Amazon.com

Alone among award-winning photographers, Jayne Fincher snapped some of the most private moments ever seen of the late Princess Diana. What's her secret? Perhaps it's because, as an official royal photographer, she did not provoke the fear and panic that outside photographers tragically did, and her status as the only woman in the pool of royal photographers somehow put the royal family and the Princess of Wales off their guard in her presence. Diana: Portrait of a Princess contains never-before-seen photos from the early 1980s until Diana's death in August of 1997. Fincher captures the shy, awkward Lady Spencer, the picture of innocence and bewilderment thrust onto the global stage. Later in this chronologically ordered collection we see this young woman evolve into the glamorous and sophisticated princess. Some of the most striking images reflect the raw emotion and revealing intimacy in Diana's life, such as the private moments in which you can sense her fiercely tender devotion to her sons. Many of the natural, spontaneous shots depict a deeply distressed woman, trapped in a world of conformity, while still other pictures illustrate the growing strain in her loveless marriage to Prince Charles. Royal writer Judy Wade worked with Fincher to provide the text to go with these, the best of Fincher's 30,000 candid images of Princess Di. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Stunning photography of a world legend
My sister and I are MAJOR Diana fans, and both agree that this is by far the best of the many, many photo books available on the late Princess. The colors practically bleed off the page, and each photograph is sharply reproduced in a pleasurably large format. The book is blessedly absent of distracting text: this author knows what we want: pictures, pictures, pictures! Buy it: you will NOT be disappointed.

Wonderful pictures, interesting tidbits from an "insider."
This book is filled with gorgeous pictures. The text is interesting in that Diana's story is told with personal tidbits we've not heard before. My only complaint is that it's difficult to follow sometimes, as the author does not present everything in strict chronological order. Thus, one moment Diana and Charles are headed for disaster, the next, they're the perfect couple. Still, for a Princess Diana fan, very satisfying.

Who can believe that it's all in the past?
About 95% of DIANA: PORTRAIT OF A PRINCESS is photos, with only minimal narrative. And almost all of the photos were taken by Fincher, who was a royal photographer. The pictures are fantastic -- a couple just take my breath away. How could this exquisite person be gone? (see page 95) Surely, Diana was one of the most photogenic persons who ever lived. Here in the photos we watch her grow up, make fashion choices (not all good!) to find her own image, and create her own life just in time to lose it. Sometimes she looked a bit like a tired, frumpy housewife. In other pictures she's just perfection. The heavy, oversize book is divided into three parts: For Love, For Loyalty, For Liberty. The printing quality of the photos is EXCELLENT. This was a beautiful gift from my beloved niece, who knows me well. I must say, it makes an excellent gift. This book is one to keep and treasure.

Beautiful Book of Memories
This book is one of my favorite picture books of Diana. The pictures are just gorgeous, like the lady herself. For anyone who is a Diana fan, this book is for you...It really is beautiful.

princess di would have been pleased!
as a collector of princes di books, i have several good ones in my collection, but jayne fincher's 'portrait of a princess' is my best by far.

the book is stunning. the unusually large size of the hard-cover book, the huge collection of splendid color photographs, many of them from diana's early years, make for an awesome book. a must-buy for any diana fan!. this is the definitive pictorial tribute to princess diana. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Good writing...
But, the story is so tawdry & Jimmy Donahue so scurvy, it's a hard read. The author presents information about his upbringing that tries to make you feel a little sympathy for Donahue but it's hard to feel sympathy for such a loser. The Duke & Duchess of Windsor were wastes of human beings, too. The more you read about them the more discouraged you get. What wasted opportunities! They could have done so much good but were such selfish, self-centered & STUPID people. No wonder the Royal Family can't stand to hear their names mentioned. The book reads kind of like a prolonged Dominick Dunne article in Vanity Fair.

Take it to the beach...
OK, so the author isn't going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature for this book. But why should he? It's a book about an affair. A tawdry affair at that.

Initially, I payed attention to the other reviewers and didn't buy the book. But I have a fascination with Wallis and Edward (as vapid as they might have been...)and wanted to know more about Wallis' relationship with Jimmy Donohue. I must have read at least 10 to 15 books about the couple, and despite what the one of the reviewers said, I've only come across a few rare references to him. This book fills in the gaps.

So is it great literature? No. Is it an interesting book? Yes, if you like the subject matter, and know something about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to begin with. I enjoyed the book.

I'd had hopes, but...
This book doesn't do much more than re-hash rumor, gossip and innuendo--and some facts--that I've already read in better-written, more thorough and scholarly biographies of the Windsors. I didn't notice any glaring inaccuracies; on the other hand, I didn't notice that the author broke any new ground. He seems to have relied heavily on previously published biographies of the Duke, the Duchess, and the British Royal Family in general, all of which a serious Windsorite will have already read. Also--let's face it--we read books like this one to be titillated, and the author fails utterly to titillate us. Save your money.

Juicy subject, Pedestrian treatment
You'd think an author couldn't go wrong with this cast of characters, ultra chic jet set locations, and deliciously lewd sex play. But Christopher Wilson took all this potential and and threw it away with the writing style of a schoolboy whose book report was carelessly dashed off before class. Repetitive adjectives, lackluster prose, and unintelligible chapter beginnings and ends - I was hollering for the editor the entire read. I kept saying aloud "OK, that's a start, but now let's unearth some real dish, and show me the proof!" Gossip CAN be transformed into history with proper scholarship. This promising biography of three fascinatingly spoiled and twisted people disappointed me.

Wonderful!
3Dancing With the Devil : The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue2 is a sweeping adventure of scandal and euphoria among glitzy cafe society, adeptly brought to life by biographer Christopher Wilson.

In this case, the name 3Donahue,2 is directly related to a very famous name: Woolworth. When 35 & 102 chainstore mogul Frank Winfield Woolworth died in 1919, he left as part of his substantial legacy great hopes for his cherubic grandchildren. He visualized his heirs evolving into hardworking, benefic, God-fearing, and rational adults. But alas, if he did happen to look down from the heavens years later, I know that several of his descendants would have provoked a disgruntled sigh; including the spendthrift, serial divorcee Barbara Hutton...

But the mischievous, downright extraordinary exploits of his grandson Jimmy Donahue would have sent Woolworth longing for Divine intervention. The fact is that, the only thing Frank Woolworth and his grandson Jimmy shared (other than a notable gene pool) was a compulsion for the spotlight.

That compulsion, along with a host of others (some advantageous, most unsavory) are unveiled in this wonderful, fast-paced book. In Dancing With the Devil, we meet dashing Jimmy Donahue, a man who had entirely too much free time on his hands, and entirely too much money at his disposal. We learn that Jimmy1s access to money, along with his excessive adoration for luxury, his psychological baggage (he even witnessed the suicide of his manic depressive and bisexual father) and the questionable role model Jimmy found in his jetsetting mother --all combined to create an intriguing, complex and colorful personality. Wilson depicts an international playboy who defied reigning sexual taboos and balked at authority, yet was sometimes ridden by deep guilt. Donahue exhibited such random amounts of innocent rakishness and sensual greed; of hearfelt generosity and rash wastefulness-- that even his closest contemporaries were not sure what to think of him.

Wilson expertly peppers his historical accounts with authentic detail, smoothly leading us into post WWII Paris, then sweeping us back to the United States to the playgrounds of Palm Beach and Long Island. Clearly, Wilson did a great deal of research on this book, conducting scores of interviews and tracking down hard to find information.

Of course, Wilson1s readers are also treated to little known details about the odd triangle between Jimmy Donahue and the Windsors, thus providing an interesting account of the last untold episode in their lives.

As in Jimmy Donahue1s life, there is nary a dull moment in Dancing With the Devil. (Do check out the 3Acknowledgments2 which reads like a Who1s Who in and of itself). Definitely recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Outstanding Biography
Author Mitford has does an excellent job detailing the life of Madame de Pompadour, the long time mistress of Louis XV, King of France. Born into an upper class family (but not noble), Jeanne Poissons is adored by all. She marries young and has a daughter but longs for the attention of the King. Her home is close to his hunting lodge and she makes every attempt to come to his notice. Once she does, a love affair ensues. Most think that the relationship will not last because of her common origins, but Madame Pompadour proves them wrong. She makes a comfortable home for Louis XV inside of Versailles and quickly becomes the love of his life. Her influence on the court is profound as she introduces luminaries such as Voltaire to the King. Her taste and style is well regarded and her behavior to the Queen is exemplarary.

The book is well illustrated and the writing is wonderful. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves French history.

History as Gossip
History in the hands of Nancy Mitford is centred entirely on the personal - it is history as anecdote, gossip, inside story, in miniature. An earlier reviewer has perceptively identified Lytton Strachey as a literary ancestor for the kind of historical works that Mitford wrote, and there is more than a little of the Mitford novels in them as well ("Love in a Cold Climate," "The Pursuit of Love." In my view, Madame de Pompadour was more enjoyably treated in the other Mitford biography "The Sun King," which might have been a better choice as a New York Review of Books Classic. This book tends to get bogged down in details of geneology (lovingly dwelt on by the aristocratic Mitford), decorating and dresses, and in the end one feels that the author does not quite convince her readers to like her famous subject as much as she does. Nevertheless, "Madame de Pompadour" is well worth a read if you are interested in the period. Mitford's "Volatire in Love" is a related work that might also be of interest.

Fair Book
I probably shouldn't write a review, as I have yet to actually finish this book. But I'm a history buff and I enjoy historical novels. The author comes across as a bit condescending and supercilious in placing French terms thoughout the book. She rattles them off without interpretation, as if we should all speak enough of the language to know what she's talking about. It's really annoying at best. I took 3 years of French, and still didn't get most of her maxims. It's also a bit slow and overly descriptive to the point that it gets boring. Hence my slowness to finish. It certainly hasn't sucked me into the story, so that I'm pouring over the pages and can't put it down...

Admiring and Admirable
I have read that Mitford began this book with amusement and a certain degree of condescension, but finished it with a deep admiration for the woman who had been the mistress of a king. One of the things that I liked so much about this book is that you always see the affection and admiration, and it's so clear that it would be easy not to see that.

In the histories that I have read to date that touch Versailles, many of the actual details of the period have been elided. It has come to be such shorthand for artificial elegance and extravagence that hardly any writers bother to explain what it was really about. The manners, the customs, the position of the nobility in France-- all these things were much clearer to me after reading Mitford's sparkling account than they were from any of the other history that I have read. For all that she chooses a seemingly frivolous main subject, Mitford never fails to point out how her subject applied or related to the key political questions of the time and the contrast is both entertaining and smart.

Recommended for almost all kinds of readers-- I think this would be excellent if one would just like some relaxing entertainment and from my point of view it also helped give me a more real look at the historical period in France.

generally good enough to spark appetite for broader readingi
This, along with Voltaire in Love, were both used as background when I started, "A Visit From Voltaire," and I quickly moved on to original sources. I found Mitford's treatment of both love stories was accurate, but her need to keep the romance front and center stage, became unsatisfactory--the politics of the day, and the enormous intellectual changes just can't stay in the background of these stories. As entertainment and an introduction to the rich and highly complicated world of The Enlightenment, I can highly recommend this books, but they will, I hope, only open the gates to a deeper understanding of what was at stake for these colorful personalities--the survival of the Church was under threat, and the roots of the collapse of the French monarchy were sinking in. Mitford makes these points very well, but I needed much, much more--and eventually spending time with these people became an obsession, and finally found it's way into print, proof that one good book or two can lead to addiction!
Dinah Lee Küng, author ... Read more

Book Description

"Where were you when Diana died?

For Trevor Rees-Jones, the answer is simple: he was in the same hospital as Diana, fighting for his own life a few rooms away.As bodyguard to her companion Dodi Fayed, he was with the couple when, hounded by paparazzi, and with a driver who turned out to be drunk, their Mercedes crashed into the thirteenth pillar of the tunnel under the Place de l'Alma in Paris.Dodi and the Driver, Henri Paul, died instantaneously, medics say; Diana was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors worked feverishly to resuscitate her before giving up in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Miraculously, Trevor survived.But his condition was critical--internal chest injuries and a broken wrist were the least of it.His head had taken the brunt of the impact and suffered catastrophic damage; his face was crushed beyond recognition.In a stunning medical drama, however, a facial surgeon performed a miracle of reconstruction, and--along with Trevor's own indomitable will and the support of his family and friends--the bodyguard was able to leave the hospital after just over a month.His goal then was straightforward: to return to a normal life as soon as possible, go back to work for his employer, Mohamed Al Fayed, and to the simple pleasures of rugby and his mates at home in Shropshire.

But the crash that nearly killed him had killed Diana, Princess of Wales, one of the most famous women of the late twentieth century.A normal life was no longer an option.An as Mohamed Al Fayed's grief at the loss of his son quickly turned into a desperate hunt for reasons, for culprits and conspiracy, Trevor found his unswerving loyalty to the Boss at first questioned and then, ultimately, destroyed, as Fayed pointed the finger of blame at him.

The Bodyguard's Story grippingly describes, for the first time, Trevor Rees-Jones's part in these astonishing events.From the prelude to Paris, when Trevor found himself minding the Princess and her two sons in the south of France, to the crash itself and its causes and consequences, this book reveals the true, first-hand account of one of the most sensational news stories of the last century.Compelling, alarming and yet deeply moving, it is a remarkable story of courage under fire, and of how ordinary people can react to extraordinary circumstances and survive, scarred, but with their souls and values intact." ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Evenhanded depiction of Mr. Rees-Jones' story
Before reading this book, I thought it would be exploitive for three reasons: the cover photo, the subtitle, and the last sentence of the introduction 'Trevor's story may, he believes, bring a sense of closure for William and Harry...'. However, this is truly Mr. Rees-Jones' story. Princess Diana is simply portrayed as a pleasant woman who was one of the party he was to guard.

The book tells how Mr. Rees-Jones went from being bodyguard to a relative unknown to a potential suspect in one of the most intense investigations of the twentieth century. The first third of the book details the prior month or so of his job. This part demonstrated the poor security work that often relied on amateurish cloak and dagger manuevers and that proper security work was thwarted by a fatuous boss.

The second third details his recovery from his injuries. Since he was unconscious and then medicated for this period, his parents' story was mostly used here. I found this the most tedious part of the whole book; his parents, especially his mother, are simply tiresome and of little interest to the larger story. The details of his facial surgeries were fascinating.

The last third concerns the aftermath of being released from the hospital to the final decision of the judge on the case. This part was the most gripping for me. The machinations of various parties to gain control of the testimony and newspaper interviews of a man still recovering from major trauma went so far as to be near-kidnappings. The conflict of interest of working for the man who was trying to prove a conspiracy theory through his testimony was a tense situation. I felt triumphant for him when he finally realized he was being manipulated and quit his job.

Real Truth - Always Less Fascinating
I believe, as I have since the event, that this version of events as told by the sole survivor, is what really happened. While conspiracy is most interesting, I am frankly quite amazed at how unwilling people are to believe that some things happen simply as accidents, although with a cause. My overwhelming opinion is Mr. Al Fayed's dogged pursuit of a scapegoat is simply to deal with his personal anguish at having played a part in the tragedy. Mr. Rees-Jones' suffering is quite apparant, and one can only sympathize with his difficulty in defending himself. This is his story, as he knows it, and nothing published from other sources makes me think the horrible accident that killed the Princess of Wales happened any other way. This books illustrates how the simplest explanation, of which the author provides evidence, is often the most difficult to accept. One can only wish Mr. Rees-Jones well, if in nothing else than in re-establishing his anonymity. Good on you, Trevor.

From the source
I have always wondered what kind of a person Trevor Rees-Jones was and his book gave an in-depth view of him, personally and professionally . . . in his own words.

The saying goes that "truth is stranger than fiction." The truth is also less sensational and colorful than the portrait painted by tabloid hacks and unethical "journalists" the world over.

From the start, I didn't think Trevor was trying to cash in on his time with Diana, Princess of Wales. In the foreward, he stated that writing the book (author Moira Johnston helped him write it) was his way of dealing with the situation and moving on with his life.

Trevor is an ordinary guy who had a very high profile job. It was because of circumstances on the job (that lead to what Trevor called "an industrial accident") and the fact that he was in a car with the world's most famous woman that has put him center stage for the rest of his life.

I felt sorry for the entire Rees-Jones family as diary entry after another explained the turmoil going on inside each of them: His mother and stepfather's struggle to getting Trevor on the road to recovery, the whole family having to deal with the intense media pressure, having Trevor's professionalism called into question by so-called experts (that, in his own words, were not at the Ritz nor in the car), Trevor's having to cope with the fact that he was the only survivor, the family's having to deal with the first overprotective and subsequently vicious hand of Mohammed Al Fayed. The list goes on.

I did get mad at, but then later understood, Trevor's wanting to keep his job with Al Fayed. He was the textbook case example of a loyal employee. Unfortunately, Mohammed Al Fayed was (and still is) so hung up on his conspiracy theories that he thought Trevor was lying to him about how much he remembered of the accident. It was only when he (Al Fayed) was more forthright in wanting to take complete control of the investigation that Trevor had finally had enough and quit (his good friend, Kez, would also quit about two years after the crash for the same reason: He told Al Fayed to his face that he thought his theories were rubbish).

I give Trevor and his family (his real last name is just Rees but he changed HIS name to Rees-Jones because he was so in love with his now ex-wife Sue Jones) MUCH credit for coming through such a trying time in their lives not only intact but stronger than ever. They did not let any of the media attention go to their heads (even as Trevor's so-called friends and even Sue were selling themselves to the highest bidder in the media). They remained true small town folks to the end (and Trevor was even able to play his beloved rugby not a year after the crash).

Some folks may find this book boring as Trevor is a very down-to-earth chap who just shoots straight from the hip. He doesn't trump up the facts (or make things up entirely as the media decided to do time and again while Trevor refused to give interviews). He presents Diana in a very positive light and tells the unexciting truth about the goings on of the case and behind the scenes shananigans of one Mohammed Al Fayed.

Highly recommended (if you can still get it) for a first hand account of wha it's like on the other side of the camera and news reports.

An Indepth View of a Royal Tragedy
Although somewhat hard to follow ; this is a book definitely worth reading.An indepth look , from the only survivor of a car crash that changed history!What could be more exciting.Somewhat rough around the edges;but ,nevertheless honest and telling Never knowing how these fateful events would unfold as they left the Ritz with Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana , Trevor
and Kez only knew that they were between a rock and a hard place.You don't disrespect the Boss's son when he's entertaining a Princess .It wouldn't be the first time Dodi's last minute change of plans surprised the bodyguards .At the recent screening of "Air Force One" Dodi had seated Diana in Trevors' usual seat by the door.Trevor nearly landed in Diana's lap.That same evening on route to the theatre with the Princess,Trevor had shown professionalism in eluding the paparazzi - so why the change in plans at the Ritz? Dodi's former girlfriend ,Kelly Fisher testified that Dodi was a "real dictator to Trevor".It was apparent that Dodi began to mistrust those around him ; and he just may have tried to impress the Princess with Henri Paul ; someone he knew he could trust. Trevor should have been compensated handsomely for his injuries.Money and justice just don't seem to mix .

Basically a waste of time..................
For those that were truly fans of Diana, this book does nothing. I am not, but still can respect a well written story which this book is definitely not. All it does do, is give some slight info to the curious of what took place a few months prior to her death. As far as any real insight into her life, personality, accident and all the miscellanoeus issues surrounding it, this book just touches the surface. Nothing gained or lost here except a little bit of time in the reading. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

great book on cleopatra
this was a great book on cleopatra. there is so much info. pages 113 to 151 are filled with documents. this book is not only filled with lots of good info but it has lots of pictures as well, at least one on every page. this book also gives you an overview on rome, but does not take away from cleopatra. it gives you just enough info on rome so that you will understand all the things around cleopatra. if you are interested in ancient egypt or cleopatra you should get this book. i bet you are asking why the 4 stars, well this book is very small it is a little bigger than 5 by 7. and the words are alittle hard to read. if the book would have been bigger it would have got five stars.

ALL HAIL DISCOVERIES SERIES!
I expected this to be filled with necessary facts about the famous feminine pharaoh. Alas! It is JAM-PACKED with facts and stunning paintings, pictures of artifacts, references to related literary materials, commnetary from famous scientists, archaeologists, etc. It's a mystery to me how they managed to fit it all in this small pocket size book. You can page through it, or read it page by page. Either way it's an easily digestible biography.

I read this alongside Margaret George's 'Memoirs of Cleopatra' and it helped me follow the dramatic events and verify their validity.

The Discoveries Series covers almost any historical topic (anthropology, famous artists, explorers, scientists, myths & legends, astrology, signs & symbols). Here are more of my favorites: Beethoven, Ancient Egypt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Vampires, The Sun, Vikings. To find these titles on Amazon just type "discoveries series" at the browser.

Cleopatra is the greatest
Cleopatra was the greatest.except why did she do suicide.exspecially naked.I wish she lived to see the world until she was the last person in the world.Cleopatra was a good person she cared and she loved every one of her citizens.Thank you for hearing what I have to say and good day.

Who Cares!
Who really cares what color her skin was? She was an extraordinary woman in extraordinary times. Personally, I believe she was white, but it really doesn't matter either way.

Extrodinary: gives you an overveiw and many details
I have read many books on Cleopatra. Many clutter your mind with information. This book does not give you too many names or details yet still supplies you with enough information to fully understand her life and troubles as well as the lives of those importent in her live. This is a must be read book that is simple and enjoyable yet information packed. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

If it were longer and the same it would be 5 stars for me
This book provides what Antonia Frazer's biography of Marie Antoinette does not -- more about the children, more about the aftermath of Marie Antoinette's death. I thought this book would repeat much of Frazer's but, in fact, it enriches Frazer's work. And, except for some melodramatic flourishes, I think it is better written. Though I usually read 2 or 3 books at a time and can easily jump from one to the other, I could not put this book down until I finished it.

I wish there had been more to this volume. The DNA passages sometimes feel 'padded' and the 'mystery' element seems somewhat contrived. Who cares! It was so engrossing that I neglected everything this afternoon so that I could finish this book.

WOW
I could not put this book down! I can't wait for Deborah Cadbury to write another history!! Even though I knew what "the outcome" would be .... I was "on the edge of my seat" the whole way through! A VERY fun read that also taught me a lot about this period of history.

Fantastic popular history
This is as readable as any historical novel and far more interesting. Cadbury brings the shadowy image of Marie Antoinette's children fully to life with detail and emotional depth. Unlike most books on this topic, the parents are moved firmly to the background, coming forward only to illustrate their influence on the children and their lives. I learned more in this fast paced enjoyable read than I have in half a dozen 'scholarly' books on the period. The Lost King's resolution may not surprise you, but it's a rewarding read that immerses you as fully as an epic film. One of the finest histories I've read on any subject and more emotionally affecting than most fiction. You will not be able to forget this family or view them in the same fashion again. A true must read.

The Mystery is Finally Solved!!!
This is without a doubt the BEST nonfiction book I have ever had the acute pleasure of reading. This book tells the tale of Louis XVII, his fate, the pretenders (or were they?) that played in the masque to prove they were him. This book tells what happened to the poor child in the Tuilleries, and sometimes they were so heart-wrenching that I actually began crying in the middle of class while I was reading it. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK! It is so good!

A haunting, tragic tale............
This was the best history lesson ! I actually felt as if I were transported to the 18th century as I read this . So many of the stories about the revolution dehumanize the royal family, or focus entirely on Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette , with very little thought to their final days, or of their children . The Lost King Of France , includes the painful, memoirs of Princess Marie-Therese , (Louis and Marie-Antoinette's oldest child) , a witness to the full horrors of the revolution , and the fate of her brother Louis XVII . The mystery of Louis's fate , far surpasses the saga of Russia's Anastasia , and I was on the edge of my seat until the final page ! I gave it 4 stars because of the grainy , black and white photos , and that is the only reason I did not give it 5 stars . This is such an absorbing tale of one of the youngest victim of the revolution, a definite page turner!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ingrid Seward, a prolific writer on the English royal family, was the last journalist to interview Princess Diana before her death in August 1997. In this intriguing book, Seward gives a worm's-eye view of Diana's trouble-plagued life, layered with episodes of betrayal and illness, and she accords full sympathy to the minor noblewoman who became "the people's princess." She is still more sympathetic to Diana's sometime nemesis Queen Elizabeth II, who, in Seward's account, labored endlessly to preserve the dignity of the monarchy in the face of a family that behaved in anything but a dignified manner.

Rising above the caricatures that color the popular press, Seward depicts a queen who tried her best to accommodate Diana--who was, it seems, never shy in voicing her displeasures and had an undeniable flair for recruiting the media in her cause, all the while protesting the press's intrusion into a fairy-tale life that "turned into a Gothic nightmare." Diana's insistence on airing her dirty laundry in public was bound to irritate the ever-sensitive queen, but more, Seward writes, "in her demands for love and sympathy, she gave self-fulfillment precedence over duty"--and for Elizabeth, dereliction of duty was the greatest possible sin one could commit. Their relationship could end only in tears; and so it did, taking much of the English public's good will toward the royal family with it.

Sometimes racy and breathless, but intelligent all the same, Seward's account enlarges our understanding of the internal dynamics of the modern court while delivering no end of scandalous news, just as a palace chronicle should. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Sad...
I find Ms. Seward's writing to be painful to read. For an editor of Majesty magazine, I expected her to have class in her manner of writing and respect in her depiction of the British royal family. She would have been well suited as a writer for the tabloids instead. Her manner of retelling is very gossipy, and biased. She can't seem to help but include her spiteful opinions of the late princess. I find her to be a very disrespectful person to be writing such a book. If you are looking for historical background or a respectful account of the Queen and the late princess, this is not the book to read.

The Knowledge of a Misunderstood Relationship
If you are like half of the population and interested in all the gossip about the House of Windsor and the late Princess of Wales, then this book should be one that you should read. This book is about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. This book, to my belief, is a piece of evidence on why we as the public should respect Her Majesty, and why we should understand what their relationship is truly about. The book describes Diana's first State duty with the entire Royal Family in November 1984 at the State Opening of Parliament. Diana was having her hair being done for the event and insisted that she wore her hair up knowing that it was not long enough and looked different. The next day Diana's hair was on the headlines not the Queen, on which should have been a day of her publicity. This was the beginning of the popularity contest between these two women.
The author Ingrid Seward, is editor of Majesty magazine. She has written many books about the Royal Family that has kept her in the bestsellers list for twelve years.
This book all and all will give you a better knowledge about both women and will teach you the inside story of what happened behind the palace walls of two remarkable women and there relationship that is so widely known and questioned by the public.

God Save the Queen!
Thank you, Ms. Seward for writing a fair and reasonable book. It's gratifying to read a work that illuminates how hard our queen tried to accomodate the late Princess of Wales and what a truly lovely person she is. Elizabeth II is a great queen -- history will bear this out -- and I think we often take her far too much for granted. God bless and keep her!

As a British subject currently residing the states, I remain astonished at the rabid interest our royal family holds for Americans.

The Queen and Di: The Untold Story by Ingrid Seward
I would not recommend this book to anyone. I felt cheated. The book was extremely biased on part of the Queen. I do not think that Ingrid Seward was objective as a writer. It is such a pity that she could not give any respect to the person that made her magazine sell. Back in the 80's, Diana was prominently featured in Majesty magazine. No one bought it to see what the Queen wore. I was expecting a little more honesty than I read in this book. Queen Elizabeth and Diana were just people. A mother and daughter in-law. There was a divorce. No one is perfect, but this book would lead you to believe that all the royals were. Save your money.

Palace Propaganda
I suppose one should have expected the bias from the editor in chief of Majesty Magazine, nevertheless the fact that Seward and her ilk at The Firm's PR machine believe the public can't recognize such artless spin is an eloquent example of how out-of-touch the House of Windsor remains. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Inspired work of fiction
I have studied late Ch'ing dynasty in detail from Chinese sources and can safely say that I have never encountered a more distorted and fictional view of the period. Seagrave's thesis that the 'evil legend' of Tz'u-hsi was invented by Bland and Backhouse is false: apart from the material based on the Ching-shan diary, virtually everything in 'China under the Empress Dowager' is based on authentic Chinese sources. Seagrave creates an imaginary political scenario of a court dominated by a fictitious 'Ironhat' clique. Virtually every page in this book contains some sort of error, distortion, sweeping judgement based on minimal evidence, fabrication or even an ocasional barefaced lie. If you want a true picture of the late Ch'ing, read Marina Warner's biography of Tz'u-hsi. A comprehensive and accurate account can be found in the five-volume 'Ch'ing-tai t'ung-shih' by Hsiao I-shan. Seagrave's book is an entertaining novel.

A fascinating account
Seagrave tells the story of Tzu Hsi, the celebrated Empress Dowager who dominated the Qing court for almost half a century. He goes entirely against the views of earlier biographers, who have labeled Tzu Hsi as an evil genius, to give a story of a fairly ordinary woman overwhelmed by the nearly impossible task of trying to reform a failing dynasty against intense opposition from the reactionary Manchu noblemen.

Familiar events to students of Qing dynasty history, such as the Tung Chih era, the Hundred Days Reform, and the Boxer Rebellion are all here, but these events, especially the last, are treated quite differently by Seagrave, who tells a story entirely different from most accounts.

Seagrave also goes into some detail regarding the lives and characters of George Morrison and Edmund Backhouse, China experts and correspondents for the London Times, who are the primary creators of the traditional accounts of Tzu Hsi's crimes. Backhouses's extravagantly pornographic accounts are particularly bizarre - it's incredible that he could have ever been taken seriously as a historical source.

There are some problems with the book. Every source listed in the bibliography is in English, raising the question of how much Seagrave has studied the Chinese literature, even if he knows the language. Seagrave does make some statements of fact which are obviously speculation, such as "Tzu Hsi pushed for her nephew's selection as the new Emperor in part to rescue him from his mother's abuse." (p 161) And the endnotes are also occasionally off, referring to the wrong page in the text. These flaws are fairly minor, but they are troublesome in a book which revises traditional understandings so radically.

One subject which Seagrave touches on briefly, but really could have expanded further, is the consistent demonization of women in traditional Chinese history. Women were blamed for the collapse of the three earliest dynasties. Empress Wu, in the Tang dynasty, was also described as a tyrant and nymphomaniac, often compared to Tzu Hsi, but it seems probable that this account also was exaggerated if not altogether false. Another imperial mistress was blamed for sparking a civil war that ended the Tang's glory days. Nor has this ended in the modern era - the attempt to blame the disasters of the Cultural Revolution on Mao's wife shows that Chinese tradition is still strong in the Communist age.

Seagrave's account of this important era, and of how mythology and pornograph
y were turned into history is an amazing story, full of colorful incidents.

History
The book itself is rather good. What I can't stand is, it's ignoring the facts. Ci-Xi is definitely NOT the last empress of China. The last one is Wanrong. I know, because I am Chinese. Wanrong led a very tragical life, as she was the very last empress, at the end of the Qing dynasty. She was there when it fell. Ci-Xi is like her husband's aunt or something.

The controversy never ends
This is a worthy biography of Tzu Hsi, the Last Empress of China. While some people criticize the history, the distortion over the events and character of Tzu Hsi still rage today. I have read the Backhouse account that Seagrave attributes to besmirching the Empress's reputation and I agree, it's imaginative, inflammatory rot. The Backhouse bio attributes some sexual exploits of the author so is completely suspect. But it was taken as gospel for years. This biography is more balanced, and shows the various sides of the despotic but venerated ruler who tried to stem the tide of modernism in Old China, and failed. The onslaught of the Western culture broke down centuries of stable peasant culture, making way for the Revolution. An interesting look into the last remnants of Imperial China.

Important, explosive account of how "history" was created
Seagrave has made a brilliant career of exploding sacred cows and correcting historical falsehoods and lies, and exposing the criminality and propaganda upon which so much of "history" is built. In this epic account, drawing on overlooked and previously unpublished sources, Seagrave destroys longheld myths (that are still touted as "fact" by most western and Chinese scholars) and presents a startling and critical "flip side" reappraisal of the collapse of the Ching dynasty and the life of the eternally demonized Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi. The demented British propagandists, Edmund Backhouse and J.O.P. Bland, are finally exposed as liars and frauds whose blatant propaganda unfortunately helped define world opinion, and in turn agitated further western atrocities upon China and the Ching regime. Chinese operatives Kang Yu-Wei, and the legion of corrupt ultra-reactionary princes behind the throne (the true power in the late Ching), are also spared no quarter. Tzu Hsi herself is shown to be a somewhat ignorant hostage and figurehead, caught between Ironhat Manchu operatives wreaking havoc internally, and imperialist foreign powers intent on using all pretexts to carve open China and plunder it. More importantly, Seagrave provides evidence that virtually none of the hellish acts attributed to Tzu Hsi ever happened, and backs it up with convincing evidence. She was not the all-powerful and evil murderess and animal as depicted by scores of "world class" intellectuals and East Asian scholars (even Jonathan Spence) and generations of books and films glorifying Tzu Hsi's "reptilian evil". This, along with "Soong Dynasty", is an essential read for anyone who wants a starlingly clear view of late Ching-early Republic era China. Highest possible recommendation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Time-Treasured Princess
After reading most books, you can easily put the book back on the shelf without looking back. Princess Diana: Her Life Story was not like that at all. In fact, after reading it, you have to sit back and think about what a great book it was. This books didn't just tell the story of a great and accomplished woman, but it also described her thoughts, emotions, loves, and her shocking death that affected the whole world. Most biographies are all facts and dates, which for most can get quite dull. When I read the first few pages of this biography on Princess Diana, I knew for sure this would was different. The book made you feel lik you were there with Diana through the worst and best times of her life. Her life story was not just an ordinary biography, it was an amazing journey through the life of a time-treasured Princess. ... Read more

Book Description

In the summer of 1548, the thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth Tudor was secluded at Cheshunt, England. There she gave birth to a boy, whose father was Thomas Seymour, Elizabeth’s stepfather. The child was placed in the household of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford and the changeling baby was raised as Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford.

Edward de Vere was an acknowledged playwright, poet, theatrical producer, musician, dancer and literary figure of the Elizabethan era.He wrote under several pen names and also under names of living persons.

His most famous pen name was "William Shakespeare." ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An Earl of Oxford, Queen Elizabeth 1 and Shakespeare
"Oxford, Son of Queen Elizabeth" by Paul Streitz (published by Oxford Institute Press, 2001) is an extraordinary and provocative book. It is likely to be considered totally unacceptable to "Stratfordian" Shakespearean scholars, who believe that plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare can only be the work of the celebrated man of that name, born in Stratford-upon-Avon and christened "Gulielmus Shakspere" in 1564. By contrast, the book will be welcomed by "Oxfordians" who believe that the same plays and poetry should instead be attributed to Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, born in 1548.

This authorship question has been growing for several decades. Streitz has now contributed to the debate by compiling historical evidence to suggest that Elizabeth I was the mother of the Bard, that the biological father was Thomas Seymour, and that the 16th Earl of Oxford (John de Vere) was his foster-father. These suggestions may be considered preposterous by many critics, but Streitz obviously would not have dared to publish his book if he did not have some substance to advance them.

Consider the so-called "Virgin Queen". Streitz notes that "in over four hundred years, there have been no critical investigations of whether or not Elizabeth had children". Evidently there had been rumours circulating in 1549, when Elizabeth was just 15 years old. In a letter addressed to Edward Seymour, the Lord Protector, the princess herself referred to "shameful Schandlers" (slanders) that she was "with Child". In a second letter she appealed again to the Lord Protector, requesting that "no such rumours should be spread". Apparently she succeeded in this regard. Now, 450 years later, Streitz is the first person to link the "Schandlers" with events in the summer of 1548, when a child was born in suspiciously secret circumstances to a "very fair young lady" of about "fifteen or sixteen years of age". There is no proof that this young lady was princess Elizabeth, but Streitz considers this as a possibility in the context of events which he strings together to make a possible if not proven case. Notably, suspicions are associated with "the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the birth of the saide Edward, now Earle of Oxforde" (to quote from a late 16th century document)..

There is no doubt that the 17th Earl of Oxford was given opportunities to study in Cambridge (in 1564) and in Oxford (1566), and that he travelled to France and Italy (1575). Further, there is no doubt that Edward de Vere did write poetry, but not every modern scholar would accept that the de Vere poems correspond to the quality and style of those attributed to William Shakespeare. By contrast, Gabriel Harvey, a contemporary of the Earl, was absolutely flattering in 1578: "Thou has hast drunk deep draughts not only of the Muses of France and Italy...thine eyes flash fire, thy countenance shakes spears" (from Latin, 'tela vibrat', which can be alternatively translated as "brandishes spears"). Oxfordians venture to say that it is not coincidental that the name Shakespeare can itself be translated into Latin as 'tela vibrat'.

"Shakespeare's Sonnets", with a publication date of 1609 , have been interpreted in numerous ways. Streitz provides novel interpretations, suggesting not only that they include cryptic references to the 17th Earl of Oxford, but also that they were written by that dignitary whose dignity was diminished towards the end of his lifetime.

A poem with metaphorical references to bees is extraordinary. It includes references to henbane, hemlock and other substances, including tobacco. The line "wordes, hopes, witts, and the all the world [is] but smoke" leads to the statement "Twas not tobacco [that] stupifyed the brain". If the verse was indeed written by the Earl of Oxford, as Streitz suggests, perhaps at times he wrote under the influence of a substance more "bewitching" than tobacco: "from those [leaves] no dram of sweete I drayne, their head strong [fury] did my head bewitch"

"Oxford, Son of Queen Elizabeth" makes very interesting reading, even though one need not accept everything contained in it. There are intriguing facts, such as the Queen's grant of 1,000 pounds per annum to the 17th Earl of Oxford. That was an enormous sum of money in 1586. The obvious question is why? Was it really a gift from a benevolent mother to a playwright son? Streitz suggests that the anomalously large grant was intended to support actors and playwrights to prop up political power at a time when Elizabeth I had to be extremely careful against Catholic opposition at home, and the prospect of a Spanish invasion.

To assess the merits of the book, it is strongly recommended that it be read in its entirety. Even if one is willing to absorb and accept only parts of it, those parts may help to "flesh out" an understanding of relationships between Elizabeth I and the 17th Earl of Oxford, in the context of literary debate.

Reviewed by J.F. Thackeray, Transvaal Museum, Box 413, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

More evidence in favor.
My first review and recommendation of this book is below. I just wanted to add an interesting experience. I was channel surfing the other day and came across a program of Henry VIII and his six wives. Toward the end of that very engrossing show, Thomas Seymour, the dashing paramour of the last of the wives, is shown in very clearly incriminating circumstances with the adolescent Elizabeth. The show even quoted Catherine Parr on her death bed as, in and out of a high fever, she accused Seymour of having relations with her favorite step-daughter. This being the central assertion of this book, I thought it very illuminating to see it presented in the flesh and blood, so to speak, by another source. Readers should not dismiss this book by its outwardly scandalous assertions.

Long-suppressed, soon to be recognized¿
Ten years ago, my mother (M. Stanley Tucker, Columbia, SC) introduced me to the evidence for deVere's authorship and an "enlightened" interpretation of the plays and sonnets. Since then, I have read and studied all the works by "Shakespeare," as well as all the published research on the authorship issue. There is no doubt in my mind Oxford is the author of the works of "Shakespeare".

It is a travesty the illiterate bumpkin of Avon has been masqueraded to the public as the brilliant author of these literary jewels. The whole affair is a superb example of successful propaganda by the English royal family and the publishing industry.

This book is the most illuminating of all I have read. In his book, Oxford: Son of Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Paul Streitz builds upon the previous scholars who have been building the case for Oxford. Streitz's understanding and presentation of the complex "symbols" left behind by a frustrated artist deprived of the rightful recognition of his royal title and his unparalleled, creative body of work, greatly furthers the cause of Oxfordians.

The greatest tragedy of the "Stratford" charade is the reader's loss. Without Oxford as author, the richness and poignancy of his supremely autobiographical works are lost.

Even 400+ years later, deVere is due the long-suppressed acknowledgement that he is truly the author of the most marvelous works in the English language. One only has to read the Arts section of the New York Times today to see how many of his plays still dominate our theatres and films. No other author can equal to his gift to our society. He deserves to have his true name on his "ever-living" dramas.

OXFORD
I purchased this book after seeing the author interviewed on television and reading the reviews. I cannot understand the number of 5-star reviews this book was given. The only plausible explanation is that they were all written by Mr. Streitz himself. Whether or not Oxford was the son of Elizabeth I is irrelevant. This is one of the most poorly researched and poorly written books I have ever tried to read. I finally gave up after the third time he told of event that probably happened, but for which there is no proof yet, stating that sometime in the future "someone" should do the research. No, Mr. Streitz, that someone should have been you, and the time to do the research is before you write the book.

Bottom line - unreadable drivel.

Queen Gertrude is Hamlet's mother. Duh!
If Hamlet is indeed Shakespeare's most autobiographical work, then the obvious has been staring us in the face for too long: the Queen is Hamlet's mother.

This and other assertions are sure to shock readers and undermine the author's credibility. Mr. Streitz may be out to make a name for himself, if only in notoriety. One thing is for sure: the whole Elizabethan period needs a fresh overhaul, based on the twin assertions, that the commoner from Stratford most certainly did not write the greatest works in this or any language; and that the 17th Earl of Oxford most probably did. Once these premises are accepted as truth, then the whole orthodox history becomes a worthless conceit.

Not all that Mr. Stritz asserts is easy to accept, but enough of it falls within the realm of possibility to make this book an interesting diversion. There certainly was a whole lot going on in the second half of the 16th century that, when looked at through the eyes of the born-again Oxfordian, needs deciphering. This book makes a good start, if only by asking a lot of questions and raising possible answers. Only much further research will vindicate or villify Mr. Streitz.

I removed one star for mechanics: this book screams for a good editor. ... Read more

Book Description

Life at the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette has long captivated readers, drawn by accounts of the intrigues and pageantry that came to such a sudden and unexpected end. Stefan Zweig's Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman is a dramatic account of the guillotine's most famous victim, from the time when as a fourteen-year-old she took Versailles by storm, to her frustrations with her aloof husband, her passionate love affair with the Swedish Count von Fersen, and ultimately to the chaos of the French Revolution and the savagery of the Terror. An impassioned narrative, Zweig's biography focuses on the human emotions of the participants and victims of the French Revolution, making it both an engrossingly compelling read and a sweeping and informative history. "Certainly no one can arise unmoved from the reading of this powerful work." -- The New Republic "Excellent biography." -- The New York Times ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Wicked Austrian Queen
Portraying Marie Antoinette as an "average woman," as the title of Zweig's work provocatively suggests, is a debatable proposition. On the one hand, as Zweig shows throughout this study, Marie Antoinette was no prodigy: she was flawed, egotistic, intellectually limited and ... indiscreet. Her greatest passions were for clothes, vast flowery gardens, [fancy] jewelry and good looking Swedish men; she was a compulsive spendthrift; her political self-awareness was zero and her policy meddling was uniformly disastrous. Her indiscipline at court was flagrantly exploited by her political enemies - notably her jealous and ambitious brothers-in-law Louis and Charles (the later Bourbon Restoration kings) - who portrayed her as a modern day Jezebel. In all of these respects, her life was far from "average". But the "ordinariness" within, argues Zweig, left her ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of an extraordinary life.

Once the Revolution happens, however, Zweig's "averageness" argument makes a dog-leg turn. Under the extreme pressures of her imprisonment, her husband's guillotining, her separation from her beloved children and her state trial for treason, she rose above the "average," drawing on her Habsburg dignity and treating her Committee inquisitors with the contempt they deserved. In death, if not in life, she proved herself to be a true daughter of Maria Theresa. Even ordinary people can be martyrs, Zweig seems to be saying.

Zweig is a natural storyteller, and the fact that he, like Marie Antoinette, was Viennese gives him insights into her sensibilities and predilections. Another Viennese voice can be heard in this narrative: the psychological narrative owes much to Dr. Freud - particularly when we come to her early womanhood. Can it be, as Zweig dares to suggest, that Louis XVI's early impotence, and young Marie Antoinette's consequent frustration, fueled her shallow materialism? Was her scandalously profligate lifestyle an outlet for ... frustration? Did one man's "shortcomings" thus cause the revolution? And what of the bizarre Strasbourg ceremony whereby the newlywed Marie Antoinette was forced to [unclothe] at the frontier, lest the new Dauphine of France cross the border wearing foreign clothes? Surely an emotionally scarring experience? Her tale is a gift for the Freudian, and Zweig milks it for all it's worth.

The story of a Woman
Marie Antoinette... many things go through one's mind when thinking of that name. Many say she was cruel, pampered, and spoiled, and that she was the main couse of the French Revolution, yet, she was just a woman, a woman born a princess in the Austrian court, married to a French boy whom she had never met by the age of 15, crowned by 19, and beheaded by 35.

Life went by so fast by Marie Antoinette!!, and never gave her a chance to choose what she wanted out of it.

Stefan Zweig is a marvelous writer, and manages to gives us an intimate portrait of at times very hated, at others very loved and admired woman, an ordinary person who only wished for a normal life with her family, a little place of her own, where she didn't have to adjust and adapt to the many different rules impossed on her.

He describes the life of the French court as only he could, and you feel like you are part of the story, hearing about Versailles, Louvre, the revolution and the people involved, which makes this an excellent book to learn about history, about life in the French court, and about France's last great queen.

So, was she cruel, spoiled, and ignorant? read and decide for yourself....

An average woman in exceptional circumstances
Zweig's biography is so fascinating, I can't believe it's been allowed to go out of print. He does a remarkable job of delineating a light-headed, pleasureseeking woman who was thrust into circumstances she couldn't have anticipated or coped with. Marie Antoinette becomes a real woman, not a figurehead or a scapegoat. No one could ask for anything less.

surreal and magnificent
This book is essentially the perfect introduction to the French revolution. Written in 1932 by Stephan Zweig, a novelist and professional biographer of Viennese origin, it presents a 'visual guided tour' of the life and death of the tragic queen Marie Antoinette. The book dips into psychoanalytical thinking without getting mired in its jargon, and draws on extensive research into the letters and diaries of the most minor characters, without sacrificing narrative style or readability. Zweig writes books that move swiftly, but are rich in detail, and could easily repay a second reading.

Married at fifteen, crowned queen at nineteen, and beheaded at thirty-seven, Marie Antoinette went from the heights of heedless frivolity into the depths of isolation and despair. Zweig carefully shows how she converted the arrogance and narcissism of her early years as the "queen of rococo", into a brave and selfless defense of the aristocratic lost cause. Surrounded by the mounting violence and insanity of the revolution, which mirrored the earlier unreason of a decadent aristocracy, she was stripped of her power and prestige, but passionately refused to surrender her honor. In the end the force of her character vindicated the nobility which her years of frivolity had discredited. But it was too late, the damage had been done, and she more than any other was the symbol against which the revolution was fought.

Independent of the historical significance of the topic, this book is magnificently written, it moves at a rapid and exciting pace, and it contains many deep moral lessons without slipping into tedious jargon or dogmatism of any kind.

An excellent book about a mediocre Queen
Stefan Zweig's excellent account of history's most tragic queen; it's a very good read.

Zweig's assertion is that Antoinette was not only unprepared for her role as the last Queen in the ancien regime, but that she - the daughter of Maria Theresa - was simply 'average'. Nothing about this woman was average. This is a vivid account of a life so privileged it is incomprehensible today. It is the story of a spoiled, pampered Queen who is unwilling to pay the price of her station in life: the constraints of etiquette.

Perhaps her outlook might be considered to be 'average' for the time. The fall of the French monarchy caused all of Europe to tremble. It would have taken great vision for a person in Antoinette's position to see the inevitability of the revolution. Nevertheless, the book clearly portrays Marie Antoinette as a personage with typical views for her time, of mediocre intelligence, without wit or talent, uneducated (uneducable, perhaps) who is not only unprepared but also unwilling to shoulder the responsibilities of what was the most important throne in Europe.

Yet, Zweig's affection for the subject is undeniable and contagious. It might be argued that Antoinette deserved the guillotine, but we're very sorry to see her make that journey in the end. ... Read more

Book Description

"MASTERFUL."
--The Washington Post Book World
"RIVETING . . . UNFOLDS LIKE A DETECTIVE STORY."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review
In July 1991, nine skeletons were exhumed from a shallow mass grave near Ekaterinburg, Siberia, a few miles from the infamous cellar room where the last tsar and his family had been murdered seventy-three years before. But were these the bones of the Romanovs? And if these were their remains, where were the bones of the two younger Romanovs supposedly murdered with the rest of the family? Was Anna Anderson, celebrated for more than sixty years in newspapers, books, and film, really Grand Duchess Anastasia?
The Romanovs: The Final Chapter provides answers, describing in suspenseful detail the dramatic efforts in post-Communist Russia to discover the truth. This unique story, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert K. Massie, presents a colorful panorama of contemporary characters, illuminating the major scientific dispute between Russian experts and a team of Americans, including Drs. William Maples and Michael Baden--fiercely antagonistic forensic experts whose findings, along with those of DNA scientists from Russia, America, and Great Britain, all contributed to solving one of the greatest mysteries of the twentieth century.
"AN ADMIRABLE SCIENTIFIC THRILLER."
--The New York Times Book Review
"COMPELLING . . . A FASCINATING ACCOUNT."
--Chicago Tribune
"A MASTERPIECE OF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING."
--San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle
... Read more

Reviews (31)

Robert K. Massie's books are wonderful reads
Another well-written book by Robert K. Massie about the Romanov family and their tragic fate. The book begins at the death of the romanovs and explaining in great detail their death, and how their bodys were hidden for so many years. It present's evidence about people claiming to be the romanovs themself - even one of the most famous - Anna Anderson. It points out both sides to those who do and do not believe she was Anastasia Romanov. I myself do not velieve that she was due to the evidence this book presents - DNA, and how her story does not hold up at all. This is a wonderful book!

Check out Nicholas & Alexandra, Anastasia'a Album, and the Last Tsar as well.

Appropriate afterword for "Nicholas and Alexandra"
I'm guessing that most people buying "The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" have already read Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" (first published in 1967) but if you haven't, I highly recommend it as "The Romanov's" is basically a final update to the family's tragic tale. Also, Massie's first book on Russia's last Tsar will make this book more personal to the reader as one gets a sentimental appreciation of who Nicholas and his family were from "Nicholas and Alexandra."
This book is far different than Massie's other historical epics as he takes on the role of an investigative journalist rather than a historian. Massie is on the front-lines, from DNA labs to court rooms, searching for a final answer as to whose skeletons were unearthed by an Ekaterinburg resident in the late 70's.
Massie leaves the reader with a plethora of factual information that all but ends one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century. Using DNA tests, Massie proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Russia's royal family and servants are the ones that were buried beneath the road outside Ekaterinburg. He also proves beyond a reasonable doubt, that Anna Anderson, who was the 20th century's greatest con artist, was not Anastasia, Tsarevna of Russia, but a mere Polish peasant.
With all the crime solving, the book at times gets bogged down into quotes, lengthy (but pertinent) explanations of scientific facts and petty arguments between scientists and lawyers, which limits Massie's masterful writing-style to a minimum. After reading all his books, the only sections that come close to capturing his colorful and accomplished style of prose are the first and last chapters.
That said, I'm very glad Massie was the one to tell the Tsar's final story and I highly recommend it to any reader of "Nicholas and Alexandra."

Here's a few items of note:

- A previous reviewer said that Massie does not explain what happened to the last two bodies, presumably of Alexei and either Anastasia or Marie, but in fact, Massie does with quotes of Yurovsky's writings on page 31 and again on page 68. By burning the two bodies and spreading the ashes and embers around, their remains were not preserved like the remaining nine bodies by being entombed in clay, so the final two missing family members in all likelihood will never be found. Another reviewer wished they had a family tree to keep the Romanovs straight. In my edition of "Nicholas and Alexandra", there is a family tree that shows all of Nicholas II's brothers and sister and one could make a photo copy from that book and add in all the nephews, nieces, cousins, etc.

- Also, since this book was published in 1995, a few things have happened in Russia regarding the Romanovs. On July 17, 1998, Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, three of their children and four family servants were buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church still questions the legitimacy of the bones as being the Tsar but the church did partake in the funeral march and burial. In a poll taken at the time, only 47 percent of Russians believed they remains were of Nicholas II and his family. And in 2001, the Dowager Empress Marie Fedorovna, was exhumed in Denmark and reburied alongside her husband, Tsar Alexander III, in the same cathedral.

The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie
This is a wonderful edition to any Romanov/Russian History/Grand Duchess Anastasia/Anna Anderson Libary. This book scientificly proves that Anna Anderson was NOT Her Imperial Highness, The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaievna, but more of the simple, mentally deranged, and wanton Polish peasant, Franziska Shankowvska. It speaks of Tzar Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tzaritsa Alexandra Feodroevna (Princess Alix of Hesse), Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria (Marie, Mashka),and Anastasia Nikolaievna, and Tsarevich Aleksey and of course Anna Anderson/Franziska Shankowvska. It speaks of the many men and women who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia and Tsarevich Alexei and the other, less over publisized Grand Duchesses (Olga, Tatiana and Maria.)

The Romanovs: Should We Care?
Robert K Massie is a marvellous historian. Anyone who has read "Dreadnought" which concerns the lead up to World War I would probably concur. It is a master epic of naval history.

"The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" is a very different book to "Dreadnought". It seems to be a means of cashing in on the current interest in European aristocracy and the ongoing mystique of whether Anastasia Romanov died with her parents and siblings in Ekaterinburg in 1918 at the hands of the Bolsheviks. However, while being a very different style of book, it is also a much less readable and significant piece of history. The reader seems to be on an endless journey through the minutiae of the Russian royal family and all the crackpots who claim a part of their heritage. It is not a read that is pleasant or easy to follow.

I am unable to recommend this book to other readers. The Romanovs are no longer of any modern day relevance. This book, if it has one redeeming feature, is to confirm their irrelevance.

The Romanovs
Massie wrote an excellent and very detail book on the quest to find and identify the last Romanovs. The book began with the finding and identification of the bones and then went into the Anna Anderson mystery. Massie is a great writer which he nonetheless proved in this book. ... Read more