Synopses & Reviews
How an ingenious Elizabethan courtier invented modern espionage.
Sir Francis Walsingham's official title was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I, but in fact this pious, tight-lipped Puritan was England's first spymaster. A ruthless, fiercely loyal civil servant, Walsingham worked brilliantly behind the scenes to foil Elizabeth's rival, Mary Queen of Scots, and outwit Catholic Spain and France, which had arrayed their forces behind her.
Though he cut an incongruous figure in Elizabeth's worldly court, Walsingham managed to win the trust of key players like William Cecil and the Earl of Leceister before launching his own secret campaign against the queen's enemies. Covert operations were Walsingham's genius; he pioneered techniques for exploiting double agents, spreading disinformation, and deciphering codes with the latest code-breaking science that remain staples of international espionage.
In the taut narrative of a spy novel, Budiansky recounts how this legendary spymaster invented the art and science of modern espionage and in the process set Elizabethan England on the path to empire.
Review
"[Budiansky] tells the tale of Walsingham and his spies with all the bravura of a historical novelist. His accounts of events and personalities associated with Elizabethan espionage are full of suspense and melodrama." The Washington Post
Review
"[Budiansky] illuminates a new route to appreciating the distinct personality of England's Elizabeth I and the exciting climate found at her court....[A] vivid account..." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Fascinating and superbly written." Wall Street Journal
Review
"[U]ltimately riveting....[A] satisfying and shrewd portrait of a key historical and very human figure. For both scholar and lay reader, a historical study that makes us wish for more like it on subjects too often only glanced at." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Budiansky's prose is peppered with a wry wit that makes the book a pure joy to read. A chronology of events, a list of relevant names, and a brief discussion of the language, money, and calendar of the period make for helpful additions to the character-rich tale." Library Journal
Review
"Walsingham, as he emerges from Stephen Budianksy's lively and fascinating account of one man's contributions to the cause of British empire, was an educated and cool thinker, unhindered by vanity or showiness, born around the same time as Queen Elizabeth I, who he would come to serve." Anna Godbersen, Esquire (read the entire Esquire review)
Synopsis
In the taut narrative of a spy novel, Budiansky recounts how legendary spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary to Elizabeth I, invented the art and science of modern espionage and in the process set Elizabethan England on the path to empire.
Synopsis
Sir Francis Walsinghamandrsquo;s official title was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I, but in fact this pious, tight-lipped Puritan was Englandandrsquo;s first spymaster. A ruthless, fiercely loyal civil servant, Walsingham worked brilliantly behind the scenes to foil Elizabethandrsquo;s rival Mary Queen of Scots and outwit Catholic Spain and France, which had arrayed their forces behind her. Though he cut an incongruous figure in Elizabethandrsquo;s worldly court, Walsingham managed to win the trust of key players like William Cecil and the Earl of Leicester before launching his own secret campaign against the queenandrsquo;s enemies. Covert operations were Walsinghamandrsquo;s genius; he pioneered techniques for exploiting double agents, spreading disinformation, and deciphering codes with the latest code-breaking science that remain staples of international espionage.
About the Author
Stephen Budiansky, journalist and military historian, is the author of nine books about history, science, and nature, including Air Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas That Revolutionized War, from Kitty Hawk to Gulf War II. He publishes frequently in the New York Times and the Washington Post and currently serves as a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly.