Sir Francis Walsingham : a courtier in an age of terror

Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; List of Illustrations; Preface; Introduction: August 1572, Death in Paris; 1 Background and Beginnings, 1532-53; 2 Travel and Travail, 1553-8; 3 'The Malice of This Present Time', 1558-69; 4 'In Truth a Very Wise Person', 1569-73; 5 'To Govern that Noble Ship', England, 1574-80; 6 'God Open Her Majesty's Eyes': Foreign Affairs, 1578-80; 7 'She Seemeth to be Very Earnestly Bent to Proceed', 1581-4; 8 'Be You All Stout and Resolute', 1584-8; 9 No Tomb, 1587-90; Notes; Bibliography; Index.;During the brief reign of the Queen Mary, Walsingham was a Protestant exile in Italy. Returning home when Elizabeth assumed the throne, from 1570 he became a diplomat to the arch-pragmatist Queen. He was often troubled by her inconsistent policy decisions and for allowing the exile in England of Mary Queen of Scots. His triumph came in 1587 when Mary was at last beheaded after the cunning defeat of the Babington plot. A powerful, if enigmatic figure, loathed by his adversaries and deeply admired by friends and allies, Walsingham became the master co-ordinator of a feared pan-European spy. "An age of terror gripped England in the reign of Elizabeth I. The Protestant throne was under continual attack both at home and abroad and, while Catholic armies threatened the borders, Jesuit plots and conspiracies erupted throughout the nation. At the heart of this conflict stood Sir Francis Walsingham." "Tradition has painted Walsingham as a man of infinite mystery, the crown's Machiavellian 'Spymaster', born at a time of extremes as England embraced Reformation. As a young man, he was caught up in the vicious St Bartholomew's Massacre in Paris, when over 2,000 Huguenots were slaughtered in one day. Returning to London he gained prominence within the court and soon became a power behind the throne. He vowed to protect England from such devastation and became not only the ever-vigilant intelligencer whose spies broke the Babbington Plot and gained vital warnings of the Spanish Armada, but was also one of the leading architects in creating Protestant England from the turmoil of the age." "Derek Wilson brings a lifetime's understanding of the Tudor period to bear on one of its most misunderstood figures. He re-evaluates the counsellor's role within the court, offering new insights into the political landscape of Elizabeth's England and including a new portrait of the queen herself. Walsingham himself emerges as a brilliant, passionate and dedicated politician, described by Edmund Spenser as 'the great Maccenas of this Age'."--Jacket During the brief reign of the Queen Mary, Walsingham was a Protestant exile in Italy. Returning home when Elizabeth assumed the throne, from 1570 he became a diplomat to the arch-pragmatist Queen. He was often troubled by her inconsistent policy decisions and for allowing the exile in England of Mary Queen of Scots. His triumph came in 1587 when Mary was at last beheaded after the cunning defeat of the Babington plot. A powerful, if enigmatic figure, loathed by his adversaries and deeply admired by friends and allies, Walsingham became the master co-ordinator of a feared pan-European spy network. His spies underpinned his organisation of national resistance to the Spanish Armada, but devotion and duty to Elizabeth was costly and Walsingham died two years later in penury. Historian and storyteller Derek Wilson delves deeply into the life of a fascinating and highly influential figure, bringing us tales of deceit, betrayal and loyalty along the way; popular history of the highest calibre. see www.derekwilson.com During the brief reign of the Queen Mary, Francis Walsingham was a Protestant exile in Italy. Returning home when Elizabeth assumed the throne, from 1570 he became a diplomat to the arch-pragmatist queen. He was often troubled by her inconsistent policy decisions and for allowing the exile in England of Mary Queen of Scots. His triumph came in 1587 when Mary was at last beheaded after the cunning defeat of the Babington plot. A powerful, if enigmatic figure, loathed by his adversaries and deeply admired by friends and allies, Walsingham became the master coordinator of a feared pan-European spy network. His spies underpinned his organization of national resistance to the Spanish Armada, but devotion and duty to Elizabeth was costly, and Walsingham died two years later in penury. Historian and storyteller Derek Wilson delves deeply into the life of a fascinating and highly influential figure, bringing us tales of deceit, betrayal, and loyalty along the way; popular history of the highest caliber.