Heretic Queen
Queen Elizabeth I and the Wars of Religion

Name: Heretic Queen
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Susan Ronald
ISBN: 9781481592840

Author: Susan Ronald

Narrator: Wanda McCaddon

Unabridged: 11 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 08/16/2012

Categories: Nonfiction, History, European History, Biography & Autobiography

Synopsis

Acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald delivers a stunning account of Elizabeth I that focuses on her role in the Wars of Religion—the battle between Protestantism and Catholicism that tore Europe apart in the sixteenth century.Elizabeth's 1558 coronation procession was met with an extravagant outpouring of love. Only twenty-five years old, the young queen saw herself as the nation's Protestant savior, aiming to provide new hope, prosperity, and independence from the foreign influence that had plagued her sister Mary's reign. Given the scars of the Reformation, Elizabeth would need all of the powers of diplomacy and tact she could summon.Extravagant, witty, and hot tempered, Elizabeth was the ultimate tyrant. Yet at the outset, in religious matters, she was unfathomably tolerant for her day. "There is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith," Elizabeth once proclaimed. "All else is a dispute over trifles." Heretic Queen is the highly personal, untold story of how Queen Elizabeth I secured the future of England as a world power. Susan Ronald paints the queen as a complex character whose apparent indecision was really a political tool that she wielded with great aplomb.

About Susan Ronald

Born and raised in the United States, Susan Ronald is a British-American biographer and historian. The author of several books, including A Dangerous Woman, Hitler's Art Thief, and Heretic Queen, she lives in rural England with her writer husband.

About Wanda McCaddon

Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Heather

This book was definitely less about Elizabeth and more about the Wars of Religion, but I appreciated it just the same. I went into it hoping to learn more about Elizabeth as a person during that time period, so I was a little disappointed. However, I knew very little about the wars of religion durin......more

Goodreads review by Caroline

Interesting at points, and clearly well researched, but the number of names and the way they are presented made this feel a bit like drinking out of a firehose. I read about a third and them gave up, as the only points I found really engaging were the sections about history I had already read about......more

Goodreads review by Richard

I really didn't want to give this book 2 stars ("it was OK"), but I have to. It's a vital story whose effects are still felt today. The book is well researched and at times quite interesting. But I had a really difficult time getting through this book. The tale is very complicated with many differen......more

Goodreads review by Chip

I am a history geek, but primarily of American History through reading mostly presidential biographies. I branched out into British History because The US and Brits share a lot of history, because this book was acclaimed, and because I loved the movie starring Kate Blanchett! I expected it to be dry......more

Quotes

“A triumph.” Antonia Fraser, New York Times bestselling author

“This is a compulsive, engaging, and vivid history…The drama of the English Reformation comes alive.” Alison Weir, New York Times bestselling author

“A searing account of the dark underside of the Elizabethan golden age. Susan Ronald has written a devastating and important reminder of the long, hard road from religious strife to accommodation.” Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of The World on Fire and The Duchess

“Ronald deftly pulls together a vast amount of historical research into a compelling narrative that’s essential reading for anyone interested in the strife-torn world in which this most fascinating queen used both wits and diplomacy to safeguard her kingdom, despite almost insurmountable odds.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Moving from adventures on the high seas to the wars of religion that plagued sixteenth-century England, Ronald serves up a worthy sequel to The Pirate Queen…Meaty history wrapped in a palatable biographical format.” Booklist

“An illuminating portrait of the twenty-five-year-old woman who led England through religious and political crises with diplomacy, vision, and pure force of will.” Kirkus Reviews