John Guy proves why he is one of the top British historians in Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years. Not only has he chosen to write about the period of the last Tudor monarch’s reign that are skimmed over by other historians, the end of her life, he has thoroughly researched this from primary sources instead of going to tired, inaccurate older accounts.

“She had already lived longer than any English monarch since Edward III. And yet, to Burghley’s despair, she still could not bring herself psychologically to name her successor.”

Past child bearing years and no longer desirable, Elizabeth came face to face with her insecurities and personal failings including vacillating on whether to execute Mary, Queen of Scots in order to save her own life and reign. Guy mixes plenty of well-known facts (how can you ignore them?) with information that may be new to many Tudor enthusiasts. It is clear that Elizabeth is the product of years of expert research and is an essential addition for Tudor history buffs.

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