Customer Reviews

The Royal Mob

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't usually like "historical fiction". Usually the authors take too many liberties with the people they are writing about and probably without even trying hard distort the truth.

However, this book is not like that at all. Theresa Sherman has done considerable research and has put together a lovely book about the Hessian sisters, granddaughters of Queen Victoria and daughters of Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's second daughter.

I began by thinking that I would read it, as I often do, in concert with other books. I rarely read one book at a time. But within the first sitting, I found that I had to keep reading. I had to know what was coming next.

It is interesting different look at the thoughts and motivations behind the historical happenings that lead to among other things, The Great War and World War II.

But it is a very precise look at Princess Victoria of Hesse who married Prince Louis of Battenberg and the family that they were part of.

Of the four sisters, Victoria and Irene are not as well known as Alix who became Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of all the Russians and Ella who also married into the Russian royal family and became the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna.

With this book, Theresa Sherman has brought Princess Victoria of Hesse, grandmother of Prince Philip, the consort of Queen Elizabeth II, and her family into much sharper focus.

Preferring normally to read a non-fiction/history piece over that of its fictionalized represenation, I picked up this with some skepticism. Interested in the history of British monarchy, I found this a compelling read in that it strenuously adheres to fact while adding the writers clearly nuanced perspective of the mental complexities of the participants that allows a clearly plausible fictionalized narrative. Because she knows so well the stories and personalities of these individuals their actions and words in this book lack any of the trite or artificial nature of many historic novels.

That said, the subject of the book is fascinating, which are the four daughters of Princess Alice, second eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The sisters all led complex lives filled with both passion and tragedy --- the most famous being the youngest who became the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna upon her marriage to Nicholas II, the last Emporer of Russia, while the elder is the grandmother of the present Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh.

I strongly recommend this book -- and hope that others will enjoy it as much as I did!

I've never been a fan of anything Royal. My friend suggested this book,telling me how much he loved it. I bought it thinking I would read
a little every so often. That idea was short-lived. After starting I couldn't put it down.
This is a wonderful Book. I felt the author knew these people.
It's as if she witnessed their lives, their stroy.
Interesting and Beautifully written.
I'm looking forward to Ms. Sherman' next effort.

In recent years I have developed a slight obsession with Historical Fiction novels and tried to read anything I could get my hands on. Though the history of most novels I picked up was remarkable, the story lines were often dull and the characters too simple. When The Royal Mob was recommended to me I was instantly intrigued. I had never read anything about this time period and looked forward to learning anything. Not only did I learn more about that historical time period that I have ever learned from countless other novels, I fell in love with the characters within the novel. These historical figures were brought to life and intensely explored by Ms. Sherman. The book contained many formidable characters, not just a few, so the amount of research that went into the writing of this novel is what truly impresses me. From the opening chapter to the final one, I was awestricken. When I finished the novel I was actually upset and began to re-read chapters that I especially loved.
Why i recommended this book to all of my friends and family and also why i write this today is that the book was written so beautifully as well as truthfully. In historical fiction some times you will get one or the other. The Royal Mob gives the reader everything. History, love, romance, obsession, pain, suffering, hope, friendship, family, and murder. As I wait for Ms. Sherman's next novel I hope that I can find something as fulfilling as her first to bide my time; so far no luck...
Erika Miller

From the back cover:

"The Royal Mob is the story of the four beautiful Princesses of the House of Hesse, granddaughters of Queen Victoria, who come of age during the zenith of European Royalty. Each makes a brilliant marriage that will bring her both happiness and heartbreak. The eldest, Princess Victoria, marries the handsome Prince Louis of Battenberg, the former lover of Lillie Langtry. The next, the exquisite Elisabeth, is swept off to the unbelievable splendor of the Romanov court by Grand Duke Serge, while Irène dazzles Prince Henry of Prussia and takes her place at the court in Berlin. Alix, the youngest, marries the man she has loved since childhood, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and becomes the fabled Empress Alexandra.

From such exotic locals as Russia, Bulgaria and Ottoman Jerusalem, to the drawing rooms of Sandringham, The Royal Mob is told as an intimate memoir of the eldest sister, Princess Victoria of Hesse, who was the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Starting in the court of the Queen Empress and ending at the marriage of Victoria's grandson, Prince Philip, to the future Queen Elizabeth of England, The Royal Mob is the lavish and exciting story of the last royal courts of Europe.

Theresa Sherman is a pen name."


The Royal Mob is a great summer/ autumn read, something like The Other Boleyn Girl. It's a fictional memoir of Lord Mountbatten's mother and Prince Philip's grandmother, and tells her story, the story of her tragic sisters, and indeed the family of Queen Victoria, through her compassionate yet pragmatic eye.

There are many historical novels out there but I think it's a difficult genre to crack. The tale could well distort the realms of history for perpetuity if the author isn't careful. This author has been careful. She has taken a few liberties with timings and events, but the amount of research into the subject is clearly obvious. Characters are very well drawn, dates are accurate, events are told in great detail, and a cast of characters with family nicknames is included. And the front cover features an image of the two main characters that is incredibly rare. The novel itself is a page turner telling a story of royalty, romance and revolution - and even that shady character Rasputin makes an appearance. If this story doesn't make you want to pick up a non-fiction history book to find out more, I'll be very surprised.

This book is in the tradition of Irving Stone (one of my favorite authors) providing a historical context with obvious fiction elements. I was never interested in European royalty but from this book I learned so much about Queen Victoria and her lineage to many of today's monarchies. It is a terrific read about a seemingly inconsequential granddaughter whose life was at times was anything but royal. Ms. Sherman brings the characters to life in an easy to grasp writing style. I hope to read more from this developing author.

I just finished reading it and I have to say, I really enjoyed this book! Very well researched and well written, the author weaves historical facts into the story with elegant ease, which makes it not only fun to read but also informative. There was even a point when I had to double check to make sure this was really a work of fiction and not a real memoir by Victoria Battenberg. You really get to know her in this one, and realize that she was not just one of the more obscure of Queen Victoria's granddaughters, but an interesting character in her own right, who was a witness to the crucial historical events of the late 19th and early 20th century.

I enjoyed this book as I do like to read about Europe in it's monarch times. Although this is a fiction book, reading it made me wonder why there weren't more children born with blood disease and mental problems. The rulers of Europe were really one, incredibly large, family.

I couldn't get through this book -- it was so very poorly edited that I just became annoyed, and stopped reading.