Elizabeth, the Queen Mother: A Twentieth-Century Life [Hardcover]

Grania Forbes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1999

Elizabeth, the Queen Mother is a celebration of the life of the nation''s most treasured Royal, providing a fascinating look at the events of the 20th century, as well as an endearing portrait of the Queen Mother herself.'

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

On 4 August 1999, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother celebrated her ninety-ninth birthday! The Queen Mother's life thus tells in its own distinctive way the story of the twentieth century, and as the years pass, she is increasingly venerated as "a beloved national institution." Forbes, a British journalist specializing in the royal family, offers a pictorial biography that, as engrossing as its abundant illustrations prove to be, boasts accompanying lively text that does not suffer in comparison. Born an earl's daughter into a very distinguished Scottish family, Queen Elizabeth bolstered her husband, the shaky George VI, upon his sudden succession to the throne in 1936, bolstered the monarchy itself after the shattering abdication of Edward VIII that brought her and her husband to the throne in the first place, and bolstered Britain during the dark days of World War II. Since the king's early demise in 1952, the Queen Mother has continued to contribute her particular charm and buoyancy to British public life and the good of the House of Windsor. Brad Hooper

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pavilion Books (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1856135780
• ISBN-13: 978-1862052093
• ASIN: 1862052093
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,495,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great subject, mediocre verbiage, July 30, 2000

By 

John T. Resch (North Bennington, VT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elizabeth, the Queen Mother: A Twentieth-Century Life (Hardcover)

Elizabeth The Queen Mother by Grania Forbes offers an array of photographs that are fun, but the writing is wretched. The author is one of these writers who begins every third sentence with However. And that gets really tedious, a sign of an insecure and inept writer. While there are some fine photos which cover, naturally, the entire 20th century (the subject was born in 1900 and still lives!) their chronology in this book is immensely flawed, as if seemingly by a mixmaster. You are led to believe it's chronological, then you are fooled to the point of aggravation.