5 comments about The Romanovs 1818-1959.

1. This novel focuses mainly on Tsar Alexander II, his children, and grandchildren. It also follows the lives of the children from Alexander II's second family with Catherine Dolgoruky. The novel reveals just how many colorful characters the were in the Romanov family besides Nicholas and Alexandra. In my opinion the book really doesn't go into as much depth when it comes to the section on Nicholas II than the ones on his father or grandfather and the last 2 chapters that are supposed to be for Nicholas seem to deal more with his uncle Paul Alexandrovich than with the emperor himself. That aspect of the book is actually kind of refreshing considering the deluge of information on Nicholas II, and by writing less about him may have the author's aim. The section on Alexander III, Nicholas' father, was very revealing seeing as how not much is written about him. The information on Alexander II's youngest child Catherine, by his second wife, was also equally revealing especially her life after the revolution. The book also throws in political information with the personal to create the prevailing moods of the different time periods.



2. Van der Kiste is a prolific author on the subject of modern British and Continental royalty, and this is one of his better efforts. While the Romanovs had ruled imperial Russia since 1613, the male line died out in the mid-18th century. The succeeding Holstein-Gottorp dynasty (a branch of the Oldenburgs), in the person of Peter III, took the Romanov name and produced five more tsars before the Russian monarchy came to an end in 1918. Tsar Paul was idealistic and generous but also vindictive and paranoid, and ultimately was assassinated. Alexander I, a complex and contradictory figure with mystical leanings, was also the most powerful ruler on the Continent after the fall of Napoleon. Nicholas I was a repressive autocrat of limited intellectual ability and was succeeded by Alexander II, a despotic but soft-hearted reactionary, nevertheless emancipated Russia's serfs. He, too, was assassinated, which led his son, Alexander III, to tighten his control of the Russian state. And his son, Nicholas II, was totally incapable of meeting the demands of the job in an age of world war mixed with long-simmering revolution. Moreover, all the tsars in this period married German princesses, which did nothing to endear the ruling family to the Russian people during the Great War. The author does a good job of tracing the psychological threads and social and political environments that formed this disastrous family.



3. Mr. Van Der Kiste has once again given the reader a history of a royal family that presents the members as real people and not just historical personages. He also mentions collateral members of the family, not just the czars. Many photos enhance the text. A very enjoyable read.



4. This book on the Romanovs is a good description of the Romanov dynasty in its last century, concentrating primarily on the lives of Tsar Alexander II and his descendants. It does a good job covering the political and military events of the time, but is quite sketchy on the personal lives and characters of the last three Tsars and their relatives. This is a good book to have along with Charlotte Zeepvat's "Romanov Autumn", which covers the same time period but with a more personal slant.



5. If you've read any of Mr. Van Der Kistes works you will usually find them to be sound bytes rather than a volume filled with information. The Romanovs is a decent book, but hardly worth this price. Mr. Van Der Kiste as usual skims the surface, doesn't even go near his subject matter. He crams a history of a family, into two hundred pages, five generations, and at least 100 members. Some he mentions some he doesn't. And unfortunately it's been done much better. Perry and Pleshakov recently did a very good job with The Flight of the Romanovs. If one is going to tackle such a subject, one should be able to provide information, rather than sound bytes. But this is the fourth book I've read by Mr. Van Der Kiste, and they're all pretty much the same. Lacking in substance.

2 comments about The Emperor Domitian.

1. The Emperor Domitian presided over a period in which many of the later New Testament texts were written, such as Revelation and the Gospel of John. Close study of the reign of Domitian provides enormous insight into these biblical texts and the situations they addressed for their own readers. Jones' biography of Domitian should be standard reading for anyone seeking to understand the world that generated such claims for Jesus as "savior of the world" (John 4) and "Lord and God" (John 20), both attributed to Domitian. One of the great strengths of Jones' book is its placing of Seutonius' own "Twelve Caesars" in historical context. Many previous interpretations of the lives of the caesars took Suetonius as a reporter, rather than as the imperial propagandist for his patron that he was.
   
   Very readable and highly recommended.



2. When it was published in 1992 this book was the first significant scholarly biography of the emperor Domitian (ruled AD 81-96) since 1894. The author is an Associate Professor and a leading specialist in Flavian political and prosopographical history, and has produced a very reliable, readable work that is a critical and valuable interpretive synthesis of the considerable modern scholarship relating to Domitian. The study is organized thematically and with a very solid prosopographical approach. The first chapter examines the social and political rise of Domitian's family, his early life and role under his father Vespasian and brother Titus (both emperors). The next two chapters provide a detailed examination of Domitian's court and his relationship with his courtiers. These are then followed by two chapters on Domitian's financial, administrative and provincial policies. Chapters 6 and 7 examine the major wars of Domitian's reign and his military and foreign policies.! After these there are two chapters on the senatorial and equestrian aristocracy during Domitian's reign, and his relationship with them and other policies and problems. The conclusion completes the study with detailed end-notes and an exhaustive bibliography. The three indices (on persons, ancient authors and general subjects) at the end of the book are very useful and effective. For serious scholars of this period this biography is an indispensable work. A more recent biography of Domitian with a psychological approach ('Domitian: Tragic tyrant') is in many ways simply based upon the present study.

2 comments about Mary Queen of Scots: A Spiritual Biography.

1. Mary Queen of Scots by Carol SCcaefer was a great find. This wonderful book tells an epic tale. The intimate style of storytelling kept me turning the pages. Carol Schaefer's skillful weaving of fact and fiction allowed me to harbor a secret wish that all would go well for the remarkable and doomed heroine. The dusty historical facts I had so often read in shcool came to life with the use of such lyrical language, language fit for a queen. I recommend this book as a perfect gift for friends and family. A discerning reader will appreciate this book by a gifted writer. I await Carol Schaefer's next contribution to the literary world.



2. My eyes grew big as I read. Carol Schaefer's eloquent language, combined with an "at the edge of your seat" story-line, gave me chills. I never knew reading a biography could be this entralling.

5 comments about Royal Russia: The Private Albums Of The Russian Imperial Family.

1. If a reader of this book is already familiar with the images of the OTMA, and Maria in particular, then the mistaken identifications will not be a problem. There are many photographs that are not in many Romanov photocollections, and the information contained in the text seems spot on. However, I would not recommend this for anyone who does not have a familiarity with the Romanov family already.



2. i love to read anything i can find on the russian royal family,great book.great service,thanks.



3. In "Royal Russia", Lovell draws the reader into the amazing world of the last Imperial Family with their wonderful photographs. The photographs are excellent, however there are some misidentifictations of the Grand Duchesses. Nonetheless, the book is great.



4. Brief Summary:

   In the year 1881 church bells rung from the towers Alexander II is dead. His eldest son Nicholas was crowned czar of imperial Russia. With his wife Alexandra from England. Granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Their first child was born in 1895.Her name was The Grand Duchess Olga Romanov. She was the czars heir. Then in 1897 their second child was born. Her name was Tatiana Romanov. Then in 1899 Marie was born. Then in1901 Anastasia was born. Followed by their final child the new heir Alexei in 1904. Then problems came to Russia there were riots in Russia. The people started to hate the czar and czarina. People were starving in the streets. And Nicholas didn't know anything about it. Alexei was diagnosed with Hemophilia that meant if he bleeds he could bleed himself to death. The Russian Revolution started and the people hated the czar. They imprisoned him and his family. To a small village in Siberia. Then they transported them to a village near Moscow. Where one morning a soldier came to there room and told them to get dressed and get downstairs. The family was told to wait in the basement. A firing squad opened the door and started to fire on the family. The bullets cut their bodies down. There were screaming and lots of smoke. Not one Romanov lived that morning. They say that Anastasia escaped and lived. But that is another mystery.

   Critical Thinking:

   In the book Royal Russia the Romanov family had many fears. They were imprisoned to Siberia and they went from extremely rich to poor. The girls were the most scared because they did not know what was going on or what was going to happen to them. When they were shot in the basement they probably had a clue what was going on. When they were shot they were terrified on what happened to there family.

   Bottom Line:

   Good book to read and also has some good pictures to look at that best describes the Romanov family as they were not how they were preseved to be.




5. Hmmmm, I was decidedly disappointed in this book. Many of the pictures contained within were very poor quality and there were some blatant mistakes in identification of the family members. A good many of the photographs are not new to the collector of Romanov books. I would not recommend this book if one is expecting to see anything new. I dont think Mr. Blair Lovell would have been pleased!

2 comments about Prince William: Born to Be King.

1. I live in England but, do you know, I've never followed the activities of the royal family. It's not always something special when you've grown up with it all your life, and they've done much to let themselves down in the past 20 years, the poor souls. So I've never followed Prince William and, really, know nothing about him. That is, I didn't until I read this book. I was at O'Hare airport in Chicago, flying back to England, when I saw it in at the bookstall. Something made me take it off the shelf - I've no idea to this day why - and it caught my interest as I flicked idly through the pages. I immediately liked the writing style - it's very descriptive, but not too much: it's artfully done. Why, for just a few bucks I got to learn more, much more than I ever thought I'd want to know about William. But I enjoyed it! It's quite a rollercoaster story, and an amusing though pretty accurate insight into British life and culture, written by one who should know - The author biography says that Mr Buskin "is a British journalist". It shows. (It also says that another of his books, about Princess Diana, was a New York Times bestseller. That must be one heck of a book - I'm already looking out for a copy.) I think Buskin must be a pretty savvy guy, and he certainly writes a witty line reminiscent of the British Carry On films. For example, I think he had tongue firmly in cheek when he wrote: "And so the stage was set: His naughtiness was about to evolve into Dreamboat Willy."



2. The author promises to let the reader know: " Why William was know as 'Billy the Basher,' How he coped with his parents' troubled marriage, What he does for fun and excitement, Why his former nanny is now his closest friend, and How he feels about being popular with girls all over the world." Richard Buskin does accomplished these things. However, if one has kept up with the Royal Family, then, one know everything in the book and much more. Princes William possesses many more nicknames than just 'Billy the Basher.'

   Despite this, the book is well-written which one can not say about many of the books written about Prince William. This book can be appreciated by adults and not just gushing teenagers who are crazy over Prince William. It's easy reading and can be easily read in an hour.

   Richard Buskin has written several books about the Royal Family - Diana in particular.

   Prince William has had to grow up rapidly considering the events which have taken place in his life. As everyone knows, the world is on the verge of a new millennium, and for William, the twenty-first century king, it appears to be there for the taking. There are many picture of Prince William from infancy to the present; however, there are no new ones.

   Since the death of his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince William has grown into a mature young man, and whatever the future holds, the eyes of the world will certainly be on Prince William.

   This is a paperback book which contains 159 pages and measures 4x63/4 inches.

5 comments about Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II.

1. I have read numerous books about the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II/the British Royal Family and this is one of the best so far. It feels more like history than tabloid and is easy to follow. I also feel that it sets the record straight on many subjects, especially the difficulties with Diana. I truly could not put this book down! Read and enjoy!



2. I was preparing for a speech about Queen Elizabeth the Second, purchased this book and never looked back. Full of information but not over one's head, a very enjoyable read.



3. Enjoyable and educational - very well done. Lacey is a very good "royal watcher" - always seems to be honest enough without blowing his own horn.



4. I was kind of hoping that Robert Lacey did a follow-up to his earlier biography, Majesty but instead, he seem to rehashed many of the old material from that book while writing a whole new biography. So while this book proves to be an interesting read to those who have not read Majesty, you cannot help but to be disappointed by how the last 20 years of Elizabeth's reign have been written. Its almost appears to be a mini-biography of Princess Diana. I believed this spell out the major weakness in this biography of Elizabeth II. Some of the readers might questioned although others may praised the fact that Lacey did not treat Diana with any sort of adoration that seem to be so typical of many of the current writers.
   
   I thought the book could have better written, in more details and with more insights to Elizabeth's character as she grew older. There's probably not enough information on her husband in this book as well. He's probably more important to Elizabeth's life then Diana could ever be. The author's unwillingness to dig deeper for a more complete biography make this book somewhat of a compromise quality. There's really nothing written about Elizabeth in this book toward her last 20 years of reign that we couldn't pick up already from the mass media. Do we have to wait until after Elizabeth's death to get a decent indepth biography on her life??



5. Obviously, Robert Lacey is a dedicated biographer. His book is characterized by research, depth, and scope. What's more, he doesn't resort to cheap sensationalism to add a few more chapters. Yet somehow, "Monarch" is still one of those books that doesn't just capture you and leave you gushing about how wonderful it was.
   
   Lacey begins his book by attempting to chronicle the development of the "modern" royal family, beginning with reign of Queen Victoria and providing glimpses into several other monarchs' rule. It would be true to say that these "foundations" help one understand the current queen. Occasionally, this extended history lesson was just plain fascinating, too, imparting nuggets of history that any royal buff delights in.
   
   Unfortunately, the history lessons definitely became too textbook-ish at times, too. Lacey has an extremely unfortunate habit of seeming to bring up every single name, place, and government activity when talking about an event. This leaves the reader with an overly long and dull account of event that could have been summed up much more interestingly.
   
   The same analysis, to a lesser extent, holds true for the queen's own story in this book. At times, Lacey fabulously describes people and events, knows just where to place a well-chosen quote, and makes one want to read about the queen's life forever (as in the opening chapters about the queen's dealings with Diana's funeral). Yet the "bogged-down-in-boring-detail" problem still surfaced in this part (the parts dealing with the Margaret-Townsend affair were dry and too long).
   
   Lacey is certainly to be commended for his obvious knowledge about the queen, and it is also fortunate for readers that he is able to convey his respect for the queen while still offering up intelligent, constructive criticism. If you really must read everything about the British royal family or the queen, this is a solid offering, yet other readers would probably enjoy Carolly Erickson's masterfully written "Lillibet" much more.

2 comments about George I (The English Monarchs Series).

1. I read a Hard back copy from the local library and could not believe it. I loved this bio. I have read many other biographies and books on the Stuart and Hanover Dynasties of Britain but most were from Charles II and the pretenders and George III through Victoria. George I seems to be remembered as the British King who really didn't care; He took his time accepting the throne, refused to learn English, ran away to Hanover every chance he got and only wanted English money proven by the South Sea Bubble scandal. This book gives us more. A lot more. It shows the who and why, it dispels the stories I have listed above and gives us the man, flesh, blood and emotions. He becomes a real and more understood human than just an uncaring figure from history. I highly recommend this book. It is a great read. I didn't want to put it down. It flows easy and gives enough detail and background to keep you moving through history and his life without bogging you down. All those, Jacobites included :) who do not know George I outside of the usual should read this book. I can't say enough about it.



2. The author's writing style is easy to follow, without being simplistic and her grasp of the historical issues of the period is excellent.

   She presents a great deal of information about the women involved in the history of George, which is unusual for a historian of the Hanovers.

   The book is approachable without an in-depth knowledge of the German principalities (though this obviously helps).

   Solidly recommended.

5 comments about The Nine Days Queen.

1. 
   This is simply one of the best historical biographies that I have ever read. Well-researched, the book tells the story of Lady Jane Grey, the daughter of Francis Brandon Grey, the Duchess of Suffolk, who was the daughter of Henry VIII's younger sister, Mary. As one of royal blood, Jane was in the royal line of succession. Her highly ambitious parents, together with the avaricious and manipulative John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, concocted a scheme by which Jane would be named Queen of England, usurping the succession rights of Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, as well as that of Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
   
   Jane was forced by her parents to wed John Dudley's son, Guildford. Then, dominated as she was by her cruel and overreaching parents, when King Edward VI died, Jane was declared to be Queen of England. Although it was clearly against her will that she usurped her cousin Mary's throne and was not yet sixteen at the time, she would pay dearly for her nine days reign,
   
   The author writes a historical biography that brings Lady Jane Grey to life. Grounded in the political strifes, religious tumult, and social mores and events that shaped sixteenth century England, the author paints a portrait of a young, intelligent woman who ultimately acquiesced to the demands of those more ambitious than she. This is a well-written historical biography that is positively riveting. Bravo!



2. The story of lady jane grey begins with a plot of selfishness and greed between the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk and the Duke of Northumberland.The Duchess is Jane's mother and the Duke is her future husband's Father.After King Edward died the dukes and the Duchess plotted to have Mary Tudor's, next heir after edwrad,claim set aside to put Jane on the thrown. To keep both families happy Jane is forced to marry Guilford Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland's son. Jane had to be literally beat to inch of her life to agree.Mary Luke goes into the in depth trials and tribulations of torttured youth used for parental gain. Lady Jane who is not quite sixteen is forced to excepot the crown, the Orb, and the Sceptre of England fully acknowledging her right of queenship.Sadly Jane only wears the crwon for nine days before country rose for Mary Tudor and is convicted of treason is executed.Nine Days Queen is the most detailed and accurate biography of the Tudor Family so I highly recommend it.



3. Mary M. Luke's basic facts are correct, and personally I enjoyed the book. But unfortunately I feel she had to resort to some novelizing as she couldn't possibly know what was going on inside Jane's head in between her daily lessons, other people's letters to and about her, and her own letter writing. She also wasn't there to personally observe Jane's interactions with others or question her about them, always a dilemma for historians and historical fiction writers. Ms. Luke's writing style is clear and fluid; she's excellent at creating mental images with her words, so you have no problem following her narrative. However, I feel that in this case this book should have been a historical novel instead of an attempt at non-fiction. She would have then been forgiven for whatever embellishments or speculations she had to come up with to fill out the book and hold her readers' interest.



4. Very colorful if this was a fiction format. This book is not for anyone who wishes to review the literay remains of Lady Jane Grey or relevant information. Several pieces of information are inaccurate. A great use of embellishments nonetheless.



5. Wonderful storytelling embellishing a few well known facts. No new material. More questions arise as a result of this book than are answered.

No comments about Henry VIII (Seminar Studies in History).

5 comments about The Empress of Farewells: The Story of Charlotte, Empress of Mexico.

1. What could have been a good book is truly disappointing. Beyond the missing elements mentioned in other reviews -- no bibliography, photos, or substantive evidence of any research -- the text is poorly written and badly edited. Dates fly around with no consequece to linear events. A visit of October 8, 1866, is described as concluding a few days later, on October 11, 1867. Diaz engaged in a battle in 1876, and the next sentence refers to his death in 1872. What kind of writer does this? What kind of editor allows this?
   Innuendo aplenty, facts not so much. Save your money and save your time; don't bother with this book.



2. An overly simplistic attempt at history, this book is definied by its failure to satisfy on any level.
   Initially I was disappointed by the lack of pictures, and maps, always useful when reading history. As I reached the middle of the book, it became clear that such trappings would have done little to improve matters.
   Written with the inexplicable self-confidence of a nineteen year old, the author hovers at fingertips length over history, all the while dispensing with moral judgements, and grand pronouncement of little to no value.
   Pass this one up. You will thank me.



3. I have picked this book because I wanted to learn about the Princess Charlotte of Belgium who was raised her entire life to one day assume a position of a sovereign. She gets to be an Empress not of one, but two different countries. Her reign is short lived in both instances and she spends another 60 years of her life locked up in comfortable surroundings, insane and alone.
   Princess Charlotte is married at age 15 for the second in line to the Austrian Hungarian throne. As a consolation prize, her brother-in-law awards his brother Maximillian, Charlotte's husband, reign over Italian northern provinces. Shortly after unification of Italy, the couple is forced out of country. They were in position to choose if they wanted to reign over Greece, or assume new position in the new world and become Emperial couple of Mexico. They chose, to their doom, to go to Mexico if for no other reason than for the reason of not giving up their Catholic faith for Greek Orthodox Christian faith. As North American and Mexican rebels fight for their independence from European monarchies, the young couple looses their standing as Emperor and Empress of Mexico. Emperor Maximillian is executed, while Charlotte spends the next 60 years of her life in European exile insane. Her insanity is a reason for fight between powerful European royal families. Assuming guardinaship over her well-being means assuming control over her enourmous financial fortunes.
   This is one of the books that takes us thru fascinating times in both European and North American history. Both continents were being defined by the changing world. That element alone gives book unpresedented twist. However, writing is not as strong. As times it almost feels that Prince Michael of Greece is getting bored with his task of writing this biography. He uses phrases such as "Empress fell of her chair" many times to describe her surprise in certain situations and he describes her neurotic personality by drawing a picture of an Empress who is pacing around the room chewing on her handkerchief, tearing up the lace and damaging the monogram on it. The ambigiuty of the marriage between Maximillian and Charlotte is apparent. They seem to live separate lives, often away from each other for the long stretches of time. Rather than having children of their own, it is Maximillian who decides to adopt Mexican child of royal Actec heritage. Charlotte is marginalized to the point that she has no influence to the matters of state. It seems that all those factors, isolation, lack of cultural life and lack of intellectually stimulating ladies-in-waiting, all contributed to her nervous breakdown and ultimately to her insanity. She gets to live thru it all and she dies at an old age, alone and pieceful. Charlotte's own life story is definitely sad and touching. Book however, could have been written much better as it has errors in couple of chapters that cause interruptions in any attempt of reading the text flawlessly.



4. This book should have been more informative....and it really wasn't. Charlotte was a daughter of the King of Belgium, 1st cousin to Queen Victoria, sister-in-law to the powerful Emperor Franz Joseph, and yet the book was just an empty shell at points. There was no genelogical table for reference, and no pictures except on the cover to even think about how truely beautiful Charlotte was until she went insane. There is evidence that says it might have been easier for her to do so to escape her brother, but she was certainly (and who could blame her) never able to handle the loss of Maximilian the way she did.
   
   Check this out @ the library, buy it if you really think you need to add it to your collection, but this was not the steller book it should have been. Heres to hoping someone else will do it better next time!!



5. Like many of the other reviewers here, I bought this book because I knew something of the history, and wanted to learn more. (Having lived in Mexico from first grade through high school, I had often visited the Castle in Chapultepec, and had studied Mexican history in grade school.) My first disappointment with the book was to see that it was intellectually lazy, with no index, no sources identified. One of the Amazon reviewers generously awarded the book three stars, "because it was an easy read." It was an easy read, but not a particularly pleasant one. Another Amazon reviewer mentioned apparent anomalies in speech -- I wondered as I read the book how much of the responsibility for the slangy and/or pedestrian language lay with the translator. Finally, are there no editors or proof readers at publishers any longer? Not everyone would catch the fact that Michoacán, referred to in the book as being east of Mexico City, is actually west of Mexico City, but anyone who was awake while proofreading should have been brought up short by the statement that "Porfirio Díaz seized power in 1876 and held it until his death in 1872." Porfirio Díaz did seize power in 1876, he held it until 1910, and he died in 1915. So not only did he not seize power after his death, his death was not the cause of his relinquishing power. Whenever I read a book where I catch such errors, I wonder how much I can trust the areas I don't know as much about -- such as European geography, history, etc.