This reworking of the story of Elizabeth I and her relationship with Robert Dudley will be thoroughly enjoyed by those looking for an Aga saga, but if you want true history, leave it alone. Gregory's portrayal of the young Elizabeth paralysed by lust and unable to make a decision without a man at her side will cause feminists (or even just capable women!) to throw the book at the nearest wall. This is a woman who is acknowledged to be one of the greatest monarchs, male or female, that England has ever had, yet Gregory has reduced her to a lovesick fool. The portrayal of Cecil the schemer is the most accurate characterisation in the book; for the rest, if you want to know what really happened, stick to David Starkey.