Rating: 
Summary: A Decent Addition to Your Tudor Library
Review: **Contains minor spoilers**I have been a Tudor England buff since I was a small child, therefore any time something about this great royal English family comes along, I have an interest. I was unfamiliar with David Starkey, but read a review of his Elizabeth biography when I was in England in 2000. I finally located the book in the States earlier this year. While the book is not exactly the most scholarly piece in my Tudor library, it is an easy read; did maintain my interest; and perhaps would also keep that of someone not completely familiar with Elizabeth's story. However -- and this is a big HOWEVER -- he does tend to write a number of sections as if believing the reader is already familiar with the topic in great detail. This is something a writer should never assume, and that tends to be the major flaw in the book. Mr. Starkey also takes a new look at some aspects of Elizabeth's life, almost to the point of gossip with some psychology thrown in. The one part he delves into a good deal is her possible romantic relationship with her stepfather Sir Thomas Seymour, husband of her stepmother Katherine Parr. He puts a new spin on this infamous episode in a manner I'd never considered before (suspected emotional or sexual abuse). There are also some other young Elizabeth legends he attempts to dispel, including the depth of her involvement in say the Wyatt Rebellion. I do not under any circumstances consider this the definitive Elizabeth biography. I fell in love with the now out of print Mary M. Luke bios a long time ago, and there are others I would also recommend: Jenkins, Plowden, Weir. However, if you're wanting an introduction to the life of this great woman, or simply an addition to your English history library, this book is one you should have.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating look at the early life of a great queen
Review: As a fan of the monarchy and a lover of British history, Elizabeth I is my favorite monarch and the Elizabethan/Tudor period is one of my favorite periods of history. This book enhanced my understanding of the period and rounded out a historical figure who is, at the very least, sometimes romanticized and idolized. If you're looking for a book that will give you a complete picture of the virgin queen, this isn't it. This book very thoroughly explores her life prior to becoming queen. Her actual monarchy has perhaps 50 pages devoted to it. Starkey does, however, make this clear up front. This book will give you a greater understanding of the woman who later became queen. Starkey's narrative is chock full of interesting facts, but he is careful never to make it dry or dull. He intersperses humor and unique anecdotes throughout the book. He is a talented storyteller, even if he does use the phrase "willy-nilly" a few too many times. This book also contains two sections of illustrations, mostly consisting of paintings of Elizabeth, her family, and the prominent people in her life. It is a good supplement to the story and includes many of the best portraits of the period. Finally, I would urge anyone who has the chance to see Mr. Starkey speak to not pass it up. I saw him speak at a signing for his other book on the wives of Henry VIII and it was extremely memorable and fascinating. He is also more than willing to discuss any questions readers might have about the history or about why he did certain things in his books. Overall, Starkey presents a fascinating, unique, seldom-seen view of one of England's most beloved monarchs.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Read
Review: David Starkey has written a good but not necessarily great look at the early life of Elizabeth, starting from before her birth and ending (for the main part) just past her first Parliament. In the effort, he manages to dispel a number of fallacies about Elizabeth, Mary, and Henry VIII, chiefly those promulgated by the makers of the film "Elizabeth" that was so entertaining but so historically poor. However, there are a few annoying aspects of Starkey's prose, not the least of which is injecting himself in the first person at odd times, in order to give us his opinion of prior scholarship or of Elizabeth's intentions. Another minor quibble is the overuse of the phrase "willy-nilly", at one point using it twice in the same paragraph. However, these are style issues, not content; on content, Starkey is convincing, if not remarkable, in his own scholarship. I look forward to his next book on the wives of Henry VIII.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent account of Elizabeth's early life
Review: David Starkey notes in his preface that few books have devoted much attention to the early life of Elizabeth I, and he is quite correct. That has now changed, as Starkey's book focuses almost entirely on Elizabeth's pre-queen days. The writing style is fluid and Starkey's research is sound. There is speculation, but the fact of the matter is that much of what we think about certain aspects of Elizabeth's life is just that-speculation. Starkey's assertions are logical and reasonable. While perhaps this isn't the book to start with for those who don't know Elizabeth, it now occupies an honored place on this English History Ph. D.'s bookcase.
Rating:
Summary: A different portrayal of young Elizabeth
Review: During her reign, Queen Mary foiled several plots to depose her and place Elizabeth on the throne. Most histories describe Elizabeth as completely separate from these revolutionaries. The plotters didn't include her, even if their plots did. But, once she assumed the throne, Elizabeth proved herself to be a master politician. These skills did not come out of nowhere, as those who portray her as an innocent bystander might make one believe. Starkey's book shows her connections to the movers and shakers of the period, and how unlikely it was that she was unaware of everyone around her's plans. This book focuses solely on *Elizabeth's* experiences (for example, the burning of heretics in Mary's reign gets only brief mention), so if you're looking for a broader view of what was happening in the rest of the kingdom or world, you may need other books. I recommend Alison Weir's "Children of Henry VIII" which only covers the timeperiod after Henry's death (starting when Elizabeth was 13) and splits its focus between Elizabeth, Mary and Edward. Starkey also goes into rich details of Mary's funeral, Elizabeth's accession/coronation and the transfer of power that I haven't found in other books. Elizabeth's actual reign is given pretty short shrift -- a few chapters about religion, and another chapter summarizing international relations and dealings with Mary, Queen of Scots -- but then, Starkey acknowledges his narrow focus in his introduction. This book is primarily about Elizabeth *before* she became Queen.
Rating: 
Summary: Good attempt but dissapointing in accuracy
Review: I couldn't wait to read this book. When I finally got a copy, I settled down and read for many hours. I was disappointed in what I found. The dust jacket praises the book as "meticulously researched." If it was, then why on page 12-13 does the author find it a quirk of history that Henry VIII's love letters to Anne Boleyn wound up in the Vatican Library? Scholars of Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon know that the letters got there during Henry's attempts at divorce - they were sent there by the Spanish faction to help persuade the Pope that Henry's real motives for a divorce were less than aboveboard. Reading further, I found more and more mistakes, such as the one about Anne Boleyn's hair color. In one instance he even confused two of Henry's wives (Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves, perhaps an editing mistake). I realize that it is a huge task to try and condense any history of Elizabeth into a short book (a little over 300 pages, my favorite book about Elizabeth is over 700 pages), but that does not excuse the mistakes.
Rating:
Summary: History At Its Best
Review: It's both a rarity and a treat to find a history book that reads like a novel. Starkey's book is an amazing view into the early life and reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and a must-read for any aficianado's of the Tudor dynasty.
Rating:
Summary: Elizabeth
Review: Like many here, I am a huge Tudor buff, so I was eager to read Stakey's version of the truth. I was living in England while I read this book and Starkey had a few TV programmes and they were all quite interesting, and I knew his books would be just as captivating for a fan of the Tudors. I was not diappointed. The book was was good read. I really liked having the family tree in the front of the book, I referenced that on several occasions. What made it even more fun, was living in the country where she ruled as I had a real life vision of many things described in the book. After reading this book, I wanted to read even more about Elizabeth as well as her rival, Mary Queen of Scots. I recommend this book to fans of history or the Tudors.
Rating:
Summary: Substance O.K., style lacking
Review: Starkey's enjoyable Elizabethan entry is neither biography nor traditional history, but rather a fast-moving narrative that turns Elizabeth's pre-coronation life into a suspenseful game of chess between the Tudor sisters and their respective faiths. Elizabeth's bumpy journey from princess to traitor to Queen is covered in a series of short, punchy chapters providing just enough period detail not to slow things down. While this account won't be mistaken for a scholarly work, it is more than just a 'greatest hits' collection on Elizabeth's rise. Starkey provides concise sketches of many of the period's best and brightest, a thorough sense of historical context, and maintains a lively sense of humor throughout. We'll forgive the author's fondness for awkward anachronism given his success in making complex events come alive, and returning some narrative to English history. While the book may give hives to the more knowledgable, it's great fun for Elizabethan beginners.
Rating:
Summary: before Gloriana
Review: This biography by David Starkey tells a story of Elizabeth during her early years, as a princess and during the first several years as Queen of England. Some of the material have been retold already but the author writes with certain amount of clarity. Starkey made sure that the reader understand that Elizabeth had a relatively good childhood, a wealthy landowner even before she became a Queen and her powers were quite considerable, probably enough for her half-sister Mary to take into account. This proves to be a very readable book and gives us a good understanding of Elizabeth's early life and how it helped shape her as a Queen of England.
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