No comments about The Mistresses of Charles II (History & Politics).

No comments about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

No comments about Royal Family Today.

1 comments about Charles: A Biography.

1. 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.

No comments about Diana, the Princess of Wales, 1961-1997 (Gold Collectors Series).

2 comments about Louis and Antoinette.

1. Cronin is a genius. I originally chose this older title because I am writing a historiography paper on Louis XVI, and Cronin's book sounded like a great example of pro-monarchist sugar coating.
   
   However, I was shocked by the detail and ingenuity of his arguments. Cronin produces sources and events that most histories of the Royal couple completely exclude. The writing style is incredibly smooth and narrative, well suited to the casual reader, or those interested in historiography.
   
   For hard scholars however, Cronin's lack of detailed citation may seem troublesome (he used no in text citations of any kind, preferring to simply list the used works in the back under the chapter in which they are used.)



2. Vincent Cronin's "Louis and Antoinette" still shines among the top biographies of the tragic royal couple. Like Nesta Webster, Cronin understood that they needed to be studied together in order to understand their decisions, their mistakes, their loves and their martyrdom. This book especially excels as a portrait of Louis, demolishing the myth of his impotence and sexual malfuctioning. Rather than the indifferent husband and incompetent king, Cronin builds a strong case for Louis as being very loving and loved, by his wife and by his people. As for Antoinette, Cronin explores in detail her charities and activites as a mother - a dynamic, busy woman, not a bored and decadent consort. I loved this book; it is one of my favorite biographies, which I highly recommend.

No comments about History Of Rasselas, Prince Of Abyssinia.

1 comments about A Princess Remembers.

1. It is a view of India's living conditions, politics, social life and is also a love story. It begins when she is a little girl and the daughter of a prince and ends when she is an old woman. She catches the eye of one of her beautiful mother's "friends", the prince of Jaipur, when she is about 12. Later she becomes his third wife but the only one not an arranged marriage. She travels the world with her husband and does not have to live in purdah as the other two do. She is an celebrated beauty who later goes into politics and even serves time in jail for disagreeing with the government. It transitions India from the old days of the principalities to the democratic India of today. I was in India when I read this book. Several of her husbands palaces are open to the public, including one which is now a luxury palace hotel. We stayed there and experienced a little of the old India of the royals with the laviously decked out elephants (which you could ride), tea in the garden, musicans, shops and the elegant public rooms. Devi still lived there in a house on the grounds. I would recommend this book to anyone who plans to visit or has visited India. It's easy reading and very interesting.

No comments about A Greater Love ( Prince Charles's Twenty-Year Affair With Camilla Parker Bowles).

2 comments about Macbeth: Man and Myth.

1. Readers will appreciate Aitchison's thorough historical and archeological review of the "real" Macbeth. In the second section of the book, he traces the growth of the "myth" (or story) about Macbeth. I found the entire work fascinating.



2. This is one of the best examples of historical research I've read in a long time. The author thoroughly discusses the pertinent sources, their provinence, accuracy, contemporanety, and biases. Using a variety of these sources he paints a very clear and interesting portrait of both MacBeth and to some extent his queen, for whom there is even scanter evidence. Thereafter Aitchison follows the development of the myths of MacBeth, two of which began in the king's lifetime or shortly thereafter. Because Shakespeare's MacBeth is one of the threads of this mythologizing tradition, he also discusses the manner in which Shakespeare changed the story and for what purposes. Probably the most important aspect of this book is the fact that the author is able to give a balance account of MacBeth. He neither indulges in the condemnation of some authors or the almost unrealistic praise of the appologists, both of whose efforts he evaluates as part of his study of the effects of the myth on modern times. Of considerable interest is the discussion of modern cinimatic recreations of MacBeth, including my favorite, the Japanese version Throne of Blood.