I’ve always been interested in royal history and genealogy. It fascinates me to see how families are linked together, and this is very easy to do by reading books about royalty. Although my favourite subject is Imperial Russia, for over twenty years I have been writing magazine articles on both current and historical British and European royalty. Who would have thought that the accession of Charles III would have brought the blood of the Romanovs into the direct line of succession to the British throne, something that will continue down through the years. I was fascinated when I discovered this, and just had to write a book about it
I was gripped by this book because, unlike many works on the late Duke of Edinburgh, it concentrated on his early life as a Greek Prince.
I never realised how close he came to being heir to the Greek throne at one point. The authors use little-known Greek archives, and I learnt a lot about Philip, his father Prince Andrew, and some lesser-known members of the Greek royal family.
Reading a book written from the Greek perspective threw a different light on Philip and his relatives.
Many books have been written about the life of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, yet there always seem to be corners of his long life that have remained unexplored. In this long look back into his early years, Constantinos Lagos and John Carr uncover hitherto unknown aspects of Philip's life as a Greek prince and his gradual transformation from a mere appendage of the troubled Greek royal family to an enduring pillar of the British monarchy. For the first time, Lagos and Carr delve into neglected Greek archives for a fascinating picture of Philip's early Greek life and the…
I loved this book because it was the first full biography of King Charles’s grandmother, Princess Alice, a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who was born a princess of Battenberg, married a Greek royal and set up her own nursing community in Greece.
Hugo Vickers used her own letters, as well as many other unpublished sources, to tell the tale. I like books that give me new information, and this one delivers in full.
The remarkable, moving story of Prince Philip's mother by eminent biographer Hugo Vickers, updated in this new edition - for fans of Kingmaker and The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse
'Gripping. Hugo Vickers has pulled off an extraordinary feat in describing the life - in many ways tragic - of Princess Andrew of Greece. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is a masterpiece.' - A. N. Wilson
Princess Alice, mother of Prince Phillip, was something of a mystery figure even within her own family. Profoundly deaf, she was born at Windsor Castle in the…
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
I am a great admirer of Robert Hardman’s books, and it was hard to pick out just one, but I loved this particular book because it gives the inside story of Charles and his new court.
Hardman always has impeccable sources which get to the very heart of the matter and he answers the question, ‘what is Charles like as King?’ A change of monarch means a change of many things, and I found it fascinating to see how the new King does things very differently from his late mother.
'Fascinating . . . The book everyone is talking about' - Daily Mail
By acclaimed royal biographer and author of Queen of Our Times, Robert Hardman, Charles III is a brilliant account of a tumultuous period in British history, full of intriguing insider detail and the real stories behind the sadness, the dazzling pomp, the challenges and the triumphs as Charles III sets out to make his mark.
How would - or could - he fill the shoes of the record-breaking Elizabeth II? With fresh debates about the monarchy, political upheavals and a steady…
I always find reading other people’s letters and diaries fascinating, mainly because they were not meant to be seen by outside eyes.
Having already read Shawcross’s official biography of the Queen Mother, I loved reading her letters, which go from her childhood at St Paul’s Waldenbury, through her courtship and marriage, the years as Queen, and then her widowhood. We actually get to hear her own voice and her own views on people and events.
The war years were especially interesting and sometimes poignant. Her wit and sense of humour (even at her own expense) come over, and I think we are especially fortunate that she lived in a time when people wrote letters, which were then preserved. It puts a whole new perspective on her long life.
One of the revelations of William Shawcross's official biography of the Queen Mother was her private correspondence. Indeed the Sunday Times described her letters as 'wonderful ... brimful of liveliness and irreverence, steeliness and sweetness.'
Queen Elizabeth was a prolific correspondent from her earliest childhood and her letters offer readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face. They reveal - in her own words - the little girl writing to her family; the young woman who, eventually, accepted Prince Albert's proposal; the Duchess of York, embracing the public role demanded of her, on royal tours both at…
Chasing Light is a lyrical meditation on grief, memory, and the fragile beauty of everyday life. At its core, it is a story of resilience, forgiveness, and the transformational power of human connection. It sheds light on the overlooked realities of homelessness and addiction, while emphasizing the importance of compassion…
This is probably the most explosive royal book written in years.
I love Andrew Lownie’s work because he puts so much effort into researching each of his books. The story of the former Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah Ferguson, entailed hours of interviews and even freedom of information requests.
Mr Lownie does the job well, and I admire his sleuthing abilities. I also like the fact that each chapter is divided into bite-sized sections, and as I don’t always have time to read a long chapter all in one go, this is an advantage as far as I am concerned.
The repercussions of this book will be felt for years, and I gather an updated paperback is already on the way.
THE SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLERA Book of the Year in The Times and Financial Times‘This isn’t a book; it’s a case for revolution’ CAMILLA LONG, SUNDAY TIMES‘A damning cannonball of truth through the York ramparts’ MAIL ON SUNDAY‘Surely has a claim to the title of book of the year, for its seismic impact’ JANINE GIBSON, FINANCIAL TIMES‘This book has changed the way its readers think. Possibly the most important book that touches on the British monarchy since the days of Thomas Payne’ WILL LLOYD‘As represented in the book’s pages, the royal family, with its appendages and penumbra, can be seen…
Most people know that King Charles III descends from Queen Victoria but few realise he is a direct descendant of the Romanovs, who ruled Russia until 1917. This is the story of the eleven people, from Tsar Michael in 1613 to King Charles, who form this direct line.
From the Romanovs, the line passes through the Greek royal family, whose members spent their lives in and out of exile. The first Greek monarch, Charles's great-grandfather, was assassinated. Charles's grandfather was tried by a kangaroo court and only saved from execution, so members of his family believe, by the swift action of Britain's King George V. This fascinating story encompasses wealth, power, palace coups and murders.
Germany 1938. Herman watches in horror as his cousin is arrested. As a Jew, he realizes he must flee Germany, a decision that catapults him into a life changed forever by the gathering storm of world events.
Part coming-of-age fiction, part immigrant tale, part military adventure, Immigrant Soldier follows Herman’s…
What do Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, and Jerry Seinfeld have in common? They were all devotees of George Carlin.
In my book, I take a deep dive into the comedic artistry of one of America's most important funny men. George Carlin was the king of all media: print, recordings, movies,…
