3 comments about Louis XVIII, rev.

1. The brilliance of Philip Mansel shines in Louis XVIII. For some reason history regards his reign as just a footnote, in reality Louis XVIII shines as a much more intelligent and reasonable monarch for his time. I deliberately took my time reading this book, I wanted to savor all the information Mr. Mansel presented so well! A fabulous look into France after the tumult of the revolution and Bonaparte!



2. Mansel's biography does an excellent job filling in some blanks in French History; the times from Louis XIV through Napoleon I are very well documented, but so little has been written about the restoration monarchs. This biography is thoughtful and detailed, chronicling a prince who spent the better part of his life waiting in the wings to attain his throne. Mansel does a superb job working with Louis' known words (spoken and written) to reveal the character behind this somewhat elusive figure. A major find!

   My only complaint against the book (which brought it from 5 stars to 4) is the author's very annoying insistence on quoting innumerable sources in French and then translating them in full into English. For those who read French, the English translation slows reading (one can't help but compare one's own translation to that of the author); for those that don't, the French is superfluous. This bilingual quotation method is occasionally useful when a critical shade of meaning must be brought across; to do it on virtually every page is just a nuisance.




3. If the French Revolution is a gulf yawning between the Ancien Regime and the truly modern world, then few kings could have embodied that disjunction better than Louis XVIII. Born in 1755, he lived to see his brother and sister-in-law, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, guillotined by extreme revolutionaries; the Corsican general Napoleon Bonaparte seize the throne and declare himself emperor; and his country welcome him back after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. Bitter memories of his brother's ignominious death encouraged him to steer a course between reactionaries and revolutionaries. Although Louis has often been dismissed as a non-entity, Mansel's eminently readable biography presents a more balanced portrait of this enigmatic survivor.

No comments about King Charles I.

No comments about Henry VIII and the Reformation in England (Access to History).

5 comments about My Story.

1. I liked this book, although it did seem Ferguson seems to be feeling sorry for herself and putting herself down through most of it & making lots of excuses for her behavior. However, it was very interesting to hear a behind the scene perspective from one who used to be part of the royal family & how the courtiers try to rule the palace and court. A good read for those who love bios or books on Britian's royal family.



2. Highly readable and I came away with a new respect for the Duchess. Too bad Andrew can't come to America, re-marry Sarah and live incognito. A must read for anyone who sympathizes with the Duchess.



3. As a lover of biographies this one was not about a person who achieved greatness through some great talent but was more a chronicle of the ups and downs of life in the house of Windsor. I think that red headed exuberant Sarah caught our attention twenty years ago when we watched her walk down the aisle with her prince and we all thought it was sort of neat that a real person was in this situation. I think that this is a lady who is VERY media savvy and knows how to market herself but there is still something rather refreshing at her forays into writing, her ability to fly a plane and her trek across the deserts of Quatar on horseback. I am not an unabashed fan but I was interested enough to read this book. It was enjoyable but also a little self absorbed. Like it's subject, a bit contradictory.



4. Unlike the previous reader, I really enjoyed this book and came away with real affection and admiration for the Duchess of York. Admittedly, certain things are left out, but that's probably as much to do with protecting others as about Sarah's own feelings. Let's face it, a no holds barred 'kiss and tell' story would hardly be dignified coming from a former Royal Duchess.
   
   I've read the two books by Starkie and vasso, and even if everything they say is true, I still see Sarah as a flawed but fundamentally decent person. She may have been a little naive about the demands of her position, but royalty would be an alien condition to most people who are not born into it. She's made mistakes as we all have, and its how you learn from them that counts. Though extra marital affairs are not to be treated lightly, we should remember that Andrew spent months away from his wife, abondoning her in an environment in which her Royal status isolated her from emotional contact. Her romantic encounters can be seen as a search for support and self-affirmation.
   
   The suggestion that she is in any way a bad mother I find incredible. One thing that comes over loud and clear in the book is Beatrice and Eugenie mean more to her than anything - she loves those girls. Sarah has been constantly victimised over the years and deserves some sympathy and understanding. Her charity work alone demands respect, and her work with Weightwatchers makes her a constant inspiration to many people. She has turned her life around and good luck to her.
   
   To read Sarah's point of view, read this book. Approach it with an open mind and you'll find an engrossing and inspiring story of a woman struggling againstlow self-esteem, press hostility and the demands of her Royal status. Look at her now - I think she won the battle.



5. If you're going to tell "your story", then you should tell the whole story, not half of it.
   
   Fergie would have us believe that in a country where prominence and position mean EVERYTHING, that it meant nothing to her from going to an unattractive, overweight, needly, penniless NOBODY to becoming a Royal Duchess. Give me a break girl. While there's no doubt she really loved Andrew, she most certainly also loved all the perks of being considered "royal". Unfortunately, she didn't like the self-discipline and responsibility that went along with it.
   
   She was, and is to this day, a TERRIBLE mother. It seems to run in her family: her grandmother was a lousy mother, Fergie's own mother took off with another man half way around the world and literally abandonned her own children. She tells of skiing down a "black run" when she was 5 months pregnant with Beatrice and falls down. What kind of person would ever risk miscarrying their child by doing something so insane??!! In this book she tried blaming the Grey Men for her decision to leave Beatrice when she was 6 weeks old for her trip to Australia, but by her own admission, she never listened to them when they gave her any other advice, so why did she listen to them then? Obviously she didn't WANT to take the baby with her, another indication of her extremely poor mothering skills.
   
   And she out and out lied about her relationship with Steve Wyatt. In this book she says that they were "just friends" which is simply not true. Madame Vasso, Lesley Player, Allan Starkie, John Bryan among other all verified independently that she had an intense sexual relationship with Steve Wyatt. She glosses over this fact in her book when she claims that "a friend" asked her to receive Dr. Salaman Rushdi for a brief drink at the palace. She neglects to say that this "friend" was her lover, Steve Wyatt. And if they were "just friends" as she claims, then why did she have to have his apartment (or "Flat") "searched from top to bottom" when he moved out? She said that it was the "danger of a frame up" and indeed there were more than 100 pictures taken of her and Steve Wyatt that proved to be her downfall found in the apartment. And if she was "just friends" with him, then there should have been absolutely NOTHING that would indict her in an extra marital affair.
   
   I think the answer lies in Allan Starkie's book "Fergie--Her Secret Life". He tells of her lying to anyone and everyone about everything and this is her greatest weakness: she's a liar.
   
   Once again, it's not surprising really, given her upbringing. Her mother abandons her, her father was a complete loser pig, so it's no surprise that she turned out this way too.
   
   Fergie was a disaster for the Royal Family and is still, to this day, nothing more than trailor trash.

4 comments about A King's Story - The Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor.

1. This is a very good story, and well told, even if ghost written.
   
   Oddly, it casts the Duke of Windsor in a poor light, and indicates why, quite apart from the marriage question, he was a bad King. Who can read without wincing his account of how he abruptly cut short the presentations of debutantes to him at Buckingham Palace because it started to rain? This was the high point of perfectly harmless society ladies' lives, and he not only walked out in the middle, but caustically observes that he cannot understand why anyone was upset.
   
   And then there is the peculiar passage where he says that he worked out that it would take nearly a month for bodies like the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and others, to present their loyal addresses, so he insisted on them all being done in one day, in one batch, because he could not be bothered to respond to all of them individually. Yet this was his job as a constitutional monarch!
   
   A welcome feature of the book is that it stops at the moment of abdication. Although this means that he doesn't have to explain his conduct during the lead up to the war, and during the war (which is, however, documented in the Duchess of Windsor's memoirs), it does focus the book almost entirely on his upbringing as a Prince, and on the abdication, which are the most interesting things about him.
   
   Well worth reading.



2. It is quite a sad testament to our times that there are very few true gentlemen left these days. Civility is indeed going the way of the do-do bird, and the days of gents like David Nivens, Cary Grant, Cole Porter, Sean Connery and the good Duke here, are slowly fading into obscurity. That need not be the case and, hopefully, there are few out there who still feel as do I, that it need not completely die. Perhaps if more read the memoirs here, they will become inspired and such a dream can become realized.
   
   The memoirs themselves are quite extraordinary and give one fantastic insight into this legendary gentleman and family. Reading other reviews that quibble over "selective" memory of the Duke, I can only surmise that these come from the very same individuals who grab the latest issues of "In Touch" and whatever other gossip periodicals they can grasp, only to "learn" the inside dirt on various celebs and noteworthy individuals. If that's what you are truly after in the first place, then this is definitely not for you and you should just stick to reading the by-lines or scanning the photos of the tabloids. Otherwise, if you'd like to get a peek into a life of grandeur and civility, and perhaps some tips on how to bring a modicum of dignity to your own, then this is for you.
   
   Enjoy.



3. The greatest love story of our century is an understatement.
   A King's Story is well known to be ghost written for the Duke and even with constant prodding, he suffered from selective memory.
   He seems to forget all his previous "friendships", those familiar with the saga will know this means the married women in his life before Wallis. A great addition to royal book collection, but if you are looking for the facts, hunt them down in Donaldson book. Companion book is the Duchess Heart has it's reasons. Maybe they should have gotten together so the facts in each book matched.



4. The Duke of Windsor wrote this book in the 1950s while living in Paris. Reading it you begin to get some sense that for all his faults here was an individual of extraordinary personal charm. It was certainly a singular life. Here was a boy who was led to believe he would inherit the throne of the greatest empire on earth but who ends up as a sad fixture on the international cocktail party circuit in the arms of an ageing American divorcee of uncertain past. What happened! The anecdotal style of this simply written book is very enjoyable to read. The passing of the certainties of the Victorian age, the Edwardian twilight, World War I, the thrill of all things new and American in the 20s and 30s: the would be Edward VIII is a uniquely placed witness. History increasingly casts the Duke and his bride as ridiculous even sinister figures. This book helps you to remember that they were human too, falliable, and at the mercy of political and world historical forces beyond their control.

2 comments about The Flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

1. One of the things I love about traveling is getting a good sense of the history of a place I'm visiting. I bought "Flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie" in anticipation of a trip to Scotland, and it was perfect for that purpose. Although it provides an excellent history, it seems designed for the visitor; it's equal parts travel and history.

   This book gives a day-by-day description of the Prince's 5 months in hiding from the British before he was able to escape to France. He trekked hundreds of miles on foot, in disguise (once, famously, as a ladies' maid!), sometimes passing within earshot of the soldiers hunting him. The book is liberally illustrated with modern photographs of the particular glens and mountains Charlie passed by, as well as reproductions of painted portraits, etc. of the main participants.

   Even better, each part of Charlie's escape is accompanied by a detailed map showing where he was on almost a night-by-night basis. In the appendix there are even driving directions and a list of relevant places for tourists to visit.

   If you don't know the story behind Charlie's daring escape, you could not start at a better place.




2. The authors manage to tell the story of Prince Charles Edward Stuart's flight from the disaster that was the Battle of Culloden in vivid detail without including so much detail as to become tedious. Coupled with the inclusion of wonderful photography and maps, this book leaves the reader with a full grasp of what the pleasant Prince and his various protectors, guides and benefactors went through during his five months as a fugitive in the Scottish countryside.

   The authors also gave great detail, without undue romanticism, of young Flora MacDonald's role in the Prince's escape.

   People interested in the history of Great Britain in general, and Scottish history in particular will greatly enjoy this book.

2 comments about The Road to Mayerling: The Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria.

1. The tragedy of Mayerling continues to intrigue us. I didn't learn anything startling in this book that I had not read in other books, but it was easy ready and the drama is as fresh today as it was a hundred years ago. We still don't know what was in Rudolph's mind when he killed Mary, and we cannot comprehend anyone agreeing to die at the brink of her adulthood for a dubious love to say the least. The intrigues that went on before the Great War, are still echoing in Europe today. How little the world changes.



2. If you are looking for a bit of fluff about this period of the Holy Roman Empire, this is not the book for you. It is instead a factual reporting of the history of these royal figures. This is a favorite period of history for me and having studied in Vienna there are many pleasant memories of the places mentioned in the book. There is no converation in this book. It really is a history book but a history book that holds your attention. A lot of research went into the formulation of this book and the author is to be praised. Enjoy!!!

1 comments about Prince Henry Sinclair: His Expedition to the New World in 1398.

1. Pohl takes the letters of the Italian navigator Zeno investigates his connection to Henry Sinclair. The theory is that Zeno helped Sinclair navigate to Newfoundland. Pohl's initial findings are in Zeno's letters themselves. In 1398, according to the Zeno narrative, Zeno sailed across the Atlantic with a "Prince of the Islands" (Sinclair). Pohl does some astonishing calligraphy detective work on Zeno's maps and examines the Micmac Indian legend of Glooscap. According the Micmac legends, Glooscap sailed on an island with tall trees and was white. Pohl's detective work makes for a good argument that in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, but got beat to the punch by a Scotsman. The only evidence I am truly surprised Pohl did not introduce was the carvings of Indian Corn at the Sinclair's Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh. The construction on the Chapel began in 1446, 50 years before anyone in Europe should have know of the existence of corn.

5 comments about Mary Queen of Scots.

1. Overall, this is a well-written and well-researched biography, although not objective enough about its subject. I appreciated the beautiful writing and the thorough scholarship of this book, although in the end I could not share the author's unqualified admiration for Mary Queen of Scots.
   
   Ms. Fraser presents enough evidence to convince me that Mary probably was not involved beforehand in her second husband Darnley's murder, and that the infamous Casket Letters were probably forgeries or interpolations of other letters. She was certainly not prepared by her French upbringing to deal with the problems she found in Scotland, and was very ill-served by the brutal Scottish lords there, including her own half-brother.
   
   However, Mary apparently did willingly marry her husband's murderer, which cost her the love of her subjects; willingly fled to England even though she knew she was seen as a rival to Queen Elizabeth's throne; and later on became involved in conspiracies in England to overthrow Elizabeth, which virtually forced Elizabeth to have her executed. Even Ms. Fraser cannot explain away these naive and reckless actions, although she tries. Her bias towards her subject is rather obvious. I also shared other readers' frustration with the many untranslated French and Latin phrases, which slows down the reading for those of us not fluent in those languages.



2. amazing book makes you feel as if you want to be in that world most touching and amazingly well written with no bias and no dodgy facts very good choice of language



3. Before this book, I'd only just gotten started on my Mary Stuart research, having only read two "semi-biographies"(Mary and Elizabeth by Jane Dunn & Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Darnley) of her. I was hesitant about buying the book because I read the reviews of it on here and it sounded ugly. But I'm very glad I did buy it, because now I am much, much better informed on the subject of Mary than before.
   
   I'm an Antonia Fraser fan, and this book is written in her usual poetic and heart-warming style. She is, I'd have to say, among my favorite historical biographers. She is clearly very passionate about her subject and I was able to sympathize with Mary throughout. Likewise, she is very good about referencing unlike her counterpart Alison Weir.
   
   I'd have to disagree with the reviewers who said this book made Mary out to be saintly. She is portrayed, in my opinion, as sweet and strong, but by no means perfect. There were times in the bio when I thought she was extremely foolish, and often times I was out and out annoyed by her. I agreed with Fraser's conclusion that Mary probably did not try kill her second husband, Henry Darnley and that it was a political set-up. I also agree with her about the Casket Letters. I'm on the fence about Bothwell. I think many of his actions are not at odds with a rapist and abductor. Likewise, I don't see how or why he would proceed to murder Darnley and just hope that Mary would marry him, which could mean prompt execution or life imprisonment. But I didn't mark this against Fraser, because I'm still trying to figure out what I feel on the subject, and also because she convincingly argued her side.
   
   
   I do take issue with a few slender things in the book. For one, I love Fraser's style, but I did find her constant use of footnotes distracting*. And I definitely agree with the reviewers who said it was biased against Elizabeth. Some of the commentary, such as sharp jabs at Elizabeth's beauty and lifestyle, were entirely editorial and completely uncalled for. Fraser degraded Elizabeth so hard at times that I felt her case for Mary might have been a little too weak. I've read several books on Elizabeth and none so far have made petty, out of place remarks about Mary and rightly so. Both were interesting, incredible women and one need not be knocked down at the expense of the other. This bio would have gotten five stars had there been a little more objectivity.
   
   
   
   
   
   *Most of them I felt could have been worked conveniently into the narrative.



4. Antonia Fraser's book, Mary Queen of Scots, is very readable and entertaining. However, the author's "hero-worship" of Mary and low opinion of English Queen Elizabeth I rings out loud and clear. Fraser makes history come alive; just be aware that this is her version of history.



5. Antonia Fraser's first biography still stands as one of her best. This is a sympathetic look at Mary who at a young age was used as a political pawn, raised not to be "Queen of the Scots" but to be Queen of France. After the Dauphin died, she eventually returned to Scotland as a stranger to the culture and religion of her native land. Though a strong women, she was easily led astray by her passions and her advisors. Her cousin Elizabeth I, offered Mary shelter after she was forced to abdicate her Scottish thrown. Instead of shelter, Elizabeth held her prisoner moving her from place to place to isolate her as much as possible. This is the first great read from Fraser.

2 comments about Eleanor of Provence: Queenship in Thirteenth-Century England.

1. I concur with the excellent synopsis given by the previous reviewer and can only add that Howell has the rare and welcome gift of being able to produce sound scholarship, meticulously documented from the primary sources, that is accessible to the general reader as well as the academic audience for whom the book is primarily intended. This book, while remaining free from tiresome jargon, nevertheless places the subject within current academic discussion very well. She provides a model that I hope will be emulated by future scholars.



2. Son of the troubled King John, Henry III inherited his father's impoverished kingdom when he was but nine years of age. At 28, Henry married Eleanor of Provence in Canterbury Cathedral on January 14, 1236. The match with the twelve-year-old daughter of Raymond Bergengar, count of Provence was intended to forge an alliance that would protect the southern part of Henry's Angevin empire. Eleanor had never met her bridegroom nor had she ever visited England prior to her marriage.

   Howell's biography of Eleanor of Provence looks at both the public and private aspects of Eleanor's life offering new insights into 13th century English history. Although it began as a dynastic match, Henry found in Eleanor a loving and supportive wife. She bore him nine children of whom four survived to adulthood. Yet in spite of the strength of their family life, Eleanor is remembered as one of the most despised of the English queens; in 1236 Londoners mobbed her barge and drove her to flee to the bishop of London's palace of St. Paul's. As she grows from child to woman we see Eleanor use the available avenues of power-patronage, arranged marriages, and ceremonial events- to benefit her family and her loyal corps of retainers who, throughout her life, formed the base of Eleanor's political strength. Indeed it was family relationships that were to be both the strength and weakness of Eleanor's queenship. Her devotion to her family and her single minded efforts to promote her foreign-born Savoyard relations put her at odds with the English nobility and eventually with her husband's family, all of whom were in competition for lands, titles, and lucrative marriages. As Howell comments, Eleanor "made intercession an art." However, throughout their marriage, Eleanor's support and connections to the French monarchy remained a key factor in Henry's ability to hold on to his throne. Howell gives a full picture of Eleanor of Provence; a woman of culture, complexity, loyalty and intelligence; but one unloved by her subjects. I would highly recommend it.