The incredible real life story of the world's first super spy

'Full of stimulating detail... vivid glimpses of the world of Elizabethan espionage' GUARDIAN

'Walsingham emerges from these pages as a hero of epic stature' DAILY TELEGRAPH

Francis Walsingham was the first 'spymaster' in the modern sense. His methods anticipated those of MI5 and MI6 and even those of the KGB. He maintained a network of spies across Europe, including double-agents at the highest level in Rome and Spain - the sworn enemies of Queen Elizabeth and her Protestant regime. His entrapment of Mary Queen of Scots is a classic intelligence operation that resulted in her execution.

As Robert Hutchinson reveals, his cypher expert's ability to intercept other peoples' secret messages and his brilliant forged letters made him a fearsome champion of the young Elizabeth. Yet even this Machiavellian schemer eventually fell foul of Elizabeth as her confidence grew (and judgement faded). The rise and fall of Sir Francis Walsingham is a Tudor epic, vividly narrated by a historian with unique access to the surviving documentary evidence.

The incredible real life story of the world's first super spy

About the Author
Robert Hutchinson is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and the author of THE LAST DAYS OF HENRY VIII, ELIZABETH'S SPYMASTER, THOMAS CROMWELL, HOUSE OF TREASON, YOUNG HENRY, THE SPANISH ARMADA and THE AUDACIOUS CRIMES OF COLONEL BLOOD. He was Defence Correspondent for the Press Association before moving to Jane's Information Group to launch JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY. He has a doctorate from the University of Sussex, and was appointed OBE in the 2008 Honours List.

Reviews
Full of stimulating detail... vivid glimpses of the world of Elizabethan espionage -- Simon Calow * GUARDIAN *
Robert Hutchinson's lucid and learned volume gives us a vivid portrait of Walsingham... an excellent book * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *
Walsingham emerges from these pages as a hero of epic stature * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
An accessible, authoritative account of Francis Walsingham's life and work. Written with a sense of the dramatic... The author is very good at evoking the atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia during Elizabeth's reign and seems to relish describing the methods of torture at Walsingham's disposal and the brutality of the age. It makes Elizabethan statecraft immediate and entertaining * BOOK MAGAZINE *
Compelling * LITERARY REVIEW *
Impeccably researched... the author has constructed what almost amounts to a thriller in this gripping narrative * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *
The story told here is intense and compelling * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *
Hutchinson neatly combines his expert knowledge with an impressive narrative suspense and mordant sense of humour... A darkly informative read * WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY *
The strength of this book lies in its combination of brilliant original research with a compelling narrative * HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW *



Book Information
ISBN 9780753822487
Author Robert Hutchinson
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 337g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 133mm * 26mm