The Most Powerful Women in England After Elizabeth I
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Bess of Hardwick defied the norms of Tudor society and became the most powerful and wealthy woman in Tudor England after Queen Elizabeth I. Bess married four times, each time more successfully then the last, negotiating before the marriage to ensure she was financially stable should her husband die.
She was a loving, but strict mother and grandmother, dedicated to advancing her family, through court contacts and cunning marriages. She is known for marrying well, but it is her second husband, Chatsworth, through whom she set up her dynasty. Chatsworth House is still one of the finest in England. Bess is also known as the "houser" of Mary, Queen of Scots, held in England by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth for years.
This is a great story of one woman's power of personality and sheer determination in a man's world.
Bess of Hardwick, Empire Builder
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To be honest, I was hoping for (and thought I ordered) a work of good historical fiction, such as "The Tower and the Dream," a book about Bess that I couldn't put down. This book is a biography and I don't find the author particularly interesting to read. Her style of writing tends to be dull and unimaginative, which is a shame because the story of Bess of Hardwick is quite a fascinating one. In my opinion, the one word that sums up this work is "dry."
If you are looking for details and facts about the life of Bess of Hardwick, this work will provide them. If you are looking for a good read, this just isn't it.
Alexandra, Visalia, CA
Powerful woman who led her family to wealth & greatness
Customer Rating: Bess of Hardwick was born the daughter of a gentlemen squire, that is, a sort of farmer with a few servents, but an ancestry that allowed him (and his wife) to be part of the "gentry" in the age of King Henry VIII. She was able to become, by the time of her death at the (then) remarkable age of 80 the second most powerful and richest woman in England, after her friend Queen Elizabeth I. She had been able to marry off her children and step children very well,into the most powerful names of Tudor aristocracy and the author shows how many aristocratic houses of England are directly descended from this woman, including the Dukes of Devonshire.
Bess began the building of the fabulous home "Chatsworth" which is still a showpiece, though re-done over time. (See the biography of "Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire for more on Chatsworth).
Bess was the grandmother of the Princess Arbella, who could have just as well been the next Queen of England after Elizabeth I: Arbella had the exact same blood lines as her cousin James I, but her life, plotted and planned by her grandmother who had raised her with Queenship in mind, ended tragically).
Bess was a formidable yet at times kindly woman, as the author says, a type of CEO in the Tudor world.
It was a fascinating biography and a great glimpse in the Tudor/ Elzabethan world. (Having read so much about Henry VIII, Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, etc, it is interesting to read about a non royal person, for other insights into that world.) Very well and clearly written. Highly recommended.
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