The Queen's Agent

Sir Francis Walsingham and the Rise of Espionage in Elizabethan England

De: John Cooper

Narrado por: James Adams

A captivating true story that chronicles the exploits of Sir Francis Walsingham - the first great English spymaster and the man who saved Elizabeth's regime and the country's independence. Elizabeth I came to the throne at a time of insecurity and unrest. Rivals threatened her reign; England was a Protestant island, isolated in a sea of Catholic countries. Spain plotted an invasion, but Elizabeth's Secretary, Sir Francis Walsingham, was prepared to do whatever it took to protect her. He ran a network of agents in England and Europe who provided him with information about invasions or assassination plots. He recruited likely young men and 'turned' others. He encouraged Elizabeth to make war against the Catholic Irish rebels, with extreme brutality, and oversaw the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. The Queen's Agent is a story of secret agents, cryptic codes and ingenious plots, set in a turbulent period of England's history. It is also the story of a man devoted to his queen, sacrificing his every waking hour to save the threatened English state.

©2012 John Cooper (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

This is alright.

Less a book about Walsingham and more a book about a time in which he lived. I was disappointed that I didn’t even get a sense of the rise of espionage. Still entertaining though.

Fascinating man

History out performs fiction in a narrative with just enough left unknown that the imagination goes wild with theories.

What a life

lovely book, well written and over all well read. The life of Sir Francis Walsingham is indeed one worth of a great book, for what a life he had. Worthy of praise, admiration and honor. My only wish is that the narrator would yawn less, if he's bored or tired go take a nap and come back. His constant yawning is very annoying and an insult for the writer, audience and for the man who's life he's relating.

Different take on the Reign

There has been probably too much written about Elizabeth the First, but this is new information from a different perspective. It's not written in chronological order, but rather based on events. It certainly becomes obvious through this work how the Reformation shaped Europe and America. It's not a spy book full of intrigue but more a dissection of Tudor state craft.

An important person in an important time

If you're interested in this period in history this is a must read. The reign of Queen Elizabeth the 1st was one of those pivotal periods in history that influenced the development of Roman Catholicism and the Protestant reformation. Francis Walshingham was at the center of it all, particularly the execution of Mary Queen of Scott's. Much has been written about the Spanish Armada but little about this man who helped shape the future up this this day ,or the uncertain period when history could have taken a different path and the development of what many consider the first spy service.