A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
Elizabeth I and Her Circle by Susan Doran

4.0

Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley

Dorman’s book looks at Elizabeth though the great Queen’s relationships with various people of her court and family. Dorman’s approach is to divide the book up into Family, Courtiers, Women (servants) and councilors. The first and last sections of the book are the best.

The most disappointing section is the one about Elizabeth’s women. It is the shortest section, grouping all the women into one chapter as opposed to an individual chapter per important person as in the other sections. In part, this is could be due to a lack of first hand sources as well as the fact that the women weren’t on the grand stage, yet it still feels disappointing. It does, however, do an excellent job of illustrating that Elizabeth’s concerns about her women’s romantic activities was not due to jealously or a determination that everyone always be a virgin.

The first chapter stands out because of the detail Dorman gives in looking at Elizabeth’s relationship or lack thereof with her father. While the other chapters, centering on siblings and various cousins cover much detail that is well known to the Tudor student, the chapter on Henry VIII looks closely at the gifts that Elizabeth gave her father and comes to some thought provoking conclusions.

The courtier section simply retreads the stories that most people know so well and the chapters in the councilor section about the Cecils do the same. The chapter about Walsingham is nicely done and goes a long way to adding toward the understanding of the Moor.