---
product_id: 1428754
title: "Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens"
brand: "jane dunn"
price: "4994 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/1428754-elizabeth-and-mary-cousins-rivals-queens
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens

**Brand:** jane dunn
**Price:** 4994 kr
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by jane dunn
- **How much does it cost?** 4994 kr with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/1428754-elizabeth-and-mary-cousins-rivals-queens)

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- jane dunn enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Extraordinary Book!
  

*by L***7 on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 19, 2017*

When I first ordered this book for a history class I teach in the spring, I was uneasy.  Having not yet read the book, I thought it would probably be a back and forth of Elizabeth did this, Mary did that, etc.  Nothing could be further from the truth and I am in awe of Jane Dunn's writing skills, which make for an exciting read.  Although this book is over 400 pages long and in fairly small print, I read it in less than four days.  Even though she is not a historian, Dunn has outdone many in this extraordinary account of two queens and the times in which they lived.  It is biography, history, the story of a time and several countries, all written in a vivid and highly readable fashion.  And unlike many so-called historians, Dunn has provided endnotes.  As an author and historian myself, I deplore the recent trends toward very general "histories" or biographies that have no notes and sometimes no bibliography.  Although those books usually do not make original claims, it is impossible to check any of their facts or look into a particular subject further without consulting additional sources.As a history professor and author myself, I found no historical errors, though there were a couple of omissions and one question of interpretation.  Although Elizabeth did not "want to make windows into men's souls" as long as they worshipped 'appropriately' and Mary's Catholicism was central to her identity, it would have helped to at least mention the Elizabethan Settlement of 1571. This came only a year after the pope finally excommunicated Elizabeth, allowing her Catholic subjects and other powers to rise up against her. It is important to note that it was Philip II of Spain who had forestalled the excommunication until 1570  (albeit entirely for his own purposes), allowing Elizabeth to consolidate power after her succession to the throne in 1558.  The same reasons accounts for why the Armada did not attack England until after Mary's execution by Elizabeth in 1587 -- he wanted the throne for Spain, not Mary.  My question of interpretation has to do with the courtship of Elizabeth and Alençon.  Dunn seems to accept it at face value, an aging woman desiring the attentions of a younger man.  Certainly her much later infatuation with Essex does not make this impossible, but most scholars believe it was yet another piece of her unmatched marital diplomacy. Alençon was so much younger and Elizabeth beyond childbearing, so there was never any question that Parliament would not allow the marriage.  That of course enraged Elizabeth but, not in my view, because she was in love with him.  She simply did not get her way.Some have written that Dunn repeats her main themes about the two queens throughout, but I disagree.  In any such book, the main ideas will recur at times, but I did not find an agenda in this book -- neither exalting Elizabeth nor condemning Mary out of hand.  Although I have never believed Mary had any political acumen or much personal wisdom, I ended up with greater sympathy (and some admiration) for her than I had earlier had.  The relationship between the two queens was complicated, and got more so over time so a 'one size fits all' argument would not have worked.I do hope Dunn will consider writing a sequel.  She ends with the Armada, though only briefly. Elizabeth still had fifteen years to live, and in Dunn's hands, that would be make another superb book.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A well-written and fascinating comparison of their lives and characters.
  

*by T***A on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 14, 2013*

This book was excellent. I read one review where a reader complained that Dunn repeats herself too often, reiterating points as if you aren't going retain them otherwise. That's one reason I loved this book!  The reinforcement kept the important stuff fresh in my memory and left me feeling, by the end, I could probably given an impromptu lecture on characters of Mary and Elizabeth.As for the impressions I personally came away with: Mary was an unfortunate product of the French court that taught her that rule was hers by right. She honed the art of charm but never wisdom. Between her chronic self-indulgence and her (likely) manic depressive cycles, she made a life-long series of decisions that sealed her fate. I have a difficult time with the enduring myth of her Catholic martyrdom; her behavior throughout her life was characterized far more by self-indulgence than faith. I felt as though her role as martyr was a last-ditch effort to improve her legacy. (Dunn seems to present it this way.)Elizabeth, by contrast, became queen by a chain of uncanny events and never took rule for granted. She was discerning and so careful in her decision-making that indecision (contrasted with Mary's trademark rashness) was a weakness. Her eventual decision to behead Mary can hardly be called a decision at all,  as you will see if you read, and even though Mary was skilled at flattery and deference to Elizabeth in their early acquaintance, I got the impression that Elizabeth had more genuine feelings for and loyalty to Mary -- something she couldn't afford to entertain.I don't want to take the time to chronicle the numerous and critical mistakes that marked Mary's reign, but I will list three decisions I believe hurt Elizabeth's chances of solidifying a trustworthy relationship with Mary: her refusal to ever meet Mary face-to-face, her stall tactics over selecting a possible husband for Mary, and her refusal to grant Mary the asylum she sought when she fled Scotland. Her decision on these matters were complicated by the volatile political and religious situation at the time, and my opinion is an amateur one, but there it is.Overall, these historical females were brought to life for me in a very personal way, and I am anxious to read more historical books, especially written by Jane Dunn.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    HIGHLY RECOMMEND
  

*by D***A on Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 27, 2020*

The tale of two very different Queens. The first, Mary Stuart, is ruled by her emotions. The second, Elizabeth Tudor, by her logic. This is the story of how, through her own recklessness and poor judgement, Mary Stuart became the prisoner of Elizabeth and remained so until her death. Lured by Walsingham into signing letters authorising the assassination of Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots effectively signed her own death warrant. Her execution was an horrendous sight to behold if we are to believe the accounts of the day and Elizabeth never fully came to terms with having to order it. Interestingly, the two women never met face to face. Elizabeth shied away from such a meeting, fearing that she would pale by comparison next to the younger and widely reported beauty that was Mary. The book is well written and historically correct. It is an in-depth account of the relationship between two powerful women, one of whom would ultimately decide the fate of the other. A must for anyone who has an interest in Tudor history.

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*Product available on Desertcart Iceland*
*Store origin: IS*
*Last updated: 2026-01-26*