Book excerpt: The romance of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux captures “the real drama of ambition, passion, and personality in the pageant of veracious history” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). The author who helped to shape the modern biography turned his glorious prose and searing wit to one of the most famous romances in British history, that of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. As the San Francisco Chronicle raved, “Elizabeth is an old subject, but here is a fresh and brilliant portrait of her, a splendidly dramatic story, an historical excursion of uncommon interest.” In these pages, Lytton Strachey follows the twists and turns of the uncommon affair. The stepson of the Earl of Leicester, the Queen’s favorite, Robert was not yet twenty when he captured the fifty-three-year-old monarch’s interest. Their tumultuous relationship survived international intrigue, political machinations, and even the young Earl’s marriage. But it was only a matter of time before his ambition would clash with the capricious Queen, bringing about his untimely end. This biography “is penetrating and true. It is not only Mr. Strachey’s best book; it is a great book” (New-York Evening Post). “A beautiful and memorable book.” —The Atlantic Monthly “If there is such a thing as imperishable prose being written in our time, Mr. Strachey has done it here.” —The New York Times Book Review “Mr. Strachey unfolds this story in brilliant chapter after brilliant chapter, unraveling the tangled threads of amorous intrigue and political machination . . . Above all, he writes as beautifully as he thinks.” —Outlook “It is a glowing history in words.” —Boston Evening Transcript