Books by Stephen Alford
“The author, in his acknowledgements, says it is not a biography as much as a portrait, and that is a fertile subject for analysis. It’s a portrait of Robert Cecil, the spymaster. That may be anachronistic, but the extraordinary thing about Robert Cecil, who followed his father as one of the chief ministers of Elizabeth I, was his amazing network of spies and informants.” Read more...
The Best Historical Biography: The 2025 Elizabeth Longford Prize
Roy Foster, Historian
Interviews where books by Stephen Alford were recommended
-
1
All His Spies: The Secret World of Robert Cecil
by Stephen Alford -
2
Augustus The Strong: A Study in Artistic Greatness and Political Fiasco
by Tim Blanning -
3
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
by Helen Castor -
4
Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King
by Dan Jones -
5
The Rebel's Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon
by Adam Shatz
The Best Historical Biography: The 2025 Elizabeth Longford Prize, recommended by Roy Foster
The Best Historical Biography: The 2025 Elizabeth Longford Prize, recommended by Roy Foster
A good historical biography should help us redefine and rethink what makes a person historically significant, says Roy Foster, chair of the judging panel of the Elizabeth Longford Prize. He talks us through the brilliant books that made the 2025 shortlist, including the lives of various monarchs who left their mark on European history, a portrait of an early modern spymaster, and a biography of Frantz Fanon, the anti-colonial writer.
