The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I - Alford, Stephen
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The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I - Alford, Stephen
GBP 4.35
ApproximatelyC $8.16
Condition:
Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages. See the sellerβs listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
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GBP 5.00 (approx C $9.38) Economy Int'l Postage.
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Located in: Rossendale, United Kingdom
Delivery:
Estimated between Tue, Jul 15 and Wed, Jul 30 to 94104
Returns:
30 days return. Buyer pays for return shipping. If you use an eBay shipping label, it will be deducted from your refund amount.
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eBay item number:156962512684
Item specifics
- Condition
- Genre
- British & Irish history
- ISBN
- 9781846142604
About this product
Product Information
The enthralling story of the dark side of Elizabethan rule - its spies, secret agents and informers - from Stephen Alford, dubbed the John le Carre of Tudor history SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2012 Elizabeth I was a ruler who radiated a sense of power and purpose. Her long and successful reign was a Golden Age of wealth, confidence, creativity, Shakespeare's plays and Walter Raleigh's adventures: the apotheosis of the Tudor dynasty. Across much of Europe, however, Elizabeth was viewed very differently. She was 'Jezebel', the bastard offspring of Henry VIII's illegal second marriage, a woman and a Protestant heretic. The pope denounced her as a heretic schismatic tyrant and the most powerful rulers of Europe conspired to destroy her, their plans most fully realized by the Spanish Armada. If Elizabeth's reign was a golden age, then it was also a precarious one that required constant, anxious surveillance against sometimes overwhelming threats. The Watchers is a beautifully written, gripping account of the unflagging battle by spies, codebreakers, ambassadors and confidence-men to protect the queen. It was a reign that required endless watchfulness - of the coasts, of the Catholic seminaries, of Elizabeth's own subjects. The stakes could not have been higher: priests coming secretly ashore were hunted down and executed, and assassination plots, real and imagined, sprung up everywhere. Drawing on extraordinary secret files, Stephen Alford brings to life this shadow world, where nobody could be trusted and where a single mistake could have changed England's history drastically. This is a dark, surprising and utterly compelling account of an extraordinary reign. Reviews: 'Forget Le Carre, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction' Rupert Christiansen, Daily Telegraph 'Fascinating ... If you want to know the inside story of this struggle, the dark heart of calculation and the fight for survival, then this is the book to read. I know no better' Alan Judd, Spectator 'Alford paints a vivid and staggeringly well-researched portrait of the sinister side of Elizabethan England ... This is a spectacular book. It sheds new light on plots that most historians have ceased to explore and brings less famous conspiracies to the attention of the general reading public' Herald 'An enthralling account of the murky shadow-world of Elizabethan espionage' Helen Castor, Times Higher Education 'Splendid ... a riveting study of the spies, informers and code-breakers who kept the Virgin Queen safe from Catholic conspiracies during an era that was much more paranoid than we remember' Sunday Times, Books of the Year 2012 'Absorbing and closely documented ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing' Keith Thomas, Guardian 'Stephen Alford has written a gripping account of these cruel and dramatic events, proving that the survival of Protestant England was purchased at a very high price indeed' Sunday Express 'Stephen Alford's gripping new book tells the story of [the Elizabethan] years through the eyes of the men he calls watchers ... Alford brings these men, their worlds and the unfortunate victims of their espionage vividly out of the shadows ... [Alford] has brought a dash of le Carre to the 16th century' Dan Jones, The Times Book of the Week 'Alford sets the scene perfectly ..., putting the reader in the mindset of the Virgin Queen's paranoid ministers ... a fascinating cast of characters ... engaging and perfectly pitched narrative ... Alford weaves together the bewilderingly complex threads of plots and counterplots so skilfully that as a reader you are never left floundering' Tracy Borman, BBC History Magazine About the author: Stephen Alford is the author of the acclaimed biograp
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Penguin Books LTD
ISBN-13
9781846142604
eBay Product ID (ePID)
115933164
Product Key Features
Book Title
The Watchers: a Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Government, History
Publication Year
2012
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
416 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
240mm
Item Width
162mm
Item Weight
705g
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of Manufacture
United Kingdom
Item description from the seller
Seller business information
VAT number: GB 901578627
Seller feedback (2,976,706)
This item (1)
All items (2,976,706)
- e***- (452)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThis book is exactly as described and is like new. I'm really pleased with it and the price I paid which very low and exceptional value for money. The book was securely packaged and dispatched and delivered very quickly in just a couple of days. Excellent communication throughout with the seller. Very friendly, helpful and prompt. I have bought from this seller a few times and everything has always met or exceeded my expectations. A very positive experience buying from this seller. πππππGod On The Rocks: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 1978 - Gardam, Jane (#135630342067)
- a***a (108)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThis book is exactly as described and in excellent condition. I'm really pleased with the quality and the price I paid which very low and exceptional value for money. The book was very well packaged and dispatched and delivered very quickly in just a couple of days. Excellent communication throughout with the seller. Very friendly, helpful and prompt response. I have bought from this seller a few times and everything has always met or exceeded my expectations.
- m***l (155)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseExceptional service from a very reliable seller. They were offering a long-out-of-print book at a very reasonable price. On checkout I was given a 10% discount code; the book was dispatched with free postage, followed by an email advising they were giving a refund because they considered the book was not in as good a condition as advertised. The book arrived two days later, well-packaged and in great condition too. Thank you WeBuyBooks, Iβm happy to recommend such exemplary service.The Painted Bird (Kosinski, Jerzy) - Kosinski, Jerzy (#365417334987)
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Seller feedback (2,976,706)
This item (1)
All items (2,976,706)
- e***- (452)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThis book is exactly as described and is like new. I'm really pleased with it and the price I paid which very low and exceptional value for money. The book was securely packaged and dispatched and delivered very quickly in just a couple of days. Excellent communication throughout with the seller. Very friendly, helpful and prompt. I have bought from this seller a few times and everything has always met or exceeded my expectations. A very positive experience buying from this seller. πππππGod On The Rocks: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 1978 - Gardam, Jane (#135630342067)
- a***a (108)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThis book is exactly as described and in excellent condition. I'm really pleased with the quality and the price I paid which very low and exceptional value for money. The book was very well packaged and dispatched and delivered very quickly in just a couple of days. Excellent communication throughout with the seller. Very friendly, helpful and prompt response. I have bought from this seller a few times and everything has always met or exceeded my expectations.
- m***l (155)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseExceptional service from a very reliable seller. They were offering a long-out-of-print book at a very reasonable price. On checkout I was given a 10% discount code; the book was dispatched with free postage, followed by an email advising they were giving a refund because they considered the book was not in as good a condition as advertised. The book arrived two days later, well-packaged and in great condition too. Thank you WeBuyBooks, Iβm happy to recommend such exemplary service.The Painted Bird (Kosinski, Jerzy) - Kosinski, Jerzy (#365417334987)