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Rating: 
Summary: Intersection of politics with gender
Review: "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have th heart and stomach of a King" - Elizabeth IThis quote from Elizabeth I says a lot about this book. Professor Carole Levin examines how Elizabeth I was able to use her role as a woman (where traditionally, the public viewed women as incapable, weak, dependant) to her advantage and at the same time she ruled like a "King". Levin also examined how Elizabeth was so successful in her reign and at the same time, she was not the typical "woman" of her time; she was childless, and unmarried. She portrayed herself as a "Virgin Queen" - as in she was married to her country. It is important to note that this is not a biography of Elizabeth I but a book that gives a new perspective of Elizabeth I, that helps us to understand the overlapping of politics with gender and sexuality. Levin did an excellent job in using unconventional sources such as gossips, rumors, religious works, diplomatic correspondence that makes it a distinctive scholarly work. This book is also very easy to read, and even if you don't have a substantial backgroup in pre-modern European history, you will not have a problem in reading this book
Rating:
Summary: Intersection of politics with gender
Review: "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have th heart and stomach of a King" - Elizabeth I This quote from Elizabeth I says a lot about this book. Professor Carole Levin examines how Elizabeth I was able to use her role as a woman (where traditionally, the public viewed women as incapable, weak, dependant) to her advantage and at the same time she ruled like a "King". Levin also examined how Elizabeth was so successful in her reign and at the same time, she was not the typical "woman" of her time; she was childless, and unmarried. She portrayed herself as a "Virgin Queen" - as in she was married to her country. It is important to note that this is not a biography of Elizabeth I but a book that gives a new perspective of Elizabeth I, that helps us to understand the overlapping of politics with gender and sexuality. Levin did an excellent job in using unconventional sources such as gossips, rumors, religious works, diplomatic correspondence that makes it a distinctive scholarly work. This book is also very easy to read, and even if you don't have a substantial backgroup in pre-modern European history, you will not have a problem in reading this book
Rating:
Summary: From an Elizabethan expert....
Review: Carole Levin's study of Elizabeth I is unprecedented. This study not only gives readers who are unfamiliar with Elizabeth an idea of her life and desires, but it is explicates the problems behind a woman being a monarch in her own right in 16th century England. If one is interested in both English Monarchy and Women's Studies, this study will be enjoyed.
Rating:
Summary: Elizabeth Rocks--An Accessible Academic Work
Review: If you are intrigued by the life and reign of Elizabeth I, you will enjoy this book, whether you agree with all the author's conclusions or not. She gives some interesting insights to the challenges Elizabeth faced as a female monarch and describes how Elizabeth both compensated for her femininity and used it to her advantage during her reign. You will also get a taste of how Elizabethan culture affected the politics of her reign. The book takes an academic approach but is very readable by a layperson. I gave it a 7 only because it slows down in places and I think the author is reaching in making some of the connections between gender and politics that she does. But overall, interesting insights to Elizabeth as leader.
Rating:
Summary: Elizabeth Rocks--An Accessible Academic Work
Review: This is a beautifully researched, well written, thought provoking study of how one of the most interesting and powerful women in history negotiated gender restrictions during her 45 year reign. Not just a standard biography, "Heart and Stomach" looks carefully at Elizabeth's use of gender perceptions and roles to present herself as the great queen that she was. I've used this book as a text in the classroom and I've recommended it to readers and scholars who are interested in all things Renaissance and in women's history. It's always a hit!
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