Bess: The Life of Lady Ralegh, Wife of Sir Walter

Bess: The Life of Lady Ralegh, Wife of Sir Walter

by Anna Beer (Author)

Synopsis

Bess Ralegh was the hidden force behind Sir Walter Ralegh's spectacular public achievements, the stable point in his turbulent private life and the shrewd creator of his reputation after his death. But she was more than a foil to the man who symbolises the Elizabethan world. With her trademark independence, she resisted early marriage then embraced a passionate and illicit liaison with Ralegh. Despite having no rights as a woman, she prospered - twice rebuilding a fortune from nothing - and her remarkable emotional strength sustained her through personal tragedies and political disasters. A risk taker, she played for high political stakes - and successive monarchs, threatened by her ability, sought to destroy her and those she loved. Though imprisoned, banished and made destitute, each time she bounced back, taking on her enemies with remarkable courage. Here, she is brought to life in a perceptive and immensely enjoyable biography.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Edition: paperback / softback
Publisher: Robinson Publishing
Published: 27 Jan 2005

ISBN 10: 1845290623
ISBN 13: 9781845290627
Book Overview: Having resisted being married off in her teens, Bess began a passionate and illicit sexual relationship with Ralegh in her twenties; her intelligence and business acumen were exceptional, and her remarkable emotional strength sustained her through the loss of her husband and two of her children, and her own imprisonment.

Author Bio
Born in London in 1964, and educated at the universities of Oxford and Reading, Anna Beer now lives and works in Oxford, and she is Lecturer in English at Regents Park College. Her previous work includes an academic study of Sir Walter Ralegh's political writings.