Conyers Read's work is a very thorough biography of the life of Sir Francis Walsingham (1532 -1590).Walsingham's life was of riveting interest (politics, espionage, war, exploration). Read misses some areas of this because of changing historical styles, and the availability of a wider range of sources.However the primary problem is his absolute lack of nuance in approaching the subject; the book lacks real insight, and is very blind to the politics and factional manoeuvrings of Elizabeth's court. He also underrates the sophistication and professionalism of the people he is studying.He is very useful for his thorough reading of the main English sources for the period and his efficient citation of them.Mitchell Leimon MA (Glasg) PhD (Cantab)