Death and the Virgin by Chris Skidmore

Death and the Virgin by Chris Skidmore

Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 a 25-year-old virgin - the most prized catch in Christendom. For the first ten years of her reign, one matter dominated above all others: the question of who the queen was to marry and when she would produce an heir. Elizabeth's life as England's Virgin Queen is one of the most celebrated in history. Christopher Skidmore takes a fresh look at the familiar story of a queen with the stomach of a man, steadfastly refusing to marry for the sake of her realm, and reveals a very different picture: of a vulnerable young woman, in love with her suitor, Robert Dudley. Had it not been for the mysterious and untimely death of his wife, Amy Robsart, Elizabeth might have one day been able to marry Dudley, since Amy was believed to be dying of breast cancer. Instead, the suspicious circumstances surrounding Amy Robsart's death would cast a long shadow over Elizabeth's life, preventing any hope of a union with Dudley and ultimately shaping the course of Tudor history. Using newly discovered evidence from the archives, Christopher Skidmore is able to put an end to centuries of speculation as to the true causes of her death. This is the story of a remarkable and frenetic period in Elizabeth's life: a tale of love, death and tragedy, exploring the dramatic early life of England's Virgin Queen.

Chris Skidmore has found new documents to make a break through in the mystery of who murdered the wife of Robert Dudley, the scandalously intimate friend of Elizabeth IHis close reading of the material and his dramatic deductions are compulsory reading for anyone interested in this fascinating and tragic story of the little known wife of the man who hoped to marry the Queen of England. -- PHILIPPA GREGORY
Skidmore writes brilliantly and his research is impeccable -- John Guy * SUNDAY TIMES *
a riveting exemplar of the degree to which it is, and is not, possible to solve a historical mystery -- Sarah Gristwood * THE GUARDIAN *
The death of Amy Robsart in September 1560 remains one of the fascinating unsolved mysteries of Tudor history... Chris Skidmore deftly takes us through the whole scene and in doing so considers a completely new possibility which changed my mind. -- Antonia Fraser * MAIL ON SUNDAY *
an intriguing blend of detective story and historical scholarship -- Jenny Uglow * FINANCIAL TIMES *
the brilliance of Death and the Virgin is that Skidmore has done his homework... The result is as gripping as an Agatha Christie thriller -- Roger Lewis * DAILY EXPRESS *
Skidmore paints wonderful, intimate scenes of Elizabeth and Dudley.. there are also some wonderful period facts. -- Leanda de Lisle * LITERARY REVIEW *
The books of Skidmore ... should be required reading for everyone who gets their history from television" -- Linda Porter * HISTORY TODAY *
Mr Skidmore makes a good case and if the historical jury is still out, it now has some new evidence to consider * CONTEMPORARY REVIEW *
DEATH AND THE VIRGIN presents an intriguing and sometimes gripping story, based on discerning research in manuscript as well as printed sources -- J P D Cooper * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *
DEATH AND THE VIRGIN is a brilliant evocation of an age-old mystery as well as a revealing portrait of the early years of Elizabeth's reign. A gripping story. * LANCASHIRE EVENING POST *

Chris Skidmore is the author of three books on Tudor and medieval history: Edward VI: The Lost King of England, Death and the Virgin: Elizabeth, Dudley and the Mysterious Fate of Amy Robsart and Bosworth: The Birth of the Tudors. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He is also the Member of Parliament for Kingswood and in July 2016 was appointed as Minister for the Constitution in the Cabinet Office. www.chrisskidmore.co.uk @CSkidmoreUK

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780297846505
ISBN 10	0297846507
Title	Death and the Virgin
Author	Chris Skidmore
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Orion Publishing Co
Year published	2010-02-25
Number of pages	448
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable