Product Description
This volume aims to offer a subtle and honest portrait, without bias and exaggeration of the past. Drawing on new research and specially commissioned interviews, this book explains how a shy teenager grew up to be the most talked-about woman in the world, and why she became such a vigorous critic of the Royal Family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Enlightening view of the Princess
I thought this book was pretty balanced in it's approach to Diana.It told about her faults as well as her glory.I have a better understanding of her as a person, not just a royal, having read the book.The writing was hard to follow in places where it would jump ahead or behind the current timeframe it was discussing to bring up a relevant point.Some of the name dropping and family connections were a bit confusing for someone who isn't familiar with everyone involved in the story.

Princess Diana: Not Exactly a Fairy Tale Story

She was born into a wealthy aristocratic family, grew up in a privileged society, and at the young age of 20, married the Prince of Wales. Her magnetic personality and good looks attracted much attention from the media. She became an instant celebrity and a massive target for tabloid gossip. A few controversies surrounded her, but after her death in 1997, she became a public icon to many people.

But what makes the story of Diana Spencer so special? Is it her rebellious attitude towards the "establishment"? Her committed volunteer work for various charities? Her tragic death in Paris? My answer is: all of the above... and then some. Yet, as the authors point out, Princess Diana played a significant role in society. Aside from being a pretty face who lived lavishly, she was also an admirable spokesperson for humanity, a philanthropist, and a loving mother to her children. At a time when most people (from all levels of society) feared having any contact with AIDS patients, Diana openly embraced them for the world to see, showing what compassion is all about. Such simple gestures had a profound impact on society, as many people began changing their opinions on AIDS patients.

Diana's frequent visits to hospitals and shelter homes combined with her amicable personality easily made her a fan favorite. Her involvement with the Red Cross, and especially her efforts in bringing awareness about landmines, proved to be a huge success. However, Diana - just like everyone else - had her flaws; she had her good days and bad days. During bad days, according to the authors, she was insecure, emotionally unstable, sometimes manipulative, and often a jealous wife. The latter, was mostly due to her husband's affair with his "friend" Camilla Parker Bowles. Speaking of Charles, he too receives a fair amount of attention in this book. Diana's rollercoaster marriage to the prince is closely examined. The authors also write about Diana's own relationships and affairs with other men, most notably, her relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed.

While it would be all too easy to for the authors to choose sides, they seem to be fairly neutral throughout the book. They stick to the facts and minimize any personal feelings they may have for Diana. Their treatment of the paparazzi also seems well balanced. They write about how reporters constantly chased the Princess and invaded her privacy by snapping pictures of her. However, they do not "bash" the media. As a matter of fact, many reporters are quoted in this book. The authors also explain how the media cold-heartedly "used" Diana to their advantage, and how Diana herself "used" the media to her advantage. It was an odd relationship. They also write about the paparazzi's role in her fatal car crash: are they to be blamed for it? Did they cross the line? What really happened on that night in Paris? This book will give you some answers.

This is an insightful book, well-researched and balanced. If you want to know who Princess Diana was, this book will do just fine. I recommend it.

A Fair Telling of a Woman's Life
As autobiographies go this was a rather interesting effort.I must say the authors treated all sides fairly when addressing the various complex issued that made up this woman's world.

This book opens with her childhood and stops on various parts of her life which helped to create the woman she later became. With care and compassion the life of this woman is explained--giving insight to a world few enter or understand.Not every situation puts Diana in a glowing position which is fair as she was at time tempestuous, sassy, sad, and manipulative.In any event this is an entertaining read regarding one of the world's most beloved people. This is truly a book worth reading.

Too Much Sympathy for Charles' Side
I've read lots about Princess Diana. This book like so many others paints Diana as a shrew and Charles as a victim. What no one seems to care about is that Charles entered his marriage with a girlfriend on his arm. Camilla did not appear "sometime after the marriage broke down".
Too many times before the wedding and on the honeymoon Charles failed to reassure Diana regarding his real relationship withCamilla.
He never gave Camilla up.
That alone accounts for 99% of the problems that faced the Wales.
Another sour point in the book is the Tiggy situation. I thought royal nannies stayed in the background. But not Tiggy. Tiggy was everywhere to be seen. Most books support Tiggy as "great" and Diana is horrible. I'm confused as to the Christmas Party where Diana sidles up to Tiggy and whispers "sorry to here about the baby".
Everyone(and I mean everyone in the whole room heard the whispered comment. That seems strange to me. Also I've had people "hit me between the eyes" with an off-the-wall statement like that. And all I say is "beg pardon".
I don't have to be helped from the room nor consult a lawyer.
Seems way over played to me.
The authors seem to dismiss Diana's good deeds as play acting for good press.
If you are a Diana fan. Look elsewhere for a book to read about the princess.

An Even-Balanced Account of Diana
I have never read any of the Diana biographies ~~ but I happened to see a copy of this book on the clearance rack at a bookstore and thought, why not? I was mesmerized from the first page.

I was 11 when Princess Diana exploded on the scene. I watched the wedding that day ~~ and sighed over the fairytale of it all. I was 27 when she died ~~ and watched her funeral. So maybe I wasn't as keen on Diana as some of the others were, but she was an icon of my youth.

This book is a fair book describing her life before she married Charles and after her divorce. It showed a side to their marriage that brought understanding on their marriage (she was too young, I thought to be married into the Royal family, who I feel is removed from the realities of their country) and how it disintegrated into the public mess that I remember reading about in college. The authors took pains not to point fingers at either one of them in the blame for their marriage's failure ~~ they reminded us that their marriage is just like any other marriage ~~ set out with high hopes and expectations, only neither was equipped to deal with the other or how to fix their problems.

Then reading about how Diana manipulated the media to her advantage as well as to the advantages of her causes ~~ shows a savvy business woman who does understand the consquences of good media coverages. It was an interesting read on that account.

To paint Diana in a black and white picture is not fair to her because this woman, according to the authors, was a paradox. She showed many facets of her personality that kept her interesting to all that knew her, whether they liked her or not. She was portrayed as a caring mother, a compassionate charity worker, a high-strung wife, and so on. In my opinion, she's a refreshing change from the stiff-lipped royalty in England. This book shows her growing up in the 16 years of limelight and it's a fascinating read.

2-1-05 ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing upon feminist, anthropological, and postcolonial approaches, Munich searches out the myriad, often contradictory incarnations of Queen Victoria in the minds of her subjects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

erudite
This is a path breaking work of rigorous scholarship on the cultural impact of Queen Victoria in the 19th century.Not for everyone but definitely worthwhile reading for those who have the patience to learn something new.

Oh please!
This book strives to show the influence Queen Victoria had on her age. Many of the ideas seem far fetched to me and this is a boring read at best.Unless you are EXTREMELY interested in the culture of the Victorian age, pass this one by.

ok if you're an historian i guess
this is not a straight forward story, very hard to follow and a little confusing, if you have to buy it, get the paper back. ... Read more

Product Description
The Romanov dynasty reled Russia for a little over three hundred years and their story, ending with their tragic deaths, has exerted a lasting fascination.This new book is an album of pictures gathered by the author over many years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Love the book and a lot of new pictures.
This book had a lot of pictures that I never saw before. It was a interesting read how the inperial family started using the camera to record themselves and of course made history with the pictures.

Amazing and annoying
The photographs included are absolutely amazing, most of which I had never seen before. If your interest in the Romanov Dynasty extends beyond Emperor Nicholas II, his wife and children, then this book is definitely for you. That said, the author relentlessly uses the title of "Grand Prince/ss" instead of Grand Duke/Duchess, which just grated on my very last nerve by the middle of the first section. If you can look beyond that, you're in for a wonderful treat.

A unique look at a priviledged world...
When I ordered The Camera and the Tsars:A Romanov Family Album by Charlotte Zeepvat from Amazon, I assumed that this book was primarily personal photographs taken by Tsar Nicholas II and his family.I was happy to discover how wrong I was!The Camera and the Tsars is a beautiful book that chronicles the lives of the Imperial Family in photographs, starting with Nicholas I.As Zeepvat writes, "by the mid-1850s the imperial family and the camera had embarked on a long and fruitful relationship."What makes this book a true treasure is that most of these stunning pictures have never before been published.

The Camera and the Tsars details not just the immediate family, but extended family as well.The author breaks the photos down into 12 chapters, including The Family, Born Romanov, The Family at Work, The Family at Play, and Marrying into the Family.Many of the photos are extremely rare, including one taken of the ladies of the court for the coronation of Nicholas II, a death-bed scene of Nicholas I, and a wedding photo of Grand Duchess Elizabeth, wife of Konstantin (Russian wedding photos weren't usually taken in the 19th Century).The pictures of family gatherings (with family members from all the Royal Houses of Europe) are fascinating.The Camera and the Tsars includes more pictures of Empress Alexandra smiling than in all the other books I've ever seen combined.And the photos of her immediate family (the last Tsar) will haunt the reader.The later Romanov's were shutterbugs and some of the photos are credited to them.But most are done by professionals and are works of art.Even today, photographs continue to be discovered after being "lost" for so many years.

My one complaint about Camera of the Tsars is that the author includes detailed narratives about the subjects in the photos, but she tries to put her own spin on things.I have always read that Grand Duke Sergei and his wife, Elizabeth of Hesse had a troubled marriage and that Sergei was a very difficult man.Zeepvat claims this perception was orchestrated by family members who disliked Sergei, and that "private letters now coming to light" prove that Elizabeth's marriage was not "one long martyrdom."Unfortunately, Zeepvat does not provide us with the source of this "new" information.
I think that the author should have stuck with descriptions and omitted her interpretations in a book of this nature.

Still, The Camera of the Tsars is an interesting book (especially for any serious Romanov collector), and provides a unique look into their very privileged world.

Very Good
I loved this book. It had many pictures I had never seen before.

Excellent Book With New Information
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the Romanovs.It has many unpublished photographs and draws upon newly discovered family correspondence that debunks many long-held perspectives that almost always originated from the very few family members who published autobiographies in English--and seem to blame certain family members for their unhappiness in their own lives or needed to sell books.For instance, Grand Duchess Ella & Grand Duke Serge had a deeply connected marriage and profound love for one another--their marriage was never an empty sham as others later claimed,Ella was a deeply loved woman by everyone who knew her and her niece Marie's savage references to her seem to be a way to blame her Aunt for her own father's desertion of her family because she could not bear to blame him directly, Grand Duchess Marie chose to marry a Prince of Sweden on her own and was never forced to marry him, Grand Duchess Olga chose to marry Duke Peter of Oldenburg and her mother was as surprised as everyone else by her choice given Peter's reputation, etc.And equally interesting is the focus on other, barely-known branches of the family and their lives and accomplishments.

And just a note--as a Russian I can tell you that for reasons that are not entirely clear, the term Grand Duke/Grand Duchess is a mis-translation in English and French of the Russian title Grand Prince/Grand Princess that dates back to when Peter the Great first created the title...and it seems that Russian Grand Princes of the time traveling in England and France were fine being referred as Grand Dukes. Grand Prince and Grand Princess is the direct translation from Russian to English, and the translation from Russian to German also distinguishes between Grand Prince/Grand Princess, and the German title Gross Herzog which translates directly into English as Grand Duke.Grand Dukes existed only in Germany and Luxembourg and were sovereigns that ranked below Kings and above reigning Dukes.Grand Princes/Grand Princesses existed only in Russia and were of "Imperial" rank...although they were not reigning sovereigns.There seems to be an effort underway to correct this historic and centuries-old mis-translation, but it is of minor historical importance. ... Read more

Product Description
SynopsisThe granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Tsar Alexander II of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania was one of the most brilliant monarchs of the twentieth century. She distinguished herself not only during the years of the First World War through her charity activities or through her informal political-diplomatic effort, but also because she was a gifted writer. This recently discovered last volume of her memoirs, entitled Later Chapters of My Life - long believed to have been destroyed - covers the period following the First World War, the economic recovery, and the new political configuration in reunited Romania. The 1919 Peace Conference - at which she informally represented the country's interests, meeting Clemenceau, Poincare and Hoover, Queen Marie's informal visits to Paris and London, where she stayed with George V and Queen Mary, and her visit in Transylvania, are broadly depicted in these lost chapters. The memoirs also contain other details about the royal family, her last meeting with her mother, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, in Switzerland, the first parliament of Greater Romania, social reconstruction, the charity activities co-ordinated by the queen, and the Coronation (1922). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Book for a fan of European royals..
I only knew Queen marie to be a Grand daughter of Queen victoria and whate ever I read in the wikipedia. But this book made me realise what an extraordinery person she is.

A little self congratulatory but still interesting
The autobiography of Marie, Queen of Romania, is well written, but somewhat florid and self congratulatory in its attempts to describe her feelings about events, particularly her appointment as the "face of Romania" at the Paris talks that brought the end of world war one in 1919.Her style is best when she is most lacking in self consciousness.Her estimates of the various players at the peace conference are penetrating and probably correct.Certainly her description of the war torn countryside of Europe through which she passed are graphic and emotionally moving visions.

The book is probably most charming in its depiction of the family relationships within her own immediate household and in her extended family.The characterizations, especially of Edward and Queen Mary of England, provide a much more intimate picture of the royal family than most biographical and historical works are able to do.

That this is significant to an understanding of the period is very evident when one realizes how throughly interrelated were all of the royal families of Europe.For them, the world war was not just a political issue, it was a family feud.Most of the contenders, with the exception of the United States, were countries lead by various descendants of Queen Victoria.In short, almost everyone on both sides of the conflict were cousins, aunts, uncles, evenparents.That the conflict lead to emotional agony for many is certain, as the account of Maries' last meeting with her mother Alexandra shows.The authoress herself realizes that the world has changed, that her mother has little place in it, and at the end of her own life, that she herself has little place in it.

What she doesn't seem to realize is that the war was actually the death knell of the monarchical form of government and lifestyle as it had beenpracticed. Hereditary rule was being replaced by other ways of selecting governors.Marie's amusement over the American volunteers and their curiosity about a "real" queen reveals this blinkered point of view.Her use of the terms "peasants" in respect to the rural population of her country and her patronizing attitude toward them reveals the pitfalls into which this ancient form of government was headed and into which the Russian branch of "the Family" had already fallen.

That Queen Marie was still functioning in the ancient mode of monarchy herself is apparent by the pride with which she recounts the connections she arranged for her children with other royal houses, arrangements which would hardly last much past her own life.The photo of the "Three Queens and the Infante of Spain"--Marie, two of her daughters and her younger sister Beatrice--is a little sad.The emotionally drained, almost tragic face of Beatrice, already facing issues in Spain, is virtually a prophecy for the three smiling queens in the future.Knowing as one does the end of the story, one can hardly be unmoved by the tender family scene the photo portrays:the last happy days.

One has the sense that the lady was enough aware of world affairs and of the ways of the world to know already at the end of her life that Europe was again headed for a major war.Though she probably penned these last memoirs to preserve them from her son Carol II's interference, she probably also wrote them as a coda for the war through which she herself had lived and in which she had taken an active part.

She certainly seems to have been abundantly aware of the failings of the 1919 peace accords even as they were being pounded out and signed.Most who study the two world wars as history congratulate themselves over seeing that the seeds of the second were sown in the first; but then, hindsight is 20-20.For the Queen, however, this knowledge was foresight.It was as if she alone could see, at the very beginning, that Europe had set itself up for a second great war by its own unwillingness to forgive.

This is perhaps the very point at which the change in the political intellect changed.The cardinal point at which Monarchy died and Democracy/Socialism begins.The family feud was settled by outsiders, so-to-speak, making punishment and reparationthe rules of the day.Family cannot afford to do this.Family must remember that it depends on all of its members, that it has interests in common, that hurt feelings have to be addressed.Democracy/Socialism knows no "feelings."Rule by the Demos-Athens aside-is a relatively new phenomenon, and it still has to struggle to learn what thousands of years of monarchy had learned the hard way. Marie is painfully aware that the terms of the peace agreement would not work, that it would cause anger and hate, and ultimately war.The years of peace were only going to be a period of catching political breath before the fight began again in ernest and with more ferocity.The so-called Great War would just be round one.

My only complaint is that the authoress did not describe more events and more people.Much of the book is a repetitious self congratulation, an awareness of her place in history.This leads to saying the same thing in a dozen different ways which I found frustrating.The prose style moves along more smoothly when the author is focusing on others and events.Admittedly the book is an autobiography and the author a queen not a jounalist, but it could have used more focus.She doesn't really hit her stride until about a third of the way through the book, but by the final chapter one is wanting to hear more.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Mischief Managed
The most important thing to know before you buy this book is that it's written for children.I suppose this should have been obvious to me based on the title, but since I was very interested in learning about the Queen Mother's childhood, I somehow missed this key point.The second thing to know is that although the illustrations are charming, the actual historical content can be written in three well-chosen sentences -- and the author is not limited by the concept of a well-written English sentence.Many of the illustrations are drawings or watercolors based on photographs or family portraits which I recognized from other biographical books I've read about the Queen Mother.Those illustrations which were probably original concepts are not as compelling as the ones which copy from life. There are lots of pages of original verse written by the author which seem tangential to the topic. There is absolutely no new information here.Evidently the author presented a copy of this book to the Queen Mother after it was published. One wonders what she made of it.

If you have a child who is interested in the history of childhood in Edwardian times or the Queen Mother and who doesn't object to sweet asides about time travel back to the olden days, by all means buy this. Adults probably will find it tiresome. ... Read more

Product Description
In battle he fought with legendary valor . . . At court, dressed in silks and ribbons, he openly favored his male lovers . . . Despised but feared by his brother, he was the perpetual loser in a lifelong sibling rivalry . . . Brother to the Sun King: Philippe, Duke of Orleans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very interesting
Though I disagree with some of the author's opinions, it's always good to read and learn more about easily misjudged historic characters.

Philippe we hardly knew you
This book sets out to right a great wrong.The Duke of Orleans comes across as a petty and, at times, annoying figure in the Memoirs of St Simon.Ms. Barker's work does much to make up for what St Simon has done in the past.However, the work is flawed by Ms Barker's use of Freudian psychology to explain the Duke's homosexuality. This is probably the only real flaw in this book, but it is sufficient to undermine an unqualified recommendation.

Excellent study of Philippe, Duke of Orleans
As only brother to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, Philippe, Duke of Orleans lived forever in the shadow of his older brother.Because of the numerous uprisings in France by a younger brother of the King, Philippe was taught from birth that he could never outshine his brother or be given any prominent place in his government.Because of this, Philippe led a fairly "wasted" life, perhaps best known for his flagrant homosexuality.Yet author Nancy Nichols Barker points out that when allowed to shine, the Duke was a competent soldier, lover of fine arts, good father and the founder of the Orleans dynasty which eventually ruled France.While the progeny of Louis XIV died out with the revolution, the descendants of Philippe populated the great Catholic thrones of Europe.

The author does a good job with source material and especially the "psychological" background of her characters, such as Philippe and his two wives, Henriette of England and Elizabeth Charlotte of Palatine.The first marriage was a disaster but the second marriage flourished for a long time.Elizabeth Charlotte or Liselotte is given a major part of the biography and her background is presented in a very interesting manner.I would recommend this book highly to anyone interested in French history.

That is the best book I ever read!
The story of Philippe, brother of Louis XIV (also known as Sun King) is very exciting and iteresting. The book provides knowledge not only about Philippe, but also about his surroundings and with link to all possible things that were happening in France of that time. The description of his life is not like in most history books - you can even feel the atmosphere as you were there! You can also learn about Louis XIV from it and about their family realtions. The book covers both official and privat aspects of Philippe's life. Great book and very good work of the author! ... Read more

Product Description
In this book, Princess Michael of Kent recounts the stories of five very different women, each of whom became a celebrated royal courtesan - Diane de Poiters, the paramour of Henri II of France, Nell Gwyn, the actress who became the mistress of Charles II, Mme de Pompadour, the chatelaine of Louis XV, Marie Walewska, the young Polish woman who became the mistress of Napoleon, and Lola Montez, the Irish woman who dazzled Ludwig I of Bavaria. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It was great
This book was great. I have always had an interest in history and this gives you a different view on how the world was run hundreds of years ago. Through the Kings paramours. I have read this book and liked it so much I am going to get her other book. ... Read more

Product Description
In all its glittering splendor and decadence, here is the uncensored story of a family bred for glory, and destined for tragedy.

The jewel in the crown of Europe's lush Cote D'Azur, the fiercely independent principality of Monaco gleams like a diamond above the Mediterranean. This playground of the rich and beautiful reached its zenith with Prince Rainier, Princess Grace, and their three children-- until Grace's tragic death in 1982. As the myth began to crumble, scandal rocked Monaco in every way, from its institutions to its image to the royal family itself. Now, through searching interviews with family members, personal friends, and long-time courtiers, the intimate, shocking truths about Monaco are explored in vivid detail, including:

* The ancient Curse of the Grimaldis and its legacy of misfortune
* The never-before-told story of Princess Grace's abortion before she married Prince Rainier
* New details about Princess Grace on the night before she died, and her death in a Monaco hospital
* The alleged secret plot to destroy Princess Stephanie's marriage
* The appalling rumors about the death of Stefano Casiraghi, Princess Caroline's second husband
* The wild love life of Prince Albert and the rumors that haunt him

With eight pages of dramatic photos!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Royal pains, royal mess
Really enjoyed this book.I don't usually read books that don't deal with a true life murder/crime.I rarely worry about those in other countries let alone royal families but something about Monaco is really relatable and pretty interesting.Stephanie was just the eightie's Paris Hilton.What a charmed life those people were handed and they just couldn't handle it.The book is well written and has all the goodies.It reads like a juicy tabloid story.I liked it.

Royal House of Mnoco
Book is okay but if you have a collection on the Monoco royal family as I do, including many articles & books on Princesses Caroline and Grace, this book is a very minor addition. The author gives credit in the back of the book for sources but it's hard to know, while reading, what is "sourced" and if it's an accurate source, or just the author's opinion mixed with some undocumented hearsay. It's worth an afternoon read but I wouldn't quote it--find the real source of information and make sure you get it accurate. I was hoping for a more in-depth analysis of the personalities.

Comme ci, comme ca
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.

"Royals" without the lies
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.

Not bad, as far as it goes
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. ... Read more

Product Description
In this book the author presents portraits of five very different women who married English kings, and in the process it reassesses famous episodes of English history in unfamiliar, often unflattering perspective. He focuses on the women themselves and on the forces which shaped their characters, on the delicate balance of public and personal lives and the remarkable resilience which unites them all. The subjects of the book are Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henrietta Maria, Catherine of Braganza, Caroline of Brunswick and Mary of Teck. Robert Gray has also written "A History of London" and "Cardinal Manning". ... Read more

Product Description
This volume was published in 1921.

Excerpts from the Preface:

Not without hesitancy have I resolved to write a few
lines as a foreword to the memoirs of my late husband.
I cannot be impartial in my estimate of this work, to which
Count Witte attributed so much importance; and the
biased judgment of his wife can hardly be of any interest
to the reader.I confess, however, that I have not been
able to resist the temptation to take advantage of this
occasion to convey to the American public the gratitude
which the late Count Witte felt toward the Government,
press, and people of the United States for the sympathy
they had shown him at the time of the Portsmouth Con-
ference.

My husband wrote his Memoirs only abroad, during the
months of his summer or winter rests at the foreign health
resorts. He was not quite confident that his study on the
Kamenny-Ostrov Prospect in Petrograd was sufficiently se-
cure from the eye and arm of the Secret Service. At any
moment, by searching the house, they could deprive him of
his manuscripts. He knew that too many persons of power
were interested in his work. All the time the manuscripts
were kept in a foreign bank in my name. My husband
feared that in the event of his death the Court and the
Government would seek to take possession of his archives,
and he begged me to insure the safety of the Memoirs in
time. I did so by transferring the manuscripts from Paris .
to Bayonne and depositing them there in another person's
name. The precautions were not in vain. Immediately
upon the death of my husband, in February, 1915, his study
was sealed and all his papers examined and taken away by
the authorities. Shortly afterwards the Chief of the Gen-
eral Staff, a General-Adjutant, came to me in the Emperor's
name and said that His Majesty, having perused the table
of contents of my husband's Memoirs, had become inter-
ested in them and wished to read them. I replied that to
my regret I was unable to present them to His Majesty,
because they were kept abroad. The Emperor's messenger
did not insist, but some time afterwards an attache of the
Russian Embassy in Paris appeared in our villa at Biarritz,
and in the absence of the owners made a very careful
search. He was looking for the Memoirs, which at
that time, as I said before, were quietly lying in a safe of
a bank at Bayon.

The Memoirs do not touch upon the events of the great
war, for they were completed in 1912. For this reason I
shall say a few words about the popular legend which at-
tributes to Count Witte a particular Germanophilism. The
legend is entirely without foundation. Generally speaking,
my husband had no sentimental biases in politics. He was
guided by reason alone. He had no particular love or
hatred for any country or nation. He was only a Russophil,
in the sense that he placed above all else the interests of
his country and people. It is true that he was a most
resolute opponent of wars in general and of this war- in
particular. He said that it would end with a catastrophe
for Russia, and that it would ruin Europe for a century.
Long before the war he stood for a rapprochement between
Germany and France with the energetic assistance of Russia.
When the war began, he was deeply worried by it, and he
expressed himself in favour of the immediate convocation
of a peace conference. "Let the armies fight, since they
have already started that madness, but let the diplomats
immediately begin their work of making peace," he would
say to his friends. This circumstance must have given rise
to the legend of my husband's Germanophll tendencies.
Whether or not he was right In his views of the great war,
I do not know, but I do know that all his thoughts and
feelings were instinct with love for Russia, and that he
wished well-being and order to the whole world.

Countess Witte
Bruxelles, October 1st, 1920
... Read more

Product Description
Hardcover Mini Book ASIN: 0765109425 Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover - 48 pages Dimensions (in inches): 0.36 x 3.84 x 3.25 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It was a great book to learn about him but it made me think.
O.K. I think Prince William is cute and this book was great in that it gave me good pictures and info. But it also made me think. He's just a normal teenager,trying to live his life. It sort of made me feel bad that Igot this book. Like I was envading his privacy. I guess all I want to sayis that if your going to get a book about William please don't get anunofficial biography. Think about it, how would you feel (someone sayingstuff that sometimes isn't true)? I really can't express myfeelings any better.

This is a small but great book.
Murphy gives us a glimplse of Prince William in almost all phases of hislife.

Prince William was born on June 21,1982, and was christened WilliamArthur Philip Louis.Both parents were very much hands-on parents.Withsuch an energetic nature and getting into much mischief such as dumpingwastebaskets, flushing his father's shoes down the toilet, pushing thebutton which set off the palace alarms,etc., prompted his mother once tocall him a "mini- tornado."It is difficult to imagine that thisyoung, charming, handsome prince was such a little monster that hisdetectives had to devise a way to keep tack of him.

It was not longbefore his mother, Princess Diana, shortened his name to Wills who was verythrilled when his brother, Prince Harry, was born on September 15, l984. The two princes were and remain extremely close today.

For me, it wasinteresting to note that as a child Prince William was the only youngsterwho lost a race at a birthday party because he was the only child whorefused to cheat.This says much for his character as a very young boy andfor the character of his parents - Diana in particular since she was withhim more.

Wills' parents broke with royal tradition and sent him off toboarding school as other aristocratic British boys.This probably helpedcontibute to his becoming much more well-rounded, and the popular youngprince that he is today.He is much more liked than most royals beforehim.Prince William possess his mother's shy charm, poise,good-looks,etc., but, even more important, he knows that he has a role anddestiny in life to be crowned king of England one day.

Prince Williamexcels in academics, as well as, in many sports as no royal before him.Even within the royal family, he is considered the most popular and themost handsome which has not gone to his head.

As young as he is, he hashad his share of heartbreak and pain.When Princess Diana drove to Ludgrove in December, 1992, to inform her son that she and Charles haddecided to separate, he told his mother,"I hope you both will bemuch happier now." P.36His most dreadful sorrow came on August 31,l997, when his father, Prince Charles, awakened him and told him that hisbeloved mother had been killed in a car crash.Publicly, Prince Williamhandled the situation well; although, heartbroken, he returned to Eton justa few days after her funeral and several days after the opening of school. Wills seems to have matured far beyond his years into a young man who hasinherited the best characteristics of each of his parents.

This book is amust for all regardless of whether you are a fan of the young, handsomePrince William.There's so much information crammed into this small, shortbook.It's hardcover and has only 78 pages.It includes many colorfulphotograghs of his immediate family - Princess Diana, Prince Charles,Prince Harry, and, of course, Prince William from his toddler years to thepresent.The book is about three and a fourth inches by four inches. There's much, much more in this book.I thought I knew almost all therewas to know about Prince William, but there is more.

This is a fantastic book about Prince William.
This book has terrific pictures of the handsome prince.It concentrateson his likes and dislikes , as well as, a few of the things which he did asa youngster.I have been collecting books on all members of the royalfamily for almost twenty years. Therefore, this information is not new tome.This book is a must for young girls who want to keep a picture of theyoung, charming prince with them at all times.My only complaint is thesize of the book; it's entirely too small. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1898.Author: Thomas CarlyleLanguage: EnglishKeywords: Literature/ History Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Pressare republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Titanic and Marvelous Biography
As the books run through, page by page, volume by volume, I am so taken by the author's thorough, rich and comprehenseive knowledge of the history of 18th-Century, militarily, politically, diplomatically and geographically. The author sets the whole stage of European history of that century in front of readers. The power and strength lie in this titanic biography, which turns out to consist of six volumes which totaling more than three thousand pages long, is not only on its sweeping and extensive knowledge of the history in detail, but also on the fact that the author possesses a vast, wide and precious first-hand materials of the King's age, which range from newpapers to memoirs, from documents to correspondences.This is really a comprehensive accounts about this great King in every field, in every turn of history : His stern, unhappy and strict self-trained youth which is astoundingly different from any princes in history, his tremendous merits in military which ranked him to the transcendent generals of the world, his remarkable achievements in domestic reform and reconstruction which hailed him as a great ruler in 18th- Century, his grand attainments in diplomacy which made him known as a prominent diplomat of his time, and his sensational accomplishment in literature which enlisted him as an extraordinarily intellectual prince and man of letters in his century. The author reveals many excellent personalities and qualities of Frederick the Great which will hardly not enormously increase your admiration for this great King: His generosity, his humanity, his unselfishness, his toleraion, his modest, his self-discipline, his standard of morality, his delicacy taste, his hard woking, his steel-iron nerve, his indefatigable will, his exceptional equanimity when facing danger, his talent, his prodigious memory, his arts of conversation, his unfailing enegy and strength, his charming wisdom, his extensive appetite for knowledge, and his impeccable private life. Unlike other authors who write history of their subjects, this author blends his own feeling into his writing with his whole sympathy tipping to his hero and unlimited admiration for the King. You can feel the author loves his hero too profoundly and too much not to defend the King, defend his reputation, defend his honor : He spoke for the King for his shortly running away from the battle field due to his generals constant begging for his leave when the battle was heavily clouded; He refuted the rumor that the King had homosexual liaison by giving the powerful evidence that the King was so noble and so proud of himself that he strongly loathed his body be exposed to any person, even when he was void of consciousness because of being wounded in the battle; and so on. The author also fills his book with many amazing and interesting anecdotes of the King[.] .... Overall, with my whole heart, I highly recommend this book which is really one of the best biographies about Frederick the Great, who is one of the greatest, the most extraordinary and influential histoical figures in the world, which is full of valuable and interesting historical sources.

Carlyle's Frederick
There is no more comprehensive study in English of the life of Frederick II of Prussia.Carlyle spent over 15 years researching and writing this work during the mid-19th Century, and it pays off for the reader in theform of an absolute bonanza of details about arguably the most influentialEuropean prince of the 18th Century.

The strength of the work lies in thefact that no detail is too small to be excluded.Whether it is the threepages Carlyle devotes to Frederick's initiation into the Freemasons or thevolumes devoted to his conduct during the Seven Year's War, if Carlyledoesn't describe it, one is left with the feeling that it probably didn'thappen.Carlyle doesn't even let you at the subject of the work for thefirst 250 pages or so while he sets the stage for Frederick's life.

Thebiggest weaknesses of the work are the labored, Dickensian prose, and itslength.This is not a piece that many readers will get through in a matterof weeks-- this reader needed two years to make it through a casualreading.Frederick fans may like the favorable treatment of the subject ingeneral, but some of the praise heaped on Frederick does seem a bit much attimes.Carlyle also tends to see issues in black and white, and seems hardpressed to refrain from ridiculing some of Frederick'scontemporaries.

Overall, this book is an invaluable resource to thoseinterested in Frederick II, and practically eliminates the need for thearmchair historian who wishes to know more about the man and his times tobrush up on his or her French and German. ... Read more

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This book looks at the role of the royal doctor from the time of George I to the present day. It includes the drama of George II and his madness, Sir Frederick Treves who was involved with the "Elephant Man" Joseph Merrick. ... Read more

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1884. After the death of Prince Albert and the beginning of her long period of mourning, Victoria withdrew from public view. But she did not wholly vanish from public life, for she reappeared as an author through her published accounts of the world around Balmoral, her Scottish retreat and the backdrop for her great friendship with John Brown. The theme of the book is described Queen Victoria as how her sad and suffering heart was soothed and cheered by the excursions and incidents it recounts. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 3; Original Published by: M. W. Dunne in 1901 in 449 pages; Subjects: France; Biography & Autobiography / General; Biography & Autobiography / Historical; Biography & Autobiography / Royalty; Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs; History / Europe / General; History / Europe / France; Travel / Europe / France; ... Read more

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Part 2 of 5 part set ... Read more

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A brilliant and entertaining description of the apogee of the age of absolute monarchy ruled by divine right, the rise of mercantilism, centralized bureaucracy and france's military might during the life of the "Sun King," written by the great novelist best known by his Hornblower series. ... Read more

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A biography of the Queen Mother, to celebrate her 90th birthday. From Lady Elizabeth to Royal Duchess, to Queen of England in war and in peace, to Queen Mother, Tom Corby charts her love affair with the nation in words and pictures. ... Read more

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An outstanding work of history, it throws light on the life in French court and presents the butchery of St. Bartholomew's Day. The book also offers a commentary on the trends, customs and royal life at the end of 16th century. Marguerite de Valois engrosses the reader with her lucid and eloquent style of writing. Captivating! ... Read more