The Polarisation of Elizabethan Politics: The Political Career of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, 1585-1597

by Paul E.J. Hammer

The Earl of Essex was the last great favorite of Elizabeth I and the leading cultural patron of the final years of her reign. Dazzled by the "romantic" relationship with the queen, modern writers have branded Essex a dandy, a military incompetent, and a political dabbler, and have blamed him for the bitter factionalism that plagued English politics in the 1590s. Using an unparalleled range of manuscript and printed sources, this book presents a very different image of Essex and of the outbreak of factionalism in Elizabethan politics.

Genres: History

468 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[David Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books available on the later part of Elizabeth's reign.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heavily researched study of Queen Elizabeth I's favorite, the Earl of Essex, from his emergence at court in 1585 to the late 1590s. Hammer provides a convincing study that shows Essex's important role in politics, the military, international relations, and the protestant cause in contast to the traditional view of him as a playboy. Excellent read.