5 comments about Catherine Walker.

1. Some interesting material presented here, would've been nice had Diana lived to write a forward for it. Anyone buying this book with the idea of getting a lot of Diana material will see some of that. You will also be getting, as the title says, a lot of autobiographical material about Ms. Walker. No scandalous stories,many good photos, not all of them of the Princess. I personally think someone wanted to boost the sales by emphasizing the Diana link.



2. I happened upon this book one afternoon on my lunch hour. How I missed it's release I will never know. I went back that night and read it cover to cover and then bought it. It is perhaps the definitive book about the inside details about Diana's life, but also about Catherine Walker's as well. The book was clearly not meant to be another glossy "Diana" book rehashing all of the same old information. It was a guide to life with pictures and sketches. I laughed, I cried, I still read it about once a week. It is inspirational. If you are looking to read a book about Diana that has nothing new to say, do not read this book. If, however, you are a serious follower of the world of coture (and Catherine Walker) this book is a must. You will finish it and feel as if you were there during the fittings. BRAVO!



3. This is an amazing illustration and revelation of one of our world's most talented designers who also happened to be one of Princess Diana's most astounding friends and helpers in that wondrous world called royalty. I found the tale of Catherine Walker so informative yet I was still left with numerous questions as to some of the details surrounding her life before and after she became famous. The photographs are gorgeous and reveal some interesting examples of a lady who truly fits the description designer. Catherine Walker will always be one of the world's most gifted dress makers but I'm still curious as to how one would go about actually seeing her shop or, imagine this, buying one of her creations. Undoubtedly she deals with only the rich & famous while all the time remaining in the background. This is one among many of my Princess Diana books I cherish because of its detail and marvelous focus on a multitude of gowns and their intricate pieces. Catherine Walker is an amazing woman who has truly lived a life from tragedy to fairy tale status. I am an avid admirer. This book is far more than pages/pictures between covers; it's a gift of for the eyes and heart! Wonderful!



4. The night the book arrived from London, I read it cover to cover. It offered me a glimpse into the elegant world of fashion and royalty. Ms Walker provided her view of her world with a very human, caring all the while impassioned tone. This is an inspirational book to be read by afficionados of the late Princess Diana and the world of couture. A success story, not stymied by tragedy. The perfect gift for any occasion.



5. i have always been interested in princess diana. her most fabulous clothes always seemed to be designed by catherine walker, always a name without a face. now we can learn about the tragedy that turned this woman into one of the greatest designers of our time. catherine walker has carved out a place for herself in fashion history. an interesting story with beautiful photographs. a must have for all princess diana fans as well as fashion fans.

1 comments about Queen Victorias Highland Journals.

1. Editor David Duff's lavishly illustrated and carefully compiled book is a deft selection of those diary entries which best give an unprecedented inside tour of a royal lifestyle. Queen Victoria was a disciplined woman of strong habits and a diarist who possessed the gift of descriptive narrative. Her entries, once released as two bestselling works, strongly evoke a place, Scotland, and a time, most of the years of her reign, and tell of the scenery, weather, people, and events as she experienced them. From her entries about rides out on Highland moors, to reports on shooting parties, frank retellings of lugubrious funerals, seemingly endless notations of carriage rides, including one in which Her Majesty was injured in an accident, descriptions of formal dinners, and impromptu luncheons with simple folk met on her excursions, logs of royal cruises, jotted facts about legends and local histories, Queen Victoria's journal is colorful, factual, impeccable, and leaves a reader feeling a part of a distant era, and as a bonus, one cannot but come away from these books with a strange sense that Victoria was someone known personally. The Journals are divided into two sections, the first those happy two decades before her widowhood began with Albert's passing in 1861, the second basically all that came after, a time largely invested in mourning, years dominated by her faithful friend and servant, the sturdy Highlander John Brown. I have always enjoyed reading these Highland Journals, and took this particular version with me to Scotland in order to locate certain places Queen Victoria mentioned, and my experience of visiting these sites was so much greater for that connection. Any lover of history or Victoriana should appreciate this illustrated collection of the Queen's extraordinary writings.

1 comments about Elizabeth R: The Role of the Monarchy Today.

1. The author of this book, Antony Jay, has himself admitted that this book and the accompanying film was a propaganda exercise by the Palace to put across to the people what exactly the Queen is for. He spends this book explaing just that in various points. His defense of the Queen is actually very persuasive and he cleanly rebuts several popular arguments. I myself found this book very informative but a little heavy to digest all at once. If you want to learn, this book is for you, but I prefer to sit back and look at the many excellent pictures it contains. However, overall, it really is quite a good book... and it's high time someone stood up for The Queen anyway. Well done.

5 comments about Death of a Princess.

1. Itwas a great book and her life was a drama. Anyone interested in late-Ottoman history should read it.



2. This is a beatiful book. I have just finished it but want to read it again. This is a kind of story that captures you and even when you finish to read it it won't let you go. I keep visualizing the moment when Selma was playing with her daugther just before she died. Do you know what strikes you most, story is true. You just don't want to accept how a life can be so short, so colorful, and so sad at the same time. I still feel the sadness in my heart. I really want to visit her modest grave one day and leave a bouquet of wild flowers on it. Thank you Kenize Mourad.



3. The original French version is wonderful, hope the English translation is a good.



4. Though I have not yet read the english translation, the french text is amazingly beautiful.



5. I want to know if there was a sequel

1 comments about Lost Voices of the Edwardians.

1. This is a rather interesting look at Edwardian England. The author specializes in reviewing archives on particular topics and then compiling selected extracts of these recollections under general headings. I had never quite before seen this technique, and it allows the reader to hear directly from those who lived the experiences under discussion. In this book, the topics include Childhood, Work, Home, Daily Life, Travel, Politics and Military to name some examples. One is struck repeatedly by the extreme poverty that is manifested in these recollections--particularly of children who struggled to get enough to eat or to find a pair of shoes. This was clearly a difficult period for those on the bottom on the totem pole. The book contains a number of contemporary photos which, when added to the written recollections, affords the reader a pretty effective insight into what was going on. However, this approach does have some problems. For example, a disproportionate percentage of the recollections are from lower and working class individuals--and the same individuals' comments appear under a number of topics (each comment identifies the individual making it). So, one wonders how representative these views are of Edwardians generally, or whether they are skewed due to (for some reason) the archives containing more comments from these folks than others more fortunate than they. Nonetheless, a valuable contemporary document of Edwardian England that adds to our understanding and often tugs at the reader's heartstrings.

No comments about William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution.

No comments about A Court in Exile: The Stuarts in France, 1689-1718.

5 comments about Ludwig II of Bavaria: The Swan King.

1. THIS VERSION IS DISAPPOINTING. TEDIOUSLY DULL. LUDWIG II WAS ONE OTHE THE MOST COMPLEX AND INTERESTING KINGS OF HIS DAY. THIS BOOK TELLS VERY LITTLE OF THE PERSONAL OR PUBLIC LIFE OF THE KING. YES, HE WAS MAD AS A HATTER, OR SHOULD IT BE CRAZY LIKE A FOX. HE WAS A HARMLESS HOMOSEXUAL THAT LOVED BEAUTY. HE WAS AN ADEQUATE, IF UNINSPIRED KING TO HIS PEOPLE UNTIL THE LAST. IN EARLIER HISTORY, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TREATED SO BADLY. THIS RENDITION IS MISSING SO MUCH OF THE MAN. IT ISN'T EVEN HALF THE STORY.



2. In March of this year (2000), I was in Bavaria and visited the castles of Ludwig II. Upon my return I purchased this book to learn more about the King. I found this book fascinating. I only wish I had read it before my trip to his castles so I could have appreciated my visit more.



3. The problem I find with this book is it focuses on trying to explain rumors by twisting facts into ficton-a problem I found when reading many Evita bios. I feel there definitely needs to be a better bio written for the market. The book on the whole was interesting for me as a first time reader of LudwigII.

   However, the author tends to overlook important issues ie.I was really disappointed when we are told Ludwig toured the western region of Bavaria, but instead of finding out about what he did on the tour(in reflecting his FACTUAL actions),we are drawn back to what Wagner was doing and his importance in Lud's life.

   Good for first time read but I have read better.




4. A great in-depth look at the life of Ludwig II. McIntosh includes many excerpts from letters and historical documents, and never draws a conclusion without abundant proof to back it up. This book is not just for history buffs--anyone who enjoys a good story should read McIntosh's take on Ludwig's life.



5. This book, which was wonderfully researched, provides a detailed information about this magnificent king. It is preferred that persons who read it know a little about the Swan King, but it is not necessary. He discusses Ludwig's intimate life, including controversial topics. One might enjoy this book for many reasons, especially if you have an interest of how court life was around the late 1800's, and how Ludwig's mind worked, his thoughts, feelings, etc. A definate buy!

No comments about The Life Of Flora Macdonald And Her Adventures With Prince Charles.

5 comments about Shadows Of A Princess: An Intimate Account by Her Private Secretary.

1. Except for money, what is the point in writing a book several years after someone's death detailing each and every one of their faults. The book is a complete loss since it only tells the reader one side of Diana's personality and that, as he writes, is completely horrible. The writer is so busy telling us why he disliked her, he completely loses his direction and is hard to follow. Don't spend your money on this one.



2. From someone who knew her well, this book is one that should be read. It shows the two sides of Diana that people have been told existed. She was sweet, however, she was manipulative, too, and her private secretary does a great job explaining the two sides of Diana.



3. I couldn't help but feel the author was not quite fair at all in his relentless hate for the Princess. Like noted in another review I also believe this was some sort of therapy for the author and that he himself had issues and he also had judged the Princess way* too harshly at times*. Key word here is at times. While Diana's downfalls certainly showed through in this book a few times with pure shock it was clear Diana wasn't quite given a fair break from ol' P.D. Jephson.
   
   This book details that the Princess was very vindictive and one who enjoyed playing mind games. It also shows that she could be quite self centered and she was not quite the full humanitarian that so many other books and movies have made her to be. However, while she may have had other motives besides just being the saintly person she worked so hard to be Jephson could not bear to even give her a compliment or say anything nice about her at all without some kind of smart, sarcastic remark to follow. While, this book was telling and confirmed much of what I thought it was very much the opposite of what so many other videos and books about the Princess. So many media outlets portray the Princess as some sort of saint that was harshly mistreated. I have always found that quite hard to swallow since none of us are perfect and we all have our downfalls. This book fell on the other side of the spectrum- I am sure Diana had many negatives and flaws in her own personality but this author did not give her a break and simply made of fool of himself by constantly attacking her instead of showing what I believe would have been a completely real account of her... someone that loved people and sought out to help those that suffered but one whom also had many of her own issues to deal with. The book "After Diana" has so far been the only book that has seemed to have been fair by showing both sides and balancing that as a human Diana was inherently good at times but also had her issues as well. I hope P.D. Jephson gets some therapy because Diana didn't deserve his brunt of anger that harsh and I think that is why the Royal Family and her sons stood up to say they were upset about this book. I do not recommend it.



4. This is the worst book I have ever read. I am surprised it was published. So poorly written and so hard to follow, it is just plain boring and really does not even say anything. For all the words in the book, ultimately, it does not say a thing! A waste of time!



5. Maybe I'm biased, but I can't and won't give this book "Shadows of a Princess: An Intimate Account by Her Private Secretary" a positive review.
   This is not really a book, but a vehicle for P.D. Jephson to spew uncensored hate at Diana, Princess of Wales.
   If you overlook the gutter nit-picking of the Princess' appearance, etc, and overlook the double-standard Jephson used for Charles and Diana, and his obvious dis-like of the princess, then there is nothing left to read.
   Whenever there was an issue of Diana versus "Whomever" it was no surprise Jephson took the side against the Princess. There is also a power struggle. Jephson showed unhealthy anger when for example: the Princess did not deliver his speeches "as written" or ask others for advise. You would think he owned the princess.
   P.D. Jephson---by his own testimony(this book)---was two-faced.
   To Diana's face he was loyal to her; but behind her back, he was tipping off Charles staff and "giving friendly warnings" about Diana's real or imagined antics.
   The simple facts are that Charles, Prince of Wales and the "Establishment" deceived Lady Diana.
   Diana's life would have been so much easier and happier had she been leveled with from the start.
   Don't you think?
   Instead she was surrounded by lies, deception, double-standards, coldness, inmaturity, jealousy, back-stabbing and so on. In addition to this Diana was constantly being followed and photographed, written about, forced to go on royal tours and be seen. All this while suffering from Bulimia and knowing her husband was cheating and no one objected to the arrangement but Diana. For her efforts she was again branded as being paranoid.
   Jephson showed no genuine dismay when Charles' staff leaked "unflattering" newsy items to the media about Diana's "grooming bills".
   He was too busy finding fault with his employer's(Diana) every move.
   Both sides had their "friends in the media" who they used to present favorable information to the public.
   Conveniently Jephson and the other media branded Diana as "manipulative" if she used Richard Kay as her media mouth-piece. All the while ignoring Charles' PR tactics and whispered assaults on Diana's character.
   In life Diana did not believe she could trust her staff. She felt they were against her.
   I believe that is true. And I submit this book(written by her Private Secretary) as state's exhibit number 1.