No comments about King Philip: The Indian Chief.

2 comments about Diana: A Princess Remembered.

1. Lovely picture book in tribute to a lovely lady. If you are a fan, you will also appreciate the bonus DVD that comes with the book. I'm glad I bought it, well worth the money.



2. Very nice picture book of the life of the late Princess as photographed by Glenn Harvey. It's divided into sections, sometimes a country- other times by subject matter and not all in chronological order. Almost all of the shots are of the Princess (some of these appear to have been cropped just to show her) with a few crowd shots or something like that.
   
   The text is a sort of autobiography of Mr. Harvey as he followed Diana around, it's worth reading and very respectful of the Princess.
   
   The DVD is a kind of slide show, set- in my copy (from Amazon.UK last January)- to a jazzy piano soundtrack. It is also worth a look.
   
   Maybe not the best, most informative book on Diana but it is worth having if you're interested in her.

No comments about Henry VIII (Profiles in Power Series).

2 comments about William the Conqueror (Great Rulers).

1. I received this book (along with others in the series) as a gift when I was about 7. I must have read it 25 times. I was absolutely fascinated by the story of William the Conqueror, and I was encouraged to read more books on history & biographies. Many years later, I am now persuing a Master's in History. There's a definite connection. I can't recommend this book enough for children who already are interested in history or any child, really, that likes to read.



2. Ladybird history books are social history at it's best, from; I would estimate ages 8 to 14 for school use of simply to enjoy. They bring history alive for children, and are filled with fascinating information. As well as bringing alive an animated, exciting past, they also show how events of the past, are with us today, in so many fascinating ways.

   William the Conqueror is part of the Ladybird series on great rulers and vividly tells the story of one of the best-known figures in British history, which defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, to become the first real King of a united England.

   It tells much about the times in which William lived and ruled, for young people, with the lovely illustrations by John Kenney. Kenney draws both scenes of momentous events such as William forcing the captured Harold to take an oath, that Harold would acknowledge William's claim to be the next King of England, and the Battle of Hastings, as well as scenes in the lives of ordinary people at the time, such as that of a peasant Saxon shooing a horse, while his two young children help out.

   It also, as all Ladybird history books do, it describes how the events described in the book influence life today, and speaks of how King William ruled England during peacetime, and the famous first census that he ordered the Domesday Book to be written, England's first census.

   Any child that has a love of history, will love this book, and all other Ladybird history books.

No comments about Maharaja: Princely States.

No comments about THE UNRULY QUEEN: LIFE OF QUEEN CAROLINE.

3 comments about War of the Windsors: A Century of Unconstitutional Monarchy.

1. It is easy for the previous reviewer to complain about hearsay, innuendo and conspiracy theories, but it is also going to be difficult to satisfy everyone while you shed a different light on the pre-packaged sanitized mainstream version of Twentieth Century history.
   
   Some speculation is indeed included, but where it occurs the author clearly presents it as such. On the other hand however, she also raises a lot of questions that have never properly been dealt with. These include the real reasons behind Edward VIII's abdication, the absence of the Duke of Kent from popular history, the Profumo cover-up, the Blunt cover-up, the real life of Louis Mountbatten and much, much more.
   
   The style is honest and definitely not sensationalist while it offers convincing arguments for many historic anomalies. Why, for example, is the last Royal to die on active service never honoured on Armistice Day? Why did 'Sir' Anthony Blunt keep his title and honours while remaining in the Queen's employment after being unmasked as a Soviet spy? Why was Mountbatten assassinated when he had been the most leftist of all the Royals? Many more are dealt with.
   
   This book is highly recommended for all those who believe that they are not being fed the full picture on the Six 'o Clock news...



2. To anyone with an elementary knowledge of British history, this is a disgraceful book, filled with errors. It is an exercise in phoney mock-scholarship - for example the authors quote "sources" which on investigation have no more authority than they do. Other sources are conveniently not named, with authors falling back on the trick "some say," or "it has been alleged by some that ..." You get the idea? Treatment of well-known historical events such as the outbreak of world War II are simply ignorant.
   
   Since the royal family don't sue for defamation, you can print any falsehoods you like about them. Maybe they should start suing, as this might clean up the tidal wave of garbage written about them a bit.
   
   Facts are plain false or distorted. Allegations are made for which there is no real evidence and which cannot possibly be proven. The book so fails to deliver the information it promises - it delivers nothing but rumor, gossip, innunedo and conspiracy theories - that it should seriously be reported to ther consumer protection authorities as an exercise in taking money under false pretenses.



3. Brilliantly and painstakingly researched, entertainingly and well written (there is an attempt to weigh up various arguments, rather than being biased towards one...), with very relevant and timely comment regarding this family.
   
   My only critisisms are:
   1. The choice of front cover/main title on this book (somewhat tabloid) marks it as being written by a journalist. Nevertheless, there are other authors involved here (including 2 historians - one specialising in intelligence, the other - military history), that bring a level of seriousness and meticulousness with them, beyond which is conveyed adequately by the (front) cover.
   2. The lack of an index. Sources and references are thankfully provided, however as a work of research this book also needs an index.

4 comments about Diana, Queen of Style.

1. This book will not change your life, but if you like to look at pictures of Diana in her lovely clothes looking lovely herself, this is a pretty volume, well designed and pleasant to browse through. The text will not set the standard for the industry, however, so if you are looking for more in depth reviews of her fashions or her biography, you could make a better choice.

   Bottom Line: It's a lovely treat to spend an afternoon with this book if you're not interested in anything new or innovative. Enjoy it for what it is, an attractive book about an attractive woman.




2. Prince Charles has said that he likes to see a lady well dressed; however, I don't think he was ever able to cope with his late ex-wife's beauty, charisma, elegance, poise, and humor. He could not accept the fact that people would rather see his radiant wife who was royal by marriage, but a far cry from the traditional, stuffy royal. I think his envy was one reason for the breakup of their marraige. This book covers every phase of Diana's multifaceted life.

   Even as a Sloane Ranger, Diana had outstanding tast in the style of clothes she wore and in the accessaries she chose to wear with each outfit. This book contains many beautiful pictures of Diana which have never been seen before.

   It's difficult to believe this beautiful, young princess is no longer alive because each picture of her radiates such warmth. Diana often recycled many of her dresses by having different little touches added or by having something deleted. Diana possessed the ability to combine the most expensive jewelry with costume jewelry. She, also, liked color and chose to wear colors which no royal before her had done. Diana like to shop and what modern lady doesn't? Again, something royals didn't do.

   Truly, Diana is "Queen of Style." This book is well written and shows that Diana could wear many varieties of color, dresses, jewelry, etc. with which no one before her dared to experiement. All pictures are in color except for a couple. This book is a must for anyone who collects books on Diana, Princess of Wales.




3. This book is good but not the best on this particular topic--Diana and her fashions. It makes many mistakes, such as identifying a Valentino dress as a Catherine Walker design. The text is mostly adulatory and simply describes things you could see for yourself by looking at the pictures (of which there are many). Topics such as her weight loss are touched upon, then dropped. The text needed an editor.

   The photos, however, are lovely.




4. Both interesting and informative, this book chronicles the late Princess Diana's fashion history from her engagement days through her last year. With details gathered from her favorite designers, photos describing each period show how Diana emerges from her look as a trendy Sloane Ranger to the style icon she became. This book is a 'must' for any collector.

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.

No comments about The Reign of Louis XIV.