About book After Elizabeth: The Rise Of James Of Scotland And The Struggle For The Throne Of England (2007)
Leanda De Lisle brings the reader to the time of Elizabeth's reign where all of her countrymen were wondering, "What happens, after Elizabeth?" in her debut book. Elizabeth was the daughter of the controversial Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, famous for having six wives. Henry declared Elizabeth illegitimate during his reign, through and Act of Parliament no less, which undoubtedly gave Elizabeth a complex. Once Elizabeth gained her throne, she ruled for 44 years; which was 44 years of wondering who would rule after Elizabeth. Normally these things would naturally work themselves out, through marriage and procreation. Yet, Elizabeth refused to marry, thus earning the nickname "The Virgin Queen", which put a damper on the possibilities of offspring. And Elizabeth effectively eliminated most of the other contenders of the throne who had some royal lineage; she scoped out the plotters to her throne and made sure she was quite secure throughout those 44 years with the help of her Cecil's. Leanda De Lisle explains the rival factions, the religious difficulties, and the summaries of the people who would be in line to the throne with just enough information to offer the reader a sense of the later years of Elizabeth's reign. The first half of the book comprises of the author touching on all of these aspects, which to a Tudor fan is nothing new. But she writes it effortlessly, attempting to not bog down the reader down with mountains of hard to follow facts. Oh, there are plenty of facts and a lot of information here but it fortunately does not read like a textbook. Some of the names come and go, which as always, the titles of the nobility can get cumbersome to follow. Who was Lord Cobham? I had to look that up since he came back a few times. (I really wish these types of books would have a chart other than the genealogy charts that would say, 'Northumberland' is 'this person(real name)' so I can gather relationships easier.)Leanda then moves on to James I of Scotland, who does eventually get the crown of England, quite easily it seems. There is no struggle here until England realizes perhaps having a man to rule is not so great after all. We learn a bit more about James and his personal life, his habits, and his intellect. We get a sense of what Scotland felt to essentially lose their King to England, and how the English felt to get a Scottish King after years of Border Wars and hostility towards one another. The book then details the various plots and the plotters, notably Walter Ralegh, and their effects on England that occurred after James took the throne. The book picks up its pace once getting through the first half and where it picks up after Tudor books have left off.The criticisms I DO have of the book are that I felt when the author was trying to convey a certain point she was telling a quick synposis of an event, that related to another event, which brought us to another.. I felt I had to keep track of the dates because there was a bit of jumping around in the timeline. This happened a lot and always aggravated me. I wish it were a bit more straightforward.Also, whereas I found this book to be an engaging read for the most part, most of the information may not be new to the British history buff, and could become a bore if looking for "new" insights especially regarding Elizabeth. The way that the author flings about the names of the effected people, it would be hard to keep up if you have not already read a few other books of the era. The author in no way "goes slow" with us as far as name dropping. And then there were some slow parts, like James' very expensive journey through England to ascend to the throne; the author comprised it of mini-stories weaving in and out.Upon finishing the book I find myself more interested in doing some followup reading on some of the supporting characters that Leanda De Lisle touched upon. I have read several novels and biographies on Elizabeth and yet still enjoyed Leanda De Lisle's telling of it perhaps because of the enormous amount of details. Because of the differences in laws between Scotland and England, it was interesting to see how James changed things and how England's nobility reacted. I also enjoyed the color pictures, there were some that I had not seen before. This is not a light read, there is a ton of information here, so don't start this unless you are planning on devoting some time to it. This took me about two weeks to read.I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars = Good, and Recommended for those interested in just the facts regarding the transition from Elizabeth I to James I, and England's journey to becoming part of the United Kingdom.
De Lisle's research debunks a common notion that a hapless yet expectant James entered London to claim what was his. It was not so simple. The author gives us the reasons why and describes the plots to derail the enthronement of the only descendant of Mary Queen of Scots. Interestingly, Elizabeth's trusted adviser Cecil had been staging this prior to Elizabeth's death in a time when it was illegal to even mention the succession. With a cooperative and more cunning than given credit for James, Cecil prevails and profits.The Elizabethan court gawks at James' entourage, appalled by their clothing and uncouth speech... almost like Jed Clampett moving to Beverly Hills. The descriptions of this, and the reaction to James' selling knight-ships and appointing Scots to high places are priceless.De Lisle has piqued my interest in James, he's obviously more complex than I had thought and his marriage even more interesting. His wife becomes a Catholic, not in her native Denmark, but in Scotland where as James warns, it could be hazardous to their rule. Was her separation from young Henry as simple as stated? How about her friendships with those who plot against James? With James' well documented interest in young men, Anna's cutting of Elizabeth's gown to show her leg and foot in a play is even more provocative than it is as merely an act of a fun loving queen. James writes to her lovingly and seems to speak to her with respect, but the other facts don't square with a happy marriage.As curious as I am about this, I like that the author sticks to her thesis. With the exception of text devoted to the Raleigh trial, she doesn't give in to the many tempting side stories. I hope to find something equally well done on James & Anna and their rule. Maybe De Lisle will write it. This is apparently her first book, and it is so well done, I await the next.
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It's a bit hard to follow if you don't already know who the main actors were in this political play --and convoluted even if you-- do but that's history. De Lisle does a very good job of weighing the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods and finding the stronger and weaker points in both, especially in relation to one another. This book is unique because, as opposed to other books on Elizabeth or any given monarch, they are 500-plus page behemoths, and this one tackles an important issue that is usually overlooked, overshadowed as it is by Elizabeth's long and famous reign. The transition between the Tudor and the Stuart house is very revealing of the times and conditions in the early 17th century, economically, poitically and socially. Throw in the plague and this almost reads like fiction. The last page is a concise evaluation of the subjective injustices of history and it sums up what went wrong with James's reign and how most of it was not even his fault.
—Elisa
Ever since I was a small child I loved stories about Elizabeth I, even though she lived over four centuries ago. My brother checked this out from the library and I decided to include it in my weekly academics!...And it wasn't half bad. It strikes me like Leanda de Lisle has a soft spot for James I, as many historians do for other characters. After all, it certainly does less to demonize the first Stuart king than many other historical recountings of that period. It was fascinating to witness through the paper the events that were struck into flame when Elizabeth died and a Scot became the king. It develops the political period, focusing chiefly on the royalty and pretenders to the throne, rather than the populace the monarchs ruled. That is both a blessing and a curse, really!Scattered throughout are stirring, lovely, really, bits and bobs from Elizabethan England. The wit, the times, the tragedy, are exhibited sparingly, all the better to appreciate it. Unconsciously, amazingly, adverbially, elucidating, this is a marvellously lucid although occasionally thick and dull book on the times after Elizabeth. Best read chapter-by-chapter. 3.5. stars.
—Theodosia of the Fathomless Hall
Answering the question of how James won the race to succeed Elizabeth. And how he got unpopular very quickly thereafter.He promised all things to all comers: toleration to Catholics and reform to Puritans, for example. He couldn't possibly deliver on all of his promises. There was reason for his being known as "the wisest fool in Christendom." And additionally, he loathed the common people, whereas Elizabeth Tudor had never met a crowd she didn't like (and couldn't win over).Elizabeth's regime had been unpopular at the end of her rule, but within a few years of James' accession, many would have given a great deal to have the Old Queen back. People began celebrating her accession day again, and not James'. (Or, later, Charles'.)Probably about 3.5 stars.
—Susanna - Censored by GoodReads
