The Watchers: A Secret History of the Reign of Elizabeth I Paperback – September 9, 2014

Sent this book by the publishers, I really looked forward to reading what’s ostensibly a behind the scenes account of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign but from the point of view of the “watchers”: that is, reporters, listeners, spies – the men whose speciality was espionage. Elizabethan times, it turns out, are notorious for their extensive use of spies and networks, all of which were established to protect England and ensure the queen’s successful reign. As Alford writes in the introduction, while Elizabeth and her council worked hard to maintain “clever and persuasive projections of political stability, empire, self-confidence and national myth” there was, in fact, “a darker story… set against a Europe divided and oppressed by religious conflict, civil war and the ambitions of kings and princes.”Taking the crown after her half-sister “Bloody Mary” tried to purge the Protestant stain, and trying to stabilise an England divided by religious schism and rapidly changing succession, Elizabeth’s job was not easy. Declaring England as Protestant, but claiming that Catholicism would be tolerated, Elizabeth nonetheless was acutely aware of how precarious her position as ruler and religious head of a reeling nation was. Plots to declare her rule invalid, assassination attempts, never mind trying to overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary Queen of Scots on the throne abounded. Then there was the job of trying to find Elizabeth a suitable husband, all of which meant that though the kingdom flourished in terms of exploration, the humanities and arts, there was also a seething underbelly that threatened to erupt and destroy everything at any time. The greatest threat was that of the Catholics who, discontent with Elizabeth’s heretical leadership and perceiving it as ungodly, sought to rid themselves of Henry VIII’s daughter and restore the “true religion”. Working from within their homeland, their overseas networks were extensive, travelling across Europe and involving some of the most powerful people abroad as well.The stage is thus set for espionage, betrayal, treason, propaganda, secrets, torture, faith, martyrdom and lies all of which Sir Francis Walsingham and his successors sought to control.Carefully researched and very well-written, this book is an eye-opener that also makes the mind boggle. The lengths to which various individuals would go to inveigle themselves into (Catholic) families or communities in order to uncover plots and treasons were phenomenal. Conspirators were discovered frequently, many from noble families. The Throckmorton plot was one of the most famous and this is covered in detail throughout the book. Fascinating in its complexity and the degree of commitment and sacrifice believers were ready to make, uncovering it was to prove an even greater triumph.The book goes onto explore the stories, derring-do, successes and failures of many spies and traitors, how far they were willing to go (disguise, denying their identities for long periods, sacrificing family and a “normal” life for little reward) and from these we also learn how disposed Walsingham and his men were to use torture to uncover secrets and plots and how brutal their interrogation methods were. Some of the spies, or intelligencers, were gentleman and even poets, others were criminals, but many were chameleons, able to shift, camouflage themselves and change with subtlety. There was William Parry, Thomas Phelippes, Gilbery Gifford, Chrales Sledd, Sir Robert Cecil, Burghley, simply to name a few (forgive my memory) - names both known and unknown to history buffs. Perhaps, for those names less familiar, it’s testimony to how well they performed their roles – they disappeared not simply into the woodwork, but became lost in the pages of history and time until Alford recovers them. Uncovering the plots and deeds of desperate men, these watchers brought many to trial and death and, in doing so, ensured Elizabeth’s long reign.Utilising surviving records, Alford has done an amazing job and recreated in detail a tumultuous but fascinating period. Almost akin to a Renaissance version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, I found this book fascinating, challenging (to keep track of the different names and roles), but also a wonderful insight into what occurs behind the doors, under the tables and in the shadows and whispers of a colourful and deceptively confidant queen’s reign. Like an ice-berg, it was the seven-eights we didn’t see that ensured the topmost part remained afloat. Alford has given us access to that which we don’t normally witness and exposed the intricacy and deadly seriousness of spying in Elizabethan times.A great read for history buffs, writers, anyone who loves tales of espionage and appreciates solid research delivered in an entertaining and engaging manner.

Stephen Alford provides a great deal of information about the reign of Elizabeth I, concentrating on the threats to herself and England, and ultimately it is primarily about the struggle between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth.Elizabeth was the last Tutor to rule; the daughter of Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn who assumed the throne at the death of her half sister, Mary. While Henry had instituted the Anglican Church and defied the authority of the Pope and Catholicism, his daughter Mary was a devout Catholic, and Elizabeth Proetestant. Upon her assumption to the throne, England began persecuting Catholics whose loyalty they questioned, and from Catholic Europe, hundreds of priests were sent in secret to England to encourage Catholics and defy Elizabeth. Most of them were killed, imprisoned, or deported by the effective work of Elizabeth's chief snoop, Walsingham.Elizabeth's two primary ministers were Lord Burghley, and Sir Francis Walsingham. It is Walsingham that much of the book is centered on. He established a network of spies, intelligence gatherers, and forgerers to fight back against the forces of the Catholic Church. In a nutshell, he was very good at what he did, and there are numerous characters in this book that engaged in intelligence work, often as double agents in the service of Walsingham.Of course, the elephant in the room was Mary Queen of Scots. She had fled Scotland and was held in somewhat isolation by Elizabeth for almost twenty years. Mary is an historical person of legend. While she was a cousin of Elizabeth, she was a compelling and yet somewhat victimized person. I felt that Alford should have provided more background information on Mary because there is a vast story of her life before she fled in disgrace to England, and thus became a problem for the English because of her validity as a successor to the throne since Elizabeth never married, and also the fact that she was a devout Catholic.Walsingham was intent on the death of Mary Queen of Scots. He realized the threat she posed to the throne of Elizabeth, and worked tirelessly over the years to have laws passed that would legally allow Mary to be put to death. All of this was eventually accomplished in the Babington Plot. It is clear in the book that the years of captivity had taken a toll on the health both physically and mentally of Mary Queen of Scots, and she was untimately not match for Walsingham.There is some confusion in the author's presentation in the forgery that Walsingham and his lieutienant Thomas Philippes provided as an attempt to provide overwhelming evidence that Mary was in support of the plot to kill Elizabeth and encourage an uprising and foreign invasion to restore England to the Church. In John Guy's work,  Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart  it is proposed that there is no evidence to support the claim that the main text of the letter was altered and the postscript-a blatant and audacious forgery, was not used against Mary. Later in the book, Alford even questions his initial assumptions regarding the need for the forged postscript. It left me a bit confused.The weakest part is the title. It doesn't hook the average reader, but I am always in the mix for something regarding the Queen of Scots and her cousin Elizabeth, and thus, the purchase of the book.But overall, a good book about a fascinating time in English history. I would recommend it to the reader with some prior background in this era, as this is certainly not an "opening" book for this turbulent time.

There is a quote from Elizabeth I that she had lived her life in small rooms and this fascinating book really shows why. What a fearful life she had really, with her upbringing as a bastardised daughter of an executed mother, disinherited by her brother, put in the tower by her sister, to ascend the throne a miracle which you would have thought would be happy ever after, but no! Although I knew of the plots and spying around Elizabeth the sheer scale of it throughout her reign puts a completely different perspective of the Faerie Queen's life as monarch.She was fortunate in the men who surrounded her, many well known like Burleigh and Walsingham but this book sheds light on a whole cast; the skullduggery , treachery, bravery and foolhardiness surround the tenuous hold the Queen and country had from being swallowed up by catholic plots and power grabs. An opaque web covers the reign with at its heart Mary the Scottish queen whose pampered upbringing was in stark contrast to Elizabeth's.This book is a great read, well researched but with the excitement of a true page turner, full of characters which brings the era to life and for me at least gives an even greater appreciation and empathy for Elizabeth and the sadness of her life. it is a shame that in the endless films they make about Elizabeth there is not one that concentrates more on the sheer fearfulness of the time, the endless plots and assassination attempts, the work of the 'Watchers' rather than the usual emphasis and meetings with Mary that never actually happened. This is a story that is much more interesting and it is the truth.

This is an excellent study of the struggle to secure the Elizabethan religious settlement and of the motivations and characters of the main participants on both sides of the divide. Meticulous research. However, there is a lack of appreciation of what was going on in Europe at the time, the sheer brutality of the actions against protestant communities in Spain, France and the Spanish Netherlands which explains the ruthlessness of Elizabeth's government in their determination to prevent such things occurring in England. It is also worthy of comment that there was no St Bartholomew's Eve massacre in

This is a wonderful history showing a high degree of skill and research which will enlighten and instruct every reader. It sets Elizabethan life in a different context from the superficial glory of popular understanding.The state and Reformed religion clearly were on an edge throughout Elizabeth's reign and could so easily have been tossed aside by Catholic enemies abroad and recusants at home. The book reveals the degree of spying carried out by Walsingham and both Cecil's to protect queen, state and religion. Names of spies, double agents and couriers are given. Letters are intercepted,ciphers read and information gathered to keep ahead of the enemy. It is a secretive world and one wonders how anyone of that time could be trusted, a fascinating story, highly recommended.

From today’s perspective our view of Elizabethan England is one of Gloriana; golden years; England triumphant against its Spanish adversaries. However, the religious pendulum in Tudor England that swung painfully between Catholic and Protestant following the reformation created a world of paranoia and uncertainty, of division and discontent. This is the backdrop to Stephen Alford’s excellent book. It reveals the efforts made by Lord Burghley and Sir Francis Walsingham in particular to protect the fragile monarchy from its enemies within and without England. It shows a remarkable web of espionage not only in England but throughout Europe and reveals the hidden stories behind many of the plots to assassinate Elizabeth and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. It is a remarkable study of the period. Fascinating.

Alford lays out a very complex chronology and cast of characters in an easy to understand way, that I found riveting and very informative. The machinations of Elizabeth's spies and spy masters are worthy of Le Carre! A fascinating account of a very interesting time in our history.