No comments about Queen Elizabeth II: A Portrait in Stamps.

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No comments about History Of Friedrich II Of Prussia Called Frederick The Great V6.

1 comments about Cleopatra (Penguin Classic Biography).

1. Ernle Bradford does for Cleopatra what did Robert Caro is doing for LBJ. The myth of the lady is immense, but Bradford goes right to primary sources and does his best to correct our misapprehensions about her by pointing out that we know so little first hand about Cleopatra. Some dispute she existed. Bradford makes no such claim, and he is in a position to know, having spent many years immersed in the lore of the Ptolemies.
   
   Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy the XIIth, and I imagine now that I have read Bradford describing their relationship, that he, Ptolemy, was rather like Emma's father in the famous novel by Jane Austen. He was a garrulous old fool in love with the sound of his own voice, rather pathetic if you looked at him the wrong way, and his daughter probably learned a lot about diplomacy just trying to stay on his good side, just like Emma 1700 years later. And like Emma, part of her problem was that the tools she had used to deal with a difficult father were not as appropriate when it came time to deal with the adult men in her life. Emma had Mr. Knightley, but Cleopatra had real rulers to deal with: first Caesar, the playboy prince of the Western world, a man so civilized that he was said to have been bisexual, and then Antony, who was more of a man's man, sort of an Ernest Borgnine type according to Ernle Bradford's clever summing up of the man. Cleopatra had children by both of them, but neither of them could totally trust her, just as her father could not bring himself to be close to her, preferring to play merrily on his flute all day while slaves fanned him with ibis feathers.
   
   At eighteen she was already a queen, and as we know, her life was short, tragically short. Many who knew her from afar judged her harshly, but those who came close to her were enchanted by her beauty and the elegance of her speech. (Bradford reports that her verbal agility was high, and that she picked up languages with ease.) We know she had a sense of humor, for who else would have thought about rolling herself up in a carpet to be delivered to Caesar? So vividly does Bradford bring these movers and shakers to life that by book's end we forget they are not our own intimates. As Shakespeare said, "Precious friend, hid in death's dateless night." And that's where she is now, hid in death's dateless night where she gains not in age nor loses a drop of her mortal beauty.

5 comments about Ever After: Diana and the Life She Led.

1. Enjoy reading books, in general, of people who actually lived. Enjoy reading
   of Diana and her life by respectable, intelligent authors who actually know what they are trying to have us know of. Enjoyed it immensely.



2. I'm currently enrolled in a course on writing biographies, taught by Anne Edwards at the UCLA Extension Program. On the first day of the course the author brought an assorted copies of some of the 24 books that she's written over the years and we were each asked to choose one to read during the ten-week course. I read a lot of biographies but I had never yet read one of Anne's. Though I am a bit of a self-confessed Anglophile, "Ever After, Diana and the Life she Led" wouldn't have naturally been my first choice. Most of the others were already taken however, and Anne suggested that I might enjoy reading this one.
   
   The tragic death of Princess Diana is one of those moments in one's life where were one knows exactly the instant that one heard the heartbreaking news.
   
   I'm quite pleased indeed that this was the one she suggested. I found Edwards writing style very engaging and though cliché or not, I found the book very difficult to put down. I enjoyed it immensely. Edwards has a way of recreating the feeling of the moment exactly as when it occurred. She has a talent of bringing in all of the senses so that you really feel that you are there, standing in the moment. "Park House, Diana's home, was a ten-bedroom Victorian country house with staff cottages, stables and a tennis court. Although it was four miles inland, easterly winds brought the scent of salt to remind the occupants of the area's seafaring history."
   
   I found it thoroughly enjoyable, so much so, that I've decided to order a number of Edwards other books from here on Amazon.



3. I also wrote a research project on Princess Diana, and i used this book. It was so helpful and i really learned a lot. All of the other books i had read, by her butler and things, were more about THEIR life, not Diana's.



4. If you love Diana, you will love this book. I did a research paper on Diana, and this book was great help. The discriptions of every event in the book is amazing. I could not put the book down.



5. Anne Edwards does an exquisite job at portraying the life of Princess Diana. This novel takes the reader through Diana's rough childhood, family background, marriage to Prince Charles, public work, divorce and her death in 1997. The book takes the reader by surprise because many people saw Diana's life as a fairytale, but learn through the novel that Diana's life was not as perfect as it seemed to be. Readers will learn a great deal about the life story of Princess Diana. This novel is appropriate for young adults to grownup.

1 comments about Diana's Dreams: As Told to Her Dream Analyst.

1. I am almost through with this book and could not put it down. If you want some real insight into Princess Diana, this book is the one! Diana totally speaks from her gut in this book. The book is sad though because it truly shows insight into her loveless marriage and her lonliness! I wish I could get Ms. Hanger to analyze MY dreams!

5 comments about God Save the Queen?: Monarchy and the Truth About the Windsors.

1. This book is very well written. It is like he is talking to me in person. He is, I feel, a little bit too harsh on the Queen but right on about Philip, Charles and the Queen Mother and Margaret. A good book.



2. I purchased this book in the hopes that I might learn more about some of the contemporary issues/public opinion surrounding the monarchy of the United Kingdom. I was horribly disappointed. Quotes taken out of context, unattributed quotes, and silly gossip form the basis for a nasty polemic. This is the kind of distortion one probably should expect from an acolyte for republicanism. It is not the kind of book, however, that anyone interested in serious discussion about the monarchy would want to waste his/her money on. It is so unbalanced a perspective, that even those few positive contributions the author feels forced to cite during his diatribe are attributed not to generosity of spirit but to psychological disorder. It is sad that this kind of royal character asassination does not still carry a penalty of some time in the Tower.



3. Johann Hari is one of Britain's most distinguished journalists and has won loads of awards - all deserved! This book shows why he is so acclaimed. I loved its mix of gossip, political wisdom, and intellect. I cannot imagine anybody but the most crazy monarchist disliking it (and even they would have to admit there's some great anecdotes here...)
   
   (by the way, the other commenters here on this book seem to be slightly insane. An EU coup in Britain? Uh... yeah...)



4. Mr Hari is inded a 'non-journalist', as John Pilger describes him. He is arrogant, ignorant and pompous beyond his years. It's no surprise that the reactionary Trotskyite and Bush-loving fool Christopher Hitchens likes him. This damns them both! Hari hates the British royal family and wants to get rid of them in order to make it easier for Tony Blair to abolish Britain's sovereignty and make us a province of a new undemocratic state called Europe. This would open the door for Blair to become President not just of Britain but of Europe. A new Pope, indeed!



5. I laughed so hard my gut ached when I read this book. It is a witty, extremely well-researched investigation into the monarchy, both intellectually stimuling and filled with gossip. The reviews were right. This is a must-read.

5 comments about The Royal House of Monaco: Dynasty of Glamour, Tragedy and Scandal.

1. This is a very interesting book to read, what with the glitz and the glitter that the author presents.
   However, the historical accuracy is slipshod at best. There are a lot of lies published in this book that the author tries to pass off as true fact. He gets many dates and names mixed up as well.
   
   I'd like this book better if there was at least some research put into it.



2. While some "revelations" in this book should probably be taken with a grain of salt, overall, this is better than many Grimaldi biographies in that it is neither a hagiography nor a hatchet job. Glatt doesn't portray, say, Princess Grace as a saint, nor does he portray, say, Princess Stephanie as a monster. Glatt, though he clearly feels a measure of annoyance, even disgust, for some of the antics of the Grimaldi family, he also has compassion for them. For instance, when recounting one of the most salacious scandals to plague the family -- the videotape and photographs which showed Stephanie's husband making love to a Belgian stripper -- Glatt clearly feels bad for Stephanie (despite her appalling lack of judgement in latching on to the creep in the first place); she had really loved him and was genuinely hurt and humiliated by his betrayal.
   
   Glatt also thankfully clears up allegations about Grace having a drinking problem -- allegations that surrounded her toward the end of her life because of her visible weight gain, and which another biographer, James Spada, dug up in the late 80s. Grace was, in fact, a moderate drinker, because she suffered terrible hangovers if she had more than a glass or two of champagne.
   
   Though Prince Albert has managed to steer clear of the tabloid cover stories that followed his sisters around (due, no doubt, to Grace instructing him on how to be discreet about his love affairs, an education which she never gave to either of her daughters), he too has had his share of troubles. Glatt even makes a half-convincing case for one of the more outlandish assertions: that Albert fathered a love child who is a dead ringer for Princess Grace.
   
   So all in all, a good, juicy read about fascinating and flawed people.



3. John Glatt pens a more truthful version of "The Royals," with less favoritism and more fact. Admittedly this isn't the British royal family (who have provided us with entertainment for many years) but a lesser-known (and no less juicy) dynasty, the Grimaldi's of Monaco.

   Monaco first came to attention when Prince Rainier married the film star Grace Kelly, who brought glamor and modernity to the teeny little country. Grace's past -- involving multiple love affairs -- was swept out of sight as she ascended to the glamorous -- and severely stress-inducing -- position of princess, wife and mother. Rarely happy in her long and paparazzi-studded marriage, she nevertheless gave it her darndest and died tragically and suddenly when she was starting to find fulfillment again.

   The book shifts focus after Grace's death in a car accident, to her three *ahem* spirited children: Caroline, who married one playboy after another, got pregnant out of wedlock, and once burst out of her top at a club, then had to shift into the social position that her mother left vacant. Albert, a playboy himself, who played around with one woman after another but wouldn't make even a vestige of commitment--even to one ex-girlfriend who had his baby, Tamara Rotolo. Stephanie, who shocked Monaco with her wild antics, drug use, explicit singing career and wild modelling career, bodyguard live-in boyfriend, and humiliating divorce after marrying said boyfriend.

   Sound like a tabloid? Well, that's a royal family for you. Fortunately, Glatt doesn't speculate on the inner thoughts of the Grimaldi family (said to be under a curse from a witch raped by a Grimaldi) but allows their actions to speak alone. His writing style is pleasant to read, and gives us insights that other biographers apparently didn't get. I especially enjoyed the interviews with Cassini (Grace's ex-fiancee) Robyns who wrote a steamy biography but edited it at Grace's request, excerpts from members of the Grimaldi family, and from people who knew/know them.

   This is hardly flawless. He describes Grace as a devout/militant Catholic, yet chronicles love affairs (with men married and single), an abortion, astrology beliefs, etc. Sorry, these are not the actions of a "militant" Catholic, though admittedly it is possible that she confessed these to a priest (something we will never know). He does occasionally linger on stuff that is more than we want to know, but it does give us a good look at the Grimaldis.

   Stephanie, Caroline and Albert have already been in the spotlight, tabloidwise, so I suppose Glatt felt that there was no real reason to sugarcoat things. Rainier gets away the easiest, for though he was unfaithful to Grace during their marriage, very little space is given to it (as compared to Albert's girlfriends, Stephanie's partying days, etc).

   In recent years the Grimaldis seem to have calmed down, but this book is nevertheless a heckuva read. If you liked the Royals but didn't like the made-up parts, try this book on for size.




4. Make no mistake, this is a book by a journalist, not a historian, and it reads that way. If that's what you're looking for going in, this will most likely satisfy your curiosity.

   Although the subtitle mentions the Grimaldi 'dynasty,' 70 percent or so of the book is about the, um, 'complex' personal lives of Princesses Caroline and Stephanie and Prince Albert, the three children of Rainier and Grace. There's little effort to put the dynasty or the principality in more than the immediate historical context, and although Rainier is frequently described as an absolute monarch or even 'Europe's last dictator' (which isn't even true), matters of state take a distinct back seat to the 'glamour, tragedy, and scandal.'

   This is too bad. One of the most interesting assertions in the whole book was a comment from one of Glatt's sources to the effect that the Grimaldis were not becoming tawdry, but rather had always BEEN tawdry, and had hidden that fact behind a false front of elegance while Princess Grace was alive. I don't know if that's true or not: Glatt unfortunately lets the statement pass almost unanalyzed.

   Glatt is to be commended, at least, for the variety of his sources, including several who (at least according to Glatt himself) had never spoken on the record before. While the book frequently reads like an extended essay in People magazine, Glatt avoids the temptation of acting omniscient about his subjects' thoughts and motivations. When they act inexplicably (which is disturbingly often), he says so. Glatt's tone is respectful and polite, but he didn't pull his punches. As someone who only paid cursory attention to the Grimaldis, I think I have a better understanding (and a lower opinion) of them as a result of this book.

   A worthwhile read, all in all, for monarchy fans whose interests lie more in the personal than the political, the contemporary rather than the historical.




5. For those who feel the Brits have the dysfunctional royal family from hell, this book about the Grimaldis of Monaco will be an eye-opener. It covers Grace's marriage to Rainier--an unhappy sham of a marriage contrived to boost Monaco's economy, ending with Grace's tragic death due to a stroke while driving. Roughly half of the book covers the three troubled children, Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie, who are, to put it politely, a handful. We follow the two daughters through their teenage rebellions, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, troubled marriages, and (in Stephanie's case) drug problem; one cannot help but sympathize with their troubled parents and the heartbreak they've experienced watching their daughters destroy their lives. The sole son, Albert, is the most responsible of the three siblings, but even he is still 'sowing wild oats' at an age when he should be thinking about creating an heir to the throne. It's a gossipy sort of book--not an academic tome--but readers with some familiarity with Princess Grace will be fascinated.

1 comments about DIANA : DEATH OF A GODDESS.

1. Finally, the definative volume on the murders of Lady Diana Spencer and Dodi al Fayed. Documentary filmmaker and psychologist Cohen unearths data that is non pareil in the Diana assassination genre. I dog-earred and highlighted nuggets on every other page. The obscure and arcane data flies fast and furiously as one races from one fascinating aspect of the crime to the next. Also included are engrossing reports on the murder of Grace Kelly and her affiliations with the evil Solar Temple cult. Prince Charles was in close proximity (literally) to Temple founder Jo di Mambro on several occasions.
   Cohen spent many years in France and is conversant with many of the shadowy players who figure prominently in both hits. This book has to be added to the library of all Diana followers.
   Five stars for such intrepid research!

3 comments about Queen Victoria's Grandchildren.

1. This book provides a wonderful history of the grandchildren of Queen Victoria. As well as being detailed and interesting, this book is also rich in photos of the royal family. Through this book, the reader can gain clear insights into this fascinating family and their unique personalities and how their intermarriage linked all of the houses of Europe together. A helpful family tree is also included, and I liked the format of this book, the way it was divided into sections.



2. This book provides a wonderful history of the grandchildren of Queen Victoria. As well as being detailed and interesting, this book is also rich in photos of the royal family. Through this book, the reader can gain clear insights into this fascinating family and their unique personalities and how their intermarriage linked all of the houses of Europe together. A helpful family tree is also included, and I liked the format of this book, the way it was divided into sections.



3. "Queen Victoria's Grandchildren" is not particularly long-- about 130 pages-- but it is large-format (about 8 1/2 by 11 inches). It is a photographic tribute to Queen Victoria's grandchildren. It has been divided into sections, one section for each of the grandchildren. These vary in length from one page to five pages. Except for two grandchildren who died in very young infancy, at least one photograph-- usually more-- is included with each section. I've read a lot of books on Queen Victoria and her various offspring, and many of the photos are new even to me. There is a slight bias, of course, to the more-photographed grandchildren. (A lot of photographs of King George V, Queen Marie of Rumania, and Empress Alexandra of Russia, etc.) But two or three pictures are included of all of them, including the ever-elusive ones who died in childhood (except for the two babies). I especially enjoyed finding a picture of the ever-elusive Prince Frederick (Frittie) of Hesse.

   The text serves more as a synopsis of the person's life to provide background for the pictures; there are no real analyses or insights. The writing is usually very simplistic, but get this book for the pictures.