Average customer rating:
- Fantastic Read!
- My history teachers should have read it
- Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars
- Funny, sad, shocking
- Heather's "Courtesans" Review
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A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors
Michael Farquhar
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing
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Sex with Kings : 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge (P.S.)
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Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics (P.S.)
ASIN: 0140280243
Release Date: 2001-05-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Read!.......2007-08-10
This book is great, especially for those who don't have a lot of free time. The chapters are short and juicy! I really learned a lot about history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
My history teachers should have read it.......2007-08-10
When I learmed history in my school days, the classes of history were very boring.
If my history teachers had read this book, they should have made their classes fun and interesting.
Especially, students are interested in the lives of kings or queens as well as normal people.
Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars.......2007-07-04
To sum up this book quickly: it's good potty reading. In the forward Farquhar explains that he avoids the entire 20th century (with the exception of a few stories about Wallis Simpson). He basically points out that the "scandals" of the 20th century are nothing compared to let's say ordering a small cache of boys to swim naked with you, so they can nip at the treat between your legs. Marrying a divorcee just seems milquetoast in comparison.
Anyhow, it was an enjoyable read. Sad at times, sometimes even disturbing, but for the most part is written with a witty dark humor that will make you laugh at even the most sickeningly, depraved noble. While Farquhar sticks to European royalty for the book, he does include an entire section on Roman Caesars, and early Popes, all of which easily out-deprave the nobles the rest of the book is about.
Each story is short, a sort of Cliff's Notes. This is especially true if you are familiar with some of the stories. For the stories I already knew, his facts were accurate, if a bit summary. This is good, because each tale is bite-sized, making the book good for niblet reading here and there.
The tales Farquhar chooses to tell are sometimes hits, and sometimes misses. I particularly did not see how the detailed accounting of the murder of the Romanov's really fit with some of the other stories, for example.
If you like a good scandal, need some quick reads for here and there, or have a fascination with the excesses that unbridled power brings, this is a book worth checking out.
Funny, sad, shocking.......2007-06-11
I really enjoyed A Treasury of Royal Scandals! It was a fun, fast-paced read. Organized wonderfully and told in sections and chapters, Treasury tells the shocking tales of royalty throughout the ages. From Marie Antoinette's terrible demise, Mary of Scot's botched beheading, Nero's incest, to the tales of popes whose crimes were greater than those of the worst Roman emperors- it's all here! Told in a sometimes sarcastic, very readable way, you will be hooked.
Heather's "Courtesans" Review.......2007-01-19
This is a great book. I read it last year, but I remember how much I enjoyed it. You will learn so much about their lives and about the times they lived in. You will also learn about a woman named Grace Dalrymple Elliot. She was a courtesan who kept a journal. You can look that up yourself. This kind of book opens up the imagination and leads you on and on to the next interesting book. But be warned. As the author states, some biographies were written by people in their inter circles who didn't like them. READ THIS BOOK!
Average customer rating:
- NEW TWIST ON ROYALTY!
- WIll stimulate your interest in learning more history.
- a delightful escape!
- A wonderful romp in the pages of history
- Very Apealling
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Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge (P.S.)
Eleanor Herman
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
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A Treasury of Deception: Liars, Misleaders, Hoodwinkers, and the Extraordinary True Stories of History's Greatest Hoaxes, Fakes and Frauds
ASIN: 0060585447
Release Date: 2005-04-05 |
Book Description
What does Camilla see in Charles? Did the Duchess of Windsor REALLY think she was going to get the crown of England? Learn the scandalous truth about the illicit relationships of some of history's most powerful men – and the women who slept with them to get to the top. There was Madam de Pompadore – brainy but passionless mistress of Louis XV and her successor Madam duBarry . beautiful, stupid, but a whole lot more fun.
Fascinating, and endlessly entertaining, Sex With Kings explores sex, power, money, rivalry and revenge. This non–fiction journey through 500 years takes the reader into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europe's most powerful kings. From the dawn of time, power has been a mighty aphrodisiac. The royal mistress, having conquered a king, often ran his kingdom, wielding her sexuality as sceptre. Sex With Kings is trailblazing in its exploration of this intriguing phenomenon – the position of royal mistress at European courts, the fascinating women who filled it, and how their responsibilities and rewards changed over the centuries. This is a chapter of women's history which has remained unwritten – until now.
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Throughout the centuries, royal mistresses have been worshiped, feared, envied, and reviled. They set the fashions, encouraged the arts, and, in some cases, ruled nations. Eleanor Herman's Sex with Kings takes us into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europe's most powerful monarchs. Alive with flamboyant characters, outrageous humor, and stirring poignancy, this glittering tale of passion and politics chronicles five hundred years of scintillating women and the kings who loved them.
Curiously, the main function of a royal mistress was not to provide the king with sex but with companionship. Forced to marry repulsive foreign princesses, kings sought solace with women of their own choice. And what women they were! From Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis XV, who kept her position for nineteen years despite her frigidity, to modern-day Camilla Parker-Bowles, who usurped none other than the glamorous Diana, Princess of Wales.
The successful royal mistress made herself irreplaceable. She was ready to converse gaily with him when she was tired, make love until all hours when she was ill, and cater to his every whim. Wearing a mask of beaming delight over any and all discomforts, she was never to be exhausted, complaining, or grief-stricken.
Customer Reviews:
NEW TWIST ON ROYALTY!.......2007-10-01
This is one of the funniest books on European Royalty I've read in a long time. As a student of history, I have heard of most of the royal mistresses mentioned but this was a great new way of telling the stories. It was almost like reading a girls gossip ring on paper and I couldn't put it down. I couldn't believe some of the things these men and women got away with!
All in all a GREAT book! A must have for anyone interested in history or royalty.
WIll stimulate your interest in learning more history........2007-08-25
Eleanor Herman's book, Sex with Kings, is full of fun gossip. It is an easy non-complicated book that may start some readers off as future history fans. I think this book would be good as a supplement to a college freshman western civilization history course. If I was teaching European history to freshmen, I would use this book, along with other more scholarly books, but I think this book is very humorous, entertaining, and full of nasty details about the intimate lives of the powerful. It may make history come alive for those who find history boring.
There is one major problem with the book. Herman decided to group her chapters around various themes, such as the rivalry between the queen and the king's mistress, or the husband of the king's mistress, the riches to be obtained as the king's mistress, the potential political power that might be obtained, the issue of royal bastards, public opinion of the mistress, and the change of winds that occur when the king dies before his mistress. This would appear to be a very sensible way to organize the chapters, however it also means that each chapter is full of small paragraphs on each amorous couple and thus the text seems disorganized and choppy. If Herman had selected 12 royal mistresses and then followed the themes she identifies within each of these stories, the text would have been more easily understood and the narrative flow would improve.
That being said, the various adventures in this book were very entertaining. The story of Anthenais de Montespan and Louis XIV was a highlight of the book. Anthenais is obsessed with remaining as the king's favorite, involved in attempts to keep all beauties away from the eyes of the king while giving him secret love potions. Yet she is trumped by her children's old maid governess, Madame de Maintenon, who eventually becomes the king's legal wife after the death of the Queen. This is a fascinating twist of fate, and yet as Louis XIV grew older and more mature, it would only seem natural that he was less interested in exotic young beautiful lovers and became interested in a woman of intelligence, character and good judgement.
The mistress that receives the most coverage is, of course, Jeanne-Antoinette Etioles, Marquise de Pompadour. This beautiful, refined, intelligent, and sophisticated woman ruled the court of Louis XV, a man of normal intelligence and instincts but not a great thinker or strategist. Pompadour was probably the most influential and powerful of all royal mistresses in Western Civilization, chosing to make critical decisions of state on behalf of the king rather than to worry about jewels and finery.
The most entertaining mistress would have to be Lady Castlemaine, lover of Charles II. Her ability to manipulate Charles II, while gathering untold riches for herself, is almost unbelievable. Charles II actually was unable to pay the sailors in his navy because of the funds he spent on Lady Castlemaine.
The life of Marie Jeanne du Barry, the final mistress of Louis XV, is a wild tale of a beautiful prostitute, elevated to the role of the King's mistress due to her exceptional beauty, and yet she remained an innocent soul with little intelligence. Comtesse du Barry went into retirement with her jewel collection upon the death of Louis XV. Her jewels were stolen and later recovered in London. By this time the revolution had begun and Louis XVI and Marie Antionette were imprisoned. Comtesse du Barry was able to get permission to go to England to reclaim her jewels at a time when the revolutionary government was not allowing the ruling class to leave France. The ironic thing is that du Barry returned to France with her jewels and soon died on the guillotine.
The book ends with the abdication of Edward VIII to marry Wallis Simpson and the affair between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. Edward's low intelligence is explored as well as Prince Charles' lack of judgement around his life with Diana. Camilla actually comes across favorably in the final chapters of the book.
The book is full of odd sexy stories that might stimulate folks to actually pick up a history book one day.
a delightful escape!.......2007-07-12
This was a new topic for me - intimate details of European royalty through history. This introduction sparked a newfound interest, which has not faded. This book provides terrific overviews of many mistresses and their relationships with the public, the courts, and their kings - organized by theme/topic. Sex itself, is a small portion of this book (and is not nearly as graphic as you might think at first). I had no idea how many different roles a mistress really played during her life, and have much more admiration (or sometimes disgust) for what these women did to obtain their goals.
The author does a wonderful job at making you feel like you are peeking through keyholes and eavesdropping on gossip, but without being disrespectful to those involved. Although the author has a beautiful and elegant writing style that paints picture after picture, she still manages to let the facts speak for themselves and allows you to draw your own opinions on these women and their controversial lifestyles. Additionally, previous historical expertise is not necessary to enjoy this book. However, be prepared for "accidental learning", as it happens quite easily and unknowingly. This book won't gather dust on you bookshelf. As soon as you're finished, you'll know of a friend to pass it on to...who will do the same when she's finished with it...
If you have any interest or curiosity about the women of this era, or history that takes on a more personal account AND if you enjoy books that allow you to live vicariously, or books that take your mind off of work or some other responsiblilty, I recommend this book.
A wonderful romp in the pages of history.......2007-07-10
I really liked this book. It was written well and very informative. I read a lot of historical fiction and there is almost always a mistress involved in something. This book brings them back to life and gives you insight on how they got to their status and kept it and or lost it.
Very Apealling.......2007-07-07
I am an "avid reader" of historical biographies, and this book would be good for anyone who is just getting into history. The excerpts are short and funny and do their job of keeping your interest! Very interesting!
Book Description
For more than two centuries, Edward Hyde, Viscount Cornbury—royal governor of New York and New Jersey from 1702 to 1708—has been a despised figure, whose alleged transgressions ranged from raiding the public treasury to scandalizing his subjects by parading through the streets of New York City dressed as a woman.
Now, Patricia Bonomi offers a challenging reassessment of Cornbury. She explores his life and experiences to illuminate such topics as imperial political culture; gossip, Grub Street, and the climate of slander; early modern sexual culture; and constitutional perceptions in an era of reform. In a tour de force of scholarly detective work, Bonomi also reappraises the most "conclusive" piece of evidence used to indict Cornbury—a celebrated portrait, said to represent the governor in female dress, that hangs today in the New York Historical Society.
Stripping away the many layers of "the Cornbury myth," this innovative work brings to life a fascinating man and reveals the conflicting emotions and loyalties that shaped the politics of the First British Empire.
Customer Reviews:
Admirably lucid.......2005-10-22
The writer does indeed show how easily stories get garbled and tales get passed on as history. A great deal of scepticism or, at least, critical awareness is needed when looking at the past. This is a very readable and lucid book.
Maybe, Maybe Not.......2001-10-12
The author argues convincingly that stories of Lord Cornbury's cross-dressing were only rumors. She offers some explanations as to why such rumors might have started but fails to consider one plausible explanation-- they were true. As evidence that the charges were untrue, the author cites the four letters which described Cornbury's behavior. Each was written by someone who disliked the colonial governor. Cornbury probably did not attend public functions in women's clothes. Rumors do tend to be embellished with each re-telling. The fact that someone has enemies, however, does not mean he can not also be a transvestite, consider J. Edgar Hoover. The fact that his enemies would be more likely to comment than his friends seems hardly surprising.
Some Flaws, but Still a Good Work.......2000-05-17
The support community for heterosexual male transvestites in Vancouver, British Columbia, calls itself The Cornbury Society. The organization, like New York's famous Hyde Park, has taken upon itself the name of the third Earl of Clarendon, Edward Hyde, the Lord Cornbury, royal governor of New Jersey and New York from 1702 to 1708. These men, like most historians from the mid-19th century forward, believe that Governor Hyde was an exhibitionistic cross-dresser, who attended his own wife's funeral dressed in women's clothing, and cavorted about in society dressed as a woman, to the horror and condemnation of hundreds of spectators. This has been the historical legacy of Hyde for over 150 years, and it is Patricia Bonomi's task to not only refute these (and other) rumors, but illuminate the condition of politics and political discourse in the 18th century, and expose a long-standing bias in American history against royalists in general, and Tory governors in particular. She does this all in an engaging and descriptive manner, though with perhaps an insufficient degree of explanation of basic terminology and concepts (for example, she does not explain what she means by "Grub Street Press," a fundamental concept used from the first chapter forward, until page 102), and a organizational structure that seems to lack both organization and structure. There are three areas from which criticism of Governor Hyde has always stemmed. The most infamous is a portrait said to be of him, dressed in women's attire, now hanging in the halls of the New-York Historical Society, a portrait with which there is no connection to the Governor until many decades after his death. The second, and in many ways weakest, is a series of 5 letters containing rumor-mongering of the Governor's supposed cross-dressing habits. The final, and most serious, is a large group of more or less contemporary charges (primarily propagated by Lewis Morris, the man who was in line to become the royal governor of New Jersey until Hyde's father and uncle interceded) of fiscal misconduct, including accepting of bribes, mismanagement of colonial finances, and living far in excess of his position and means. Bonomi places each of these pieces of evidence into their proper political and social contexts, completely discrediting the portrait's connection to Hyde, and clarifying the difference between the rumors of the day and what actually took place. More importantly, Bonomi explains, to a certain degree, why these rumors were so prevalent, and why so many of the rumors focused on sexual innuendo. One does not need to look farther than the Monica Lewinsky scandal to see the application of Bonomi's findings to our understanding of our own time. A new form of media, greater press freedoms, and a large upheaval in the nature of political institutions and leadership are just three of many parallels between the late 17th/early 18th centuries, and the late 20th/early 21st centuries.
One might desire more from this text, however. The balance between salvaging Hyde's historical legacy and of analyzing the social context that led to the charges against him, is heavily weighted towards the former, with only one chapter dealing with issues of sexual identity and changing morals in this period. Further, Bonomi comes across not so much as a disinterested detective, but rather as defense attorney, committed to proving that Hyde wasn't a bad guy above all else. Her analysis of the letters charging Hyde with cross dressing is primarily devoted to showing why we shouldn't believe them, and little else, and such problems are scattered throughout the book. Additionally, the book lacks something of a cohesive structure, and would do well to have a more solid introduction, any kind of a conclusion, and perhaps a glossary for those readers who aren't as intimately familiar with British political history as the author herself clearly is. Still, Bonomi's book accomplishes much of what it sets out to. It exonerates Hyde, for the most part, returning the charges against him to the context that historians have stripped them from, and increasing our understanding of the political climate of the early 18th century. It is useful for any student of colonial or British politics, and for anyone interested in the forms political discourse takes. Not to mention for all the historians who have taken the charges against the Lord Cornbury at face value and perpetuated some of the most vulgar and base forms of political accusations for their readers, out of self-interest and expediency. Despite it's flaws, this book opens the door to new interpretations of colonial and British politics, and paves the way for a more responsible historical interpretation of the American past. (originally prepared for History H398, Spring 2000, Ohio State University)
Average customer rating:
- Fine writing about an uninteresting bunch of people
- texas at its best!
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Blood Rich: When Oil Billions, High Fashion, and Royal Intimacies Are Not Enough
Jane Wolfe
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0316950920 |
Customer Reviews:
Fine writing about an uninteresting bunch of people.......2002-03-12
A friend recommended this book as I've been reading a lot about Sarah, Duchess of York, and I was interested in Steve Wyatt's background.
The author writes in an easy style as she tells the history of these families who are a large part of Texas history. I had not heard much about any of them. Texas folks probably would like to read about them, but I found them boring. I've given it five stars for her writing.
There are some interesting things about how retail stores have changed over the years and how customer service has deteriorated.
I think that only Texans would be interested in the parts about oil and gas companies.
texas at its best!.......1998-11-19
amazon came through for me by finding this out of print book, and it only took them 3 days to find it. i am an admirer of lynn wyatts and was a loyal customer to the sakowitz store. this book shows us inside two very powerful families and reminds us that money is thicker than blood. i recommend this book to anyone into the social scene. thanks amazon for finding this for me.
Average customer rating:
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The World's Greatest Royal Scandals (World's Greatest)
Nigel Cawthorne
Manufacturer: Bounty Books
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0753700913 |
Customer Reviews:
Camilla & Charles: A Selfish Love Affair.......2002-11-17
While I felt that this was an interesting read I felt the author painted an unfair portrait of Diana. She portrayed Diana as a crazy, unstable shrew and yet it was Charles refusal to end his relationship with Camilla that caused Diana to be so unhappy and angry. I don't think there are very few women on this planet that would be happy and accept the fact that their husband has a mistress for 20 years that he refuses to give up after marriage. It proved to me at least, that Diana was justified in her ending her marriage and giving up the throne. The author paints Charles and Camilla as 2 poor lovers who go through hell just to be together. I felt no sympathy for either of them. But it is an engrossing book none the less.
Think of England.......2002-04-17
An even and informative tale about Camilla Parker-Bowles, a poor little rich girl who may someday get her prince.
What we learn is that the upper class in the UK is alive and sick with its own moral code. Do what you want, just don't talk about it.
I like the author's style of writing, but don't really care for Camilla.
Book 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!
Customer Reviews:
Comme ci, comme ca.......2005-02-01
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.
Pretty good and fair-minded biography.......2004-11-08
While some "revelations" in this book should probably be taken with a grain of salt, overall, this is better than many Grimaldi biographies in that it is neither a hagiography nor a hatchet job. Glatt doesn't portray, say, Princess Grace as a saint, nor does he portray, say, Princess Stephanie as a monster. Glatt, though he clearly feels a measure of annoyance, even disgust, for some of the antics of the Grimaldi family, he also has compassion for them. For instance, when recounting one of the most salacious scandals to plague the family -- the videotape and photographs which showed Stephanie's husband making love to a Belgian stripper -- Glatt clearly feels bad for Stephanie (despite her appalling lack of judgement in latching on to the creep in the first place); she had really loved him and was genuinely hurt and humiliated by his betrayal.
Glatt also thankfully clears up allegations about Grace having a drinking problem -- allegations that surrounded her toward the end of her life because of her visible weight gain, and which another biographer, James Spada, dug up in the late 80s. Grace was, in fact, a moderate drinker, because she suffered terrible hangovers if she had more than a glass or two of champagne.
Though Prince Albert has managed to steer clear of the tabloid cover stories that followed his sisters around (due, no doubt, to Grace instructing him on how to be discreet about his love affairs, an education which she never gave to either of her daughters), he too has had his share of troubles. Glatt even makes a half-convincing case for one of the more outlandish assertions: that Albert fathered a love child who is a dead ringer for Princess Grace.
So all in all, a good, juicy read about fascinating and flawed people.
"Royals" without the lies.......2001-10-20
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.......2000-10-26
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.
Couldn't put it down.......2000-02-25
For those who feel the Brits have the dysfunctional royal family from hell, this book about the Grimaldis of Monaco will be an eye-opener. It covers Grace's marriage to Rainier--an unhappy sham of a marriage contrived to boost Monaco's economy, ending with Grace's tragic death due to a stroke while driving. Roughly half of the book covers the three troubled children, Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie, who are, to put it politely, a handful. We follow the two daughters through their teenage rebellions, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, troubled marriages, and (in Stephanie's case) drug problem; one cannot help but sympathize with their troubled parents and the heartbreak they've experienced watching their daughters destroy their lives. The sole son, Albert, is the most responsible of the three siblings, but even he is still 'sowing wild oats' at an age when he should be thinking about creating an heir to the throne. It's a gossipy sort of book--not an academic tome--but readers with some familiarity with Princess Grace will be fascinated.
Customer Reviews:
three heated contemporary Hollywood romances .......2005-11-05
"Hollywood Life or Royal Wife?" by Fiona Hood-Stewart. Hollywood actress Victoria Woodward hates the inane questions from the media and the need to perform though not filming a movie all because her latest picture is showing at the Cannes Film Festival; meds are the only reason she keeps her sanity. When she meets Prince Rodolfo of Malvarina, a Mediterranean principality near Italy, he takes her to his home to escape a scandal that centers on her. As Victoria falls in love, she concludes there is no Hollywood ending for her as he Rodolfo must marry a royal.
"Marriage Scandal, Showbiz Baby!" by Sharon Kendrick. They had been Hollywood's most famous couple, but six months ago Jennifer Warren and Matteo D'Arezzo separated as he was unfaithful. Both are in Cannes for their last movie together, but both see themselves heat up the silver screen and fall back into each other's arms though neither assumes it will last beyond the festival. However, neither expected a matchmaker to come along to try to unite this couple in love.
"Sex, Lies and a Security Tape" by Jackie Braun. Former film star Colin McKinnon attends Cannes knowing he must avoid scandal if he is to throw his hat into the political arena as other Hollywood types have successfully done. So why does he find he needs to be with the paparazzo's poster girl wild out of control Tempest Herriman. Worse he has been caught on tape making love with this female storm, who every time he sees her makes him forget his ambitions behind a haze of desire for her.
Fans of Jackie Collins' Hollywood novels will appreciate these three heated contemporary romances in which readers obtain an insider look at the Cannes Film Festival as a bonus.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- Interesting read for naval buffs
|
The Great Gunnery Scandal: The Mystery of Jutland
Anthony Pollen
Manufacturer: Wm Collins & Sons & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Naval
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0002162989 |
Customer Reviews:
Interesting read for naval buffs.......2004-11-09
First, I have to say I read this book many years ago and this review is from memory. That said, it was an interesting analysis of why the Royal Navy's gunnery failed so dismally in the Battle of Jutland. As I recall, it boiled down to faulty gunnery tables used by the Royal Navy - something which the author spent page after page after page proving. Quite boring in fact, but after all, the purpose of the book was to analyze WHY the Royal Navy missed so very very badly with their shooting while the Germans did quite well.
A lot of the background and historical information in the book was interesting and overall, I'd rate it a very good read for anyone interested in the minutae of the Royal Navy in the First World War. Or anyone interested in how bureaucracies (military or otherwise) tend to screw up in time and with no incentive to do otherwise.
Average customer rating:
- Compelling reading with many modern day parallels.
|
The royal baccarat scandal
Michael Havers
Manufacturer: Kimber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Baccarat
| Gambling
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| English Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Private Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0718303555 |
Customer Reviews:
Compelling reading with many modern day parallels........1999-05-28
I could barely put this book down. It pieces together the events in a celebrated libel action brought in England in 1891. What is at stake? Simply a gentelman's honour, which may not mean much these days. However, for me the whole book was a gripping if sad commentary on human nature and personal motivation, further magnified by the English class system. The plaintiff in the case, a highly decorated soldier, has been accused of cheating in an illegal game of cards. Was he or wasn't he? He simply wishes to clear his name, but other issues are in play - notably that his friend, the Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne, was also (scandalously) playing. The authors skillfully piece together the events of the weekend of the fateful card games before carefully examining the subsequent trial, including brilliant cross examinations, revelations of prejudice among the witnesses and apparent prejudice on the part of England's most senior judge. Why should anybody care about all of this upper class cheek slapping? Perhaps because it contains parallels in today's world at every turn, from the desire of society's lever-pushers to supress a scandal to the way in which people run for cover once the lid is blown off. You don't need to be a lawyer or a historian to read and enjoy this book. It is extremely well researched and written. In fact the only thing I didn't like was the jury's verdict........
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