The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford

Mar 04, 2013 Mackay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

A fascinating, well written, and deeply researched book about the world of Elizabethan spies, the plots they uncovered, and the consequences of both those plots and the government's reactions thereto.
One of the aspects that made me appreciate this book most were the pains Alford took to show Elizabethan England as it was--we tend to think of it as a "golden age," whereas in truth it was a ferociously uneasy age, full of uncertainty and danger. England and Elizabeth were viewed as heretical and...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Deadly danger and intrigue, love of money, monarch and God and a bizarre cast of players make up the incredible melange that is The Watchers. The author takes us on an unforgettable "Grand Tour" of Elizabethan Period Europe. We visit Rome, Rouen, Paris, Madrid and Lisbon. We frequent London's taverns and lodging houses. We study in Douais, Rouen and Rome, and we hide in priest-holes in the English Midlands. Alford spins the tales of Sir Francis Walsingham's vaunted spy network in the days when t...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

The golden age of England, underneath, was a time when secrets were a form of currency just a precious as gold.

Stephen Alford's "The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I" was an excellent book about one of my all-time favorite eras of history the Tudor Reign. I've read several books about the Tudors, and this book showed that Elizabeth's rule was a precarious and fragile thing; the Protestant monarch had many enemies at home and abroad, at times her network of spies was all tha...more The golden age of England, underneath, was a time when secrets were a form of currency just a precious as gold.

Stephen Alford's "The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I" was an excellent book about one of my all-time favorite eras of history the Tudor Reign. I've read several books about the Tudors, and this book showed that Elizabeth's rule was a precarious and fragile thing; the Protestant monarch had many enemies at home and abroad, at times her network of spies was all that stood between rule and ruin.

First, you have to like a book with such detailed references. A good sign of a non-fiction book's character (or lack thereof) will be revealed if a book has a strong backbone of source material. I also thought the layout of the beginning of the book was excellent, the author set up the characters like that of a playbill, giving a brief description of the parts each person played-out in this game of spies. This was beneficial, since there was a number of players to keep straight, and having a quick guide to turn back to was helpful.

Although I was aware of Elizabeth's most trusted advisor William Cecil's cunning, and his web of information that was far-reaching, I did not know to what extent and how wide the network of underground information-gathering reached. Alford showcased the inner-turmoil of the country, where Protestants were once again in favor and Catholics fled the country for fear of persecution or worse. Catholics that left the country, however, were not safe for the ever-watchful eyes of England’s spies.

Alford’s book gave in detail a number of entertaining and well-documented accounts of how England’s spies went about procuring their information, and how these spies give evidence against men they had lived with ,worked for, and befriended. The book also described the Throckmorton Plot to overthrow Elizabeth, and place Catholic Mary Queen of Scots on the throne.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Elizabethan or Tudor history, or those interested in reading about the lucrative business of information-gathering. Alford's "The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I" was a well-written and thoroughly researched book that I found very entertaining and informative.
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Feb 08, 2013 Margaret Sankey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alford, an expert on the Elizabethan Cecils, begins this book with an alternate history that terrified the Queen's courtiers--one of the many assassination plots worked, Elizabeth fell to an ambush and the Spanish invaded. That this *didn't* happen was the result of an extraordinary effort by William Cecil, Sir Francis Walsingham and Cecil's son Sir Robert, who (mostly on their own dimes) built a formidable intelligence service across western Europe, from port watchers to double agents at the Va...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: English history, in depth.

Shelves: adult-books, english-history, european-or-asian-history, nonfiction

This gets the fourth star primarily for finding a fairly original subject to write about in Elizabethan England. It is well written but I don't know that I'd have given it 4 stars otherwise. This is about the spy network that was set up by the Elizabethan government. It went through 3 top bosses over the course of Queen Elizabeth's reign with the final one continuing and actually enabling the next King, King James I of England and VI of Scotland. It was rather refreshing to have Elizabeth actual...more This gets the fourth star primarily for finding a fairly original subject to write about in Elizabethan England. It is well written but I don't know that I'd have given it 4 stars otherwise. This is about the spy network that was set up by the Elizabethan government. It went through 3 top bosses over the course of Queen Elizabeth's reign with the final one continuing and actually enabling the next King, King James I of England and VI of Scotland. It was rather refreshing to have Elizabeth actually be a minor character in this story. You can tell she took an active interest but mostly she was content to leave the workings of the network to her underlings. I suppose that is a sign of a good CEO, to know when to delegate and actually do delegate it. Walsingham first started the network, under his boss, Lord Burghley (William Cecil). Then BUrghley took it over and finally his son, Robert Cecil took it over and continued it into the next reign. One of the most important things the author does is make you realize just how very precarious the Elizabethan government felt itself to be and why that wasn't just paranoia. It definitely used means that today's readers wouldn't approve of, but were acceptable back then. Note that the concept is still alive: There is some moronic senator who is screaming that we should torture the 19 year old kid who was involved in the Boston Marathon bombings to get more info. I suppose we haven't come as far as we'd like to believe in improving civilization. (Please also note I have no intention of replying to anyone arguing that we should torture the kid so don't even bother to write anything!) Another part that was of interest if a very unimportant point, was that bureaucracy was perfectly in place in Elizabethan times: Supervisors and underlings, departments, etc. That might make a moderately interesting book: tracing the development of bureaucracy through history. There might already be one since business is not one of the subjects I tend to read about. This most certainly enlarged my knowledge of Elizabethan society and government. I do definitely recommend this to anyone wanting in depth knowledge of the era.(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Carrie Slager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

(This review also appears on The Mad Reviewer.)

[Full disclosure: Bloomsbury sent me a free print copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.]

I don’t read nearly as much nonfiction as I would like, so The Watchers was both a refreshing change from YA novels and a great book in its own right. For someone who knows a decent amount about the Tudors and Medieval England, I was shocked at how big of a role spying played back then. It wasn’t just basic spying either: it was sophisticated and at...more (This review also appears on The Mad Reviewer.)

[Full disclosure: Bloomsbury sent me a free print copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.]

I don’t read nearly as much nonfiction as I would like, so The Watchers was both a refreshing change from YA novels and a great book in its own right. For someone who knows a decent amount about the Tudors and Medieval England, I was shocked at how big of a role spying played back then. It wasn’t just basic spying either: it was sophisticated and at times, incredibly complicated. Stephen Alford has documented the lives of some of the main players in the spy game, from the talented to the incompetent, the eccentric to the boring.

Although Alford’s writing can get a bit choppy here and there as he jumps from spy to spy, he does tie things up well at the end of the chapters and at the very end of the book. Despite the head-hopping, the writing style itself was very engaging for a nonfiction writer and made The Watchers far more enjoyable.To illustrate his point that spying was very important in Tudor England, he had a very lengthy introduction imagining a scenario in which spies did not exist and Elizabeth I really had been assassinated. I would have liked for the introduction to be cut down slightly, but Alford certainly did make his point well.

One thing I really liked about The Watchers is that Alford isn’t telling a completely one-sided story of the struggle of Protestants to protect their queen from evil Catholics. We get to see how the Protestant agents felt about their missions, but also get to see things from the point of view of Catholic exiles. it’s rare to find such balanced nonfiction these days, but Alford managed it. The political triumphs of courtiers like Lord Burghley are balanced by accounts of the terrible torture captured Catholics faced. Alford does not depict a picture of a Golden Age as most books about Elizabethan England seem to and we get to see that the ugly side of the Golden Age was quite ugly at times. It’s nice to find a more realistic portrayal of the times.

Overall, The Watchers is a great book for both newcomers to history and old hats at it. Personally, I’m looking forward to any future books Stephen Alford publishes.

I give this book 4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for the purpose of Goodreads ratings.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-history-not-georgian, british-history-elizabethan

This is a gossipy romp through Elizabethan spying. The best part of the book is in the very beginning, when the author describes a scenario where Elizabeth is assassinated and what might have happened as a result. This is the terror the government lived with. The fear that her spymasters felt becomes palpable and, as a result, I had a very good sense of why they acted as they did.

The book needs editing. It's redundant in many places, repeating information about individuals, plots, and basic his...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Anthony Pacifico rated it 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed this book. Stephen Alford gives us the underbelly of what is often called the Golden Age of Elizabethan England.

Alford tells the story of the network of spies that Queen Elizabeth, under the control of Sir Francis Walsingham, had throughout Europe. The Court was petrified that an assassin would attempt to kill Elizabeth, especially since she was denounced as a heretic by the Pope and even excommunicated. The Pope also made it clear that English citizens owed Elizabeth no loya...more

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Apr 04, 2013 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: medieval

One of the primary duties of Lord Burghley, Queen Elizabeth I's "secretary", was to protect the queen and the continuation of her government. Stephen Alford's "Watchers" presents a series of stories of how Burghley and his colleagues used a network of spies to successful undertake this responsibility.

In some ways Alford is a John LeCarre weaving a thrilling story of espionage and double agents. In this task, however, he is hampered by the facts available to him -- he appears to have done a magni...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Nicki Markus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tudor history has long fascinated me; although, my knowledge is more based on Henry VIII than either of his daughters. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I felt it was time to improve myself.

I found it an informative and yet also entertaining read. Some of the events I knew vaguely and it was interesting to see what had led to them and how espionage had been employed to protect Elizabeth from the many plots against her.

The text was clear, precise and easy to read; the people so well drawn tha...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Karen Brooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sent this book by the publishers, I really looked forward to reading what’s ostensibly a behind the scenes account of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign but from the point of view of the “watchers”: that is, reporters, listeners, spies – the men whose speciality was espionage. Elizabethan times, it turns out, are notorious for their extensive use of spies and networks, all of which were established to protect England and ensure the queen’s successful reign. As Alford writes in the introduction, while Eli...more Sent this book by the publishers, I really looked forward to reading what’s ostensibly a behind the scenes account of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign but from the point of view of the “watchers”: that is, reporters, listeners, spies – the men whose speciality was espionage. Elizabethan times, it turns out, are notorious for their extensive use of spies and networks, all of which were established to protect England and ensure the queen’s successful reign. As Alford writes in the introduction, while Elizabeth and her council worked hard to maintain “clever and persuasive projections of political stability, empire, self-confidence and national myth” there was, in fact, “a darker story… set against a Europe divided and oppressed by religious conflict, civil war and the ambitions of kings and princes.”
Taking the crown after her half-sister “Bloody Mary” tried to purge the Protestant stain, and trying to stabilise an England divided by religious schism and rapidly changing succession, Elizabeth’s job was not easy. Declaring England as Protestant, but claiming that Catholicism would be tolerated, Elizabeth nonetheless was acutely aware of how precarious her position as ruler and religious head of a reeling nation was. Plots to declare her rule invalid, assassination attempts, never mind trying to overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne abounded. Then there was the job of trying to find Elizabeth a suitable husband, all of which meant that though the kingdom flourished in terms of exploration, the humanities and arts, there was also a seething underbelly that threatened to erupt and destroy everything at any time. The greatest threat was that of the Catholics who, discontent with Elizabeth’s heretical leadership and perceiving it as ungodly, sought to rid themselves of Henry VIII’s daughter and restore the “true religion”. Working from within their homeland, their overseas networks were extensive, travelling across Europe and involving some of the most powerful people abroad as well.
The stage is thus set for espionage, betrayal, treason, propaganda, secrets, torture, faith, martyrdom and lies all of which Sir Francis Walsingham and his successors sought to control.
Carefully researched and very well-written, this book is an eye-opener that also makes the mind boggle. The lengths to which various individuals would go to inveigle themselves into (Catholic) families or communities in order to uncover plots and treasons were phenomenal. Conspirators were discovered frequently, many from noble families. The Throckmorton plot was one of the most famous and this is covered in detail throughout the book. Fascinating in its complexity and the degree of commitment and sacrifice believers were ready to make, uncovering it was to prove an even greater triumph.
The book goes onto explore the stories, derring-do, successes and failures of many spies and traitors, how far they were willing to go (disguise, denying their identities for long periods, sacrificing family and a “normal” life for little reward) and from these we also learn how disposed Walsingham and his men were to use torture to uncover secrets and plots and how brutal their interrogation methods were. Some of the spies, or intelligencers, were gentleman and even poets, others were criminals, but many were chameleons, able to shift, camouflage themselves and change with subtlety. There was William Parry, Thomas Phelippes, Gilbery Gifford, Chrales Sledd, Sir Robert Cecil, Burghley, simply to name a few (forgive my memory) - names both known and unknown to history buffs. Perhaps, for those names less familiar, it’s testimony to how well they performed their roles – they disappeared not simply into the woodwork, but became lost in the pages of history and time until Alford recovers them. Uncovering the plots and deeds of desperate men, these watchers brought many to trial and death and, in doing so, ensured Elizabeth’s long reign.
Utilising surviving records, Alford has done an amazing job and recreated in detail a tumultuous but fascinating period. Almost akin to a Renaissance version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, I found this book fascinating, challenging (to keep track of the different names and roles), but also a wonderful insight into what occurs behind the doors, under the tables and in the shadows and whispers of a colourful and deceptively confidant queen’s reign. Like an ice-berg, it was the seven-eights we didn’t see that ensured the topmost part remained afloat. Alford has given us access to that which we don’t normally witness and exposed the intricacy and deadly seriousness of spying in Elizabethan times.
A great read for history buffs, writers, anyone who loves tales of espionage and appreciates solid research delivered in an entertaining and engaging manner.
4.5 stars

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Feb 11, 2013 Jordan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Look, I realize that history can be a bit dry and that those that are attracted to it can be a bit... um.. staid. Yeah, I'll stick with "staid" that is way less harsh then dull and boring. At any rate, She is one of my favorite topics, couple that with the fact that it is all about the plots against her and this should have been a good, dare i say fun, read. It was not. I enjoyed it, because there was just no way I was not going to with this subject matter. However, I would have like to have lik...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Lyn M rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tudor-philes, Elizabethan fans,

Recommended to Lyn M by: Netgalley and the publisher

Shelves: netgalley, 2013, 101-shelf-a-thon, 2013-monthly-challenge, 2013-hor-challenges, arc, borrowed, character-studies, medieval, new-to-me-authors, non-fiction-history, political, read-for-review, royals, tudor, world-lit, 2013-pyo-historical-fiction

In The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I Stephen Alford presents a book that satisfies both the history buff in me and the side of me that loves mystery and intrigue. Although political intrigue is not a new phenomenon, Tudor England, in particular, the Elizabethan era, had it in spades. The setting of the book is a time when religion was less about worshiping God, and more about power and the riches and control of the world that went with that power. This is no romanticized...more In The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I Stephen Alford presents a book that satisfies both the history buff in me and the side of me that loves mystery and intrigue. Although political intrigue is not a new phenomenon, Tudor England, in particular, the Elizabethan era, had it in spades. The setting of the book is a time when religion was less about worshiping God, and more about power and the riches and control of the world that went with that power. This is no romanticized version of the paranoia and intrigue that surrounded the governments of the day. It is a excellent detailing of the methods and lengths that governments would go to protect themselves in a time when the stakes were the highest and turmoil was the norm.

Alford begins the book with a look at what history might have been like if one of the supposed assassination plots against Elizabeth had succeeded. With this alternate look at history, he immediately throws the reading into the feelings of fear and conspiracy that were rampant at the time. And who could blame the Court for these feelings? In the few years after the death of Henry VIII, England had switched from Angelican, to more austere Prostestanism, back to Catholicism, and then back to Protestantism. Also in this time, a pretender to the throne, Lady Jane Grey, had been beheaded, and two monarchs, Edward and Mary, had died without an heir, and the Catholic Church had Mary Queen of Scots waiting in the wings.

Enter into this miasma two of the most cunning men in Elizabeth's court, Sir Francis Walsingham and William Cecil, both trusted advisers to Elizabeth and men who would stop at nothing to protect their Queen. It is Walsingham in particular that is adept picking men that he cold "turn" to spying. Alford's research and discussion of the many men and varied methods used by Cecil and Walsingham to protect the Queen is well researched and presented in a manner that is easily followed by those interested in and familiar with Elizabeth and her court. He leaves nothing out, detailing the dealings of many of the eras most prolific spies and double agents and the various plots against the Queen. I was particularly fascinated by his discussion of the Throckmorten Plot and the attempts to place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne.

The one drawback to this book, as to all non-fiction history books is that the detailed information can be a bit overwhelming to the casual reader. On the other hand, if you are a fan of anything Elizabethan, this book will not disappoint.

I am thankful to Bloomsbury Publishing and NEtgalley for giving me the chance to read this book for an honest review. (less)

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Dec 24, 2012 Ruth marked it as to-read Recommends it for: Fans of Elizabethan history, fans of history of espionage

Shelves: highland-medieval-tudor-ancient, non-fiction-history, library_hardcopy, mystery-thriller-spies-suspense

I really enjoyed this book. The subtitle is "a secret history of the reign of Elizabeth I", but I feel that doesn't actually explain just what an insightful, but accessible, book this one is.

It includes some really fascinating details on spies and spying in Elizabethan Europe, but it also describes the state of almost perpetual paranoia during a period of history which Hollywood likes to glamorize as the "golden age" of monarchy. It wasn't a golden age. Elizabeth maintained a dazzling but stric...more I really enjoyed this book. The subtitle is "a secret history of the reign of Elizabeth I", but I feel that doesn't actually explain just what an insightful, but accessible, book this one is.

It includes some really fascinating details on spies and spying in Elizabethan Europe, but it also describes the state of almost perpetual paranoia during a period of history which Hollywood likes to glamorize as the "golden age" of monarchy. It wasn't a golden age. Elizabeth maintained a dazzling but strict distance from the majority of her advisors and from the plebs which made her appear all the more awe-inspiring, and she was definitely an extremely intelligent, astute and ruthless individual, who aimed to find outcomes to the issues of the day which put her in the best possible position with little effort on her behalf which I can only admire, but for me the real heroes appear to be the astonishingly clever, worldly, and subtle "administrators". They worked to protect the aura of majesty around the Queen, and keep safe both her, and the hard-won religious freedom of an England surrounded by Catholics. The Great Armada was not the climax in English-Spanish military history I was taught at school, but simply one battle in a long cold war, which occasionally boiled over, and was only extinguished when James Stuart came to the throne, complete with his ready-made heirs, and finally resolved the agonies of the Tudor succession (well, for a generation or two, at least). This almost obsessive passion for maintaining the Protestant religious freedom of England was something which James II, the grandson of James Stuart (nor Charles I, to a lesser extent) never understood, but which Charles II understood to his bones.

I understand the religious history of the age (at least to a certain extent), but this book brought it alive for me. Think of a relatively minor, new religion (or cult) today, and imagine that a president or prime minister decides that for their own expediency this new religion is going to be what everyone in that country must follow. Now imagine after a bloody tussle of a few decades of back-and-forth, all the "non-believers" are essentially persecuted into exile. Some of them will decide to make their homes where they land, but others will do all they can to go home on their own terms (whilst maintaining loyalty to the government) and others will do all they can to destroy the government in the name of the "old" religion. Other countries see this an opportunity to invade and take the heretic country for themselves (it's not particularly wealthy, but its geographic location makes it important for trade, and it has been supporting insurgents/terrorists overseas for years), and they spend money and time and decades trying to do so. That is the picture of Elizabethan Europe you get from this book.

This book is also interesting for its descriptions of how espionage was actually physically carried out in the 16th century. It surprised me how much is resembled modern espionage. It relied upon having well-placed, non-descript individuals, either motivated by overwhelming loyalty or vast wads of money, or threatened into spying. They wrote their reports, encrypted them and shipped them to their handlers, who then pieced them together to try and form an accurate picture of threats, so they could device counterpolicy. Essentially what happens now.

Great book. I could go on for ever about how much I got out of it.. 5 stars. It was amazing.(less)

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Mar 02, 2013 Tony Maxwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

A brilliant insight into the political and religious intrigues of the Elizabethan age.

Clearly, Sir Francis Walsingham and William Cecil were the forerunners of the present day British intelligence organization, MI6.

I was particularly interested to read how Sir Francis frequently questioned the validity of information obtained through torture - a skill not lacking in the Tower of London.

"The more things change - the more they stay the same!"

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Apr 09, 2013 Daniel Farabaugh rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a workmanlike book on the topic of spying in Elizabethian England. He does not capture any sense of suspense and danger for those involved and what they were risking. He does a better job at explaining the plots that were uncovered, although this also lacks drama. Overall, it was interesting enough to finish but not much more.

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Jan 12, 2013 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lots of fun details failed to cohere into anything. I wish there were more overviews of the espionage services orchestrated by Walsingham and Burghley, as the detailed descriptions of individual spy missions were oddly contextless. But for a pastiche of spy escapades, it was relatively entertaining and informative.

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Mar 26, 2013 Peter rated it 5 of 5 stars

A brilliant and highly readable history of the secret service under Queen Elizabeth I. If you liked WOLF HALL and BRING UP THE BODIES-- or for that matter, LEGACY OF ASHES or THE DARK SIDE, I think you'll find this pretty compelling.

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Feb 07, 2013 Laura Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

An inventive alternate-history beginning, but I had to push myself to get through parts of this book. Who knew you could make a history of Elizabethan spying somewhat boring? The bits on the Babington Plot and the downfall of Mary, Queen of Scots were interesting, though.

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Apr 13, 2013 Ashlea (plotdriven.com) rated it 2 of 5 stars

I should have just found a biography of Francis Walsingham because a book about the people who worked for Walsingham (mostly by writing him letters of gossip about Catholics) is not nearly as interesting.

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Jan 31, 2013 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Luckily, the so much documentation on the subject has been left behind, so many of the characters in this book come alive.

If you're interested in Elizabethan history, this book is a must.

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Mar 06, 2013 Lois rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

A fascinating account of the world of espionage in the reign of Elizabeth I, it takes a little gettng into but it is utterly gripping when you're into your reading stride.
The first part, which deals with the plots, real and supposed, by a network of Catholics exiled across Europe is quite dense, and there are a lot of names to contend with, but the second half which is about plots within England is a galloping read.
It is absolutely fascinating, and i want to know more now about the codes and cy...more

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May 07, 2013 Donald rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well written, but sometimes the interconnections between all the players was a little hard to follow

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Feb 19, 2013 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

A pretty interesting, if occasionally repetitive account of the intelligence apparatus of Elizabeth I.

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Jan 02, 2013 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-non-fiction, tudors

I thought the history covered in this book was really fascinating, and it was nice to get a book set during Elizabeth's reign that talks about what was going on behind the scenes and abroad instead of focusing solely on her and her own choices and actions.

What keeps me from giving the book a higher rating is that the prose is very choppy and repetitive, and included so much jumping around from one point in time to another and back again that I found it very hard to get engrossed in the narrativ...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Marty Monahan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This showed how delicate the balance of power was to just maintain.

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May 11, 2013 Kim Heimbuch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-hardcopy, citybook

5/11/13 Review will be posted as soon as the publishing company I review for, posts original review.

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Jan 25, 2013 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good history of spying and assassination during the Elizabethan age.

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May 17, 2013 Cari Zancanelli is currently reading it

May 17, 2013 A. Non marked it as to-read

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