Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding historical comparison...
Review: Dunn did something different with this book. Rather than reiterate all the facts in the lives of these two contemporary monarchs, Dunn zoned in on the both the similarties between the two women, but more importantly on the differences that led one queen to being one of the best monarchs (female or male), while the other one's claim to fame would end up being a martyr around whom fogs of mysteries could be built (and were).At first I was a little disappointed in not getting more information than Dunn was providing. It wasn't until where I saw where she was going through comparing the two women, that I could settle in and enjoy the book. I am quite sure there are more then enough biographies out there on both the English and Scottish monarchs, and the world of intrigue swirling around them. What was interesting about this book is the recognition that Elizabeth's very uncertain childhood had an immense impact on her later abilities as a queen, while Mary was spoiled in the French court and so when she came across difficulties later on, she did not know how to handle political crises diplomatically. Another interesting point, is how much written information (usually in letter formats, or writing from diplomats to their respective kings or queens or popes) still exists from over 500 years ago. We may live in the information age, but these guys managed to get information quite well, as well as spread disinformation successfully. Dunn's writing is excellent. This book was an enjoyable and fast read. Dunn provides an excellent geneaological chart at the beginning of the book, as well as a chronological chart of the time period. In the back is a great select Bibliography for those who wish to continue to read on this fascinating time. Karen Sadler
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting insight into the lives of Elizabeth and Mary
Review: Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals and Queens by Jane Dunn explores the areas where the lives of two of the most fascinating personages of the 16th century, Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart, intersect.
I particularly enjoyed Dunn's attempt to explain some of Elizabeth and Mary's most maddening behavior by referring to incidents that occurred in their respective girlhoods. Mary was brought up in a decadent French court and trained to be a queen in all ways except ruling. Elizabeth's childhood fears, lingering questions about her legitimacy for the throne, as well as her need for family explain many of the actions she undertook during her long reign.
The author uses many quotations throughout the book frome extant letters and documents. At times, it was a little annoying to wade through the "Olde English", but it really did serve to make the personalities of the two women come to life. I did feel that Dunn relied too much on foreshadowing and would have preferred a more chronological, detailed relating of the information at times. That is the primary reason for the deduction from 5 to 4 stars.
Don't expect this book to cover all of the areas of the lives of these two regnant Queens. Instead, count on a thoughtful consideration of the relationship between two women who, truly, were "cousins, rivals, queens".
Rating:
Summary: Very well written!
Review: I could not put this book down. I would recommend this book to anyone. The author did her homework and the result was a detailed description on the life of these two amazing women. I couldn't get enough and in the end I was sad to end this book.
Rating:
Summary: The latest of a great biographer
Review: I have read Jane Dunn's books since she began with "Moon in Eclipse," the story of Mary Shelley, the author of the tale of Frankenstein's monster and the lover of Percy Shelley, the English, tragic poet and friend of Lord Byron. She has grown as a biographer over these 30 years, from someone that dared not be public in her great talent to a mature writer who now has not only the courage to build a reputation for herself, but as someone who has taken a unique place in literature similar to Lyton Strachey, and with the potential of Virginia Wolf without the madness. This, her latest, rich volume will take its place in that tapestry that she sews - hopefully for many more adventures to come.
I certainly would not have known of this extraordinary relationship between two monarchs without Jane's efforts and ability to paint a picture that comes alive again in her telling.
Rating:
Summary: --Excellent--
Review: I listened to the audio version of this book, which was beautifully read by Donata Peters. Her recording is wonderful, and I highly recommend listening to the tapes. A great deal of French words and phrases are used in the story and hearing them spoken was very helpful to me since I don't know that language.
ELIZABETH AND MARY is a well-written book and I applaud Jane Dunn for her hard work. The story or I should say stories are beautifully written and I learned quite a bit about the two queens. The author reverses back and forth between Elizabeth and Mary with their individual biographies. She keeps the book alive with what was happening in their lives at the same time in history.
I have a new respect and understanding for both ladies. They were entirely different in their personalities and the way they were raised. That, I think, is what eventually gave them their places in history. Elizabeth, as the daughter of Anne Boleyn (who had been put to death by King Henry VIII) lived in fear of her life for years. She learned to be careful and diplomatic. On the other hand, Mary was born to be the Queen of Scotland and a Princess of France. In her early life she had the good council of her mother and uncles to guide her. Her beauty and charm drew people to her and her royal status gave her a certain confidence. Unfortunately, in her later years, she lacked good advice and her often-reckless actions led to her downfall.
Rating: 
Summary: ONE SIDED
Review: Impartial to both rulers, I find this book terribly one sided...much in favor of Elizabeth while essentially chastising Mary through repetetive points of describing Mary's sexual appetite and ineptness even though the next lines and paragraphs have nothing to do with the description.
Rating:
Summary: Elizabeth (Sense) vs. Mary (Sensibility) is great history!
Review: Jane Dunn has authored an outstanding work of Elizabethian history. Dunn is an excellent historian who is also a superb stylist writing with wit and wisdom.
Elizabeth and Mary are, of course, Elizabeth I the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII and Mary Queen of Scots who was the daughter of Mary of Guise and James V of Scotland.
They were cousins, rivals and queens! Mary was raised in the decadent court of France when she married the French king. Later she would marry twice more-Darnley who was murdered and the murderer of her husband Bothwell. Mary was impetuous, vain,a Francophile and a devoted Roman Catholic. Her wish was to make England Catholic and herself queen. She was devious and loved nothing more than a good plot against cousin Elizabeth. Mary died in 1587 as Elizabeth executed her Scottish cousin due to the latter's involvement in a plot against her own life.
Elizabeth spent time in the Tower as an adolescent placed their by her half-sister Bloody Mary; had outstanding advisors to guide her diplomacy (such as Cecil, Leicester and Walsingham)
while Mary made one tragic mistake after another. Her life was one of adventure, murder (Darnley and her friend Riccio) and an insatiable desire for power. Mary gave birth to James VI of Scotland who despite her wishes was raised as a Protestant later becoming King Jame I of England.
On and on could this reviewer go in delineating the intricacies of life in 16th century Europe as Spain and France
with Catholic might looked with hatred at that island upstart called England.
Elizabeth is the greatest of English queens who triumphed over both Mary and the Spanish Armada of 1588.
This is the only dual biography I know of these two fascinating queens. Dunn has a done a superb job and is to be commended for an outstanding biography which will behoove every English history buff to read with enjoyment and profit.
Excellent!
A
Rating:
Summary: Elizabeth (Sense) vs. Mary (Sensibility) is great history!
Review: Jane Dunn has authored an outstanding work of Elizabethian history. Dunn is an excellent historian who is also a superb stylist writing with wit and wisdom.
Elizabeth and Mary are, of course, Elizabeth I the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII and Mary Queen of Scots who was the daughter of Mary of Guise and James V of Scotland.
They were cousins, rivals and queens! Mary was raised in the decadent court of France when she married the French king. Later she would marry twice more-Darnley who was murdered and the murderer of her husband Bothwell. Mary was impetuous, vain,a Francophile and a devoted Roman Catholic. Her wish was to make England Catholic and herself queen. She was devious and loved nothing more than a good plot against cousin Elizabeth. Mary died in 1587 as Elizabeth executed her Scottish cousin due to the latter's involvement in a plot against her own life.
Elizabeth spent time in the Tower as an adolescent placed their by her half-sister Bloody Mary; had outstanding advisors to guide her diplomacy (such as Cecil, Leicester and Walsingham)
while Mary made one tragic mistake after another. Her life was one of adventure, murder (Darnley and her friend Riccio) and an insatiable desire for power. Mary gave birth to James VI of Scotland who despite her wishes was raised as a Protestant later becoming King Jame I of England.
On and on could this reviewer go in delineating the intricacies of life in 16th century Europe as Spain and France
with Catholic might looked with hatred at that island upstart called England.
Elizabeth is the greatest of English queens who triumphed over both Mary and the Spanish Armada of 1588.
This is the only dual biography I know of these two fascinating queens. Dunn has a done a superb job and is to be commended for an outstanding biography which will behoove every English history buff to read with enjoyment and profit.
Excellent!
A
Rating:
Summary: Fatal attraction
Review: Jane Dunn has done a remarkable job of analyzing the relationship between two powerful women who were not able to co-exist, even though they never met in person. Her account, while sometimes dry, is detailed and factual, and provides insight into the process that led Elizabeth eventually to execute her cousin, against the dictates of her own wishes and conscience. The reader is left wondering if she would have had the strength to order Mary's death if she had met her face to face. Mary, on the other hand, is presented as a lone individual thrust into power with no training and no one to provide her with guidance and reliable counsel. It is no wonder that she made the foolish, ultimately fatal decisions that brought about her downfall.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating side-by-side comparison of two rival queens.
Review: Many have criticized this dual biography for not introducing new material, and simply re-hashing what has been written elsewhere. And clearly there is no shortage of excellent biogaphies on both of these queens. However, it is the format of Dunn's book that sets it apart and gives us an innovative perspective. Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots, were both fascinating monarchs in their own right, but equally fascinating is the complex relationship between them. Both women had a claim to the throne of England. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth's grandfather, Henry VII, who overthrew Richard III and founded the Tudor dynasty, was also the great-grandfather of Mary (born to King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise). Elizabeth was Mary's elder by only nine years. Both women were ambitious, passionate, and cunning. Yet despite their similar status as queens and cousins, these two women were also very different from one another. Mary became Queen of Scotland only six days after her birth in 1542, upon the death of her father. In 1548 she was sent to France, to grow up in the court of her French fiance, the dauphin Francis. Her status was never in question, and therefore she never questioned it herself. Elizabeth, however, traversed a much more tumultuous path to her throne. When her mother was beheaded so Henry VIII could marry his third wife, the young princess was declared illegitimate and removed from the succession. Ultimately her place in the succession was reinstated, but this in no way guaranteed that she would ever become queen. First in line was her radically Protestant half-brother, Edward, who died young. Next came the devoutly Catholic Mary I ("Bloody Mary"), Elizabeth's half-sister from Henry VIII's first marriage, under whom Elizabeth even spent some time in the Tower of London. It was only upon Mary's death in 1558, when Elizabeth was 24 years of age, that she finally ascended the throne herself. The relationship between Elizabeth and Mary was very multi-faceted (despite the fact that the two queens never met). For most of her life, Mary referred to Elizabeth as a dear sister, and actively sought her cousin's favor. Yet at the same time Mary coveted the English crown, and even on several occasions declared that she herself was the rightful Queen of England. Yet the Queen of Scots, by dint of her as-yet unthreatened sovereignty, could also be presumtuous to a fault. Her impulsive marriage to Lord Darnley, her second husband (who was shortly thereafter murdered), against the will and advice of many in both Scotland and England, marked the beginning of her ultimate downward slide. Elizabeth, while she displayed more pragmatism in matters of the heart, was also somewhat jealous of her cousin's romantic exploits. Elizabeth had realized early on that she could never marry her personal favorite, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, and that she must instead declare herself to be married to her country, but this did not erase her longing for romantic fulfilment. Ultimately Elizabeth was forced to imprison, and eventually execute, her cousin and rival queen. Mary, fleeing from Scottish rebels, thought to run to Elizabeth for refuge and support. But Elizabeth insisted on an investigation into Mary's possible involvement in the murder of Lord Darnley, and therefore detained the Scottish queen in a remote castle. Despite Mary's repeated pleas, she refused an audience with her, fearing the Queen of Scots' reputation for beguiling charm. Mary's imprisonment became all the more serious when she was implicated in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth. The English queen had no desire to execute her cousin, despite pressure from her counselors. Only when irrefutable proof of Mary's involvement was produced did Elizabeth finally sign the death warrant, and even then she was plagued with guilt. In all, Mary spent nearly two decades as Elizabeth's prisoner, and was finally beheaded in 1587, still having never met her cousin and greatest rival. The basic story is obviously the same. Indeed, I think it would be hard to introduce any new material on the lives of Elizabeth and Mary at this point, when we probably already know all we ever will about them. Yet Dunn's presentation here is fascinating. By placing the two queens side-by-side for comparison and contrast, and focussing on their relationship, we get to see both sides of the story simultaneously. This format emphasizes the inter-connectedness of their lives, and really shows how much each was dependent on the other. In many ways each served as the only person who could truly identify with the other, both being women rulers in a time when females were seen as incapable of effective leadership, and being each other's closest blood relatives (with the exception of Mary's son, James VI & I). Dunn's writing style, while not the most engaging I have ever read, is nevertheless very accessible. She has clearly done her research, and paints a lovely dual portrait of these two women. I also liked the fact that, when using direct quotes, Dunn gives both the original text with its archaic and unstandardized spellings, and also the same quote written with modern spellings, which makes it easier to read and understand. My only real criticism of the text is that she skims over a few events that are considered "well-known," when the book would have been more balanced and informative if Dunn had written on all events with equal detail. After all, not all her readers will have read extensively on these monarchs before picking up this book. On a positive note, the book is equipped with numerous full-color pictures, including portraits of the queens, their family members, important members of their courts, and even some pictures of embroidery Mary completed while imprisoned in England. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, learned much from it, and would definitely recommend it.
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