Product Description
From a childhood of luxury through a series of adulteries, to poverty-sticken old age, this book tells the life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. It draws on taped interviews with the Duchess. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

only in that space in time
a woman whose money and personality gave her the chance to be special.instead, she chose weak men who only wanted what her money could buy--self-centered, and a woman who most definitely should not have been a mother.a slice-of-life portrait that has no chance of being important as the subject was not. ... Read more

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England's Other Rose
Over the course of seven decades she has gone from being the cherubic little princess who captured the hearts of the pre-war public, to the controversial, often badly behaved tabloid darling whose escapades foreshadowed those of her nephews and their wives, to the shadowy figure whose recent stroke would seem to have more or less removed her from the public stage.

In this evenhanded but essentially sympathetic biography, the Princess emerges as both surprisingly interesting and sadly adrift, a woman whose only substantial accomplishment may end up having been the mother of two apparently well-adjusted and happy children (a feat her older sister might well envy).

Having interviewed members of the Royal Family for various other projects over the years (an advantage denied most unauthorized biographers), Aronson weaves first-hand quotes into his narrative to good effect.He effectively discounts some earlier biographers' wilder claims (of inherited madness, for example) while, it must be admitted, adding some of his own (is it really possible that the Princess confessed to having "detested" her grandmother, the formidable but endearing Queen Mary?).All in all, though, a pleasant and worthwhile read for Royal-watchers. ... Read more

Product Description
This seventh edition includes both important tours by members of the royal family as well as some more informal moments at home and on holiday. ... Read more

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A Well-Balanced, Deeply Researched Biography
This biography of Elizabeth II is one of the best I've every read.
Mr. Pimlott has clearly done extensive research on his subject, but is able to provide a highly readable text. I especially appreciate his absolute neutrality on the subject: he renders praise where it is clearly due (in an absolutely non-fawning manner) and delivers well-judged criticism also where it is due. It is a fascinating read, and I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Given Events since 1994, Sadly Prescient
Though Diana:Her New Life is clearly written from within Diana's camp (and, I suspect, with her cooperation), there are some clues to the difficulties of being close to this enigmatic icon.Her staff knew that it was going to be a rough day if there was anything negative about her in the press, or if she was expected to deal with the Royal Family.It was a delicate dance staying on top of who was "in" and who was "out" of her inner circle.It is an understatement to say that the book is on her side; her affairs with James Hewitt and Oliver Hoare are referred to as "friendships," whereas Charles and Camilla were accurately described as lovers.

I would prefer to read something more objective and even-handed regarding this fascinating woman, but this was an interesting look at what was going on in her life in the years between her separation and 1995.

The book is so sad in retrospect.Diana expressed a desire to live in Paris, because the photographers were slightly more respectful there.At one point in the book, her dealings with the media were described by the phrase "if you live by the press, you'll die by the press."This was written before her Panorama interview and before the finalization of the divorce, and at the time of the publication of Her New Life, Diana was finding her role in a semi-Royal world, without the protection of the Royal security services and the publicity machine of the Palace.She was naive, immature, mercurial and for all that, immensely popular with the public and thus a huge thorn in the side of the Old Guard.

Diana wanted to make a difference, and was starting to do so.Though she had aligned herself with the Red Cross, she hadn't yet found her niche in public service, and of course we now know that she wouldn't have the chance to solidify her usefulness.

A Really Good Read
I love Andrew Morton's writing style.This is such a touching story.Highly recommended.

Not as juicy as Diana: Her True Story
but just as good.This book is an update on Diana since her separation from Charles in 1992 and what the future could hold for Diana as a single woman.

Unfortunately, only a year after her divorce, we got the answer, and it wasn't good.

Palace Intrigue is Alive & Well in This Century
Without question, this is a book sympathetic to Diana's side, andjustifiably so. The grey-suited eunuchs of Buckingham Palace have neverdone the monarchy a favor by meddling in the marriages of the royal family.Morton tells the tale of Diana, her remarkablecourage andresourcefulness, and her feelings of alienation, in the face of a smearcampaign that would have shriveled us lesser mortals. Diana is a flawed,but nevertheless feeling, human being who did not deserve the ill treatmentshe received at the hands of her prince and his minions. This is aninteresting book to read in light of what's happened since the book'spublication in 1994. One can believe that Diana's death may not have beenan accident.

An interesting book,it made you feel asif you were there.
I loved this book, I felt as if I was there writing the book as it happened,rather than reading the book years after it happened. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

VERY WELL WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED
The other biography of Queen Mary that I had read years ago was Matriarch by Anne Edwards, which I had enjoyed, but the detail in this biography was absolutely amazing, particularly for Queen Mary's youth prior to her marriage.The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the lack of detail in her later years as a widow, which was a stark contrast to the great detail earlier in the book.I would recommend this book over Matriarch any day.Pope-Hennessy was an excellent author.

A Superlative Biography
James Pope-Hennessy was chosen by Queen Elizabeth II to be the official biographer of the life of her grandmother, Queen Mary, Consort of King George V.

Pope-Hennessy was given unlimited access to documents and letters in the archives at Windsor Castle, as well as entree' to many living members of the Royal Family, including Queen Mary's son, the Duke of Windsor.

The result is an infallibly researched book.Pope-Hennessy's writing style, however, is hardly pedantic or stultifying. On the contrary, his almost effervescent accounts take the reader into the glittering balls, majestic ceremonies, and grand country house weekends that were the hallmark of Victorian and Edwardian England.

This is, by far, the finest biography of Queen Mary ( I have read others ) And one of the finest written accounts of the Royal Family during that period.

HER MAJESTY QUEEN MARY
I have owned this book for nearly three decades and have read it several times, and each time is a joy. This book. by far, has to be one of the best "official" biographies of a monarch. When it first came out in 1959/1960 it was a bestseller on both sides of the pond as they say. Take a few hours with it and you will see why. You won't be disappointed!

James Pope-Hennessy does a brilliant job of evoking the life and times of this dignified lady. This book was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II so therefore Mr. Pope-Hennessy had access to all the royal files as well as to the people that knew Queen Mary best. While the book is exhaustive it is by no means dull as the author is a fine writer and knows how to spin a tale. The reader will be enchanted by stories of the young princess growing up as well as inspired by her stalwart devotion as consort during some of the most tumultuous times in England's history. I defy any reader not feel the proverbial lump in their throat when near the end of her life, Queen Mary, aged and infirm, stands at attention as her son's (George VI) coffin passes the palace and utters the phrase, "There he goes," as tears roll down her cheek.

From Mary herself, to her entertaining mother The Duchess of Teck, to the tragic Prince Eddy, to King George V and finally King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary's circle comes to life through anecdote after anecdote. The author also has a fine feel for the eras that surrouded Queen Mary: Victorian, Edwardian, WWI and WWII and into the modern age.

Some people have referred to this book as hagiography--a word I detest. It is ironic that what was once considered a brilliant work is today thought of in such light. Actually QUEEN MARY is biography the way biography used to be and still should be. Today there is to much emphasis on the inner thoughts of the subject (if an author does that then doesn't the nook become fiction) to all the salacious details that can be unearthed. I have often wondered why people write about someone just to tear them down.

While Pope-Hennessy does a great job unravelling the life of George V's consort he doesn't resort to any kind of analysis of the woman, which would have been impossible as he did not know her. Therefore the reader is treated to a great story without all that armchair psychology that often bogs down royal biographies today. Sadly, this seems to have become the vogue in this genre in the late 1990s when all those books were written about the late Princess Diana of Wales and members of the House of Windsor.

QUEEN MARY is the chronicle of a remarkable woman and remarkable times that is told with respect and objectivity. The fact that it is still in print says alot about the book itself. If you love history and royalty, and want to read a great biography as the genre should be written, sit down and have a cup of tea with QUEEN MARY, you'll be glad you did.
----Michael J. Powazinik

Queen Mary Hagiography
After all the gleaming reviews of this book, and because of my interest in the Windsor Royal Family, I read this book with initial relish, and growing ill-ease.It is pure hagiography, the besotted official biographer writes well, and with great love of his subject, but there in no real study of the character of the woman, nor the impact on her of the abdication crisis; no sense of the Queen having the slightest character flaws, or any strong life experiences.What was her voice like: did she have a non-English accent; what about the anti-German sentiment in the country during WWI how did she deal with it?Nothing of this nature was discussed in any detail in this book.It is official court writing; and if you think that that tells you anything insightful or perceptive, then you might like this book.It was all right, but so much was left out that it could have been around 100 pages and could have told this same story.After reading it I feel I know very little about anything other than garden parties, trips to the Continent to visit a beloved aunt, and that the Queen was generally a nice but just moderately intelligent person.I am not looking for shocking details such as the euthanizing of her husband or how she treated her children, but some verisimilitude on real life issues would have been nice.This is evidence that court approved and appointed biographers don't tell very much of the story.

Queen Mary
Before I read this biography I had no interest in the Victorians, didn't think much of the Royal Family and thought all biographies were boring. This book changed all that. It was the story of a remarkable life, well told, and it covers an important period in history it was good to read- in fact, it deserves to rank as the best biography ever written, even though it's 47 years old! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One Of The Bestsellers Of The 19th Century And Still Charming Today
Editor David Duff's lavishly illustrated and carefully compiled book is a deft selection of those diary entries which best give an unprecedented inside tour of a royal lifestyle. Queen Victoria was a disciplined woman of strong habits and a diarist who possessed the gift of descriptive narrative. Her entries, once released as two bestselling works, strongly evoke a place, Scotland, and a time, most of the years of her reign, and tell of the scenery, weather, people, and events as she experienced them. From her entries about rides out on Highland moors, to reports on shooting parties, frank retellings of lugubrious funerals, seemingly endless notations of carriage rides, including one in which Her Majesty was injured in an accident, descriptions of formal dinners, and impromptu luncheons with simple folk met on her excursions, logs of royal cruises, jotted facts about legends and local histories, Queen Victoria's journal is colorful, factual, impeccable, and leaves a reader feeling a part of a distant era, and as a bonus, one cannot but come away from these books with a strange sense that Victoria was someone known personally. The Journals are divided into two sections, the first those happy two decades before her widowhood began with Albert's passing in 1861, the second basically all that came after, a time largely invested in mourning, years dominated by her faithful friend and servant, the sturdy Highlander John Brown. I have always enjoyed reading these Highland Journals, and took this particular version with me to Scotland in order to locate certain places Queen Victoria mentioned, and my experience of visiting these sites was so much greater for that connection. Any lover of history or Victoriana should appreciate this illustrated collection of the Queen's extraordinary writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Excellent
Thanks for the great customer service you have. I received the product and it was just as I wanted.

My Review on Diana: Her True Story
I sort of liked this book more than some of the other biographies I've read before.To be honest before I read this book I have NEVER heard of Princess Diana.While I read this book I felt sympathetic toward her because she had a real hard life after she became involved with the Prince Charles.Most of the sympathy went into the fact that she received pretty much no help from any one except her mother and father but no help whatsoever from the royal family and was expected to know everything she was supposed to.She had bulimia and no experience at all at being royalty and the somewhat rude expectations from the royal position and the responsibilities that came with it.Not only that but the prince that proposed to Diana (the prince that became her husband) was cheating on her with another woman and everyone was trying to hide the fact that he was seeing the other woman.Along with that problem came the fact that her husband cared more about the other woman than Diane even though she was his wife.An example was that when Diana was still engaged to the prince and the paparazzi were following her and the other woman the prince was seeing, Diana was being followed by like 36 paparazzi the other woman was only being followed by 4 people the prince was sympathetic towards the other woman and didn't even care about the hardships Diana was going through.
So overall I would give the book a good rating since it had a personal interview with Diana and used her own words rather than some facts that could very well be just rumors that were spread.
S.Brock

Diana "The Queen Of Hearts"
Saint Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower wrote that she had prayed to discover her true vocation - and that she had found it: "to be love in the heart of the Church"! A novel by Carson McCullers wears the title: "The Heart is A Lonely Hunter". "The heart" is the location of the reality of our life . . .it is where we really dwell . . . and where God dwells with us.

Princess Diana Spencer was indeed a "lonely hunter" searching for herself and for meaning "in her heart" . . . and she found that meaning in the hearts of countless millions throughout the world -- many who encountered her personally and countless millions who never physically met her but DID meet her soul.

Diana's external beauty simply was a radiation outward and visibly of her real true inner beauty - Melanie (Safka) the folk singer wrote a song titled, "Beautiful People", and while Melanie hadn't envisioned "Diana" who probably had just been born about the time she recorded that song, Diana WAS a "beatiful person".

This book by Andrew Morton comes about as close as we might ever come to hearing the voice of Diana speaking for herself. She presents herself to us as she was: frailties included - but "the flaws" are what mark individuals as unique and as the amazing persons that they are - and the faults simply lend contrast to their perfections and more noble character.

The world cried when Diana died . . . and she left us wondrous memories of a "Camelot" that did exist if but for a fleeting moment . . . and she left us an example of how "love" can exist in the heart of the worldfor any other person in need, whatever their need or hurt and wherever they may live. She was a friend of Mother Terese and Mother Terese was a friend to Diana (Diana was buried with rosaries Mother Teresa gave her) - they lived in two different atmospheres but shared that sense of "human pain".

This volume lets Diana linger with us a while longer . . . and the photographs bring her back once again and remind us of why we all fell under her spell.

And beneath the surface of her image . . . between the lines of her words, we can also find hints as to how we can live a more compassionate and understanding and caring life of "love" ourselves.

Diana is missed . . . and she should be . . . but the world was blessed that she walked among us even for so brief a time. Her smile is now eternal.

GOOD READ BUT NOT ENTIRELY TRUTHFUL
I first read this book when it came out in 1992.Like everyone else, I was shocked and blamed Prince Charles for the marriage falling apart.

Since she died, there's been a number of credible stories come out that shows Diana to be manipulative, emotionally immature, stubborn and just plain bizarre.While her devotion to her children is unquestionable, and her charity work obviously came right from her heart, there were too many other aspects of her character that were not so glossy.

I mean come on, if your wife was pregnant and threw herself down the stairs to get your attention, would you not seriously question her mental stability?Anyone who can cut themselves with a lemon peeler or smash themselves against a glass cabinet is obviously a few bricks short of a load and in serious need of help.When she did the Panorama interview in 1995, she declared that she felt "betrayed" when her former lover James Hewitt did a tell-all book.............uh, well didn't she do the exact same thing to her husband when she told Andrew Morton all the dirty details of their marriage?

While I despised Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles for their affair, I understand now (a decade later) why he would turn to her:for some NORMALCY in his life.

Be that as it may, the one fasinating thing about Diana is her uncanny ability to predict things.In this book, it tells of her conversations when she was young that she was going to marry someone "in the public eye".She also apparently predicted her father's stroke in 1975.But what was fasinating to read in 1992 was Diana's belief that "while she knows that William will one day be King, she is firm in her belief that she will never become Queen" and "I am performing my duty as Princess of Wales, but I can't see it for much longer than 15 years."As we all know, she was Princess of Wales for 16 years. She made these statements 6 years before she died.....

Spin, from the Mistress thereof
Andrew Morton's book, written in collusion with the late Diana, is a well-written, cleverly confected polemic designed to undo the very people who made her what she was (or, as some in the UK were wont to say, "After all, she's just a royal by injection"). Purportedly the daughter of a famous alcoholic (Lord Spencer), she exhibited all the classic symptoms of an adult child of an alcoholic; low self-esteem, poor boundaries, poor impulse control, chronic depression, a pattern of blaming others for her problems, etc. Of course, one can add on bulemia (from which she suffered before she married her poor husband), and other deep-seated psychiatric disorders. All this is clearly shown in the book to any critical reader. My daughter's godmother, the late Ouida Huxley, used to regale us with stories told her by one of the Queen's closest confidants, who herself witnessed how during the height of her omnipotence Diana would disparage her husband to his face, in front of the family, on his lack of charisma compared to her. She pulled cute pranks like screaming and rolling about on the floor when she didn't get what she wanted (in this particular case, to go to Majorca instead of Balmoral) in a fine impression of a grand mal epileptic seizure, in front of the Queen at a family meeting. For some reason (and it wasn't Camilla, who re-entered the scene only after all efforts at marital repair were exhausted), Diana felt as if the ungrateful royals needed to be paid back for her psychic pain, not realizing that the source of her suffering was in her own head. Andrew Morton's book is the result. It's as one-sided as an autobiography by a narcissist. Morton was either duped, or a willing collaborator in the tearing down of Britain's primary civic institution, the Monarchy. This work (if such it may be called) is about as accurate as Soviet propaganda. It is a fantasy woven from scraps of truth. If Diana had lived, and married the dreadful Dodie Fayed, she would have lost her titular "Princess" title, and reverted to merely the (alleged) daughter of an earl, and would have once again been "Lady Di". Dodie's dad was planning to lugubriously install the two love-birds in the Windsors' old place in the Bois de Boulogne. Eventually, no doubt, she would have tried out one of her famous emotionally wracking "turns" on Dodie (an Egyptian man, mind you) and would have infallibly been kicked out on her coutured posterior. During that time anyone who knew her, even from a distance, could see that Diana's life was on an inexorable and endless downward cycle (remember, even her brother, who so "courageously" dissed his own godmother, the Queen, on international television, refused to have Christmas dinner with D the last year of her life). Andrew Morton's book is a classic celebrity bio. Poor Diana. She was never happy, she would never be happy, and she was going to sow chaos and destruction wherever she went. Death, however, mercifully came for Diana before her life got even worse.
... Read more

Product Description
Anne Boleyn is the most notorious of England?s queens, but more famous for her death as an adulterer than for her life. Henry?s second wife and mother of Elizabeth I, Anne was the first English queen to be publicly executed. Yet what do we know of the achievements and the legacy of her short reign?

In The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn Eric Ives provides the most detailed and convincing portrait we have of the queen. He reveals a person of intellect with a passion for the new culture of the Renaissance, a woman who made her way in a man?s world by force of education and personality. She played a powerful and independent role in the faction-ridden court of Henry VIII and the unceasing struggle for royal favour that was Tudor politics. The consequences can still be detected today. Indeed, Ives shows that it was precisely because Anne was a powerful figure in her own right that it needed a coup to bring her down. She had to be stopped ? even by a lie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Not for the casual reader
The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn is a fascinating read, meticulously researched, and well written. It is filled to the brim with any and all details pertaining to the life of Anne Boleyn. For readers who are thoroughly knowledgeable about this time period, dates, and people, they will find it a wonderful read.

At times, it can be hard to get through, simply because of the fact that there is so much information he is trying to get through. There is still so much information that is disputed about Anne, and it is unlikely these things will ever be resolved. Ives takes a sympathetic view of Anne, seeing her as an ambitious, intelligent, and even modern, woman. A slightly more frustrating aspect of the book is that Ives will take a fact, disprove it, and then suggest that maybe it was true to begin with.

All in all, it is a scholarly work, and not intended to be picked up and read easily, like some of the numerous historical fiction books about Anne, but is it invaluable for someone who wants to read a fairly accurate portrayal of the woman Anne Boleyn was.0000

Wonderful study of Henry VIII's most misunderstood Queen
If you are looking for a comprehensive study on Anne and her life, you need not look further.Collecting from various sources, Ives brings to life the character who turns the English monarchy on its head.She is a very tragic figure and very misrepresented in history.A woman ahead of her time, she captures Henry's heart and mind.This is a book for someone fascinated with her life as well as for someone who may feel their perception of her needs clarification.By then end, you will come to understand the one woman Henry VIII seemed to truly love and who was brought down by the political intrigue of those in Henry's court.

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII
I am also reading, "In The Lions' Court" by Wilson.Was Anne Boleyn really that involved with decisions or was it allHenry?Did she along with others become an obstacle to Henry?No one will really ever know.

Excellent
This is a very thorough exposition of the life of Anne Boleyn. The milieu in which she lived is thoroughly described. Anyone with any interest in Anne Boleyn will do well to read and perhaps study this book.
John BeyerleinLiz & Dick

Couldn't finish.
I so wanted to enjoy this book. I really did. One must give credit to Ives for all of his researchbut I found the book impossible to read. Most annoying to me, he provided information, then disproved it, and finally argued that it might, in fact, be true. I reread several passages trying to understand what on earth he was trying to say. Other authors have done a better job of speaking about the people of the court - title changes, multiple names, it's all a big confusing mess here. Reading this, I felt like I was slogging through a textbook I HAD to read. So I quit. I will find another book about Anne B that is more to my liking and doesn't leave me so muddled. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hundred Years War produced a fascinating and terrifying mixture of high chivalry with utter brutality and the devastation. The 'Black Prince' ofWales, England's first Duke and son of Edward III, proved a potent icon of the Plantagenet kings, at once inspiring to his troops with deeds of valour, a sense of the chivalric gesture, and a keen tactical sense. To his enemies, however, he stood as an angel of death whose ravages brought terror and panic toboth France and Spain. In this biography, recorded shortly after the Prince's death in 1376 by the herald of Sir John Chandos, the prince's deeds are celebrated and have been thus preserved. Translated in 1883 by Francisque-Michel, this hard-to-find text has been edited and reissued by the Chivalry Bookshelf, answering the call of reenactors and students of medieval or military history who have long sought for it. ... Read more

Product Description
Flora Fraser gives us the fascinating story of a mismatched Prince and Princess of Wales, married in 1795 and separated less than a year later. George III arranged the marriage of his niece Caroline of Brunswick to his son George. Their disastrous, and probably bigamous, marriage (George having earlier privately married a Catholic widow), had profound political consequences culminating in the trial of Caroline for adultery. Caroline's place in history has generally been limited to that of persecuted wife but Fraser, with access to previously unavailable documents, provides a complex portrait of a spirited woman who refused to be victimized.Amazon.com Review
"There are two types of British queens," says ColumbiaUniversity historian DavidCannadine."Those who hold the position strictly as wife of theking, and those (few) who have ruled as sovereign in absence of a maleheir." Queen Caroline, who briefly held title when King George IV wascrowned in 1820 is numbered among the former. Vulgar, selfish, andundisciplined, she fled from the husband she hated and became nearlyas well known for her promiscuity as King George IV himself. Viewed bythe public as a wronged woman, she survived George's attempts todissolve the marriage, but opinion turned against her and she died in1821. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

They can research -but- the Frasers can't write!
Both Fraser Mother & Fraser daughter can research a subject to death. However, neither writes gracefully or entertainingly. This book reads like a compilation of notes. Yawn. I'd rather read a loosey goosey Mitford biography, as if I wanted sleep, I'd read dissertations.

An enigma, still unexplained
This is a fascinating, almost incredible, true story, but (as reviewers who've preceded me here have pointed out) Flora Fraser hasn't managed to do it justice.Queen Caroline's actions are so baffling, so inconsistent, and so seemingly self-destructive that a writer really must have a "take" on her for a biography to be enlightening or moving.Fraser seems almost afraid to take a stand, or else so mired in her research that she's lost the need for a big picture.The result is that when Caroline veers in completely new directions-- suddenly taking lovers after years of faithfulness to a husband who despised her, or leaving England at the drop of a hat after years of determination to fight her battles there-- the reader gets the (highly detailed) facts without any insights that could help us understand a seemingly random shift.We don't even learn why Caroline, with few marital prospects into her mid-20s, was chosen to marry the future George IV in the first place.It's not even clear whether Fraser likes her subject, approves of her actions, or felt much enthusiasm for the project except as a collector of commemorative objects she calls "Carolingiana."I guess writing biographies is just the family business...

Specific oddities include no real sense of George IV's personality or motivation, the tendency of key people to drop out of the narrative altogether when they're not present in Caroline's life (even those important to Caroline, like her daughter Charlotte), and detailed descriptions of paintings (by one of Caroline's supposed lovers, Thomas Lawrence) that Fraser hasn't actually included in the illustrations.So much is made of the transformation of Caroline's appearance over the years that we really do need to see more from her later life than caricatures and cartoons.

It would seem inevitable that someone will make a great drama out of this story-- as a biography, or even as a play or film.It's a shame that Fraser didn't see that she could convey some of this drama, and real insight, without compromising her extensive research.

Exciting history
Flora Fraser writes beautifully, and her research is impeccable. This is one of the best "life and times" set in Georgian England available today. The popularity of Queen Caroline with the populace, always looking for symbols of opposition to the monarchy, makes clearer the similar fascination in our time with as inexplicable a figure as Diana, Princess of Wales. The books is a great read that has something to say, rather like the wonderful Mediterranean histories written by the late Sir Steven Runicman (e.g., History of the Crusades). The Unruly Queen, along with David Gilmour's Curzon, are must reading for those interested in British history.

May I have my time back, please?
Whatever were they THINKING!?!I mean, the author, and worse, the editors.This is an appallingly bad book. I staggered through the whole University of California paperback version, convinced that eventually it would improve.Sadly, I was too optimistic.

Caroline of Brunswick was clearly quite an unpleasant person all 'round.Ill-educated, dishonest, gullible, ill-bred, plain at best, lacking in style and sense, desperate for any sort of attention, she would be difficult to like in the hands of the most talented biographer.It's a shame that she was left to Flora Fraser.This particular Ms. Fraser is living proof that a talent for biography isn't hereditary.She is pendantic, tedious, and apparently without enthusiasm for her subject, whom she abandons regularly in pursuit of political minutiae.

I was startled by the ineptitude of the editing.In a number of instances the vocabulary used was clearly anachronistic slang, but the quotes were not footnoted, leaving the reader bewildered as to the meaning of the quote.In these instances, the Oxford English Dictionary was no help, surely a responsible standard for an editor of a British/American release?Some quotes are simply inaccurate.

I suspect the editors may have been overawed by Flora Fraser's lineage, and hopeful of a comparison between Diana Spencer and Caroline of Brunswick.If Caroline was as Flora Fraser describes, there is scant ground for such hopes.

I majored in British history, am quite accustomed to dry texts, and have read each and every one of Lady Antonia Fraser's splendid works with pleasure.In this case, the daughter should NOT have attempted to go into the family trade, she has no talent for it.

I very much regret the time I wasted plodding through this exceedingly dull book about a sad, dreary woman who would have been best left to rest in peace.

And no, to the best of my knowledge, I'm no relation to this branch of Frasers.

A woman with a heart but next to no common sense!
A biography about one of England's most enigmatic and on this side of the pond at least lesser known Queens. Charlotte born into the rather stogy provincal atmosphere of the Hanoverian Court was married off while still a teenager to her first cousin the future King George IV. A dandy and bon vivant who had already contracted a marriage years ago to the attractive and apparently virtuous widow Mrs. FitzHerbert. Alas Mrs. FitzHerbert was not only a commoner but a staunch catholic and George was a spend thrift. When His father refused to continue filling his coffers unless he found himself a proper (i.e. Royal) bride he abandoned Mrs. FitzHerbert and wed poor Charlotte.

Almost at once however he was repulsed by his cousin (whom he had never before met). After siring one child (a daughter Charlotte) he promptly returned to the far more worldly and appealing Mrs. FitzHerbert. This led poor Charlotte to rebel.

Her rebellion was to cost her dearly. Leading in the end to a notorioius and flawed trial headed by parliment to decide if she was in fact guilty of adultry.

Charlotte led a tragic but interesting life. As withMarie-Antoinette it can be said that Charlotte's own bad judgement and ignorance were as much (if not more) to blame for her misfortunes as the ill will of her enemies.

Overall it was an engaing account of a fascinating woman and period in time. It gave glimpses into the lives of the rest of the British Royal Family. From George's rather embittered maiden sisters to his mad father King George III and his outwardly sweet but meddling mother Queen Charlotte. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The best one I have read so far on them
I have read quite a few books on the Duke and Duchess and this one is my favorite so far.It is very readable and has lots of pictures.It is sympathetic to them, but as the author actually was involved with them (at least his boss was, in a very close, intimate, manner) at least he has a leg to stand on, as opposed to many others I have read that rely on mostly gossip. And also, what terrible thing did they do besides fall in love and want to be married? They stayed devoted to each other for the rest of their lives!He has access to their personal letters and has actually published a book of them, I believe.My only problem is where he makes allusions to the Duchess being a hermaphrodite.That sounds like a complete hypothesis to me, and there is absolutely no evidence that he puts forward.Not tosay it's not true, maybe it is for all I know but that just seemed like an assumption.Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and I felt extremely sorry for the Duke and Duchess.I think the Royal family treated them horribly.

Surprising Read
Everyone knows the story of Duke and Duchess of Windsor - the story of love triumphing difficult circumstances. Being a royalist groupie, I was content in knowing the briefest outline of how King Edward VIII abdicated in order to be married to Wallis Simpson.
Therefore I surprised myself one day at the library by picking this book up and even more so when I actually finished it. This book is sympathetic to Wallis and is definitely startling for anyone who felt that it was wrong for a King to abdicate for personal love. Even more so that a woman who inspired such passion in a king could be good or that she would even strive to prevent the abdication from happening.
It gives a starting point for anyone interested in what went on in that era and how Wallis Simpson became eye of a royal storm so to speak.
The hostilities between the Windsors and the British Royal family did eventually thawand pictures of Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke of Windsor was enough to warm my heart.
It is a must read for anyone who would like to know both sides of a scandalous but royal love story.

Easy to read...
I really enjoyed this book.I was surprised when I started it; there are tons of pictures and less text than might be expectd, but with a topic like this one, I actually think this proved to be an advantage.I felt like I got enough of an overview/background to understand what was going on surrounding the Duke and Duchess, but did not feel overwhelmed by the history.For example, I tried reading a biography on the Duke,a nd was so bored and lost by the first two chapters because I was given SO much information!

I also got a different view of the Duchess.While I had not read any non-foction about her, she does pop up in fiction by Danielle Steele ("Jewels") and Dominick Dunne ("The Two. Mrs. Grenvilles") and she is portrayed in a totally unlikeable light.While I don't know how biased this biography was, I ended up being very sympathetic towards the Duchess and hoping that she and the Duke were happy together.

I also found the many pictures to be a plus, as they were great to peruse.

Essentially a book of fashion photographs
Althought elegantly designed and filled with high-quality photos, this has got to be one of the most egregious books I have run across in years.Bloch, an associate of the Duchess' lawyer, has cobbled together numerousphotographs which depict the Windsors at balls, on holiday (from what?) onthe Cote d'Azur, in the Bahamas, in Germany, in nightclubs, etc., etc.Itis difficult to read this book and not come away with the impression that,great love story though it may have been, the lives of this woman and herhusband were an utter waste of everyone's time.How bored (and boring)they must have been!Unless you want to indulge in a little elegantnotalgia, don't bother with this high-fashion trash. ... Read more