Philip's Phoenix

'the book will be an invaluable resource for scholars for some years to come' Times Literary Supplement `This important biography of a leading early modern woman writer will be an extremely useful resource: it is packed with detail, and includes five previously unknown and unpublished letters by the Countess of Pembroke ... a highly impressive work of scholarship.' Notes and Queries 'a fine biography ... Fluently written, based on a wide and sound scholarship, this is a very useful book.' English Studies, Volume 72, Number 6, December 1991 'This well-researched and readable study of the life and literary pursuits of Sir Philip Sidney's talented sister, Mary, Countess of Pembroke, will undoubtedly be regarded as the definitive biography for many years to come. In both biographical and literary matters, Margaret Hannay's eye for telling detail is meticulous and her scholarship always thorough ... the detailed notes and extensive bibliography at the end of this volume will offer a useful starting-point for other scholars investigating what is clearly now one of the major growth areas of Renaissance criticism: the role of the women - as writer, patron, and friend - in the flourishing of English literature between 1550 and 1650.' Michael G. Brennan, University of Leeds, Review of English Studies 'this book is manifestly a labour of love ... Anyone interested in the Sidney's will find here the fruits of long research arrayed in a handsome narrative form.' The Heythrop Journal, April 1993, Volume 34, Number 2