A Spellbinding Tale of England's Most Passionate Queen-and the Three Men Whose Destinies Belonged to Her Alone. "Fast-paced...one of the most fascinating monarchs in history." -New York Times Book Review "A stupendous achievement...a book that captures Queen Elizabeth I completely." -Mainstream Historical Beloved for its stunning storytelling, Legacy offers an exquisite portrait of the queen who defined an era. Tracing the unlikely path from her tragic childhood to her ruthless confrontations with Mary, Queen of Scots, and capturing in all its glory her brilliant reign as Europe's most celebrated queen, Legacy peels back the layers from a mysterious monarch and satisfies the questions of history. Winner of the Georgette Heyer Historical Novel Prize and the Betty Trask Award, Legacy gives us Elizabeth the woman: proud, passionate, and captivating in her intensity. She inspired men to love her with bewitching devotion, no matter what the cost, but the depth of her love for England required a sacrifice that would haunt her to the grave. "Full of dramatic twists and turns, not to mention a scintillating central character and colorful supporting cast. Readers will lose themselves for hours in this richly entertaining novel." -Booklist Includes Bonus Reading Group Guide

„Un roman curajos, frumos, sfâșietor." „Concluzia luminoasă a acestei cărți este că până și durerea cea mai profundă, căsnicia cea mai șubredă și inima cea mai sfâșiată își pot găsi alinarea și tămăduirea." Geraldine Brooks „Povestea aceasta a unor oameni remarcabili care-și pierd băiatul te va lăsa tremurând de durere, dar și plin de dragostea ce clădește o familie adevărată." Emma Donoghue „După toate poveștile ce speculează pe seama vieții lui Shakespeare și despre paternitatea asupra pieselor lui, iată un roman ce-i așază alături o femeie copleșitoare și memorabilă." The Boston Globe Anglia, 1580: Ciuma Neagră cutreieră ținuturile, lovindu-i deopotrivă pe cei sănătoși și pe cei bolnavi, pe tineri și pe bătrâni. Sfârșitul lumii este aproape și, cu toate acestea, viața merge înainte. Un tânăr meditator de latină, sărac și chinuit de un tată violent, se îndrăgostește de o femeie extraordinară și excentrică. Agnes e o creatură sălbatică ce străbate pământurile familiei cu un șoim pe mână și e recunoscută pentru talentele ei de vindecătoare. Cunoaște plantele și poțiunile mai bine decât înțelege oamenii. Odată ce se stabilește împreună cu soțul ei la Stratford-upon-Avon, se transformă într-o mamă ultraprotectoare și în forța care ține împreună tânara familie. Un portret plin de lumină al casniciei și o portretizare de neuitat a unui băiat care a fost uitat de toată lumea, dar al cărui nume a dat titlul celei mai celebre piese de teatru din toate vremurile.

View our feature on Sarah Gristwood’s Elizabeth & Leicester.Though the story has been told on film—and whispered in historic gossip—this is the first book in almost fifty years to solely explore the great queen’s attachment to her beloved Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. Fueled by scandal and intrigue, their relationship set the explosive connection between public and private life in sixteenth-century England in bold relief. Why did they never marry? How much of what seemed a passionate obsession was actually political convenience? Elizabeth and Leicester reignites this 400- year-old love story in a book for anyone interested in Elizabethan literature.

#1 New York Times Bestseller “Absorbing . . . impossible to resist.” —The Washington Post As Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? Ken Follett takes us deep into the treacherous world of powerful monarchs, intrigue, murder, and treason with his magnificent epic, A Column of Fire—the chronological latest in the Kingsbridge series, following The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, and the prequel, The Evening and the Morning. In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love. Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents. The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost. Exciting and ambitious, and set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and serve as the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.

A "novel about love, passion, and ambition that imagines the muse of William Shakespeare and the tumultuous year they spend together"--Amazon.com.

Presents a fictional portrait of life during the Elizabethan era as the Earl of Leicester tries to keep his marriage to Amy Robsart a secret to avoid the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth.

Sir Francis Walsingham’s official title was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I, but in fact this pious, tight-lipped Puritan was England’s first spymaster. A ruthless, fiercely loyal civil servant, Walsingham worked brilliantly behind the scenes to foil Elizabeth’s rival Mary Queen of Scots and outwit Catholic Spain and France, which had arrayed their forces behind her. Though he cut an incongruous figure in Elizabeth’s worldly court, Walsingham managed to win the trust of key players like William Cecil and the Earl of Leicester before launching his own secret campaign against the queen’s enemies. Covert operations were Walsingham’s genius; he pioneered techniques for exploiting double agents, spreading disinformation, and deciphering codes with the latest code-breaking science that remain staples of international espionage.

A fictional portrait of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I follows the young queen as she copes with intrigues aimed at placing Mary, Queen of Scots, on the British throne, and her passion for the traitorous Robert Dudley.