Queen Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, reigned from 1558 until her death in 1603 and is remembered not only as a powerful, often ruthless and successful monarch but also as a virtuous, gracious, and caring ruler. This new biography of Elizabeth I, by a leading scholar, reveals a tough and determined "Virgin Queen", whose education, wit, and wisdom enabled her to succeed in the often turbulent and hostile world of her reign. Charting Elizabeth's childhood, schooling, and family life as well as her relationships with her ministers and suitors, Susan Doran discusses her motivation and the personal qualities that sustained her as queen. Her years in power were often dominated by political intrigue, marriage proposals, disputes over the succession, plots against her life, and warfare. Elizabeth made clever use of events, such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and unique interests and attributes, such as her love of theatrical pageant, to enhance her reputation and status. In an era of political and religious upheaval, Elizabeth I emerges as one of the most skillful and formidable monarchs in history. Illustrated throughout with portraits, rare historical documents, and letters in Elizabeth's own hand, this book provides an engaging, authoritative account of Queen Elizabeth I's life and times.

Introduction: It's only a movie / Thomas S. Freeman -- A tyrant for all seasons: Henry VIII on film / Thomas S. Freeman -- Saints and cinemas: A man for all seasons / Peter Marshall -- Anne of the thousand days / Glenn Richardson -- Lady Jane Grey on film / Carole Levin -- From Hatfield to Hollywood: Elizabeth I on film / Susan Doran -- Lady in waiting: young Elizabeth Tudor on film / Judith Richards -- Kapur's Elizabeth / Christopher Haigh -- Mary Queen of Scots (1971) / John Guy -- The Armada, war and propaganda in the cinema / Will Coster -- Elizabeth: the golden age: a sign of the times? / Vivienne Westbrook -- Shakespeare in love: Elizabeth I as Dea ex Machina / Brett Usher -- The private lives of Elizabeth and Essex and the romanticization of Elizabethan politics / Paul E.J. Hammer -- Oliver Cromwell and the civil wars / John Morrill -- The unfilmed Oliver Cromwell / David L. Smith -- Winstanley / Christopher Durston -- Why don't the Stuarts get filmed? / Ronald Hutton.

From the author of Jezebel comes the story of legendary 16th-century pirate Queen Grace O'Malley, and her tempestuous relationship with Elizabeth I. In the Elizabethan age, when only a handful of women held power by the fortune of their birth, one woman stands out as exceptional. Grace O'Malley, the Irish pirate queen, commanded a dozen ships and thousands of men. She was the first Irish woman ever to take her place as the leader of her nation and was feared and loved as much on sea as on land. A fierce Irish patriot, seductress of men, loyal and loving friend, wife and mother, Grace O'Malley caused nothing but trouble for Elizabethan England. through her piracy, she nearly bankrupted the English treasury. Yet Grace's name has been almost completely erased from history. Skilfully capturing the colour and excitement of life on the high seas and at the glittering English court, Alan Gold shows how the lives of two amazing women were intertwined and how they met and formed an extraordinary friendship.