. In my opinion, most of the problems Elizabeth had to deal with throughout her life was the result of her evil father, Henry VIII. Because of him, she was motherless at a very early age. Religion was a big deal and her father created divisions in the entire country that she had to deal with. So she hanged a few people and some heads rolled while she ruled. She was her father's daughter, after all.
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. I learned a lot while I was enjoying it. Anytime you can enjoy learning, you have to recommend the book. I was given a free copy to read and review by Net Gallery. Thank you for that.

So insightful and engaging….. This book looks at Elizabeth’s life through some of the many artefacts, buildings, documents and institutions that survive to this day. From the execution of her mother, Ann Boleyn, when she was just two-and-a-half-years-old, to her imprisonment on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels, Elizabeth’s early life was a turbulent one, but her accession to the throne ushered in a period of stability.

What an amazing biography! Every time I picked up "Queen Elizabeth I", I was whisked back in time, and learned something new about Queen Elizabeth I, as well as about the Elizabethan Era in general.

Paul Kendall brilliantly brings history to life, and it jumps off of the page! I found the format of this book really interesting, and it was so intriguing to see how Mr. Kendall connected the information in each chapter to specific photos, historic artifacts, letters, locations, etc. I can only imagine how much time Mr. Kendall put into researching for this book, as the Elizabethan Era came to life before my eyes, and I found this biography hard to put down.

Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who was his second wife. From a young age, she survived many dangers, and became queen at the age of twenty-five. Her reign lasted 44 years, and this book delves into much about of her life, times, and contemporaries.

If you enjoy learning about Queen Elizabeth I and Elizabethan times, I definitely recommend this biography! The Tudor and Elizabethan Eras are two of my favorite time periods to study, and I learned so much reading this book. I can't wait to do more research on my own as well!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pen & Sword-Frontline Books for the ARC of this biography. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really appreciated the format of this nonfiction book. Each chapter concisely discusses an aspect of Elizabeth's life and/or reign. A quick summary precedes a more thorough discussion. Photos and drawings illustrate the topic. The short chapter format makes information easy to find, read, and understand.
This is a great resource for anyone interested in the Tudor Period.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I had high hopes for this book as I love the history of the Tudor period, but it quickly dashed those hopes with some simple mistakes.
In chapters 9&10 the author refers to Elizabeth wearing an "A" necklace of her mothers in a portrait commissioned by her father to show him and his children. But that's incorrect Anne Boylen had a "B" necklace for Boylen, a fact which any school child can tell you.
In chapter 12 the author states
"After that the line of succession passed to Henry's younger sister Mary, Duchess of Suffolk and then to her eldest child, Lady Jane Grey"
Whilst Henry's younger sister was Mary, Dutchess of Suffolk, she died in 1533 14 years before Henry the 8th, and her daughter, Frances, was named in the line of succession but by the heirs of her body( meaning any male heirs). In Edwards's device for the succession he passed over Frances Grey in favor of her eldest child, Lady Jane Grey, and the heirs of her body.

After these two mistakes I began reading the book with a pinch of salt and it was clear the author hadn't researched the book as much as you'd expect for someone writing historical non-fiction.

Paul Kendall, Queen Elizabeth I Life and Legacy of the Virgin Queen, Pen & Sword, Frontline Books, 2022.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

Paul Kendall’s prose has none of the vivacity to which I have become accustomed in publications by Pen & Sword. Rather, he has written a book that outlines methodically the material he is investigating, while bringing it to the wider audience to whom the accessibility offered by these publications is important. Where Kendall has excelled is in the approach that he has taken to the material. Where other writers use photographs and illustrations to enhance the text, Kendall has used them as the focus of the text – they are the ‘jumping off' point for the information he has garnered about this fascinating period and figure.

As I am reviewing a kindle edition, I cannot experience the full impact of this approach. However, even in the subdued edition before me, it is clear that the multitude of excellent photographs and illustrations provide readers with references which not only educate but are a valuable source of pleasure. One such source that springs immediately to mind is a photograph of a wedding chair in Winchester Cathedral. This chair is a symbol of the marriage between Elizabeth’s sister, Mary 1 and Phillip of Spain. What a way to tell a story! Kendall’ s prose covers some of the horrors of Mary’s reign, and that is enough without graphic evidence. The chair tells us that Winchester Cathedral was where Mary’s wedding vows were made – perhaps a different venue from what we might expect from more recent royal weddings. Winchester, so many miles (as it would have been described at the time) from London, so we envisage the journey as Mary and Philip rode into London, the distance and from where.

The importance of other buildings has an impact through the photographs, providing information that is more difficult to comprehend through prose, too. Photos of coins, medallions and coats of arms also tell stories: Elizabeth recovered the value of coins which had been debased by the addition of cheaper metal, and new coins were minted; a medallion was cast when she recovered from smallpox; the Queen’s connection with the slave trade is embedded in history through the coat of arms awarded John Hawkins’ for that nefarious activity which filled her treasury.

Kendall has included a detailed comments on the illustrative work, as well as additional information and explanation in the text which links the historical evidence from the graphics to broader historical events and ideas; notes for each chapter; and a solid bibliography.

The text describes the competitiveness that remained between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth 1 in the eyes of the latter’s son, James 1 and V1 when we are told that Mary’s tomb is ‘slightly taller in stature than Elizabeth’s tomb’. However, giving status to the illustrative works, a photo of the familiar tomb of Queen Elizabeth 1 in Westminster Abbey makes a fitting completion to a book which so well describes her life and legacy. I enjoyed Kendall’s approach. This is not just a book of photos, or text with illustrations. It is a book that takes relevant, well-chosen photos and illustrations that are finely selected to tell a story. The story they tell is engrossing.

I love this era of English history, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. While this is a topic that has been covered many, many (many, many) times, I really liked the format of this book. It was written in mini chapters, each about an object, property, piece of clothing, etc that related to Elizabeth's life. Each chapter ranged from a couple to maybe 10 pages (I read on Kindle) and were great little snippets to read in small (or large!) quantities as you desire.
Many of the books written about her can be very dry, and very thick tomes. But I liked the digestibility of each chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Now, on to a criticism. This book still needs a little bit of editing. For instance, there were several places where the author said Mary is Elizabeth's "step-sister", which is not accurate. They were half sisters. It is also stated correctly in the book elsewhere. While this is not a deal-breaker, I just found it annoying (and incorrect!).

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in return for a review. My opinions are my own.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I was thrilled to be able to read this
The subject is endlessly fascinating to me
The level of research here is off the scale and much appreciated by me

If you have any interest in the Tudors this is a fantastic read

I am a huge Tudor history fan, especially when it comes to Queen Elizabeth I. Therefore, I found great pleasure in reading this book. Paul Kendall presents the reader with 100 places and objects associated with Elizabeth I, giving a brief profile and images for each entry. One thing in particular that I learned was that William Camden wrote the very first biography of her life, just after her death. That is something I never knew until reading this book. I only have one issue: the images should have been in color, especially the ones that are paintings done of her and of specific events in her reign. Black and white doesn't do them justice. The first Elizabethan age was full of vibrant color and that should have been reflected in the imagery included.
Despite that one issue, I loved reading this. I feel this is a worthy addition to the vast library of Tudor books already in existence. Most definitely a must read for any fan of Tudor history or royal history.

As with anything having to do with English royals throughout time, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. While I know the ins and outs of Queen Elizabeth I's life, this book was decidedly refreshing to have pictures of the locations for many of the queen's events. There are also copies of letters and images of coins from the era. This was a nice addition to a book about the "virgin queen" and made the familiar material seem fresh.

A solid biography of Elizabeth I, covering her entire life in detail from beginning to end.

In this biography, as we move through her life from birth to death, each chapter centers around a place or object from her life, such as Traitor's Gate, where she was brought to the Tower by her suspicious sister Mary I in 1554, Queen Elizabeth's Oak Tree, an oak tree planted by Elizabeth II to commemorate the oak Elizabeth I was standing underneath when she received word she was now queen in 1558, and a gold medal made to celebrate Elizabeth I's recovery from smallpox in 1562.

These places and objects all help to make Elizabeth feel more real and relatable.

A great biography of Elizabeth I.

I was unable to read the book on my mobile as there was no option to enlarge the tiny print.

Also unable to download it to my laptop. - I kept getting error!!!

What a pity!!!

Good luck wit the book

Although I’m somewhat familiar with the Elizabethan period of British history through school, literature and simple fact of cultural osmosis, I somehow managed to never before read an actual biography of Elizabeth I. Until now. It was time, my friends. I mean, love her or hate her, Elizabeth I was quite an important figure in European history.

Written in 100 short chapters, this book differs a bit from a “traditional” biography by centering each of these chapters around an object or place that illustrate an event or a period in Elizabeth’s life - portraits, castles, furniture, execution implements, books, letter, etc.

But don’t let it make you scoff, “Ah, a gimmick…” It is actually a pretty linearly structured account of her life, and quite laconic, with no superfluous speculations or digressions. Paul Kendall gets straight to the point, no more and no less that you need to know for basic information about Elizabeth and the events of that time.

It’s almost like going from exhibit to exhibit in a museum with a knowledgeable guide who manages to not digress or ramble.

One thing I learned is the reason for that infamous pancake white makeup we associate with Elizabeth I. It wasn’t just vanity; it was to cover up disfiguring smallpox scars. As a non-traditional monarch - female (!), unmarried (!!) and childless (!!!) - Elizabeth could not afford to appear vulnerable and anything less than the perfect Gloriana she was expected to be.

The laconic structure can make this biography a bit simple for Elizabethan buffs. But as a primer it’s quite good.

3.5 stars, rounding up.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword, Frontline Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.