IPhone 3G used's review (Best Impossible Crime Story ever) 『This omnibus includes most of the short early Ellery Queen stories. But the real reason to own it is the short (under 100 pages) novel, "The Lamp of God," which may be the best (and fairest) "impossible crime" story ever written. An entire house - one which may contain a hidden treasure - simply vanishes overnight - no house, no ruins, nothing. It's a fair puzzle, and the reader is given all the clues needed to solve the mystery, although I suspect few will. A truly great book!』
(All the early short stories) 『All of Queen's early short stories, from the Adventures and New Adventures of Ellery Queen. Most are excellent. A must for the pure-puzzle mystery fan.』
Kakaku：195 saved$1.95
Harper Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (a great find!) 『I bought this book at a doller store and wasn't expecting much because of that. But it looked interesting. I was definatly surprised and intruiged. Ended up reading it in one night. Well written, interesting with an intense thrill of discovery! This book made me want to visit these ancient places. I had to settle for buying a wealth of histories on the ancient Maya to settle the curiousity this novel unearthed! I defintaly recommend this book to all!』
(Wildly unrealistic) 『OK, i really wanted to like this. I realize its a spoof, a fantasy, an improbably adventure story. But it was just too improbable for me. It wasn't so much the concept I didn't like, but it was based on some assumptions that just rang wrong, and by 22 pages into it I was just annoyed.
Archeologists don't go hunting for rare valuable artifacts to bring home and put on display in museum display cases. They also don't set off on their own to "dig" for two weeks. Archeological digs take a long time, a lot of preparation, and in most cases involve garbage dumps, not treasures. Rare book sellers don't splay centuries-old manuscripts open on Xerox machine glass. The author's entire concept of archeology and anthropology is based on an outdated colonialist model that's patently offensive to modern thought about how we study ancient cultures. I can buy it with the Indiana Jones character because he's set in another era, but these characters resemble modern scholars as much Martians do.
Also, I found the author's point of view about Guatemala's politics strange, unrealistic, and troubling. The way she writes about the people of that country is very colonial and condescending. A couple of places she refers to people as "serfs" and "sherpas" - both demeaning and factually wrong.
The characters are peculiar and unsympathetic. Yolanda's a borderline sociopath. Some of the plot devices are ridiculous. We're supposed to believe that Eric and Lola find the key to the cipher by looking at the image of an artifact on a museum T-shirt - um, if such an artifact has become iconic of the museum, wouldn't it have been studied by hundred of thousands of scholars already? The solving of the cipher ends up being simple word games using an English translation - how hard is that?
Even trivial details are annoyingly wrong - couldn't the author have at least driven up the 405 to visit the UCLA campus? It's not "palmy". And why would a 33 year old woman in 1998 be driving a Ford Pinto?
Well, once you suspend disbelief, it's an OK read. If you imagine it takes place in a fantasy world.』
(A Hollywood Movie) 『The novel is entertaining, yet lacks depth. The character's actions were somewhat predictable.
The story builds up nicely, yet at the height of the story, the author scrambles quickly to get to the conclusion. 』
(The Queen Jade) 『An entralling mystery that is fascinating to read but the part about Balaj K'waill seems a little unrealistic and is hard to believe. However Ms. Murray's vivid discriptions of the setting and the characters make you feel as though you were actually surrounded by emerald green bushes and the sweet tangy jungle fragrances. Also, Ms. Murray's ability to blend romance with mystery is superb! All in all a great read!』
(Recommended) 『This is a really interesting book, which centers around an ancient legend and a mystery. I found it absolutely fascinating, and I personally enjoyed the word puzzle and discussion of hieroglyphs. Jades and hieroglyphs are not topics we usually associate with Guatemala and ancient Central American cultures, so I think this adds to the book's appeal. It's a great adventure story, which also discusses academic research, puzzles, and translations.』 『
There is a legend of the New World that has endured for centuries: the strange, tragic tale of a King, a Witch . . . and a blue gem of intoxicating beauty said to grant extraordinary power to whoever possesses it.
Archaeologist Juana Sanchez, convinced that she's discovered the key to unlocking the mystery of the fabled Queen Jade, ventures into the Central American jungle alone—just ahead of the relentless pounding fury of Hurricane Mitch. When the terrible storm is over, Juana is gone, and an ancient, long-buried jade mine has been uncovered in the mountains of Guatemala, giving new hope to all obsessed seekers of the legendary stone. But it is a different obsession that plunges Juana's daughter—scholar and bookseller Lola Sanchez—into the remarkable adventure of a lifetime. For only by following the Queen Jade's perilous, cursed trail can Lola hope to find her vanished mother . . . if it isn't already too late.
Kakaku：299 saved$2.99
Da Capo Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Mid-Life Gender Crisis) 『More of a transvestite than a drag queen, the author ventures into the world of femininity in the hopes of capturing the ever elusive " All Man." Her search for cosmetics, beauty, men and truth are all too comical and disturbing at turns. With Gay Men as with Women, beauty and viability are one and the same same and the shelf life of which expires all too soon. Does one accept a certain loneliness and solitude with grace or go down fighting? Does the tyranny of beauty rule absolutely or are there utopias beyond? Even more entertaining than the notions of gender and beauty are the fluid sexuality of men who will do anything to have sex without being labeled gay. The willingness of her men to believe that they are straight and to hold onto their rigidly defined sexuality is just as revealing as the gay man who goes to any length to avoid being alone.』
(In cyberspace, no one knows you're a dog) 『A fun read, sometimes hilarious (the guy who wanted him to put a paper bag over his head), sometimes scary (the cat fights that go on in the CD chatrooms), and occasionally touching (the author's frustration with his life and loves). A major theme of the book is the isolation and miscommunication that goes on over the Internet... and as I type this, I note, on the Amazon page, that I am being invited to search for "Diary Queen" restaurants in North Carolina... Anyhow, I recommend this to anyone looking for a glimpse into a rarely-seen world of offbeat sexuality. Breezy style (no doubt the product of his five years at Hahvahd!) and never boring.』 『The sudden break-up with his long-term partner along with the untimely death of a close friend sent cultural critic Daniel Harris—a top gay journalist whose literary and cultural criticism has been praised by Janet Malcolm, Alexander Cockburn, Dale Peck, and Gary Indiana—into a deep depression. Complicating matters was his accompanying mid-life crisis, which entailed facing up to the harsh realities—and daunting challenges—of an aging gay man finding a new partner in today’s youth-worshipping gay world.
Then Harris discovered for the first time dozens of men of all ages and sizes online shopping for sex partners in cyberspace. But he soon found that more than just gay men trolled gay sex sites; plenty of "straight" guys sought male sex buddies online, too, but often with one proviso: their male partners had to dress in women’s clothing. Although Harris had never before done drag and had no prior interest in women’s accessories, he set to work learning the ropes of cross-dressing once easy access to this pool of handsome, desirable and frequently off-limit men was made available to him.Diary of a Drag Queenis a revealing, comic, and sexually charged chronicle of hundreds of one-night stands in high heels.』
Kakaku：499 saved$4.99
Scholastic Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Great book) 『Trivia Queen, 3RD Grade Supreme (Ruby and the Booker Boys Series #2) is a great book. Since my daughter was not excited about reading like I would have liked I decided to start a kid's book club for her and her friends about a year ago. They have read many books and right now they are thoroughly enjoying the Booker Boys Series. We are about to begin the 3rd book in the Series called the Slumber Party Payback. Along with our next book club we will have a slumber party for the girls....anything to promote a love for reading. My daughter and friends now enjoy reading and they really seem to identify with the characters in Mr. Derrick Barnes' books. I'm hoping once we finish this series we can find more books like his for our girls. The girls came up with the name "RED HOT Readers Book club." As a mother of a 10 year old this didn't set well with me but once they came up with what it stood for I was ok with it:-) Read Enjoy Discuss Highly Observant Thinkers.
』
(Excellent Series) 『We will be buying the next books in the series. It was excellent and my 3rd grader read it in a couple of days.』
(Ruby is spectacular!) 『She's the trivia queen,the 3rd grade supreme.So she enters a trivia contest.and wins it. I was exited when the princapal told her that she could be in the contest. She deserved it because she really is the trivia queen. I can't wait until the next Ruby book!』
(RUBY IS SO REAL!!!!) 『The author makes "Ruby" stay alive in book #2! The writer makes this character as if she is a real little girl. I can actually see Ruby in my head.
The book had me reading it aloud and acting as if I were "Ruby" A children's novel hasn't move me like this in years! I felt as if I were an 8 years old again. Excited to read!
Ruby rocks&I'm waiting to order the next book. This book should be on the top seller list for children.
Teachers please order this book for your students. It's a must!
Ms. Stacker Chicago-5th Grade Teacher 』
(Ruby is a true gem!) 『I am so glad that to find an interesting book with such a colorful character such as Ruby Booker. My daughter loves to read and is excited to add all of the Ruby books to her collection. The writing of Mr. Barnes will keep the reader turning the pages in full anticipation of the next interesting thing Ruby does. It is written at a level where elementary age students can read, understand, and enjoy. I am excited about the success of Ruby books. Thank you Derrick Barnes!』 『Eight-year-old Ruby Booker is the baby sis of Marcellus (11), Roosevelt (10), and Tyner (9), the most popular boys on Chill Brook Ave. When Ruby isn't hanging with her friend, Theresa Petticoat, she's finding out what kind of mischief her brothers are getting into. She's sweet and sassy and every bit as tough as her older siblings. She sings like nobody's business; she has a pet iguana named Lady Love; her favorite color is grape-jelly purple; and she has BIG plans. She's going to be the most famous woman animal doctor on the planet. She's the fabulous, oh-so-spectacular Ruby Marigold Booker!
In Book 2, a zoologist is coming to visit Ruby's school, and there will be one representative from grade levels 2-8 chosen to compete in an animal trivia contest. The winner will land season passes to the Chill Brook Zoo for everyone in their grade level. Ruby, who can absorb factual information quickly and recall it at any time, is the third grade delegate, and her brothers are on board to help--or hinder--her preparation.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Cheesy Cover, Good Read) 『Don't be deceived by the silly romance cover. This is a good sf/fantasy novel. McDonald has fun parodying Victorian and cyberpunk fiction in this story tracing three generations of Irish women's interaction with the "mygmus" (mythoconsciousness).』
(Just my imagination...once again) 『Katherine Kurtz calls McDonald 'a poet masquerading as a novelist'. She's right. McDonald has essentially written 2 novellas and a novel. Each is very different in terms of sense of time, and even place, although Ireland is the locale of all three tales. Inteconnected, yes; still, each stands well on its own. 'Craigdarragh' is an Irish manor estate at the cusp of World War 1, specifically 1913. Chiefly through diary entries, we meet Emily Desmond and her parents, Edward and Caroline. Emily, at 13, is a very imaginative girl on the verge of sexual awareness. Edward is an eccentic astronomer, confounde by his daughter, who risks family name and fortune to communicate with what he believes to be alien visitors fom the stars. Caroline is a respected poet with more than a slight acquaintance with her daughter's interest in the Otherworld. Emily's explorations of Bridestone Wood, and its repercussions, form one story line. Edward's obsessin with alien visitors marks the second. Along the way we are introduced to a blind musician and his female companion, a dancer. There is Dr. Hannibal Rooke, a paranormal investigator. Finally, the poet William Butler Yeats. The musician, the dancer and the doctor will visit in the other tales. 'The Mythlines'- Jessica Caldwell is one of three sisters in Ireland during the 1930s. An artist, she has big dreams at 17 and 3/4. She also has an attitude problem. Tiresias and Gonzaga, a pair of 'itinerant journeymen,' are trying to find her, for Jessica is beginning to see the mythlines, borders between our world and Faery. She is seeing Dr. Rooke, who has an interest in helping Jessica confront her past. Then, there's Damian, her new boyfriend. member of the I.R.A. 'Shekinah' introduces us to Enye MacColl, a twenty-something in advertisement by day. By night she battles the phaguses of the Otherland, using Japanese swordfighting techniques. Enye, too, sees the mythlines; as a child she invented a complete world in her grandmother's garden. Along the way, we meet Jaypee, Saul, Elliot, Mr. Antrobus, and the Midnight Children. All play an important part in Enye MacColl's journey. Three women of Ireland. Each forced to confront great tragedy. Ian McDonald does an excellent job at telling their stories. 'In its contemporary form, the pookah has been demythologised by the centuries into another member of the pantheon of fairies major and minor- a rural Puck figure, generally good-natured, if prone to ocassional acts of minor domestic mischief. In its ancient manifestations, the pookah has been terrible and dangerous, the spirit of the forest itself, with its roots in the racial memory of the woolly mammoth of the periglacial fringelands, hunting with tusk and claw and sinew the sights of the Mesolithic settlers.'』
(Original and unusual) 『= Original and unusual Reviewer: cont1nuity from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom King of Morning, Queen of Day is tracking the lives of three generations of women born to the ability to see and manipulate human mythoconsciousness. From the age of Yeats to a period not far past modern day, we travel with the women as they discover their powers and face the parallel world opened by their perceptions. Each has a unique take on what they are dealing with and each finds her own rite of passage, encountering those that help and those that hinder along the way. Characters are vividly described and the plotting becomes tighter and more accomplished as the novel progresses, with the last, science-fiction third standing out as most original and unusual.』
(A fairy tale of unforgettable power) 『I knew, just by reading the back cover blurb, that this book was right up my alley. Women with mystical powers? Check. Faeries? Check. Ireland? Check. In fact, I think the only reason I didn't discover this book earlier is that it was published in 1991, and I only started reading fantasy sometime in the late nineties.
The story begins with Emily, a bratty but endearing girl of fifteen, poised on the edge of adulthood in the early 20th century. Emily knows she is special, set apart-and when she sees the faeries in the wood by her family's home, she knows she will never be satisfied with ordinary life. Emily makes a colossal mess of things, as bratty fifteen-year-olds will do, and sets in motion events that will affect generations to come.
What follows is a fairy tale, but not precisely a tale of faeries; it's more of an exploration of the nature of reality and of myth, as seen through the eyes of Emily and two other women: Jessica, a glib-tongued teenager of the 1930s whose tall tales have an uncanny way of coming true; and Enye, a woman of the late 1980s, torn between everyday life and a battle with supernatural forces from the world beyond.
This is a stunning story and one that I'll probably reread over and over again. It doesn't suffer one bit from the ailment that afflicts so many multigenerational novels-the tendency for one or more of the intertwined stories to lack luster. All three of the women, and their lives and times, are vivid and passionate. And I must say, there are few male authors who can write such nuanced and three-dimensional female characters. Get your hands on a used copy of this. I wish they'd reprint it... 』
(My Favorite Book) 『I first read this novel about ten years ago, and reread it faithfully every year. It's a lyrical exploration of the lives of three generations of Irish women entangled by a supernatural force that they don't understand but can't escape. Haunting and riveting, it remains in my thoughts even today.』
IPhone 3G used's review (2nd book in a set of 3 excellent historical novels) 『This book picks up where the first book in this trilogy "I am Mary Tudor" finishes. It covers the years from her accession to the Throne, to her marriage to Phillip of Spain and her first "pregnancy" and finishes when she is expecting her first child.
These are excellent very "realistic" novels. They really bring home how much of international diplomacy etc hang on trifles like 'precedence'and imagined slights to honour. The author has obviously put a great deal of research into these books and for me they have been as good as a well written "real aka academic" biography. Now I've just got to find a copy of the 3rd book "bloody Mary" to finish the story.
This is a highly reccomended, though almost forgotten, historical novels author.』
Kakaku：135 saved$1.35
Thunder's Mouth Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Underrated Masterpiece about the Dream Journey) 『I was disappointed that the other reviewers weren't connecting this novel to its spiritual cousins: Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meredian and David Lynch's film Mulholland Dr. I mention Blood Meredian because Pomona Queen deals with the connection between violence and empire-building, specifically the blood that was shed during the creation of Pomona. Nunn's novel deals with a lot of violence and bloodshed, specifically of Earl Dean's forebears, that surrounds the history of Pomona's making. In that context we go into the nightmare world of Earl Dean, a vacuum cleaner salesman who goes to one house too many to sell his wares. His final house is owned by a drug-soaked, violent Dan Brown who kidnaps Earl Dean to conduct an order of business so bizarre you feel like you're entering a nightmare. Indeed, the nightmarish quality, punctuated by grotesque humor, evokes the dream journey, complete with perdition and the longing for redemption, which has similar components that we see in Mulholland Dr. In both the film and Pomona Queen, the dream journey is a sort of wish-fulfillment fantasy and in both the dream journey is never arbitrary or weird for weird's sake. There is a psychological realism that makes the events seem necessary and logical.
Earl Dean, a down and out vacuum salesman who's been duped by his stepfather and the world in general is looking for redemption, courage, and belonging. You'll have to read this harrowing, often bleakly funny novel to see if he finds them.』
(An uneven ride through the night) 『No one - with the possible exception of Robert Stone - does aging hipsters living on the edge better than Kem Nunn (his "Dogs of Winter" is excellent). And there are no shortage of these outlaws in "Pomona Queen." Still, I found the novel to be a disappointment. At its best, there is an Alice-in-the-Valley weirdness to "Pomona Queen" that works well. In the novel's opening pages middle aged vacuum cleaner salesman Earl (Johnny Magic) Dean, trying once again to get a grip on survival, accidently steps back into his past, encountering biker and thug Dan Brown, who is mourning (sort of) the murder of his brother - who happens to be on ice in Dan's living room. Actually, it's more about revenge, though it's hard to tell, since lines of motivation converge and separate, often in the same conversation. But that's cool, since following Dan's reasoning is kind of like an amusement park ride through Hell.
More problematic however, is Earl's continuing reveries and/or meditations on the history of Pomona. A lot less of local history would of served Nunn well. No doubt Nunn intended to provide this as texturing. All those bones and decay and betrayal from Pomona's history must mean Something, even if it's Nothing, though Earl sort of fancies himself as a "theologian of hope." But from a storytelling point of view, given the sheer number of pages devoted to what is in effect a slight-of-hand literary device, the novel gets bogged down with some truly unnecessary information. In this case, a leaner novel would of made for a much meaner one. Nevertheless, there are a number of very fine (and funny) moments in the novel, making "Pomona Queen" worth a look for those interested in the portrayals of hipsters at the end of the rainbow. That said, it will be a cut&paste effort, which is always frustrating, since one realizes that a novel's promise was somehow missed.』
(A tasty yarn pulled out of a real Southern Calif. backyard) 『A yarn pulled out of a Los Angeles backyard, Pomona Queen captures the people and places of its battered setting. There's more truth to this hilarious romp and rumble than its fictional label would have you believe. A vacum cleaner salesman, with a personal stake in old Pomo, is kidnapped by one of the town's infamous hoods. So begins a saga of surprises in the once-beautiful valley landscape as one twist turns into another leads to the final showdown at The Alibi Club, a real tavern you wouldn't want to visit after dark.The author has done his homework. His love-hate feeling for this ravaged locale squeezes a tart, juicy tale that will have you laughing, wincing and crying amid a setting that was once rich with sweet orange groves. A keeper. This guy can write.』
(Buds, Bogarts and Battery) 『Fly down to Mexico, look out the window, southern Cal looks like a river of mustard gas. Maybe this is why Kem Nunn has a protagonist in Pomona Queen who sells "air purifiers", vacuum cleaners that operate on an air-exchange principle. So somewhere in here lies a metaphor that explores the poisoned society of a white trash culture strung out on Buds, Bogarts and battery.
The P.O.V. is supplied by a wounded love culture graduate called Earl Dean, once known as "Johnny Magic" when he was a hippy band vocalist with a redhead fox violinist as a girlfriend. But the girlfriend is now dead, Dean is now struggling to regain his family orchard by hustling "Cyclone" purifiers, and the crack cocaine consciousness of speed metal has replaced the free love delusion of country rock.
And who is his nemisis? The bad ass substance abuser Danny Brown, a cop killer who leads a trio of bikers...altho' the only instruments they play are knives, guns and bottles. Check out some of the cast: "Ardath", "The Stench", "Fall Down Debbie", "Engineer Bill", "The Pomona Queen", the latter variously representing Dean's lost love, lost land, and nearly his lost life.
"The Pomona Queen" is initially a dark-haired vixen on a peach crate label, all that remains of Dean's lost heritage. "The two (label and girl) existed for him in some complex arrangement of inner harmonies, hieroglyphs in an existential code." Or, more viscerally: "She was the Mona Lisa of the Pomona Valley."
Contrast this against that beastial clown, Danny Brown: "He was like the rat, adaptable, clever, impossible to eradicate." Nunn's characterization of this quintessential of all contemporary outlaws, the American biker, is brilliant. Homicidal, profane, an architect of violence who is, after all, a "family" man.
How does Dean become a hostage in this psycho fantasy? Pure chance. He's called to the biker house by Diana, the nubile flower selling daughter, who wants the free gift given to the prospective customers of the Cyclone, to find the naked body of Buddy -- Dan's brother -- dead "on ice" in a red Coca Cola cooler. Danny recognizes Dean as "Johnny Magic", decides that Magic will sing over his murdered brother's grave...and Danny doesn't take "no" for an answer.
Who killed Buddy? Therein lies the story, the plot, the action. There are a number of very funny incidents as Dean tries to escape this nightmare, yet finds himself rejoining the madness due to some quasi-conscious rationale linked to his sense of failure and the desire to succeed. The writing is often outstanding in its grasp of idiom and the the dramatization of the absurd circumstances that life sometimes presents. Perhaps Nunn sidebars a little too often into flashbacks, local history, character bios and the like, but you can just glissando over these chunks if the lead gets too dense on the page. Mind you, the "history" is essential to the theme, and the novel would just be another adventure in the criminal history of mankind without it.
If you think Jane Austen and Margaret Atwood are good writers, forget this one. The only poetry here is the poetry of scatology, the only manners the manners of violence.』
(brilliant dark mystery mixed with knife-edged humor) 『Kem Nunn shows originality and genius in this portrait of the dark side of Southern California, seen through the eyes of a door-to-door salesman, who gets tangled up with renegade bikers in the midst of a violent feud. The almost surreal setting comes alive, and the characters are unforgettable, but you'll be glad they don't live next door. It's about time Nunn came out with another masterpiece』 『In seedy Pomona, Dan Brown's brother has been killed. Dan plans his revenge, but it isn't only Buddy Brown who's died. Pomona Queen takes a black-comic look at the desolation of this sleazy demimonde, with its decaying orange groves and its violent, druggy denizens. "Nunn is a swift, economical stylist with a gift for the absurd." - San Francisco Chronicle』
IPhone 3G used's review (A fantastic "insider's look") 『I finished this book a few days ago, and liked it so much that my husband thought he'd read the first few pages. He found he couldn't put it down, staying up until 3.00 in the morning reading it!
Written by the producer of the movie "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," it's an insider's look at the challenges and amusing absurdity of trying to get a film made about an off-beat subject (drag queens) set in a remote part of the world (the Australian outback) long before anyone suspected it would be a worldwide smash hit. From Cannes to Broken Hill, the book gives a taste of what life in the movie business is like.
Very fun and entertaining - a great read!』
(If you loved the movie, then this book is a must!) 『This tale of the creation of the Oscar-winning film is almost as funny as the movie itself. As anyone who's seen Priscilla can tell, making it truly was a labour of love, and what these folks went through to see it come to life makes for one fantastic read, which I won't spoil with all the details. This comes with my highest recommendation!』
IPhone 3G used's review (Correct book title: How Cecil Beaton viewed the Queen Mother) 『After reading Vicker's excellent bio of Princess Alice [Prince Philip's mother] I looked forward to reading his take on the Queen Mother. Sadly this is a pretty awful book. He quotes ad nausea from the diaries of Cecil Beaton--so often in fact that at one point I threw the book across the room in exasperation!!! It seems he tried to make he Beaton research work for two books!! He also, ridiculously, worked in references to Vivien Leigh--another former subject of his!! But, where else these days can you find a book that uses the phrase "post-pradinal" twice in one volume!
In spite of this it does provide a little valuable information on the Queen Mother's support of the arts and does help to clear up the mystery of Marion Crawford's awful book "The Little Princesses." We know know why that book was so uttery inane--it was written not by Miss Crawford, but by a scheme pair of editors at an American women's magazine. The process by which they duped Miss Crawford, aka "Crawfie" out of both her memoirs and her privileged position at Court makes fascinating reading. Poor old Crawfie! For years witless biographers of Queen Elizabeth and her late sister Princess Margaret relied on this sugary send up to explain their childhood. Since it was largely re-written by the editors I would hope no one would ever again "rely" on it. Surely as fictionalized as various parts of the memoirs of the Duchess of Windsor [and the end of a "King's Story"--the memoirs of Edward VIII.]』
(Good Biography, but ......) 『This biography of the much loved late Queen Mother started off impressively, but as other reviewers have commented after the funeral of George VI the quality suffers somewhat from too many facts being delivered in a disorganised manner. Also, the author's blatant anti Labour and Tony Blair bias detracts from the narrative.
Finally, as an Aussie I wasn't impressed by the misspelling of QANTAS airways on a couple of occasions (memo to Author - there is no U in Qantas)』
(Vapid. Doesn't add to your knowledge of her.) 『My view is the opposite of another reviewer's: I thought the first half (up until George VI dies) even worse than the second half. Both halves are poorly organized (sentences that don't belong in the same paragraph; paragraphs that don't relate to one another; passages that should be in another chapter) and sometimes have errors and repetitions, and you don't learn much about her interactions with other family members. There's some about her relationship with her daughter Margaret and grandson Charles, less on that with the Queen, and very little on her dealings with the others - not even the supposed reprimand to Andrew, Sarah, Edward, and Anne for It's a Royal Knockout.
The first half has far too many pages full of: On Day 1 she went to A, where B, C, D, and E were also guests (biographical footnotes on all four), and she wore X. Then on Day 2, she was at G for lunch and H. D, I, J, H, and M (biographical footnotes on the new ones) were there. She wore N. Then she went to P....
In the whole book, there were a few interesting bits, but nothing significant I haven't read in other books on the family.
Nice family trees and pictures, but they aren't enough unless you get the book for a great discount.』
(Great book about a greatly loved Queen) 『Hugo Vickers book about the Her Late Majesty, The Queen Mother was well done. It gave you some insights about Queen Mother's life and some information that was not as well known. I would reccomend the book for anyone who is a fan of British Royalty or anyone who is a student of History.』
(Half Excellent, the other half...could have been better.) 『I really enjoyed the first half of the book, however, once the author got to the end of King George VI's furneral...well, he could have done a better job.』 『An authoritative and affectionate biography of the Late Queen Mother.
Harold Nicolson called her“the greatest Queen since Cleopatra,” while Cecil Beaton called her “a marshmallow made on a welding machine.” Stephen Tennant said: “She looked everything that she was not: gentle, gullible, tenderness mingled with dispassionate serenity, cool, well-bred, remote. Behind this veil she schemed and vacillated, hard as nails.” Who was she?
The Queen Mother’s story has not yet been properly told. This was partly due to her long life, and the difficulty that always exists when a biography of a living person is attempted, partly because she was a queen — and the real person gets hidden behind the perceived image — and partly because she is hard topin down. From her privileged aristocratic childhood, to the abdication and the problems with Diana, this book questions how she faced her challenges and crises, assesses her role, how powerful she was, and how she coped. This is a candid, personal portrait of one of Britain’s most loved nationaltreasures』
