Extravagant, whimsical, and hot-tempered, Elizabeth was the epitome of power, both feared and admired by her enemies. Dubbed the "pirate queen" by the Vatican and Spain's Philip II, she employed a network of daring merchants, brazen adventurers, astronomer philosophers, and her stalwart Privy Council to anchor her throne—and in doing so, planted the seedlings of an empire that would ultimately cover two-fifths of the world.
In The Pirate Queen, historian Susan Ronald offers a fresh look at Elizabeth I, relying on a wealth of historical sources and thousands of the queen's personal letters to tell the thrilling story of a visionary monarch and the swashbuckling mariners who terrorized the seas to amass great wealth for themselves and the Crown.
The story of Queen Elizabeth and pirate adventurers and the dawn of an empire is a must read for entrepeneurers especially women. The queen built an empire listening to her own intuition after clear headed evaluation. She had courage and vision. She believed in herself. The book was so fascinating; I couldn't put it down and read it in three days. The book sends a powerful lesson of the brilliance of her intuitive thinking. Against all odds, Queen Elizabeth built a powerful empire.
I was at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena and heard Susan Ronald speak about her book The Pirate Queen - Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers and the Dawn of Empire. Frankly, I hadn't intended to buy it until I heard her speak; but she had a way of making Elizabeth, her men and her times come alive like a storyteller of old, so I bought the book. All I can say is that for someone who has done such in-depth research, Ronald has succeeded in creating a book that reads like the most thrilling adventure story. Until I read The Pirate Queen, I thought I knew all there was to know about Elizabeth I, her lovers, and her life. What a treat that Ronald has opened up an entirely fresh perspective for us non-academics who want to understand the "whys" in history! I heartily recommend this to anyone who is not interested in history (as well as those who are)... it has tremendous resonance for the times we live in today! Five stars for Ronald!!
Susan Ronald has written a highly informative but above all entertaining history of Elizabeth I and her adventures that had me riveted to my chair! I had no idea that England was in such a fragile state when this young, single queen we all thought we knew so well had taken the throne. Ronald weaves Elizabeth's (and England's)journey to world power with verve and erudition...but has that unique gift of keeping the reader glued to the page. It's a fabulous fabulous read! Every high school and university library shoud have it: it puts a prespective on the British Empire that few of us knew existed, I suspect.
