The first dual biography of two of the world’s most remarkable women—Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots—by one of Britain’s “best biographers” ( The Sunday Times ).
In a rich and riveting narrative, Jane Dunn reveals the extraordinary rivalry between the regal cousins. It is the story of two queens ruling on one island, each with a claim to the throne of England, each embodying dramatically opposing qualities of character, ideals of womanliness (and views of sexuality) and divinely ordained kingship.
As regnant queens in an overwhelmingly masculine world, they were deplored for their femaleness, compared unfavorably with each other and courted by the same men. By placing their dynamic and ever-changing relationship at the center of the book, Dunn illuminates their differences. Elizabeth, inheriting a weak, divided country coveted by all the Catholic monarchs of Europe, is revolutionary in her insistence on ruling alone and inspired in her use of celibacy as a political tool—yet also possessed of a deeply feeling nature. Mary is not the romantic victim of history but a courageous adventurer with a reckless heart and a magnetic influence over men and women alike. Vengeful against her enemies and the more ruthless of the two queens, she is untroubled by plotting Elizabeth’s murder. Elizabeth, however, is driven to anguish at finally having to sanction Mary’s death for treason. Working almost exclusively from contemporary letters and writings, Dunn explores their symbiotic, though never face-to-face, relationship and the power struggle that raged between them.
A story of sex, power and politics, of a rivalry unparalleled in the pages of English history, of two charismatic women—told in a masterful double biography.

Jane Dunn

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Random House, Incorporated

Random House AudioBooks

United States, United States of America

First American edition, New York, 2004

1st American ed, New York, ©2003

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [437]-439) and index.
"Originally published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers, London, in 2003"--T.p. verso.

topic: Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603; Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603; Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603; Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587; Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587; Queens; Queens

Type: 英文图书

Bookmarks:
1. (p1) Author's Note
2. (p2) The Tudor and Stuart Dynasty
3. (p3) Chronology
4. (p4) Preface
5. (p5) ONE The Fateful Step
6. (p6) TWO The Disappointment of Kings
7. (p7) THREE The Education of Princes
8. (p8) FOUR Apprenticeship for a Queen
9. (p9) FIVE Wilfulness and God's Will
10. (p10) SIX Complicity and Competition
11. (p11) SEVEN Raison de Coeur: Raison d'Etat
12. (p12) EIGHT Seeking a Future King
13. (p13) NINE Outrageous Fortune
14. (p14) TEN Double Jeopardy
15. (p15) ELEVEN Singular Foes
16. (p16) TWELVE The Consequence of the Offence
17. (p17) Notes
18. (p18) Select Bibliography
19. (p19) Illustration Credits
20. (p20) Acknowledgements
21. (p21) Index

theme: Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603; Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603; Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603; Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587; Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587; Queens; Queens

"In the first dual biography of two of the world's most remarkable women - Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots - Jane Dunn reveals the extraordinary rivalry between the regal cousins. It is the story of two queens ruling on one island, each with a claim to the throne of England, each embodying dramatically opposing qualities of character, ideals of womanliness (and views of sexuality) and divinely ordained kingship." "As regnant queens in an overwhelmingly masculine world, they were deplored for their femaleness, compared unfavorably with each other and courted by the same men. By placing their dynamic and ever-changing relationship at the center of the book, Dunn illuminates their differences. Elizabeth, inheriting a weak, divided country coveted by all the Catholic monarchs of Europe, is revolutionary in her insistence on ruling alone and inspired in her use of celibacy as a political tool - yet also possessed of a deeply feeling nature. Mary is not the romantic victim of history but a courageous adventurer with a reckless heart and a magnetic influence over men and women alike. Vengeful against her enemies and the more ruthless of the two queens, she is untroubled by plotting Elizabeth's murder. Elizabeth, however, is driven to anguish at finally having to sanction Mary's death for treason. Working almost exclusively from contemporary letters and writings, Dunn explores their symbiotic, though never face-to-face, relationship and the power struggle that raged between them."--BOOK JACKET.

A dual portrait of England's Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots documents their complex relationship, different characteristics, and ideals, and discusses their reigns, power struggle, and influence on British history

"Originally published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers, London, in 2003"--T.p. verso
Includes bibliographical references (p. [437]-439) and index

2023-06-28