Elizabeth’s Spy Master is the history of Francis Walsingham and his efforts to protect Queen Elizabeth I. The secondary title is ‘Francis Walsingham and the secret war that saved England’, and this secondary title highlights the focus of the book. Although Elizabeth’s Spy Master covers Walsingham’s life from birth to death, it concentrates on his work against Catholic and Jesuit malcontents. From that point of view it is not strictly speaking a biography of Walsingham, but a description of the activities of him and many others in thwarting various Catholic plots.
In dealing with Walsingham’s early career as ambassador to the French court, Elizabeth’s Spy Master reveals why Walsingham was so fervently anti-Catholic. On 24th August 1572 and the days that followed he witnessed what came to be known as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. The event left him scarred for life. Today its effect could be regarded as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The book covers the agents used by Walsingham to trace and entrap Catholic and Jesuit priests and the people who harboured them, with an Appendix giving details of some of the agents. It also covers the means used to extract information from priests and anybody arrested on suspicion of conspiracy against the Crown. The activities of Richard Topcliffe, torturer, are dealt with in some depth and the man comes across as the kind of psychopath that wouldn’t be allowed to take part in an interrogation nowadays. The plots by supporters of Mary Queen of Scots, her trial and execution are also covered over several chapters.
Over all, Elizabeth’s Spy Master gives a good overview of the kind of Intelligence Service that existed in the 16th century. I found it very readable and the notes and references were very comprehensive. I only have one niggle that doesn’t detract from the quality of the book, it’s just a personal thing. The book talks about Francis Throgmorton and the Throgmorton Plot (and also his uncle, Nicholas Throgmorton). I live near Coughton Court, home of that family, and they are called Throckmorton. I know that Throgmorton is one alternative spelling of the name, and that the spelling of surnames wasn’t standardized until around the 19th century. It just niggles.
I recommend this book to anybody who has an interest in 16th century history and/or intelligence gathering in early times.
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