The Queen's Bastard

by Robin Maxwell

Book Overview

Historians have long whispered that Elizabeth "the Virgin Queen's" passionate, lifelong affair with Robin Dudley, Earl of Leicester, may have led to the birth of a son, Arthur Dudley. In this exquisite sequel to The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Robin Maxwell fashions a stunning fictional account of the child switched at birth by a lady-in-waiting who foresaw the deleterious political consequences of a royal bastard.
Set against the sweeping,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068485760X
• ISBN13: 9780684857602
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Purchasing and delivery were great and a 5 star . It is a Christmas gift therefore cannot say wheth

Have not read due to being a Christmas gift!

Vivid and compelling

What if Queen Elizabeth had had a child with her lover, Robert Dudley? Robin Maxwell draws upon this question as she creates the character Arthur Dudley, born a (...) to the Queen and switched at birth by a lady-in-waiting. Arthur grows up in the gentrified household of the Southern family, leading a life like that of any other English boy: riding horses, going to school, and having all kinds of troubles of his own. As an adult he participates in the wars in the Netherlands, fighting against the Spanish, witnessing years of bloody battle. It is not until he is an adult, however, that Arthur learns who his real parents were, and his "memoirs" tell us about his life leading up to that momentous occasion. This realistic novel places the life and times of Queen Elizabeth into a clear, definitive, albeit fictional, focus. Many authors have tried to recreate Elizabeth as a person, and not many can do it as easily as Robin Maxwell did here. Life at court is visibly rendered, as are the scenes in battle that Arthur Dudley witnesses.

Intriguing . . . and possible!

I love books that take history and suggest something that is not what the history books tell us, yet is presented in such a plausible manner that you cannot help but think, "What if?" "The Queen's Bastard" is such a book, suggesting as it does that a love child was born to the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. I found the story fascinating, moving as it does through so many historical settings and describing them as I might have seen them then. I adore the descriptions of people, fashions, customs, meals, all of which pull the book together and enmesh the reader in the world of Elizabethan England. I confess, my favorite summer activity is going to Renaissance Faires, and I adore the Elizabethan period, so perhaps my viewpoint is skewed. But if you are the same, grab this book for a good read, though you may wish to start with its predecessor, and read the two straight through. Happy reading!

Excellent!

I read this book before i read any others in the series. I could not put it down from the moment i opened it! in fact, once finished, i went and bought every other book i could find by Robin Maxwell. She had me believing that this bastard child existed through the whole thing. I highly recommend it to anyone whether they have a specific interest in the period or not, it is an excellent book.

Fabulous historical novel!

I loved this novel! Robin Maxwell is a master stroyteller and has triumphed with this book. I started reading the book on Thursday and finished it Sunday, as I could not put it down! I like her premise, the plot is intelligent, her characterizations of all the historical characters is right on--I was impressed. I agree with the other reviewer who would like another novel on the further adventures of Arthur Dudley. I have immersed myself in the history of Tudor England since age 8. I have read every intelligent historical novel I could get my hands on about the period. Plus, I have a master's degree in British history. So I consider myseslf an expert on the subject. This novel was hands-down one of the best I have ever read.

It is written in the highest form of storytelling.

I love this book. Forget the plot, which is great, and look at the style it was written in. It is as if you, the reader, was actually there. I was happily surprised when I started to read the novel expecting something dry and without flow and getting a seperate world that I could be part of. A great read.