The Sultan and the Queen

Jerry Brotton's "The Sultan and the Queen" masterfully unearths the little-known yet crucial history of how Queen Elizabeth I, facing a perilous geopolitical landscape, forged daring alliances with the Muslim world. In an era when England was a vulnerable Protestant island nation, besieged by Catholic Europe and struggling for economic stability, Elizabeth embarked on an audacious diplomatic mission. The book vividly recounts her secret outreach to the great powers of the East, from sending an emissary to the Shah of Iran and cultivating the King of Morocco, to establishing an unprecedented and lively correspondence with the Ottoman Sultan Murad III. These unconventional partnerships, financed by England's burgeoning joint-stock companies, were not merely a strategic necessity but a foundational step. Brotton reveals how this fruitful alignment with Islamic empires provided vital trade routes, resources, and political leverage, ultimately paving the way for England's transformation into a formidable global commercial empire. It's a riveting account that redefines our understanding of early modern diplomacy and the unexpected origins of British global power.