Two queens of the same generation "reigning as neighbours (and cousins) in one island was a rare and significant anomaly in the history of kings." Destined for rule at birth, Mary was surrounded by "excessive flattery" and was viewed as possessing every "queenly virtue." By contrast, Elizabeth was in danger for much of her youth and was considered reckless-her decision to remain celibate viewed with suspicion. Very soon, these roles would completely reverse. Elizabeth wisely surrounded herself with men of the highest caliber, whereas Mary chose poorly in marriage, and her shift to a more pro-Catholic bias alienated her early supporters. Given her unpopularity and suspicions of her role in her first husband's murder, Mary was forced to seek refuge in England. Elizabeth was initially sympathetic to her plight, but her presence and perceived ambition to secure the crown of England became a security risk. Mary was finally executed after spending 20 years imprisoned in the Tower of London. Amazingly, these two women never met face to face. This is a delightfully told biographical work of two fascinating women. Combining their biographies helps to clarify the strengths and weaknesses of both, resulting in a more balanced work that allows readers to draw their own conclusions. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/03.]-Isabel Coates, CCRA-Toronto West Tax Office, Mississauga, Ont. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Tempered, sympathetic, and highly readable study of the dynamic created by queens Mary and Elizabeth, rulers of an island that was too small for the both of them. One of the great boons for this tale of the interplay between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots is the abundance of primary source material--letters, speeches, poems, prayers, dispatches, and reports--of which Dunn (A Very Close Conspiracy, 1991, etc.) makes copious, fluid use. The author also understands the 16th-century frame of mind: the role of superstition and the agency of magic in that febrile, unpredictable world; the insecurity of succession. Dunn concentrates on the contrary and vibrant personalities of the two monarchs as they drive events before them, or slow to a molasses crawl and let the speculations of others fill in the blanks. What Dunn does so well is to usher readers into a bygone world so they can understand the whys and wherefores of the queens' acts. This works especially well for Elizabeth, "a subject too . . . proud that she was born of a domestic union and not from a dynastic alliance," who governed by sufferance of the public will. Dunn's approach works nearly as well for Mary, impetuous and given to the pleasure principle, but also a subtle thinker (at least at times). The two queens never met, and this "black hole at the heart of their relationship" allowed Elizabeth a freedom of action that Mary's preternatural charm might otherwise have disarmed. Dunn's knack for keeping the many players in focus gives her narrative the quality of a great big theatrical performance, with cabals here and conspiracies there, lovers coming and going, ethics publicly tested, and one head finally rolling as Mary turns treason into religious martyrdom. The author achieves a fine duality of her own, reveling in her characters while keeping a gimlet eye on their motivations: wise, unwise, and suicidal. (24 pp. color illustrations, not seen) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Dunn, the author of a well-received biography of two sisters (A Very Close Conspiracy: Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf, 1990), provides an engrossing dual biography of two royal cousins. Dunn usually manages to avoid the "mildly ungrammatical romanticism" that the late Sir Geoffrey Elton deplored in an earlier biography of Mary. She clearly describes the complex political maneuvering between supporters of the Catholic heir presumptive to the English throne and defenders of Protestant Europe, and how it deepened into a deadly intrigue once Mary was Elizabeth's prisoner in England. Dunn also has an eye for the arresting detail--the account of the solemn ceremony that attended Mary as she prepared for death, and the description of the merry-making that erupted in London at the news of her execution, prove especially memorable. Yet Dunn provides nothing in the way of new information and provides few original insights into the lives of the queens. Curiously, the book lacks any real understanding of the gendering of power in early modern Europe (a strange omission in a time when three women were shaping the destiny of northwestern Europe). ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Public libraries and general collections. D. R. Bisson Belmont University

This is not so much a dual biography of Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart as a cross-section of the royal cousins' lives as they intersect in fact and in theme. As a successful, ultimately beloved monarch, Elizabeth has been granted the upper hand by history, but here the mirror images of the two queens' experiences suggests how differently their stories could have ended. The opposing trajectories of their lives-Elizabeth rising from a politically and personally precarious childhood to become a powerful ruler and Mary descending from undisputed Scottish heir to prisoner and self-styled martyr for Catholicism-elucidate the problems of early modern queenship more fully than a single biography would. Opening accounts of Elizabeth's coronation and Mary's wedding serve as an emblematic introduction to their experiences of education, religion, family, marriage and leadership. Unfortunately, these accounts are clearly cut from chapter four, where their loss creates a jarring leap. The dual narrative also leads British biographer Dunn (Moon in Eclipse: A Life of Mary Shelley) to overdo her interpretation and to repeat incidents and reintroduce characters, seemingly not trusting her readers to keep them straight. However, she does Mary a service by digging more deeply into her childhood and evaluating her more rigorously than many authors have. Her emphasis on Elizabeth's insecurities heightens the comparison between the two queens and renders the decision to execute Mary the turning point in Elizabeth's reign. While this may slightly exaggerate the centrality of the rivalry to Elizabeth's thinking, it nicely captures the intertwined lives of these two women. 24 pages of color illus., not seen by PW. 50,000 first printing. Agent, Kerek Johns. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The long-running rivalry between Elizabeth I of England and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots contains the stuff of high drama. Elizabeth, a staunch, iron-willed ruler, turned England into a mighty power; while Mary, beautiful and passionate, was victimized by malignant forces she could not control and died a martyr to her Catholic faith. Dunn is a biographer who wholeheartedly buys into this attractive picture. In her parallel biographies, she portrays both queens as strong women who strive to make their way in a dangerous world dominated by males. Her description of the political and cultural milieus of Britain is striking and credible. This is not the sunny, shining Britain of Shakespeare; rather, it is an age of plots, counterplots, and paranoia. Dunn's admiration for Elizabeth seems well deserved. Unfortunately, she gives Mary far too much credit, perhaps because it serves dramatic purposes. Mary was an incredibly incompetent, destructive monarch, and she was equally inept as a conspirator. This is not a work of high scholarship, but it certainly works as a good story, and Dunn's vision of a dangerous age is compelling. --Jay Freeman Copyright 2003 Booklist

Adult/High School-A compelling account of the rivalry between two of history's most fascinating monarchs. In covering the lives of cousins Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart, Dunn focuses on describing their effects on one another, rather than cataloging all of the events in their lives. The two young queens, coping with troubled finances, religious strife, and belligerent nobles, could hardly have been more different in background and temperament. Protestant Elizabeth, disinherited, humiliated, and imprisoned in her youth, learned to be cautious and calculating. She placed her role as queen above all other considerations. Catholic Mary, her parents' only surviving heir, was always secure about her right to Scotland's throne. Raised indulgently in the luxurious French court as the future bride of the dauphin, she was headstrong, passionate, and impulsive. Only nine years apart in age, the two royals corresponded copiously, and constantly grilled spies and ambassadors about one another, but never met. Using a variety of contemporary documents, including letters, diaries, and court papers, Dunn shows readers the queens' surprisingly parallel lives. Both were charismatic leaders who inspired fanatic devotion and bitter enmity throughout their lives. This is not an easy book for students, but it's well worth the time it takes to read it. The pomp and pageantry of the 16th century, as well as its superstitions, hardships, and cruelty, are vividly described. Family trees, a detailed chronology, and 24 pages of color photographs of portraits of Elizabeth, Mary, and those most important to them are included.-Kathy Tewell, Chantilly Regional Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.