No comments about Zara Phillips.

No comments about The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales.

1 comments about Sex Lives of the Kings and Queens (Sex Lives).

1. Nice easy read, quite entertaining but way too many inaccuracies. James, Duke of Monmouth was NOT James, Duke of York's son, for instance. I'm not a history professor by any means, but it seemed like nobody proofread this book. If you want something just as entertaining with no factual mistakes, buy Eleanor Herman's Sex With Kings.

5 comments about Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son.

1. Dying at the age of 18, Henry Fitzroy is, in the end, a person of little or no historical significance. There was the potential that he could have become historically significant, but he didn't; this may make him a little interest to general history readers. On the other hand, as the king's acknowledged son, there is also considerable documentation about his life, and it did intersect with some of the flashpoints of history. For the reader interested in the period, his story fleshes out the life and upbringing of a high-ranking male. Murphy also checks upon some of the minor, disputed details of the question of the succession.
   
   What is very interesting about biographies like this is that they bring out the details of the period better than biographies of the famous. The latter are so filled with political and social events that very often the subject isn't developed as a person, even when there is copious information. In a way, that is a shame. It would be nice to have "personal" biographies of such people where the already heavily documented major historical events are a background to their daily life. I had read a great deal of information about the Tudors before I learned that Henry played cards with (and lost to!) his cellarer, or that Anne Boleyn, obviously a woman after my own heart, insisted that he move his fighting cocks so that she could sleep in in the morning.
   
   One problem that I do have with Murphy is that she struggles so hard to make him seem more important. If his neighbors were bringing him gifts when he was 12, I think it is more likely to ingratiate themselves with him and his father, not because he was personally doing a fabulous job of managing his estates. His life wasn't one that was eccentric or fascinating or wittily told that I would recommend it to everyone, but I think that people really interested in the period will find it improves their general understanding.



2. I love Henry...love any book about him, his wives, his children, I have all of them. This one caught my eye because it was written about one of his children you rarely hear anything about other than his mother's name and that he died relatively young. I was excited to start reading, but found the presentation wasn't grabbing my attention, and I found myself not being as interested in the information presented as I thought I would be. I suppose you could call the presentation as text-bookish. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction, but this one just didn't keep me interested.



3. Among the more grandiose plans amongst the ministers of Henry VIII's administration was to legitimize Henry FitzRoy and marry him to his legitimate half-sister Mary (i.e. Bloody Mary). It has been rumored amongst historians that this idea was in fact direct from the King's mouth. According to 16th century standards, siblings who shared the same father (but perhaps not the same mother) were considered 'full-blood' siblings. Siblings who shared the same mother but different fathers were those considered "half". Just a little tidbit of historical nonsense.



4. Henry VIII while famous for his six wives, did not stop there: among his many extracurriculars was Elizabeth Blount, a young lady who bore him a son, Henry FitzRoy, who was later made Duke of Richmond. The Bastard Price was born well before Ann Boleyn had come on the scene, was publicly acknowledged as the "natural son" of the King and showered with titles and offices. As such, it would not have taken much - or at least it would have taken less trouble than it might have seemed, certainly less trouble than Boleyn marriage brought - to "legitimize" Richmond and thereby solve the most pressing crisis of the late 1520s and early 1530s, namely, Henry's failure to sire a male heir. Murphy does a reasonable job of walking us through the permutations and combination of this would-be scenario, and one is left pondering the possibilities: could the English Reformation have been averted through a bit of subtle intrigue and a quick marriage to Blount? Though the story is interesting, the book itself is a bit slow and assumes quite a deal of background knowledge.



5. This book is a must read for those interested in Tudor Royalty.It reveals an entirely different view of Henry VIII and the problems[real and imagined]he faced concerning his desire for a legitimate male heir to the Throne of England.The politics surrounding Henry VIII and his Court are well researched and presented in a clear way which involves the reader with the Duke of Norfolk and Anne Boleyn's backers and Family[Seymour] as they fought for power and the favor of the King.

2 comments about The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Kings & Queens of Britain.

1. This is a beautifully illustrated, interesting book. Most rulers receive a 1-2 page treatment (although later monarchs have more pages dedicated to them) complete with ancestral charts, timelines, and other helpful additions to the main text. I'm sure this is meant as a coffee table or reference book, but I sat down, read it cover to cover, and then bothered my family and friends with all the facts I'd learned for the next month. A great book.



2. so great book the best book about british monarchy ever published . a lot of photos and paintings which make an atmosphire let you live in the old ages moving to the middle ages and to the victorian . beleive me you will live the british monarchy , live with queens and kings walk throw the history of uk as no historymania did before

2 comments about Cleopatra (Life & Times).

1. This book was informative, entertaining and well written. For someone who wants to explore little known details about ancient Egyptian life, or wants a thorough description of Cleopatra's life and times, this book was great. I purchased it for my daughter, but it piqued my interest as well.



2. I highly recommend Cleopatra The Last Pharaoh by Prudence Jones. If you're looking for a balance interpretation of Cleopatra's life based on the ancient sources and the author's insight into the propaganda that was influential in that day this book is for you. This is not the story of a sexual alluring one dimensional Cleopatra. This Queen is multidimensional and smart. Another plus for the book is the choice of illustrations making this volume particularly attractive. It is an excellent read.

No comments about Henry VIII: Court, Church and Conflict.

5 comments about A Royal Duty: Updated with New Material.

1. Excellent portrayal of Princess Diana. After reading the book I am convinced even more what a truly remarkable person she was. I feel anyone you thinks this book is a betrayal to the Princess has NOT read it in it's entirety. Mr. Burrell shares his experiences of daily life with the princess like no one can, yet does not bash the monarchy. In fact after reading this book I have a deeper respect for the Queen and appreciation of what Princess Diana had to endure as part of the monarchy. It is obvious by this book that Mr. Burrell is a wealth of information and his goal is simply to keep the memory of Princess Diana alive. Thank you Paul!



2. This is a book that lets the reader enter into the intimate world of Princess Diana. And I think that her butler is the right person to do that job becuase he was near the Princess almost 24/7 and he doesn't belong to her real family so, in a way, he's allowed to talk and speak the truth.
   I really liked this book a lot and when i finished reading it I was glad to know that the real Diana was just as I imagined she would be, aside from the headlines and the big pictures, just a simply beautiful human being.



3. I loved the book! I am a huge Princess Diana fan and it was a pleasure finding out more about her; especially her intimate facts. Must read for any Princess Diana fans.



4. I was looking for a book that would give me a little more insight into Diana, Princess of Wales but it is an insider's look at the life of an employee in Royal service. Interesting, but not what I expected or wanted. Towards the end of the book, the author seems to be in the "poor pitiful me" mode which made finishing the book laborious. The photos are excellent, though.



5. I'd like to thank Paul for such an interesting insight into the lives of royalty - particularly the Queen, and of course Diana. It's an easy and enjoyable read. Obviously Paul had enormous affection for Diana, and they had a special relationship - Paul was probably one of the few people she could rely on without question and confide her most personal thoughts, fears and dreams. Paul's wife Maria must have got sick of the endless demands on Paul's time too, and perhaps he became a little obsessive about the princess. But really who cares? Lots of people will knock Diana and what she did or did not do. But at the end of the day, a young woman with two children died in a horrific car crash. How sad for them and their families.

2 comments about Camilla: An Intimate Portrait.

1. Book was good. But I am so sick of hearing about these two. I don't know how Diana's mother could stand watching her daughter be used and abused by these two. I wish to God someone would have stepped in and stopped Diana from marrying him. Note that he had absolutely no other prospects for marriage at the time. All his girlfriends ran for their lives. The whole story is stomach turning!



2. I am not sure I have some respect for Camilla after reading that book, not to mention for Prince Charles either. What bothers me about those two is that they have been sooo dishonest towards Diana. They both manipulated her, thinking she was very innocent and naive, so they would have no problem continuing to see each other whenever they wanted. And it's not very noble to say the very least. But oops... Diana was very clever and the poor girl has been miserable in that "menage a trois".
   
   If prince Charles was so much in love with Camilla 35 years ago, why on God's green earth din't he married her then?? Diana would have been spared all that suffering and misery. Because, let's face it, Diana was "used" to produce an heir to the throne and for that reason only. She was very much in love with Charles and he din't return that love. Instead he betrayed her. And that's why I have no respect for him and Camilla. I think there is no word to describe the way Charles and Camilla manipulated that poor Diana... maybe there is one...disgraceful!

4 comments about Pendragon: The Definitive Account of the Origins of Arthur.

1. Pendragon is Blake and Lloyd's second book, and builds creditably on their first one, Keys to Avalon. They have painstakingly documented the evidence which leads them to the conclusion that Arthur was Welsh and lived, fought, and died in Wales. The evidence for this appears incontrovertible, even if the particular details are not necessarily as easily fleshed out. If nothing else, this is an incredibly important gift to Arthurian research, which hopefully will eventually supercede the always dubious, Arthurian claims of regions from Cornwall to Scotland.
   
   As an anthropologist, I most appreciate their attention to the differences in language and culture which prompted later chroniclers and authors to shift Arthur from his original location to Great Britain as a whole.
   
   Anyone looking for the 'real', historical Arthur will find him here.



2. Pendragon: The Definitive Account of the Origins of Arthur does indeed come closest of all the Arthurian literature to identifying the real 6th century man. Mssrs. Blake and Lloyd do a great job of peeling away the later Medieval romanticist mythology to get at the northern Welsh warband leader as depicted in the original Welsh texts. Their examination of the geographic locations associated with Arthur and his compatriots is much more plausible an explanation than any other. Enlightening and again sound is their assertion that he fought most, or even all, of his battles against fellow Welsh Britons rather than Saxons (except possibly at Badon).
   
   If there is one criticism it would be that the authors failed to follow their own evidence to what seems to me to be an obvious conclusion. They claim that Arthur was only a war leader and never a king but admit that Arthur is not a Welsh name. From their own information, it is possible that he started as a war leader under King Maelgwn of Gwynneth, where one of Arthur's hill fort 'courts' resides and where the early documents reveal to be his original homeland. Yet, he may have later become a king in his own right, the one they identify as Cuneglasus of the Bear's Stronghold. (Arthur comes from the Latin Artoris, which means The Bear.) He may well have been one of the adulterous underlings that Gildas criticized but also later one of the five kings who Gildas likewise lambasted. The second hill fort 'court' they identify lies within the small realm of that minor Welsh king. It is a real possibility that Arthur was Cuneglasus. As they point out, it was Gildas who attached animal names to the five kings he criticized, that one being the Bear. They also cite several early Welsh texts that call him a king or sovereign as well.
   
   Their analysis of the origin of Pendragon, as part of that discussion, is ingenious.
   
   All in all, for anyone who is interested in clearing away the Medieval Romance and finding out about the real Arthur, this is probably the most important tome to read. I heartily recommend it.



3. One of the best written historical references I have had the pleasure to read. Gives a historical document based evaluation of the Authurian theory.



4. Who was King Arthur? The honest answer is, "We don't know." However, it certainly is a lot more fun to at least try to see what the evidence says. And in that vein, this book excellently approaches answering that question by looking at the oldest Arthur evidence written more closely in time to when Arthur would have lived and written in a tongue that he was more likely to have spoken. While it's true that for most people these limitations would produce only a small amount of literature akin to a book of haiku, this book uses that evidence as a starting point to make educated suppositions as to who Arthur was and when he lived.
   For those who's interest in Arthur was piqued by the recent movie featuring Keira Knightly in a leather bikini, it's an interesting topic so read the book. To those who've read only the book, go see the movie because you need to get out more.