Elizabeth I

An investigation of how Elizabeth I and her ministers made the political decisions that shaped England between the defeat of the Armada and her death, this study reveals the intentions, motivations and assumptions that guided Elizabeth's strategy in Europe, Ireland, the West Indies and elsewhere.

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This is an investigation of how Elizabeth I, the "un-warlike war leader", and her ministers made the great decisions that shaped English political history in the years between the Armada of 1588 and her death in 1603. As in the previous volumes, the author examines the ramifications of selected themes, such as the Queen's reluctant entry into war with Spain, the integration of Ireland into the English imperial system, and the threat of renewed political faction with the appearance of a new favourite at court, the Earl of Essex. The book reveals the intentions, motivations and assumptions that guided Elizabeth's strategy in a struggle fought on many fronts: on the high seas, in the West Indies, on the European continent, and in Ireland.