Many people don’t realise that Daphne du Maurier wrote non fiction and here with Golden Lads she has written a fascinating account of, brothers, Anthony and Francis Bacon’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth I, through their friendship with the Earl of Essex. Told with her magical storytelling style, a fascinating insight.
Prior to the publication of this biography, the elusive Anthony Bacon was merely glimpsed in the shadow of his famous younger brother, Francis. A fascinating historical figure, Anthony Bacon was a contemporary of the brilliant band of gallants who clustered round the court of Elizabeth I, and he was closely connected with the Queen’s favourite, the Earl of Essex. He also worked as an agent for Sir Francis Walsingham, the Queen’s spymaster, living in France where he became acquainted with Henri IV and the famous essayist Michel de Montaigne. It was in France that du Maurier discovered a secret that, if disclosed during Bacon’s lifetime, could have put an end to his political career . . .
Du Maurier did much to shed light on matters that had long puzzled historians, and, as well as a consummate exercise in research, this biography is also a strange and fascinating tale.
‘A landmark book on a much-neglected figure, containing ground-breaking research . . . Vintage du Maurier – a page-turner, and a thundering good read!’ Lisa Jardine
Author
About Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907 - 89) was born in London, the daughter of the famous actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of George du Maurier, the author and artist. She began writing short stories and articles in 1928 and in 1931 her first novel, THE LOVING SPIRIT, was published. It was the novel REBECCA that launched her into the literary stratosphere and made her one of the most popular authors of all time.
