Behind the Mask: The Life of Queen Elizabeth I

Thomas (The Princess in the Pigpen) recounts events in the life of England's legendary queen with the page-turning urgency of a thriller. With copious source notes, the author chronicles the dramatic childhood of the daughter of Henry VIII: her unorthodox youth demanded finely tuned instincts that served her well when she became Queen Elizabeth I at the age of 25. Thomas carefully portrays the climate of political and religious infighting Elizabeth inherited with the throne in 1558 (due to her sister's disastrous marriage to Philip--later King Philip II--of Spain, and Mary's allegiance to the Catholic church calling for Protestants to burn at the stake), as well as her uncanny leadership at a time when women were considered unfit to rule. Duplicitous plots to marry off Elizabeth (who remained a Protestant, like her father) for political, religious and self-serving reasons dot the volume, yet the regal young woman evades her pursuers admirably throughout her life. The author assuredly sets the stage for the eponymous Elizabethan Age by explaining the unusual circumstances of the queen's early education (coinciding with the English Reformation and Renaissance movements), her lifelong appetite for reading and her insatiable curiosity. Thomas makes a complex period in England's history (and in Europe at large) digestible and fascinating for readers by allowing them to view it through Elizabeth's eyes. An opening cast of characters makes an easy reference for readers as they go along; glorious color state portraits and black-and-white photographs and engravings underscore the public images of Queen Elizabeth I. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)