Called "fascinatingly complex" by The Wall Street Journal, this New York Times bestseller is the first biography of Great Britain's current monarch written by a palace insider--Sarah Bradford, the Viscountess Bangor. This definitive, widely-praised biography includes many never-before-seen photographs.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Although it conscientiously chronicles the marital misadventures of the English queen's offspring, this solid, evenhanded book devotes more time to assessing Elizabeth's considerable skills as a constitutional monarch and the political crises confronted and (for the most part) resolved since her coronation in 1953. On the personal side, Sarah Bradford offers a three-dimensional rendering of a kind, rather unimaginative woman, a devoted wife but distant mother with a tendency to ignore family troubles in the shortsighted hope that they would simply go away. A nice example of the traditional British biography.
From Publishers Weekly
Extracts from this biography caused a furor in the British press last month, with headlines screaming of the Duke of Edinburgh's alleged infidelities and Princess Margaret's suicide threats. Following at least three major biographies of England's Queen comes Sarah Bradford, Vicountess Bangor in private life, an aristocratic insider. She has already published biographies of George VI, Princess Grace of Monaco and Benjamin Disraeli, among others. On this occasion, claiming access to private papers (which the Palace denies she saw), Bradford has written a quiet, rather sensible biography that is neither antimonarchist nor an apology for the public problems of the Windsors. Despite the headlines, she is actually as interested in the intricacies of the royal finances (known quaintly as the Civil List and the Privy Purse) as she is in the sexual shenanigans of Princesses Margaret, Diana and the Duchess of York. Her portrait of the Queen is of a superb professional. She reports on Her Majesty's hard work, her understanding of political affairs, her attention to detail and her consideration of her staff. She also finds Elizabeth to be a woman of her times and her background, for whom confrontation and emotional display are foreign and whose attempts to preserve the monarchy have, on occasion, had unfortunate results. The great majority of this detailed biography is informative and balanced?a convincing portrait of a traditional and often anachronistic way of life, as well as of a reigning monarch. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the best book I have ever read on the Queen!!,
This review is from: Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Queen (Hardcover)
I have read many things about Queen Elizabeth II and this is, by far, the best! It is well- balanced, dignified, and fairly exhaustive. If you are looking for sensationalism and "dirt" look elsewhere. This work seems to be more about truth then hype. Although Her Majesty is treated with dignity in its pages, this does not mean that her disappointments and tragedies (and those of her family) are ignored. I feel this is an very readable and honest portrait of a great woman.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read,
By steven simington (pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Queen (Hardcover)
This is the greatest bio of Queen Elizabeth to date. Very informative book indeed. The best part of the book is the section concerning Princess Margaret, the Queens sister, and all the drama concerning her love life. Very juicy! Great read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Overview of the Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth,
By A Customer
This review is from: Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Queen (Mass Market Paperback)
This book begins at the beginning, giving details about how the Windsors came into being with previous kings, the abdication of Edward VIII, Princess Margaret's doomed romance with Group Captain Townsend, the prime ministers, and, ah yes, the in-laws. Too bad it was written just prior to Diana's death, so there are no details on insight there. Frank and mature in its telling, and not the least bit gossipy. If I were to recommend reading only one book on QEII this would be it.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
On a bitterly cold early February afternoon in 1952 a British Overseas Airways Corporation Argonaut aircraft taxied to a halt at London's Heathrow Airport. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
royal relations, younger royals, racing manager, civil list, horse trials Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Buckingham Palace, Queen Mary, Queen Mother, Prince of Wales, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, Queen Victoria, Princess Elizabeth, Clarence House, Prince Charles, Prince George, Queen Elizabeth, Duchess of York, Duke of Windsor, King George, South Africa, Martin Charteris, Duke of Edinburgh, Windsor Castle, Lord Chamberlain, Duke of York, Prince Albert, United States, Princess of Wales, Michael Adeane New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
On a bitterly cold early February afternoon in 1952 a British Overseas Airways Corporation Argonaut aircraft taxied to a halt at London's Heathrow Airport. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
royal relations, younger royals, racing manager, civil list, horse trials Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Buckingham Palace, Queen Mary, Queen Mother, Prince of Wales, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, Queen Victoria, Princess Elizabeth, Clarence House, Prince Charles, Prince George, Queen Elizabeth, Duchess of York, Duke of Windsor, King George, South Africa, Martin Charteris, Duke of Edinburgh, Windsor Castle, Lord Chamberlain, Duke of York, Prince Albert, United States, Princess of Wales, Michael Adeane New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 39
books:
See all 39 books this book cites
- Prince of Wales: A Biography by Jonathan Dimbleby on 6 pages
- The Secret File of the Duke of Windsor by Michael Bloch in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- King Edward VIII: The Official Biography by Philip Ziegler in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Monarchy and the Constitution by Vernon Bogdanor in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Diaries and Letters by Harold George, Sir, Nicolson in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
See all 39 books this book cites
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