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The Elizabethans
by
A.N. Wilson
With all the panoramic sweep of his bestselling study The Victorians, A. N. Wilson relates the exhilarating story of the Elizabethan Age. It was a time of exceptional creativity, wealth creation and political expansion.
It was also a period of English history more remarkable than any other for the technicolour personalities of its leading participants.
Apart from the complex...more
It was also a period of English history more remarkable than any other for the technicolour personalities of its leading participants.
Apart from the complex...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
September 1st 2011
by Hutchinson
(first published January 1st 2011)
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What a joy to find a historian whose writing is so magnetic that you forget you're reading history!
Beginning with the provocative assertion that our generation has lived to see the end of the Elizabethan world, Wilson then notes the danger a modern reader can fall into of seeing that world through a lens of anachronistic judgements. Throughout, Wilson helps you to see Elizabethan times with an Elizabethan eye. In so doing, he repeatedly invites the modern reader to examine herself and her times...more
Beginning with the provocative assertion that our generation has lived to see the end of the Elizabethan world, Wilson then notes the danger a modern reader can fall into of seeing that world through a lens of anachronistic judgements. Throughout, Wilson helps you to see Elizabethan times with an Elizabethan eye. In so doing, he repeatedly invites the modern reader to examine herself and her times...more
It took me quite a while to get through this book but it was worth persevering. While not as easily readable as his "The Victorians" and "After the Victorians" it gave a fantastic perspective on the Elizabethan age. Among many grear insights, it traces the origins of the Irish troubles (it didn't help that it started with a chapter on this). It has a fantastic description of the similarities and differences between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, arguing that it was Elizabeth who c...more
To understand the mindset of the Elizabethans - the war, the plagues, the nasty, brutish, short lives, religious revolution and the utter importance of these entirely alien sectarian battles - it's necessary to understand that the England forged in Elizabeth Tudor's reign came to an end in the reign of Elizabeth Windsor. This is the heart of AN Wilson's theory and his pacy, witty book. Like many Tudor historians Wilson seems to be half in love with Queen Elizabeth, whom he portrays as a woman of...more
A. N. Wilson's 'The Elizabethans' offers the reader a glimpse into the reign of Elizabeth I, her court and the significant events and political, religious and cultural issues of the period. It's magnificently written with sweeping prose that keeps the reader's attention and is generally a joy to read.
Although this is written to be a general overview of the Elizabeth's reign I do feel the book assumes the reader already has a basic knowledge of the period, so it's probably not the best place to s...more
Although this is written to be a general overview of the Elizabeth's reign I do feel the book assumes the reader already has a basic knowledge of the period, so it's probably not the best place to s...more
With all the panoramic sweep of his bestselling study The Victorians, A. N. Wilson relates the exhilarating story of the Elizabethan Age. It was a time of exceptional creativity, wealth creation and political expansion.
It was also a period of English history more remarkable than any other for the technicolour personalities of its leading participants.
Apart from the complex character of the Virgin Queen herself, we follow the story of Francis Drake and political intriguers like William Cecil and...more
It was also a period of English history more remarkable than any other for the technicolour personalities of its leading participants.
Apart from the complex character of the Virgin Queen herself, we follow the story of Francis Drake and political intriguers like William Cecil and...more
“To read or not to read?” I say, read. Wilson’s endeavor was extensive and it was a time commitment for me to read (too many things going on) although it was enjoyed.
The two criticisms from me are 1) the chapter on Elizabethan women, was a few pages on Bess of Hardwick (which is fine, she is an admirable woman) and that was about it 2) there was nothing on portraiture.
Took awhile to get used to Wilson’s rather flippant comments, which were much more palatable in the second half of the book as i...more
The two criticisms from me are 1) the chapter on Elizabethan women, was a few pages on Bess of Hardwick (which is fine, she is an admirable woman) and that was about it 2) there was nothing on portraiture.
Took awhile to get used to Wilson’s rather flippant comments, which were much more palatable in the second half of the book as i...more
Taking on the Elizabethan era decade by decade, A.N. Wilson leads readers through the political, social and, above all, religious changes that shaped modern England. Instead of focusing on details like defining the daily routine of a farmer compared to a nobleman, Wilson uses history and the thoughts of people from that era to show us how Elizabethans perceived their own time.
Wilson makes a point to include various theories on different mysteries of the time (from baby-daddy drama to Marlowe's...more
Wilson makes a point to include various theories on different mysteries of the time (from baby-daddy drama to Marlowe's...more
The Elizabethans can best be described as a series of essays covering significant events and issues of Elizabethan's reign (1558-1603). There is no unifying theme, except chronology. Wilson divides the book into the successive decades and subdivides each decade into chapters covering the most historically significant events or issues. The lack of a unifying theme makes the book a little hard to follow, although each chapter, often quite detailed, is interesting and informative in its own right....more
THE ELIZABETHANS. (2012). A. N. Wilson. ***.
This is a sweeping panorama of the age of Elizabeth I, broken down, mostly, into decades under her rule. Although written for the average reader, it is more a book best utilized by those who have already had a semester of history of the period. The more familiar names and events are typically given short shrift and most attention is then focused on relatively minor characters of the period. That’s not all bad, but it left me guessing a lot. I found th...more
This is a sweeping panorama of the age of Elizabeth I, broken down, mostly, into decades under her rule. Although written for the average reader, it is more a book best utilized by those who have already had a semester of history of the period. The more familiar names and events are typically given short shrift and most attention is then focused on relatively minor characters of the period. That’s not all bad, but it left me guessing a lot. I found th...more
Several books exist depicting life during the time of Queen Elizabeth. Adding to the list, A.N. Wilson attempts to stick out in the crowd with his work, “The Elizabethans”.
A.N. Wilson’s “The Elizabethans” is a contradiction in writing which results in my having contradictory views. What do I mean by this? The book’s identity and “purpose” tends to be a bit lost in the overly-ambitious work. Initially, Wilson provides an overview of the struggles and aggravations between the English and Irish an...more
A.N. Wilson’s “The Elizabethans” is a contradiction in writing which results in my having contradictory views. What do I mean by this? The book’s identity and “purpose” tends to be a bit lost in the overly-ambitious work. Initially, Wilson provides an overview of the struggles and aggravations between the English and Irish an...more
Somewhere between Wilson's excellent Victorians and rather patchy After the Victorians. The book has major strengths, not least in Wilson's upfront handling of the 'difficulties', Ireland and slavery, and his excellent handling of the church. It is patchy in places. For example the chapter that deals with Elizabethean women swiftly moves onto other topics. Nevertheless, it is a strong, opinionated and entertaining read.
If you are a RenFaire freake, than I suppose you might really, really, enjoy this book. Not only does it cover the drama of the ear and succinctly describe the major players in the court, but also the rebellions, the schisms, the explorations and the cultural environment. I found this book lacking where later books skimp and in fact, later books seem to call this one as a reference often. Well worth it. The personal struggles of the monarch with her family, her church, her rivals- as well as her...more
It was good, but it hopped about a bit and I would have liked to see more about the tradespeople and labourers lifestyles......not just courtiers and the professions.
Good description of this period of time, could have been better laid out.
Returned to the County Library with thanks.
I loved this book -- particularly because some of my ancestors are mentioned in it.
Disappointing.
Half way thru and enjoying it thoroughly.
May 04, 2013
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Andrew Norman Wilson is an English writer and newspaper columnist, known for his critical biographies, novels, works of popular history and religious views. He is an occasional columnist for the Daily Mail and former columnist for the London Evening Standard, and has been an occasional contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, New Statesman, The Spectator and The Observer.
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