This book wasn’t what I was expecting at all and therefore I was disappointed
In the first half of the book Elizabeth is hardly mentioned.

I was really expecting a biography of Elizabeth to learn about her life. However, she was not the main subject of the book but about the events and people of her life. Therefore, Elizabeth remains an elusive subject, and it made me want to reread more superior biographies of her again by Alison Weir, David Starkey, and Carrolly Erickson! Still, I recommend this for those that want to learn more about the Elizabethan times but this is not for those that want a personal and up close look on the queen!

An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

A book about select events in the life of Elizabeth I that shaped her. I found this a fascinating book that is a must read for Tudor fans

The title is misleading, it really isn't that much about Elizabeth I herself, but rather the political times before and during her reign. If you are already familiar with Tudor times and events, there's really nothing new here, but if you are new to these topics it gives a decent overview.

Fantastic historical read I couldn't have been happier with! This book really wowed me because I thought I k re A lot about Elizabeth's life! This book really had amazing details about her life and characters that I never heard of. I loved it. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Many thanks to Laura Brennan, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I had had higher expectations while requesting this book. The sub-title says: 'the making of the queen', and this is precisely what the book offers: how Elizabeth was made the queen. However, my expectations were more on Elizabeth as a person. A big upside of this book is the language which is directed at a general audience, not only academicians.

I was very excited to read this being a historian and huge Elizabeth fan. Unfortunately for me this book just didn’t work. The key problem is that the author references theories and events that have been shown to be widely inaccurate by modern scholarship. The authors work simply is not backed up by through research and as such adds nothing new. The idea to focus on events surrounding Elizabeth was a good one but this is just let down by poor research.
Not for me I’m afraid.

Okay, I'm going to try to rein it in here and not go crazy on this review, because I get pretty excited talking about Queen Elizabeth I. Especially when I find a new biography on her life. The trouble is finding a biography that is interesting, since so many have been written about this amazing queen. And I absolutely love Laura Brennan's approach.

The author knew that the queen's history is what made the woman. And so, she focused on her family. Her father, his wives. Her mother, her sister, her rivals. Each person was given the time due to them, with an eye for how that specific person would have affected Elizabeth and influenced her in her role as monarch. I felt that it was an intimate look into the woman that Elizabeth became, and I loved every single page. Definitely one of my top favorite biographies on this historic woman.

This is an interesting take on a biography, focusing not so much on the actual subject (in this case, Queen Elizabeth I) but instead on the various events that occurred in the world around her which likely affected her views and decisions throughout her life. That being said, it's helpful if you have some knowledge about the person before reading a "biography" like this, as you're not getting much detail on her actual life. The sections on the religious wars and massacres grew tiresome, but I really liked reading about Elizabeth's parents (Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn) and her stepmothers, as well as the battles with the Spanish Armada.

This was an interesting history non fiction which was written well. I enjoyed it however found that for a book supposed to be about Elizabeth she was hardly in it. The book starts with Henry VIII rein all the way through to Elizabeth's. I don't mind that but in some chapters she was barely mentioned. This book is more of a Tudor history than an Elizabethan one.

It is good - a focus on those around her and a decent look at her life. It looks at her family, getting to the throne up to her death. Nice look for those who have an interest in her.

Unfortunately for a number of reasons, this book did not work for me. There were conclusions the author came to that have been shown to likely be inaccurate in recent scholarship, such as that regarding Jane Boleyn and whether or not she gave evidence against Anne and George (generally the consensus is that she did not, there is simply no source that says she did). I found the discussion of Mary, Queen of Scots and her marriage to Bothwell also lacking in depth, as historians have pointed out those signatures Bothwell had secured to encourage Mary to wed him were likely either forged, or the courtiers were coerced into signing it, or both. I found there to be some very awkward and clunky phrasing throughout as well. Arbella Stuart is also constantly referred to as Arabella, which is not correct. At this time I can not recommend this book.

Very quick paces, very thorough. I do think this book is meant more for persons already familiar with Elizabethan lore and history and not just person's barley discovering an interest in her.

I've really enjoyed reading this book, it has a great balance of primary source material and explanation of the people and events surrounding Elizabeth. As a history teacher I'm always looking for engaging books that I can recommend to my students and this one will definitely be added to my list.


I use my own rating system and I rate it 🌏🌏🌏🌏 4/5 globes (= Loved it, real page turner. More of the same would be welcomed. You should also give it a try.)

This book is more about factors and people that influenced the life of Queen Elizabeth than about Elizabeth herself. The author does a credible job of setting the scene surrounding Elizabeth's birth, and the complication succession issues following the death of her father. In the second part she covers the life of Elizabeth the Queen, but includes a lot of information about the life and mistakes of Mary, Queen of Scots. Whilst I appreciate that Mary was of great importance at the time, not to mention inspiring many Catholic plots, it would have been nice to hear about the dilemma and decisions in Elizabeth's point of view, and if possible in her own words. Overall there is very little new information, or even a reconsideration of existing primary sources, concerning Elizabeth herself - her letters, her view of life.

Overall I was a little disappointed. The book is very readable, although occasionally the style is more colloquial than academic, but it did not deliver what I was expecting - to hear Elizabeth's voice and see the events primarily from her stance.

A good textbook if you are studying the era, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth I- The Making of a Queen by Laura Brennan isn't exactly what you call a biography. Yes it does talk about Elizabeth and somewhat about her reign as the Tudor monarch but what it also does and does very well is talk about how Elizabeth reached the throne. It talks about the circumstances in England that led to her crowning, the people involved and also about what was happening around England at that point in. time to give you a complete perspective on things.

What this does is let you know what an astonishing feat she, Queen Elizabeth I of England, managed to pull off what with being a woman who ascended the throne. She not only managed to keep her head on her shoulders but also proved to be an astute ruler warding off conspiracies to malign her name and conspirators to take away her throne.

Brennan writes with quite a command over her subject. There is already quite a bit of material over this queen of England and her approach has been a refreshing read. Of course, one desires that some more had been written about her rule and what she did for her own people and how that shaped the world but I believe that the author knows better than anyone else what her book is about and this one definitely is about The Making of a Queen rather than just the person of the Virgin queen.

Thank You NetGalley and the publishers Pen and Sword as well as the author for the advance copy.

A new take on a history book- not focused with the minutiae of Elizabeth’s reign, instead focused on the things that happened around her and to her throughout her life, that may have influenced her to make the decisions she did. It felt like a refreshing take, and a good psychological study at times, giving us a glimpse into the Queens psyche. A lot of detail on Tudor line, and a good interesting read.

This is a good introduction to some of the key events of the Tudor period. This is an accessible and satisfying read.
I think the title is somewhat misleading as I felt it that some sections of the book do not focus on Elizabeth at all. The beginning covers Henry VIII and his various marriages with some consideration as to how these may have impacted on Elizabeth and events in Scotland and the life and decisions of Mary Queen Scots are covered in detail.
This read more as a general exploration of the period and less of a biography of Elizabeth.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review

An account of the political pressures of Tudor times.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The title and description of this book was very misleading. I thought it would be focussed on Elizabeth, who is one of the most fascinating figures in English history.
Instead, it was a broad look at important figures during the Tudor years. Starting with Elizabeth's father Henry VIII.
I did like that it looked into the lives of his six wives, and they all had different approaches to being part of the royal court, with very different fates. The book presents that this was educational for Elizabeth, that other intelligent women use their own strengths, and show the effects of those around them. But the fact that the lesson was aimed at Elizabeth was just tagged onto the end of each piece, to make it "relevant" and in-keeping with the title.

This is followed by the reign of Edward, Jane Grey and Mary. Each fully-dissected, with heavy focus on the religious uproar this royal family caused.
There is also a lot of time spent on the courtiers and nobles who managed to gain influence, shaping the future of the English crown with their greed.
Each section is well-researched, and for the most part Brennan writes in an informative manner that does not get overly bogged down, as some non-fiction accounts can.

Brennan supports her writing with several pieces of first-hand accounts, including letters from the people she is writing about.
Most of these are interesting, but I did feel like the narrative lost its fluidity, as Brennan sometimes (but not always) includes annotations or her own thoughts; whilst at other times leaving us to read the raw material. Honestly, I preferred the unedited pieces, which could have been followed by a concise paragraph of Brennan's interpretation. Instead, I was left feeling like sections of this book were private notes taken on a History course.

I found that the narrative jumped around, both chronologically, and in the timeline of any particular movement/person.

Elizabeth I is a legend, who has been covered in books and media countless times. I commend Brennan for trying to take a new approach to describing the background influences, when Elizabeth was a shunned princess; but I felt that the execution could have been better.
Overall, I think the book lost sight at who it was aimed at, drifting between different characters and events that didn't always add to Elizabeth's history.