Elizabeth and Mary : Cousins, Rivals, Queens, Jane Dunn

Hardback, 1st Edition, Very Good Condition.

Elizabeth I of England and her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, have fascinated biographers and readers for more than four centuries. Even before they gained their respective thrones, their lives were relentlessly observed and commented upon; as queens, they battled deep-seated prejudices against female monarchs and manipulated the political and religious forces that thrust Europe and the British Isles into a constant search for alliances. Their blood ties—Elizabeth was the granddaughter, Mary, the great-granddaughter, of Henry VII—and their sympathy for each other as women struggling for supremacy in an overwhelmingly male-dominated world was counterbalanced by their rivalry for the crown of England and their growing impatience with and antipathy toward one another. And they had good reason to be wary: the stories of both their lives are punctuated with family tragedy and perfidy, mysterious murders, sexual intrigues, reckless behavior, and personal and political betrayals.

Jane Dunn explores the intricate web of emotions, ambitions, and political realities that locked these two forceful women in contest throughout their lives and shaped the myths that have survived them. Rich in historical detail and psychological insight, Elizabeth and Mary illuminates the intertwined journeys of two remarkable women who never met face-to-face, but who were forced to contend with the other’s maneuvers and manipulations at every turn.