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These observations and quotations comprise a witty anthology of anecdotes by and about the royal family in Canada over the last 400 years. Enhanced by drawings from the well-known cartoonist Vince Wicks, this book looks at the memorable encounters, sometimes touching, sometimes disconcerting, sometimes hilarious, that Canadians have had with their own and other royal families. Arranged thematically Royal Observations covers such topics as Queen Victoria, English/French relations, World War Two, native peoples and royal tours.

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A comprehensive guide to over 1000 years of monarchy in theBritish Isles, this book offers insights into the history and development of the royal dynasties. It explores the livesof kings, queens, princes, princesses and royal pretenders of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.;Blending history and narrative with anecdote, the book looks at royal scandals old and new, and at the mythology which surrounds royalty. It also examines the attendant paraphernalia of royalty - itspalaces, ceremonies, customs and rites. It provides coverage of key events such as the Abdication crisis, the Bedchamber crisis, the Wars of the Roses, and royal ceremonies and mythology such as Maundy money, cramp rings, King's Evil and Trooping the Colour. Appendices give genealogical tables and chronological lists of contemporary European sovereigns. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Brewer's British Royalty-A Phrase and Fable Dictionary
This is an excellent, thoroughly readable, book on the British Royalty and related subjects.It is very blunt, at times, calling it like it is/was!In the back are 37 charts, pedigrees, etc., on the earliest kings of Kent,Wessex, East Anglia, Essex, Mercia, and so on, the most extensivecollection of such information I have ever seen. It is a treasure foranyone doing genealogy on British royalty, and the charts alone are worththe price of the book.Most highly recommended!

A good, if not spectacular, basic reference
Though not perfect, this is a useful basic reference to the history of Britain's Royal Family.Most of the emphasis is on the individuals who made up that history, and so whether you're researching Diana, Princess ofWales, or Gruffydd ap Rhys I, Prince of Deheubarth (1090-1137), you'll findat least enough info here to get you started. ... Read more

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The reign of the North Welsh king Gruffudd ap Cynan (1075-1135) marked the culmination of a century of rapid social and political change. A product of three cultures (Welsh, Irish and Scandinavian), Gruffudd faced a Wales divided by Norman incursion and dynastic rivalry; his re-creation of his kingdom saw him acting on the wider (and often deadly) stage of Anglo-Norman politics, and surviving where more `traditional' Welsh rulers failed. His reign encouraged a new growth in Welsh literature and creativity, and is often looked upon as a literary `golden age'. This collaborative biography analyses key aspects of the career and context of this remarkable king. Dr K.L. MAUNDteaches in the School of History and Archaeology, University of Wales, Cardiff. Other contributors: DAVID MOORE, C.P. LEWIS, DAVID E. THORNTON, K.L. MAUND, JUDITH JESCH, NERYS ANN JONES, CERI DAVIES, J.E. CAERWYN WILLIAMS This inter-disciplinary volume analyses various aspects of the career and context of this remarkable king. Themes discussed include the role of Gruffudd and of Gwynedd in twelfth-century politics; the importance of the genealogical material associated with him, and of his mediaeval biography, Historia Grufud vab Kenan, the first extant biography of any Welsh king; his relations with the Normans and the Irish; and the wider question of Welsh relations with Ireland and the Norwegians in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. Dr K.L. MAUNDteaches in the Department of History at Leicester University. Contributors: DAVID MOORE, C.P. LEWIS, DAVID E. THORNTON, K.L. MAUND, JUDITH JESCH, NERYS ANN JONES, CERI DAVIES, J.E. CAERWYN WILLIAMS ... Read more

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Bonnie Prince Charlie—Charles Edward Stuart—is a name known to all. He was one of the most romantic figures in British history, yet his ambitious project for the Stuart restoration was thwarted and his accomplishments nil. The whole adventure lasted 14 months, from 1745 to 1746, encompassed the vicious slaughter of Culloden, and was followed by 40 years of restless exile. Charles is perhaps the perfect example of a hero of a lost cause, a legend created by Scottish nostalgia for a kingdom that had vanished. Based almost entirely on contemporary resources, David Daiche’s distinguished biography, first published in 1973, strips away the romantic myth. Placing Charles directly in 18th–century Europe, with all it political and dynastic intrigue, Bonnie Prince Charlie gives us new insights into his enduring appeal. ... Read more

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A biography on the occasion of the prince's fiftieth birthday. A portrait of the divorced prince, now a widower, facing a choice between his children, the love of his live and the throne, or by trying to have all three. threatening the future of the monarchy. Offers an insight into the Prince's perspective on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

While somewhat dated, this bio still provides good insight
There is little doubt that this book is not a comprehensive account of the life of Charles, the Prince of Wales as its contents had to meet the approval of certain people, but one should not go so far as to pass it off as being total ...Were this the case, then it is clear that some of Charles' perceived short-comings would have been glossed over; but instead, we do get a fair sense about the man who will be the future King of England.He is by no means a gregarious, powerful figure, and, unfortunately and quite unjustly, he has been criticized for this, and some, including his now deceased ex-wife, have gone so far as to suggest that he is not suited for the job.Unfortunately, the people suggesting such things have succeeded in instilling some doubt in the minds of the British people as to whether this is in fact the case, but it is quite evident from what I have read that this is complete ...Granted, Charles does not fit the bill of the warrior king, but there is no doubt that he is a sensitive, well-educated and benevolent person who will undoubtably be well suited for the role of King in this current day and age.One thing that struck me as notable about Charles is his passion for certain causes and ideals, including organic farming and architecture.His opinions on these subjects has raised a few eyebrows and no doubt gave his detractors some fuel for their arguments.But his opinions on these, and other issues, are quite sound and indicate that he is a man well versed in modern issues and could prove to be a quite progressive monarch.Unfortunately, many are blinded to this aspect of the man by a superficial devotion to his deceased ex-wife, whose unfortunate behaviour during the latter years of their relationship succeeded in fooling many people. ... Read more

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An updated edition of a biography of Prince Philip which aims to reflect changes in the Royal Family's attitudes on various topics. These include Philip's views of his daughters-in-law and of Prince Edward's rejection of the Royal Marines. The book also examines the Royal marriage after 40 years. ... Read more

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In the well-entrenched critical view of the Jacobean period, James I is credited with the flowering of culture in the early years of the seventeenth century. His queen, Anna of Denmark, is seen as a shadowy figure at best, a capricious and shallow one at worst. But Leeds Barroll makes a well-documented case that it was Anna who, for her own purposes, developed an alternative court and sponsored many of the other artistic ventures in one of the most productive and innovative periods of English cultural history.

Married at seventeen, Anna soon became a shrewd and powerful player in the court politics of Scotland and, later, England. Her influence can be seen in James's choices for advisors and beneficiaries of royal attention. In fact, James's and Anna's longstanding dispute over the raising of the heir, Henry, caused a major scandal of the time and was suspected as a plot against the king's safety. In order to assert her own power, Anna actually forced a miscarriage upon herself, an extraordinary event that is referred to in much unnoticed contemporary diplomatic correspondence.

An important feature of court entertainment and literary production at this time was the development of the extravagant drama known as the masque, which reached its literary peak in the works of Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones. Barroll argues that it was in fact Anna and not James who encouraged and staged the masques, as a way of defining both a social and political identity for the royal consort, a role that had been nonexistent under Elizabeth. Barroll's work on Anna's patronage also sets Shakespeare's company in a broader context. By writing the cultural biography of Anna of Denmark, queen of England, Leeds Barroll reestablishes the influential and distinctive role of the queen consort in early modern Europe.

Customer Reviews (2)

Dry
I almost gave it 2 stars but decided in all fairness it did deserve 3. After all the reason I didn't like the book is that it was very dry, a lot of facts, and Anne isn't mentioned in ways that allow you to get a lot of info on her, as herself.
However, it DOES say it's a cultural biography so my disappointment is my own fault.
I wouldn't reccomend it for anyone looking for a biography or for light reading. However if your looking for info on Anne, you'll have to make do since there are very few other resources on her.

An interesting essay
A biography of Anne of Denmark, wife of King James VI of Scotland and I of England, is hard to come by. Those who read this book expecting a conventional biography might well be disappointed.

The author points out, however, that this is not intended to be a biography, but a "cultural biography." What this amounts to is an extended essay arguing that Anne, far from being the shallow and flighty woman described by most historians, was actually an intelligent, ambitious woman determined to make her mark on the politics and the culture of her day. It is an interesting argument, if not an entirely convincing one.

Some of the arguments fall flat, such as the author's insistence that the hysterical temper tantrum that triggered a life-threatening miscarriage was an example of the queen's resolve and power. Despite the occasional jarring note, an interesting pattern does emerge, revealing Anne as something more than the frivolous queen who glorified herself with extravagent masques (allegorical plays with elaborate costumes, scenery, music and dancing.) Despite the stated focus on the "cultural biography," what I found most interesting was the political turmoil Anne managed to create during her years in Scotland.

The author makes extensive use of primary sources in the 170 page essay. The notes are interesting, but for some reason, the author declined to include a bibliography. Some might find the frequent intrusion of the author's voice to be irritating. Observations such as these abound: "I have saved for this final chapter..."; "I will be arguing..."; "It is apparent to me that..."But since this is consistent with the author's style and stated purpose, this pattern is easier to overlook than it would have been in a conventional biography.

Recommended for serious students of Jacobean history and culture. ... Read more

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The notable characteristic of the royal families of Europe is that they have so very little of anything remotely resembling true power. Increasingly, they tend towards the condition of pipsqueak principalities like Liechtenstein and Monaco--fancy-dress fodder for magazines that survive by telling us things we did not need to know about people we have hardly heard of.

How then have kings and queens come to exercise the mesmeric hold they have upon our imaginations? In On Royalty, renowned BBC journalist Jeremy Paxman examines the role of the British monarchy in an age when divine right no longer prevails and governing powers fall to the country's elected leaders. What Desmond Morris did for apes, Paxman has done for these primus inter primates: the royal families. ... Read more

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King Edward VIII portrays the full life of the monarch, from boyhood to Prince of Wales, exiled monarch, and eventually, Governor of the Bahamas. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Enjoyable; very readable
Written with an openness surprising in a biography of a living subject, (especially when that subject is a fringe member, so to speak, of the British Royal Family) this is a very good biography.I think the author ably captured the many sides that make up the character of Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowden.The biography is detailed; authoritative, and avoids a "trashy" aura despite some less-than-stellar moments in its subject's life.Ms. deCourcy is also refreshingly even-handed and objective in describing the character of the late Princess Margaret, which is a pleasure to read.In fact, I don't think I've ever read a better description of what went wrong with their marriage, and why they were both equal partners in its failure.

Unless Snowden chooses to write an autobiography, I should think this biography will stand the test of time.

An excellent biography!
This book is not yet available in the US; I had to order it from AmazonUK, but I'm very glad I did. De Courcy, a great writer, "sort of" received cooperation from Armstrong-Jones in the writing of this "unauthorised" biography.

I had known the bare bones of Armstrong-Jones/Lord Snowdon's life from reading biographies of other members of the Royal Family. De Courcy does a great job at fleshing out his life, work, and personal life, without sensationalising it too much. However, what can you say about a man with three legitimate children and two illegitimate ones to his credit. This is a man who seems never to be without a woman (and a "spare") in his life at all times. I suppose his womanising can be blamed on his rotten relationship with his mother, a social-climbing snob without much in the way of maternal feelings.

The book details his life with Princess Margaret and how his association with her does aid his ascent into the upper ranks of society. But his superb skills at photography were just as important as his relationships in his rise. He's a man of many talents and manifest personal charm.

A well-written bio of a particularly interesting subject.

... Read more

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Cleopatra was an intellectual, an astute politician, and a powerful Queen of Egypt, but most people remember her primarily as a seductress. In this illuminating biography, Ernle Bradford suggests that Cleopatra's prurient reputation was likely manufactured by the conquering Romans to discredit her name after her death. Cleopatra's whole life was devoted to Egypt. Even though she was probably Greek, not Egyptian, by birth, she was the first of her dynasty to learn the language of the country over which she ruled. Only seventeen years old when she came to the throne in 51 B.C., she watched the savage struggle then raging between Caesar and Pompey and hoped that Rome would destroy itself in the process. Bradford's detailed exploration of the powers of this legendary queen is captivating and illuminating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Queen Without Borders
Ernle Bradford does for Cleopatra what did Robert Caro is doing for LBJ.The myth of the lady is immense, but Bradford goes right to primary sources and does his best to correct our misapprehensions about her by pointing out that we know so little first hand about Cleopatra. Some dispute she existed.Bradford makes no such claim, and he is in a position to know, having spent many years immersed in the lore of the Ptolemies.

Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy the XIIth, and I imagine now that I have read Bradford describing their relationship, that he, Ptolemy, was rather like Emma's father in the famous novel by Jane Austen.He was a garrulous old fool in love with the sound of his own voice, rather pathetic if you looked at him the wrong way, and his daughter probably learned a lot about diplomacy just trying to stay on his good side, just like Emma 1700 years later.And like Emma, part of her problem was that the tools she had used to deal with a difficult father were not as appropriate when it came time to deal with the adult men in her life.Emma had Mr. Knightley, but Cleopatra had real rulers to deal with: first Caesar, the playboy prince of the Western world, a man so civilized that he was said to have been bisexual, and then Antony, who was more of a man's man, sort of an Ernest Borgnine type according to Ernle Bradford's clever summing up of the man.Cleopatra had children by both of them, but neither of them could totally trust her, just as her father could not bring himself to be close to her, preferring to play merrily on his flute all day while slaves fanned him with ibis feathers.

At eighteen she was already a queen, and as we know, her life was short, tragically short.Many who knew her from afar judged her harshly, but those who came close to her were enchanted by her beauty and the elegance of her speech.(Bradford reports that her verbal agility was high, and that she picked up languages with ease.)We know she had a sense of humor, for who else would have thought about rolling herself up in a carpet to be delivered to Caesar?So vividly does Bradford bring these movers and shakers to life that by book's end we forget they are not our own intimates.As Shakespeare said, "Precious friend, hid in death's dateless night."And that's where she is now, hid in death's dateless night where she gains not in age nor loses a drop of her mortal beauty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting Insight
This is one of two books given to Lady Diana Spencer as she stepped into the confines of her royal life. She chose to throw it aside and that's a pity. I think she, as well as any other reader, would gain much insight into the Royal family as well as a clearer understanding of this beautifulprincess and queen who is in many ways, a fore-runner of Diana herself.This is a well-written, readable biography and not a ponderous academicbore.

You should read this if you are at all interested in royalty
While the book is somewhat slow at times, if you are at all interested in the history of the British royal family, then you should read it.This woman was probably the original Princess Diana as far as beauty and popularity go. ... Read more

Product Description
Her public and private worlds, the life and times of Elizabeth II and her family.

Fifty years ago in February 1952, while in Kenya on the beginning of a world tour, Princess Elizabeth ascended to the British Throne on the death of her father, King George VI, who the day before had stood on the tarmac at London’s Heathrow airport waving her farewell.She returned to London as Queen to be met at the foot of the aircraft steps by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The Monarchy is the brilliantly constructed oral biography of the life of Elizabeth II and her fifty-year rule as the second-longest-reigning British sovereign in history.This candid look at the enduring monarch has been compiled from interviews that paint a rich picture of the private and the public life of the Queen.With access to over one hundred friends and associates of the Royal Family, the authors have woven their in-depth conversations into a fascinating, comprehensive personal profile that brings vividly to life the various strands of Queen Elizabeth’s life.
We follow the story from her birth in an elegant townhouse in London’s Piccadilly, through the trauma of the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, and her realization that she was the heir to the Throne.During the London blitz the Royal Family stayed in London, an action that was loved by Britons, and after the war her almost fairytale marriage to Prince Philip followed by her Coronation in 1953 in Westminster Abbey. This early life is brought vividly to life by insiders like Lady Pamela Hicks, Lady Elizabeth Longford, Michael Parker, Earl of Harewood, Philip Ziegler, and others.
The years of her reign, beset by political turmoil in her beloved Commonwealth of Nations and problems nearer to home in her family, are treated sensitively.A portrait emerges of a woman whose understanding of political reality and foreign and domestic policy is wide and deep.She has been served by nine Prime Ministers from Winston Churchill to Tony Blair (who, it is certain, has both given her advice and received it in return).The Monarchy also sheds light new light on Queen Elizabeth’s often strained and fractious relationships with her children and their spouses, including, of course, the Prince CharlesPrincess DianaCamilla Parker Bowles drama that riveted the world.
Drawing on the knowledge and observations of a wide range of people, courtiers, journalists, heads of state, politicians, and close friends, this book is an intimate and meaningful tour of a remarkable life.It is also a forthright portrait of an amazing woman: the Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth II, a figure who has captured the hearts and imagination of millions.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Splendid!
"The Monarchy" is a vast panorama of the long rule of Elizabeth II from the time she ascends a tree in Africa as a princess and comes down a queen. to the imminent marriage of Charles and Camilla.

Seen through the eyes of people of all walks of life- a limousine driver, politicians, musicians, members of the aristocracy, clergymen, military personnel, some 100 in all- theirobservations are seamlessly integrated into the plot so you are presented with a colorful tapestry woven with authenticity. The speakers are insiders, the horse's mouth, and while they often disagree with each other, you as reader see the evolution of Elizabeth's reign through many eyes and the result is a balanced picture.

You'll catch startling glimpses of Edward VIII, George VI and the Queen Mum, "Dickie" Mountbatten, Charles and Diana and Camilla, Philip, the two princes and other members of the royal stable.

Serene and dignified, even in the midst of trying circumstances, even in the midst of tragedy, Queen Elizabeth sails on toward the future. She is the Ship of State and the monarchy will surely endure far into the future if not forever, because she is Queen.

Highly recommended!

Her Royal Highness According to Her Entourage
When it comes to the spate of books produced to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the Throne, this is perhaps the best and most relevant, especially within the context of the Queen Mother's recent passing, since it looks at the British monarchy in its entirety; past, present and future.

The authors interviewed some 100 Royal Family friends, acquaintances, and members of their retinue, in an attempt to compose a portrait of their personal and public lives.

It makes for fascinating reading - authentic accounts from those who were there to witness history in the making, such as the day Queen Elizabeth II learned of her father, King George VI's passing. She cried upon hearing the news, "And then," according to her equerry-in-waiting at the time, Mike Parker, "she straightened up and she went in, to the desk she had been working at, and started to send all these telegrams off...."

The majority of the interviewees are British and there's a good deal of conjecture about different happenings, accounts that sometimes disagree; but it is this very conflict that makes it seem like you're there as events unfold through the various dispatches which provide enough detail to allow a clear picture to emerge.

We become privy to the inner workings of the monarchy. For instance, the King's many secretaries had a code for a multitude of contingencies, including his death. Sir Edward Ford, the King's assistant private secretary, reveals, "I got a telephone call from [Private Secretary, Sir Alan] Lascelles at Sandringham [House, one of the Royal Family's private residences], saying 'Hyde Park Corner,' because that was the code. He simply said: 'Hyde Park Corner. Go and tell [Prime Minister] Churchill, and the Queen Mary,' and he rang off."

The book includes a brief history of the monarchy, dating back to its establishment in 1066, with stops at notable milestones and interesting tidbits along the way. Queen Mary, for example, according to the Seventeenth Earl of Perth, John David Drummond, was "a very forceful character.... When she was visiting a grand house, she would like to see various things. And there was always a risk if she said: 'Oh, I like that; that's really something very nice.' It had almost reached the point that the host...felt impelled to send it on to her later."

Also covered is King Edward VIII's abdication of the Throne in 1936. The royal biographer Lady Langford divulges that the words "the woman I love," used in his abdication speech, referring to the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson, who would become the Duchess of Windsor, were suggested by then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Lady Longford also shares a story about how, when George VI became King, Princess Margaret asked her elder sister, "'Does that mean you'll be Queen?' And [Princess Elizabeth] said: 'Yes, some day.' And Princess Margaret said: 'Poor you.'"

We hear accounts of the difficulty involved in securing enough white horses for the service lords to ride on during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1952; and memories of how the intense heat on the day of her father's coronation caused the boots of the bobbies, who lined the procession route, to stick to the tarmac. Reportedly, Winston Churchill opposed televising Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on the grounds that "people might watch the service while drinking beer!"

When the new Queen, in one of her first dictates, overrode the decision not to televise the celebration, sales of television sets soared in Britain.

It's possible that Sir Michael Oswald best sums up the awesome responsibility inherent in the monarchy when he says, "In a political job you can give it up. The Queen sees it that it's something she's consecrated to do, and to do for the rest of her life to the best of her ability."

As the Head of the Commonwealth, she commands a total of 1.7 billion subjects.

We witness salient points in the monarchy's chronicle, from the birth of Prince Charles, to his much-publicized marriage and eventual divorce from Princess Diana, to her imposing death.

Former Foreign Office official Ian Adams explains that the late Queen Mother exerted great influence when it came to the pairing of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

Many of Queen Elizabeth II's courtiers are interviewed and we get a sense of what it's like to live inside Buckingham Palace, with its 600 rooms; the "world's largest inhabited castle" - Windsor Castle; and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland; in addition to the Queen's two private residences, the aforementioned Sandringham House, and Balmoral Castle.

Remembering simpler times, when the beautiful young Princess Elizabeth became Queen, Admiral Sir Henry Leach suggests, "There was very much less scurrilous stuff floating round the media of the day...."

But starting in the late-1950s, the monarchy started to become the subject of criticism, and the authors don't turn a blind eye to this. There's talk of the struggle to find a suitable role for Prince Charles while he waits to succeed the Queen, with British Lord McNally saying, "I might be totally unfair to Prince Charles, but my impression was that beyond a kind of general look-around, there wasn't very much enthusiasm [on his part] for doing a specific job." A chapter in the book entitled, "The Heir Apparent: Who Is He?" examines in detail the issues that seem to surround Prince Charles, with part of it dedicated to debate about whether Camilla Parker Bowles will one day be Queen.

Lastly, there is a further examination of Prince Charles, with an eye toward assessing the future of the monarchy, centering on whether he will step aside and let Prince William succeed the Queen.

Regardless of your position on such matters, the authors present us with a captivating read and an inside look at Royal life.

Excellent
Excellent, original and interesting - dare I say even entertaining. If you are interested in a bio of a woman deserving of respect, that is not of the tabloid sort on people best described as a dilettante,(can anyone say "Diana",)then take a look at this one. It is very, very good. Elizabeth may have had her role thrust upon her by an accident of birth, but she has handled it far better than most have in the past, and probably will in the future.

One of the very best
This is one of the very best biographies I've read on the Queen - a very fair and unbiased book with wonderful insights from people who really know the Royal Family. The people who are quoted are well known and not afraid to tell the truth even when it isn't complimentary.I'dhighly recommend this book - it is like sitting down in your living room and talking to people about the Royal Family. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hard to put down once I started. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite heavy academic interest in the Tudor period, many of the important secondary figures have been neglected, including Margaret Douglas, whose life and actions had a significant impact on the period. She was in the centre of events during much of the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Niece to Henry VIII, wife of Matthew Stewart, the Earl of Lennox and a close claimant of the throne of Scotland, she was the mother of Henry, Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary Queen of Scots. It was due to her matrimonial schemes, for example, that a law was passed under Henry VIII reserving to the sovereign the right to regulate the marriages of the royal family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A somewhat uneven but still informative biography of a Tudor cousin
Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, daughter of Margaret Tudor, Dowager Queen of Scotland and Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus is one of those reasonably minor, in a historical sense, Tudor relatives, who nevertheless for dynastic reasons are still important. This is the first independent biography of Margaret.

Her story can be found in other books such as Tudor Cousins: Rivals for the Thronein abbreviated form but this is the first book to concentrate on her alone. One thing it does seem to highlight is really how little is known about Margaret even now, a fate not uncommon especially with female royal relations which often leads to rather thin biographies, and if it wasn't for all the historical background that is filled in I think this would be a rather slender volume. On thing that did annoy me about this was the author's tendency to assume Margaret's reactions to thing with sentences such "she must have felt", "would have done" etc which was not actually backed up by evidence.

For the reader in search of primary evidence on Margaret probably this book's biggest asset is the a copy of Margaret's poems from the Devonshire manuscript which contains a collection of court poetry from the court of Henry VIII, including some of Margaret's work.However, for it's contents this is an extremely expensive book, which is a great pity as it will restrict the amount of people able to access it but if you are after more detailed information on both Margaret and Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox then this is a good place to start.


... Read more

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From the biographer of Henry VIII, an appraisal of his youngest daughter, the woman who would rule England during its golden age. She inherited from her father his intelligence, his physical energy, and his ebullient personality. But was she herself a great queen, or did she merely preside over a great era in English history. Ridley argues that Elizabeth's actions during her reign of England, and its military and cultural supremacy were determined by the fact that her parents were Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Unfairly negative
Jasper Ridley, in this book about the reign of Elizabeth I has some very strong opinions on his subject matter, but seems to veer more towards a negative perception of England's Virgin leading one to question whether he is biased against her.
There is something of a contradiction in his portrayal of Queen Elizabeth as capricious and vacillating on the one hand, while depicting her a conniving and somewhat Machiavellian on the other.

This is a comprehensive volume, more detailed about the political events and Elizabeth's policies than The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius Of The Golden Age though it has considerably on her personal life.
The author skims too quickly through Elizabeth's childhood and youth, before she became Queen, which is a drawback because it was these events that shaped Elizabeth's character.
Interesting is the juxtapositionher religious tolerance with her total belief in the divine right of monarchs and her belief that to rebel against the ruling sovereign was an abomination. Hence although she was Protestant she had little sympathy for the Dutch Protestant rebels against the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands, and even less so for the French Protestant Huguenots against the persecution of their Catholic rulers.
Although she made some efforts to mediate in these disputes and gave support to the Dutch rebels when it became clear that Spain had become an outright enemy of England, in the period leading to the threat to England by the Spanish Armada.

She seems to have hated the Puritans and Presbyterians more than she did the Catholics, although the author does not credit her enough for the religious tolerance she brought to England after the repression by her older half-sister, Mary I, in |Bloody Mary's ruthlesscrusade to stamp out Protestantism in any form from England.

The author well illustrates Elizabeth's anguishedreluctance to have Mary Queen of Scots executed, which Elizabeth was virtually coerced to do by her council, and for which Elizabeth always suffered great sorrow and regret.

But I cannot agree with the author's thesis that Elizabeth was a not so much a great Queen but merely presided over a great era in England's history.
Ridley is wrong.
Elizabeth brought peace and stability to nation that had suffered centuries of civil strife, brought a strong measure of religious tolerance for the age in which she ruled.
She built up a strong economy and a flowering of arts and culture. music and literature (Morley, Byrd, Dowland, Marlowe, Jonson and Shakespeare).

And nobody can take away from the courage she gave England during the threat to her sovereignty by Spain's King Phillip and the Spanish Armada, as well as her brilliant choice of admirals such as SirFrancis Drake and Walter Raleigh.
Who can forget her rousing speech to the people of England defending her country's sovereignty:
"I have...they shall be duly paid to you."Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general2 shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people"

These are the words of a great leader defending her nation against invasion. It is aforeshadow of Churchill's speech we he told Britain that "We will defend our island whatever the cost may be." Churchill: A Life

The Best !
What a refreshingly well-written, concise and historically well-researched book! Ridley is a master of the historic biography, and every book I have read so far (having started off with his account of Henry VIII) is a riveting read and impossible to put away.

May Royal Tunbridge Wells continue to serve as an inspiration to this gifted writer and connaisseur of the depth of the English language.

Outstanding research tool, extensive detail
Jasper Ridley's biography of Elizabeth is well-written and coherent, broken into chapters that examine pivotal events during the reign in foreign and domestic policy.Ridley's work differs from most Elizabethan biographies in its focus on political and military aspects rather than personal studies of the queen.While at times the text drags, for the most part it is crisp and solid reading, and paints a fascinating picture.What makes the book stand out, however, is the quality of its documentation and use of primary sources, and its tremendous value as a research tool.Mr. Ridley has made assiduous use of archived state papers and contemporary commentaries that depict events as they were actually experienced and grasped by the people in the 16th and early 17th centuries.A student partaking in research on this period or studying the European Renaissance in general would benefit tremendously from a consultation of the bibliography, since the author essentially gives an index of the calendars of state publications that detail various decisions and military planning of the late 1500s.Furthermore, Mr. Ridley is careful to delve deeply into foreign sources as well; he makes extensive use of the archives in Simancas, Spain, as well as archival resources in Italy, to furnish shades of detail often overlooked.The overall result is that Mr. Ridley's biography has an unparalleled "real-time" feel to it.And, the author covers territory that too often is neglected in Elizabethan biographies, especially in regard to military affairs that are difficult to research elsewhere.He examines the English defeat and expulsion from Le Havre in France that resulted in the permanent loss of Calais in 1563; the long Anglo-Spanish war of the 1590s that crippled the finances of both countries, and (with Spanish victories at sea) frustrated English attempts at colonization in the Western Hemisphere while preserving Spain's foothold; and also at the bitter Anglo-Irish guerrilla war of the century's last decade, which devastated the Irish countryside and drained England's resources to the limit.For a detailed biography, Jasper Ridley's biography (along with that of Anne Somerset) is top-notch, and as a research tool it is of inestimable help.

The Virtue of Shrewdness..!
Having just finished Anne Somersets more definitive bio on Elizabeth I have to agree with previous reviewers that the author seems to have it in for his subject. Does he even like her?. He portrays her more asvindictive, vascillating, procrastinating,vain and downright bloodthirsty.Most notably in her relations with the english puritans, the protestantrebels in the Netherlands and especially her close relatives. The latterbeing her treatment of Katherine Grey, sister of the beheaded Jane for whomthere was no love lost. He does not give her any credit for being a womanin a mans world and having the guts and wisdom to choose some very brightmen as ministers and councillors and not yes-men at that. Walshingham andWilliam Cecil openly disagreed with her on many issues but at no time didshe contemplate dismissing them. He also appears to be saying thatElizabeth's foreign policy was based on the divine right of princes to ruletheir own kingdoms, and that rebels against their rightful lords be theyprotestant or catholic deserve to be severely punished hence hersympathetic correspondence with Philip of Spain. Ridley also has a penchantfor drawing out in unnecessary detail execution and torture scenes. Whenthe assassin of William of Orange is submitted to all kinds of horrifictorture before his eventual execution, smiling the whole time the readerfinds himself squirming uncomfortably. Despite the authors elegant prose Iprefer the Sommerset or even Antonia Fraser biographies. They may not deifythe woman but at least they dont vilify her.

Losing the Woman in the Details
Ridley provides an excellent overview of Elizabeth's reign, but he spends precious little time with the Queen and her court.I recommend reading this book in tandem with Alison Weir's "The Life of Elizabeth I." Together they provide a fuller picture of the Queen and her times thaneither book does individually. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of Louis, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. It examines his long and distinguished career, his wartime activites as Allied Chief of Combined Operations and his time as Viceroy and Governor General of India. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Official, but honest biography of Mountbatten.
Philip Ziegler was Mountbatten's official biographer.However, he claims in the preface to the book not to have been subject to any censorship, and given the frankness with which he acknowledges his subject's flaws, one can believe his claim.Mountbatten was a close relative of the British royal family; Prince Philip is his nephew, and he regularly referred to Queen Elizabeth as his niece; and he was also a close confident of Prince Charles.He was quite ambitious, and not above using his royal connections to advance his military career.How successful that career was is open to some debate.There is no question about his physical courage -- indeed, he may have had too much of it.As Field Marshall Mountgomery enjoyed pointing out, Mountbatten had three destroyers sunk under him during the early part of the war.Later, he oversaw the Dieppe raid, which was one of the worst fiascos of the war -- a large commando raid on a fortified port resulted in near elimination of some units by German forces composed in many cases of file clerks and cooks.This loss did not stop his career, however; he ended the war with the command of the Burma theater, where he seems to have performed well.After the war, he became the last British Viceroy of India, with the task of working out a peaceful transition from British rule.That was a failure, as hundreds of thousands died in riotsbetween Hindus and Muslims.The Muslims could have been forgiven for suspecting Mountbatten's neutrality; his wife was carrying on an affair with the Indian leader Nehru. Mountbatten was no saint in these matters, and could hardly complain.Mountbatten was murdered in 1979 when the IRA put a bomb on his boat.Why they did this has never been clear.Mountbatten had never been involved in Irish affairs, and at almost 80 years of age played no important part in the Government.

Ziegler does a good job of capturing Mountbatten's charm -- almost everyone who met him liked him -- and his vanity -- after Elizabeth became queen, his aides would compete to see who could be the first to get him to refer to "my niece, the Queen."Curiously, Ziegler begins the book with a description of Mountbatten enjoying reading books on his family tree, an opening that is quite similar to that of "Persuasion" by Jane Austen.The similarity is odd because the character in Austen's novel is a fool and a snob with no ability, and no other claim to distinction.That could not be said of Mountbatten.

Mountbatten lead a truly interesting life, and Ziegler has produced what is likley to be the definitive biography of that life.His honesty is such that one need not be an uncritical admirer of Mountbatten to enjoy this biography. ... Read more

Product Description
Lavish illustrations show Queen Victoria, her kin, and life in England and abroad during her reign. Illustrated spreads beautifully depict the great men and women of the time, Victoria's love for Albert, the Great Exhibition of 1851, Balmoral Castle, and scenes of the British Empire at its finest. This classic is republished for the first time in an illustrated gift format. 250 color and b&w illustrations and photos . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

What a waste of money...
...on the part of the publisher and author to get something this great in print and fail to have it professionally edited. The cost of the color plates, binding, and printing must have been enormous, and the thing reads like a 6th-grade paper that hasn't been proofed. Pity.

Classic narrative destroyed by atrocious editing
This book was sloppily produced.Typographical errors permeate.There are distracting mistakes in some of the captions, too, such as that for a picture of a gray bearded, corpulent Prince of Wales supposedly taken in 1863 when he would have been a man in his early twenties (p. 205). The author -- and his subject -- deserve much better.The publisher deserves a spanking.

Wonderfully illustrated, entertaining.
This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in royalty or history in general. It's a lovely book in a scaled down coffee table format. ... Read more