Warren is a freelance writer with a master of fine arts degree in writing from Vermont College at Norwich University. In this essay, Warren explores the complex task of documenting the life of Elizabeth I.

Jenkins's portrait of Elizabeth I, queen of England from 1548 to 1603 is, at once, vivid and impressive. Elizabeth the Great reads like an eye witness account, time traveling through her life. Jenkins explains in her preface that the aim of the book "was to collect interesting personal information about Queen Elizabeth I." Almost as an apology, she says she "tried to focus attention all the time upon the queen," and, therefore, "the shape of the book is very irregular." Continuing, she says, "Sometimes events of great importance are only briefly mentioned or omitted while minor ones are dwelt on in detail." However, the historic events can hardly be separated from a literary portrait...