Kakaku：250 saved$2.50
Wiley
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (ELIZABETH R) 『The Queen is an engima, she is very hard to understand indepth, she was raised to have that stiff British upper lip. This book is hella long, but very interesting, it gives some insight into this extraordinary woman. She may be fabulously wealthy and she may be given millions of pounds each year by her country, but she earns it, she takes her duty very seriously and nobody doubts that she loves Britian and her subjects. To an American, like me, the monarchy seems so anachronistic, I mean the idea of somebody being inherantly better than somebody else simply because of their blood line, it so alien to me, but if I did have to chose a monarch, I'd chose Elizabeth Windsor....as for one of the other reviews statement that the Queen squandered her power, early in her reign, is just plain wrong, she and her advisors understood what the British public would accept, she saved the monarchy, Christ, she is the most famous monarch in the world by far, she is one of the most famous faces on the globe and Helen Mirron is about to win a academy award protraying her, she is respected the world over..That is squardering her crown?』
("The Family of Families") 『Her Majesty's immediate family, her mother, also Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mum, her father, King George VI, and her sister Margaret, were considered the "family of families" by the British public throughout King George VI's reign, particularly during the War years of 1939-1945. When Ben Pimlott wrote this book in 1996 the year of Her Majesty's 70th birthday, the Royal family's reputation was beseiged during a time when (British, I assume, anti-monarchical) republicanism was at its height and on the rise. However, during the first decades of Queen Elizabeth II's lengthy reign, the publics' feelings on the monarchy were unquestionably favorable which you'll understand by reading the book. Millions the world over watched Her Majesty's wedding, (when she was still a Princess), and later her coronation; for many people, it was the first time they had ever watched television. So Ben Pimlott writes in his Preface that his book "is a book about the Queen in people's heads, as well as at Buckingham Palace".
Ben Pimlott was "absolutely a patriot", his wife declared to the press following his death at age 58, almost a year ago, (he died on April 10, 2004, the day before Easter), after a short travail with leukemia. "He wanted, and believed, that the world and Britain could be a better place and that Goldsmiths could be a better place, and that poor people ought to have a brilliant university." Stumbling on his obituaries, I've become enamored with his life's work, (although short), and impressed with how well he was thought of; so many people were saddened by his passing. He was Warden of Goldsmiths University of London at the time. He had attended Oxford University when Bill Clinton was then a student there for one year. Professor Ken O Morgan wrote of him in an obituary that "he was one of the most important historians ever of the British left". Poor Brit, he was born on the fourth of July!
Ben Pimlott wrote two other biographies before The Queen, one about Hugh Dalton, another Labour leader who was Chancellor during WWII and also son of Queen Victoria's chaplain, and Harold Wilson, who was prime minister and also of the Labour party. He also edited and made available to the public Hugh Dalton's private diaries. He was somewhat apprehensive about writing this book, anticipating criticism from his colleagues.
Her Majesty invited Ben Pimlott over to Windsor Castle while he was writing this book, but interestingly, the book's contents were not discussed; he was merely invited over, I assume, for tea and a nice chat. In writing this book, he interviewed several former prime ministers, Princess Margaret, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Runcie. He used The diaries of Jock Colville, Queen Elizabeth's and Churchill's private secretary for source material. The Telegraph noted that he wrote this book to "examine constitutional issues such as the royal prerogative, her relationships with her prime ministers and her role as Head of the Commonwealth. These were matters which had tended to become obscured by the scandals and the gossip which were increasingly the preoccupation of some sections of the media." In 2002, he gave a lecture on the monarchy at St. Paul's Cathedral. This past January at Goldsmiths, the Ben Pimlott building was dedicated.
I write all the above about Ben Pimlott to suggest that this is the definitive biography of Her Majesty, the queen. It is a rather lengthy one about a rather lengthy reign. Ben Pimlott's treatment of her life is extremely thorough; the many chapters' headings are years. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Her Majesty's childhood; I also knew precious little about the majority of her life. She was one of King George V's favorite grandchildren. She did not have the typical childhood friends when she was little. She had her sister Margaret, of course, but of other childhood friends, she had mostly visitors. She and her sister were babysat on occasion of the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain's, dubbed the "evil envoy" by the public, visit to her father the King by Rose Kennedy, the ambassador's wife. She was closest in age to Ted and Jean of this Kennedy clan. Other Americans became enamored with her, most notably Harry Truman. No telling how many hands she has shaken or people she has met the world over. My mother tells me that everyone has often commented that she is more beautiful in person, more beautiful than the best photos or portraits of her. A British aquaintance of mine who has met the Queen told me that "she's only 5 feet tall, you know", yet he is more than 6 feet tall, as Pimlott was, which accounts for his inaccuracy; she is actually 5'4".
I had hoped to learn more about how the Sovereign's power has been diminished by, I assume, Parliament, and to understand more just how different America's structure of government is from the British system, but, again, that is subject material for other books. I had come to the conclusion in the 90's that the Queen should be taxed like everyone else, makes sense to Americans, yet King George V had always urged the Windsor family not to give in to these parliamentary demands, demands that, in the 90's had reached such a pitch and fervor, that the monarch, finally, acquiesced which Pimlott reveals. Another biographer of royalist sentiments is Kenneth Rose who wrote a book on King George V who Pimlott mentions now and then. When I read in Rose's book the chapter on Constitutional Monarchy, I was so shocked that I couldn't finish the chapter or the book, (it was actually a difficult, but substantive, chapter to read). Didn't we Americans get rid of the king to get the Constitution? How can there be a king and a constitution at the same time??? Anyway, the one thing that enamours me to the queen is that she studied constitutional issues, long before she ever ascended the throne. What a smart monarch! (I'm afraid I'm fast becoming a royalist, how unamerican of me!) Anyway, CHEERS, and GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!』
(What it must be like to sit on that Throne!!!...) 『...lots of interesting, to-be-expected historical facts, dates, names, places, political intrigue, etc. (this is NOT a short book), but numerous anecdotes turned what could otherwise have been a dry historical narrative into a really enjoyable read---everyday life stories, palace gossip, and comical happenings of the Family Royal---examples: Queen Mary used to refer to granddaughter QE2 as "the little bambino"...and, though the death of Edward VIII was in no way a laughing matter, the description of how the Palace treated Wallis was really a scream.』
(The Woman Who Wears the Crown) 『This book goes into extreme depth of the life of the fifth longest reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II. What she is like, what she must do as her position as the Queen, and what she stands for are a few of the questions that are answered in this biography by Ben Pimlott. Reading the book was an interesting and enjoyable experience that helps to understand the stresses of living life as a monarch.』
(The Queen has Sold Her Heritage) 『With the Constitutionally-mandated reduction in the sovereign's power in the past hundred years, it's easy to see the Queen of England as a figurehead. A mascot, if you will, whose only powers are to be advised and to consent. A study of Ben Pimlott's nearly seven hundred pages will teach you why this has happened, particularly in the last nearly fifty years.
The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II is something of an oddity in today's world--a study of the political power the monarch still holds and how that power has been wielded (or not) during the current reign. It's fascinating, and in a world filled with tawdry junk bios about the private lives of the Royal Family, this factual reference book is a gem.
It's true the Queen commands less politically than any of her predecessors, but that's more her own fault than anyone else's. She appears to have CHOSEN, for some reason known only to her, to reign but not rule. Even her father, George VI, that most dutiful of monarchs, often made important decisions in critical situations---and no one questioned him because he was the King. His daughter has spent her reign, since 1952, playing it safe, never pushing the Constitutional line between Sovereign and Government. Because the line's never been pushed by the Queen, the Government has encroached ever more obviously onto what was once unquestionably the Monarch's territory.
It would be difficult for the Queen to push back now; she's already given up too much. It will be nearly impossible for the next monarch (most likely Prince Charles) to recover lost ground; he will most likely be only a ceremonial king, in the manner of the Danes and Swedes. Elizabeth II has allowed herself, her decendants, and the British monarchy itself to become Constitutionally hemmed in, and it's doubtful they'll ever cut their way out.
Pimlott explains all of this with several examples of laws passed since 1952, each limiting the sovereign's power a bit more. The Queen has, for whatever reason, not refused her signature to any of these laws though, technically, she still has that right.
Elizabeth II: A Biography is well-written and exhaustively referenced. The many photographs included aren't the ones that always show up in biographies about the Royal Family; there are several I've never seen before. There are no anonymous sources to question; everyone is either well-known, or he/she is explained to the reader. This may be a better book for English readers than for Americans, since several of the matters discussed pertain only to the English, and Americans may be bored by the minutiae of individual British case law.
Final decision: A tad dry, but the best examination of Elizabeth II's reign I've seen.』
『"One of the many merits of Ben Pimlott's superbly judicious biography of Elizabeth II is that it understands this connection between monarchy and masses, and carefully evokes its political importance."—The New York Times Book Review
"A level-headed study . . . helps us appreciate the capacities as well as the limitations of a woman who, whatever else happens, just keeps on going on."—People
"There will be no better biography of Elizabeth II as a figure of state until her official one appears—and perhaps not even then. . . . Pimlott has succeeded triumphantly. He has written a book that can be enjoyed and admired by people who would never have imagined reading any previous royal biography." —The Independent (London)
"An important and stimulating book."—Antonia Fraser, author of Mary, Queen of Scots in The Guardian (London)
"The best all-around study of the Queen so far, showing understanding as well as amused irony."—The Sunday Telegraph (London)
"There will not be a better royal biography for many years."—The Daily Telegraph (London)』
『Elizabeth II has quietly become one of the longest-reigning monarchs in English history. Future historians will sort out her impact on British life and politics, but until then Ben Pimlott offers a good summation of her first seven decades. He succeeds in making the monarch seem like a living, breathing person, as opposed to the emotionless figure that she is sometimes made out to be in the media. And her long-lasting public life is much more eventful and interesting than it might seem at first glance. Intrusions into royal privacy, for example, are hardly an invention of the paparazzi. In addition to an interesting biography,The Queenprovides a useful introduction to British politics in the second half of the 20th century.』
Kakaku：542 saved$5.42
Paul Freeman Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Having a Drag Queen but no idea what to call her? Uma Gawd! This Trudy Light of a book has literally hundreds of names to suit Drag Queens of every shape (Justine Ormous), age (Terri Daktil), race (Fu Ling Yu) and religion (Cath Lick). Your Drag Queen is destined to be the Bella DeBall with this Paige Turner!』
Kakaku：695 saved$6.95
Streetwise Maps
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Compact, the right information and durable) 『I've used the Streetwise maps for New York (Manhattan and Queens), Chicago, London and Dublin and I've found them extremely useful. One measure of how good they are is how unobtrusively they work their way into your trip. The maps are compact (fit in an inside jacket pocket - good for hiding your tourist status!), contain all the right information (great overlay of subway and street information - in the New York case, probably better than their transit map) and extremely durable laminate (minimal wearing at the folds). Great map.』 『Streetwise Queens Map - Laminated City Street Map of Queens, New York - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated subway stations&LIRR stops
This map covers the following areas: Main Queens Map 1:41,000 Queens Area Map 1:200,000 JFK Airport Map 1:83,000 Rockaways Map 1:41,000 Rockaways Extention Map 1:41,000』
Kakaku：848 saved$8.48
Chicago Review Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Mediocre. I was a little disappointed.) 『I read My Bloody Life and DEVOURED every word on every page, I was completely impressed with it and passed it on to many people who loved it just as much as I did. Of course, upon finishing that book, I couldnt wait to get my hands on the second book, Once a King, Always a King, which I also loved and passed on to others who were anxiously waiting ti read it. So you can imagine how eager I was to read THIS one, I was instantly intrigued when I saw it was about the same type of situation but while focusing on a female. Oh how disappointing. I found myself reading it and being far more critical about the subjectof the book, which I didnt like feeling. I'm not sure what could have improved it, I just wanted to write this to let others know that if you've read the other two and enjoyed them and are looking forward to reading this one and being equally satisfied, you probably wont be.』
(Fluffy) 『What a bunch of fluff to cover up all the lives Lady Q messed up and murdered. She knows right from wrong and she still can't get it together. Her first child was damaged from all the drug and drink she did. She should have to pay for all the extra special education the child needed not the tax payers.
I don't have any sympathy for her. Like I said she knew right from wrong and choose to do the wrong.
Grow up!』
(Incredible book, chilling, will bring tears to your eyes, sonia's story must be read!!) 『Never could i imagined being in Sonia's shoes. The pain she endured during her life was painful and hard to believe. I can't believe she lived a life like that. While she told her story of being an abused child, unloved and unwanted, I just wanted to reach through the pages in the book, give her a hug, and rescue her from her painful life. This book is definitley a must read for anyone who is thinking about gang-life. And even if your not thinking about gang life, it's an incredible, heartbreaking story that people must read.』
(It was OK...) 『I have read both of Reymundo Sanchez books and they were great! But this book... pretty much repeated it self over and over and over again. I dont want to say too much without giving the entire book but I'll let you be the judge. I read the book in 5 days and was just simply not what I expected.』 『
This is a raw and powerful memoir not only of one woman’s struggle to survive the streets but also of her ascent to the top ranks of the new mafia, where the only people more dangerous than rival gangs were members of her own. At age five Sonia Rodriguez’s stepfather began to abuse her; at 10 she was molested by her uncle and beaten by her mother when she told on him; and by 13 her home had become a hangout for the Latin Kings and Queens who were friends with her older sister. Threatened by rival gang members at school, Sonia turned away from her education and extracurricular activities in favor of a world of drugs and violence. The Latin Kings, one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in America, became her refuge, but its violence cost her friends, freedom, self-respect, and nearly her life. As a Latin Queen, she experienced the exhilarating highs and unbelievable lows of gang life. From being shot at by her own gang and kicked out at age 18 with an infant daughter to rejoining the gang and distinguishing herself as a leader, her legacy as Lady Q was cemented both for her willingness to commit violence and for her role as a drug mule. For the first time, a woman’s perspective on gang life is presented.
Kakaku：544 saved$5.44
Greenwillow
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Love it!) 『This book is a very special book with such a beautiful illustration. Bright yellow based color gives the feeling of the warm weather in Thailand and the linoleum block print images are gorgeous. My 4 years old daughter loves this book so much. After reading this book, we made a little umbrella together and painted on it whatever my daughter wanted to draw. It was such a fun activity and with the special experience of her own, she enjoys this book even more. 』
(Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children) 『A young girl named Noot lives in a small Thai village that is renowned for its centuries-old tradition of producing beautiful hand-made umbrellas. In their family business, Noot's father constructs the wooden umbrella frames, her grandmother makes the paper to cover the frames, and her mother paints flowers and butterflies on the stretched-open umbrellas. The family then sells the umbrellas they make to the village council shop. Noot understands the importance of this income to sustain the family's livelihood, and when she is old enough, she helps her mother with the painting. However, deep down she is frustrated that the council shop only accepts flower-and-butterfly umbrellas, and she spends her spare time decorating miniature umbrellas with fanciful elephants. It takes a visit from the King for the annual Umbrella Queen contest for villagers to see the value of creativity and change.
The Umbrella Queen is an outstanding book with illustrations based on linoleum prints and pencil that add an authentic element of Thai culture. Mixed into the tale of artistic inspiration is an important lesson about family-owned businesses and the constraints they can face. This book gets high marks on all counts and is sure to please a wide readership. 』
(Love it) 『Great book/fairytale but I think it will be better appreciated by my daughter next year when she is four.』 『
When Noot is finally allowed to paint umbrellas like the other women and girls in her village, she secretly hopes that she might be chosen as this year's Umbrella Queen. Carefully, she creates serene flowers and butterflies exactly as she has seen her mother and grandmother do for years.
But soon her imagination takes over, and Noot finds herself straying from the old patterns, to the dismay of her family, who depend on the traditionally painted umbrellas for their livelihood.
Her parents tell her she must go back to the old designs and Noot obeys, knowing that the King is coming soon to name the one who has painted the most beautiful umbrella. After all, the King would never choose a queen who breaks from tradition . . . would he?
Kakaku：1850 saved$18.50
Bulfinch
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Fantastic book) 『This is a great book for anyone who is interested in cruising, as well as anyone who is interested in wonderfully engineered machines. We hope to go on the Queen Mary 2 someday, and having read the book will make the experience all the better!』 『The official, Cunard-authorized book celebrating the debut of the greatest ocean liner ever built. In January 2004, Cunard Line's latest flagship, the stupendous Queen Mary 2, will sail on her maiden voyage from England. QM2 is a record-breaker.Four city blocks long and as tall as the Statue of Liberty, at $800 million, she is the most expensive and ambitious passenger vessel of all time.Her public rooms include a planetarium, ballroom, theater, cinema, Canyon Ranch Spa, and 10 restaurants. Twenty-six hundred passengers are accommodated in a splendid variety of cabins, three quarters of them with balconies overlooking the sea. Not merely a cruise ship, this fourth Cunard Queen is a true ocean liner, able to cross the Atlantic in all weathers at high speed, sustaining the company's celebrated heritage.The QUEEN MARY 2 book documents the creation of this remarkable vessel from keel laying to christening. This book features stunning four-color photographs and paintings, details of design, construction, engines, lavish interiors, sea trials, and christening.It also contains archival images juxtaposing her significance against her historic predecessors. An eight-page gatefold shows a detailed cutaway of the remarkable interiors.』
Kakaku：44 saved$0.44
Da Capo Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Drivel, pure and simple) 『Elizabeth I was a powerful woman in a time when women were not allowed to be powerful. She used every trick she had, from temporizing the rash and impulsive demands of courtiers to employing theatrics to distract her counsellors from making abysmal decisions. She had to do this because during her lifetime she simply could not demand the respect a male sovereign could; the best she could do was slow them down and give them time to think - or time for the problem to fix itself. And she succeeded: by her deeds and her words alone did England become the major power it did in succeeding centuries.
Yet Hibbert completely and totally misses the boat. He takes a bizarre, pseudo-Freudian, blatantly misogynistic view of Elizabeth, smearing her reputation and turning her into a weak, indecisive, "hysterical" farce of a sovereign whose success was due solely to the superior and brilliant men surrounding her.
What utter tripe!
Hibbert simply cannot see that when Elizabeth came in conflict with her rash, brash, thoughtless, self-interested, opportunistic Privy Council - and yes, this includes the Puritan extremist and nepotist Cecil, whose reputation has been much more positive than it deserves to be - she was almost always right. Luckily she usually got her way, but when she didn't the country suffered. The best example of this is the the politically and religiously disastrous and monumentally idiotic execution of Mary Queen of Scots, which destroyed religious harmony in England for centuries and blackened its reputation in Europe. Elizabeth knew that executing a monarch, especially on evidence gathered through entrapment, would be a dreadful mistake. This is why she refused to sign the warrant for her execution. Yet Hibbert turns her delaying tactics into hysterical terror, and applauds the courtiers who approached Elizabeth during a serious illness and all but forced a feverish, sickly queen to sign the warrant - then rushed off with it and did the deed. It is on their shoulders that centuries of restrictions upon Catholics (and even the Civil War, to some historians' minds) lay, yet Hibbert calls them statesmen?
I would have expected such a book from a Freudian. Lytton Strachey was especially good at turning every woman who aspired to something more than submissive toilet scrubber or inoffensive baby machine into an incapable hysterical basket case whose successes were only due to the hard work of the always-superior men surrounding her. (Strachey does this not just to Elizabeth but to Florence Nightingale, of all people.) Every illness is manufactured; every complaint is hysterical; every attempt to slow down and think instead of leaping into action is deemed "paralysis" or "indecision". Yet only for the women. Funny that. But Hibbert is far too young to be a Freudian, so what gives?
Not only do I not recommend this book, I recommend that it be shunned by anyone who has any regard for truth.』
(The life of England's greatest monarch) 『Hibbert provides a factual and rivetting narrative on the life of Queen Elizabeth I, one of England's greatest rulers, and the last of England's Tudor rulers, with emphasis on her personal life, character and personality, and particular quirks.
The prologue summarizes the reign of Elizabeth,especially relating to Elizabeth's mother Anne Boleyn right up to Boleyn's execution.
She was brought up in various households, at different times, including that of her younger half-brother Prince, Edward the son of Jane Seymour and after King Henry's death, the household of Henry's last wife Catherine Parr. She was heard, in later life, only to refer to her mother twice. While she proudly referred to herself as the daughter of Henry VIII, she was never ashamed to be a Boleyn and kept a ring that contained a miniature of Anne Boleyn. she also, on occasion used her mother's symbol, the falcon, a bird of pray in which the female bird is larger than the male of the species.
At the time of her mother's execution Princess Elizabeth was two years and eight months old. She was a pretty child far more closely resembling her father than her mother, with her red hair as opposed to her mother's darker colouring. She was soon stripped of her title of princess and declared illegitimate. Elizabeth who was an incredibly bright child, did not notice that her mother was gone but she did notice the change of her name. She apparently said to her governess. "how haps it governor, yesterday my Lady Princess, today but my Lady Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth must have grown up under great trauma , her mother executed when she was three years old, on her father's orders, all but rejected by her father and declared 'illegitimate.'
Elizabeth was well educated by her governess Kat Ashley, she was an accomplished poet and writer, she was taught several languages, spent several hours a day reading history and could play several musical instruments. She was said by her tutor to have read more Greek every day than many church prebendaries did in a whole week.
At the age of 14, living in the household of the Queen Dowager Catherin Parr, Elizabeth was seduced by the Lord Admiral Sir Thomas Seymour, and the author describes something of the sexual games and romps between Elizabeth and Sir Thomas, sometimes involving Elizabeth's governess Kat Ashley. Elizabeth was only a child and certainly could not be held responsible for her involvement in this fling.
She chose a moderate path being a sincere and devout believer but rejecting both the fanatic Roman Catholicism of her sister Mary and the severe Puritanism of some fierce church reformers. AS monarch she was to preside over an England with greater religious tolerance than it had ever enjoyed before, with both Protestants and Catholics as her chief office bearers.
After the accession to her tyrannical older sister Mary, , who had hundreds of Protestants burned to death, hence earning her name 'Bloody Mary' Elizabeth, who was then nineteen, came under suspicion of involvement in treasonable plots and kept in a state of and was closely watched. She was for a time imprisoned in the tower of London where she wrote "Much suspected by me Nothing proved can be, Quoth Elizabeth, prisoner" Queen Mary's death, in 1558, was surely a great relief for both Elizabeth and the Protestants of England. She succeeded to the throne of an impoverished divided country, menaced b both France and Spain, and with the able assistance of William Cecil (later Lord Burghley), she overcame all her difficulties including a religious settlement, fending off England's enemies and building up England's strength including it's navy. The book describes life in Elizabeth's court, and how she gained the love and adherence of her people. Elizabeth was the greatest and the best loved of all the English monarchs. The author describes how Elizabeth was intelligent, self-willed, brave and astute, but as regards her to her marriage and her foreign and religious policies she avoided decisions as long as possible.
The author describes Elizabeth's refusal to sign the warrant for the execution of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. To the privy council she asked "Can I put to death the bird that to escape the pursuit of the hawk has fled to my feet for protection. Honour and conscience forbid."
Mary's constant plotting made the decision inevitable and Elizabeth was practically forced by the council finally to sign Elizabeth's execution warrant, but with great anguish and remorse.
Much is described here of the Queen's court favourites who she lavished attention on, such as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, but she never allowed them to influence the nation's affairs, for she kept her own council trusting no one entirely except perhaps Lord Cecil. The author expertly describes how she rallied the nation to England's defence during the invasion by the Spanish Armada in 1588. Who can forget her rousing speech to the people of England defending her country's sovereignty: "I have...they shall be duly paid to you."Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general2 shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people" t is aforeshadow of Churchill's speech we he told Britain that "We will defend our island whatever the cost may be." Churchill: A Life Another great women leading a nation besieged by bloodthirsty enemies intent on her destruction was Golda Meir My Life The book richly and beautifuly details, how above all how Elizabeth possessed a dazzling personality that won men's devotion. She expressed this to herself when she said to her last parliament, as the author recounts, "This I count the chief glory of my crown , that I have resigned with your loves".
It as a very smooth read that remains interesting throughout and brings colour and excitement to a very exciting time in England's history.
』
(Elizabeth as supporting player) 『The name "Elizabethan" invokes a vision of an era of sumptuous dress, religious strife, European conflict, and the flourishing of the dramatic arts. The Virgin Queen is a study of the ruler for whom the time is named, and her rule, which lasted for an almost-unprecedented 45 years.
Hibbert takes a primarily episodic approach to Elizabeth's life, from her birth as the unwanted daughter of Henry VIII and his second, ill-fated wife, Ann Boleyn. When Henry finally produces a legitimate male heir, Elizabeth is reduced from "princess" to "lady." After her unpopular, Catholic half-sister Mary ascends to the throne and she is vaguely implicated in some plots against the new queen, Elizabeth is imprisoned despite her seeming subservience and her pleas of innocence, devotion, and loyalty.
Raised away from the court by hired nobility and taught by Cambridge scholars, Elizabeth appears to be both demure and autocratic. The important point is "appears," because, while Elizabeth in her correspondence is deferential and in her appearance demure, her peers invariably see her as withdrawn, haughty, and "proud and disdainful"-traits that "much blemished the handsomeness and beauty of her person" (Sir William Sidney). Mary, not unjustifiably paranoid, does not believe in Elizabeth's humility, honesty, or loyalty. Hibbert's portrayal of Elizabeth, who craves the adoration of peers, councilors, and subjects alike, seems to support Mary's assessment.
Elizabeth proves to be arrogant and autocratic, allowing no one to question either her or her rights as ruler. She is keenly aware of the importance of having the support of the populace, which she enjoys in contrast to the despised "Bloody Mary." She ignores the advice of privy council, however, when it suits her, occasionally to the detriment of her popularity.
Hibbert does not explain why or how Elizabeth, kept out of the way during the reigns of her half-brother and half-sister, became so popular. This points to one of the flaws of Hibbert's episodic approach; recounting Elizabeth's life in terms of "Subjects and Suitors" (although not all of them), "Papists and Puritans," "The Queen in her Privy Chamber," "Traitors and Rebels" (again, not all of them), and so forth, veils or distorts much of the historical context of Elizabeth's development and reign. Within one chapter, she may be young at one point and in late middle age at another. With England's changing allegiances and relationships with France and Spain, it is difficult to track what is happening at a given time and why. Elizabeth's most noted accomplishment, England's defeat of the Spanish armada, is covered briefly and superficially, almost as an aside, leaving the reader with the impression that it was happenstance that no one, including Elizabeth or the privy council, had much to do with; it just happened, with little explanation.
The tale of Elizabeth's suitors can be equally confusing. Hibbert describes her negotiations with Henry, Duke of Anjou (later Henry III of France), when he was 20 and, "in fact, twenty years younger than herself." A few pages later, Hibbert discusses her negotiations with his younger brother Francis when Francis is "not yet nineteen" and she is 39, yet it appears that the talks with the older brother occurred first, which would make sense. Even more confusing, the negotiations with younger brother Francis continued until she was 45 (they would be the last hopes of getting her married).
Elizabeth's treatment of religious conflict is glossed over. While Mary is noted for her brutal repression of Protestants, Elizabeth, at least in this biography, is a conservative Protestant who fears and loathes radicals of any kind, Protestant or Catholic. During her reign, repression is focused primarily on the rebellious poor; she is less interested in punishing the wealthy nobility than in grabbing their riches.
As portrayed by Hibbert, Elizabeth is a parsimonious, greedy, emotionally needy woman who wishes to rule absolutely but who cannot make a necessary, definitive decision, such as signing the death warrant for her conniving cousin, Mary Stuart. The privy council, led by Lord Burghley, the Earl of Leicester, and others, devote much of their efforts to manipulating this indecisive autocrat into decisions they want and to making sure that she cannot renege on them-an ironic situation for the woman who says to Burghley's son, "Little man, little man, the word must is not to be used to princes."
There are several weaknesses in addition to the episodic structure. For example, the queen herself is not quoted often enough in key areas, yet Hibbert devotes one-third of a page to Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem speculating about how she might have felt during her confinement in the Tower of London.
Most notably, however, the book's subtitle is never explained-neither why the era is "golden" nor why the queen was the "genius" of it. While the biography makes it clear that Elizabeth had a strong personality, as did her parents, the nation's successes seem to have been the work of the privy council under the leadership of Lord Burghley and of adventurers like Sir Walter Ralegh. Elizabeth is not shown even to have played a role in, for example, nurturing the famed playwrights of the time, such as Shakespeare, Marlow, and Beaumont. The subtitle implies that Elizabeth's brilliance inspired a benign, cultured age, while the text shows a woman so cold and petty that, when her best friend and seeming lover Leicester dies, she worries only about controlling his estates and monies, and so indecisive that her own privy councilors avoid working with her whenever possible. The age itself is brutal, with the crowd "disgusted by the spectacle" of a drawing and quartering performed, against tradition, while the victims are still alive.
At best, The Virgin Queen is a brief, superficial biography that leaves the reader hungry for more-more about Burghley, Leicester, Mary Stuart, and others, but not about Elizabeth herself, who somehow becomes a supporting player in her own biography.』
(Brief Biography That Is To The Point) 『This book is a good general introduction to Queen Elizabeth. Hibbert always paints a portrait of his subject, rather than discussing every detail of the person's life. Since most biographers write too much, we should all be grateful to Hibbert. He does a great job of describing Queen Elizabeth's decisionmaking process, her interactions with her advisors, and her reluctance to marry. He also explains the religious issues that surrounded the time briefly yet thoughtfully.』
(a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I) 『This is a biography of Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen. And that's exactly what it is. Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry the VIII is a legend, which Mr. Hibbert attempts to address. Often, this is a dry and, at times, tedious read. However, the details of Elizabeth's physical appearance, politics, and idiosyncracies are extremely interesting. The author details life with Elizabeth and her court, including both of the Queen Marys, Robert Dudley, Sirs Walter Raleigh and William Cecil and others.
The time line is obscure - Mr. Hibbert jumps around quite a bit and it can be confusing to the reader that isn't paying exacting attention. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual reader looking for a lot of melodrama and action. But, all in all, this is a good read for those who are interested in Elizabeth I.』
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An intimate portrait of history’s most fascinating monarch.
Kakaku：599 saved$5.99
Puffin
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Great Book) 『I read this book for the first time over 20 years ago when I was in fourth grade. I loved the story and it is still one that I recommend to kids. My husband teaches English and I suggested this book for his recommended reading list.』
(Great Book) 『Save Queen of Sheba is a great book for 5th grade. Wonderful story of children who survive alone after an Indian attack while their family are traveling by wagon train. A must read!』
(Student Review) 『I liked the part where King David found Queen of Sheba lying under the bed. I also liked that the author gave good description of the events and characters. I disliked the way the author did the flashbacks it confused me a lot. I also disliked the ending it left me hanging and wanting more. .
』
(Save Queen of Sheba was a dull book!) 『Save Queen of Sheba is a somewhat exciting book. It has an odd plot but decent. King David is stranded after Indians ambush his party train. King David is stuck with his very STUBBORN, ANNOYING 5 year old little sister trying to survive and get to Fort Laramie where his parents might be. King David gets lucky with finding a horse and gun. Now this book has no exciting twists and is not very interesting. It is worth reading but only if you have to. I have read much better books than this one. The climax only lasted about two pages and ends the way you think it will. They must survive harsh weather conditions, and they must find food and water.(...)』
(Boring!) 『Save Queen of sheba was really good at frist but after you got into it she just kept repeating her self and it got really Boring it was like sitting in math class and the end was so boring she did not want to finsh the book so she just stopped writing but if you want a boring book you got the right one』 『Regaining consciousness after an ambush on his family's wagon train, twelve-year-old David learns that his parents have been killed and that he must assume responsibility for his younger sister on the barren plains. Reprint.AB. H. PW.』
Kakaku：995 saved$9.95
Flux
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review ((4.5) Haunting, scary, and romantic) 『First love: it's scary and confusing enough even when there aren't homicidal faeries involved. Add in the homicidal faeries, and a girl can get in over her head before she can say "cold iron."
Maggie Stiefvater's _Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception_ is an excellent YA fantasy that will appeal to anyone who likes stories of the fae as they appear in the oldest legends: dangerous, seductive, and sometimes deadly. Let me say right up front: _Lament_ is downright frightening in places. These are not your fluffy, sparkly faeries. Getting mixed up with them can mean stark terror and heartbreaking choices.
The heroine, Deirdre, is one of _Lament_'s treasures. She is sought after by the Fair Folk because of her uncanny musical and psychic talents, and in less capable hands, this character could easily become a Mary Sue. Instead, she's a painfully real teenager who throws up from stage fright, loses her temper, and has a bit too much on her emotional plate. Her romance with Luke, a boy with faerie connections and a dark past, is pitch-perfect, combining the highs and lows of an ordinary teenage relationship with the perils specific to Deirdre and Luke's situation. Stiefvater does a great job entwining the two. Also well-done was the painful family history that simmers beneath the surface of Deirdre's story. There are many things Deirdre doesn't know about her family's past, but what she doesn't know can hurt her.
_Lament_ ends in a way that is satisfactory and yet leaves just enough loose ends that I'm itching for the sequel, _Ballad_.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Holly Black and Melissa Marr.』
(The Compulsive Reader's Reviews) 『Deirdre is tremendously gifted in music, but when it comes to actually performing, that's where she runs into some problems. She's hiding out backstage trying to deal with her extreme stage fright before a big recital when the mysterious Luke Dillon appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and guides her through the performance. Deirdre is inexplicably drawn him, despite the negative reactions from her family and Luke's peculiar behavior. Soon it becomes obvious that something else is afoot besides their electrifying romance, something sinister and dangerous that involves the sly and not entirely honest fey, and their queen who would stop at nothing to make sure that the threat Deirdre poses is eliminated...
Elegantly creepy and foreboding, Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception is a bold and exciting read with much of the same air and forbidden romantic appeal that attracted fans to the Twilight series. However, Lament certainly stands on its own ground as Stiefvater weaves old lore with new twists to form a compelling and unique take on faeries. The book is well drawn out as the mystery unfolds and secrets slowly reveal themselves, giving readers just the right amount of information to keep them suspended in anticipation. Stiefvater strikes just the right balance between supernatural intrigue and down-to-earth teenage tendencies, making Lament engaging to even reluctant readers, despite its length.
However, one of the most admirable qualities of Stiefvater's writing is the bold way in which she presents it, and the fact that she doesn't shy around the tough stuff in order to give readers the happy fluff. She manipulates the plot like a pro, giving Lament an edgy, tantalizing air that will entertain to no end, and also lends more depth to her work in the long run. Maggie Stiefvater, with her ability to create not only a gripping romance, but also a shadowy and puzzling mystery at the same time, is most definitely an author to watch. 』
