The First Elizabeth

"A vivid and eminently readable portrait of history's favorite Tudor." —The New York Times Book Review

In this remarkable biography, Carolly Erickson brings Elizabeth I to life and allows us to see her as a living, breathing, elegant, flirtatious, diplomatic, violent, arrogant, and outrageous woman who commands our attention, fascination, and awe.


With her acclaimed writing skill, Carolly Erickson electrifies the senses as she evokes with total fidelity the brilliant colors of Elizabethan clothing and jewelry, the texture of tapestries, and even the close, perfumed air of castle rooms. Erickson demonstrates her extraordinary ability to discern and bring to life psychological and physical reality of England's Golden Age.


"A masterpiece of narrative, a story so absorbing it is as hard to put down as a fine novel." —Edward M. White, Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Even more readable and absorbing than the justly praised works of Tuchman and Fraser." —Philadelphia Inquirer

"Carolly Erickson is a great interpreter of history. . . . She's likely to be the Barbara Tuchman of her generation." —David Herlihy, Charles Lea Professor of History, Harvard University