No comments about Les Empereurs Du Nil.

No comments about Diana.

2 comments about Who Killed Diana? (VISION Investigations).

1. Don't waste your money on this one. If you are really interested in conspiracies on Diana, go and surf the net. You'll get more than what you find in this book-and then some!



2. I read this novel after reading the excellent "Whose death in the Tunnel?" by Aaron Becker. This book did not begin to compare. I read it to the end hoping for a glimmer but it left me cold.

No comments about From Grief to Action: Caring on the Spirits of Princess Diana & Mother Teresa.

No comments about Catalina De Lancaster / Catalina of Lancaster: Reina Regente De Castilla 1372-1418 / Regent Queen of Castilla 1372-1418 (Serie Media).

2 comments about Something About Mary: From Girl About Town to Crown Princess.

1. This book, though not an authorised biography and contains only 'researched' information, is a great read. Especially for the fellow Australian who can understand some of the references made - like the stories told in the Little Golden Books etc. This provided a few laughs, though not sure if they'll be understood by the non-antipodean!



2. How do I describe this book? If Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" ever done an A@E style biography show, this book would be it.
   
   What do I mean by this? An example would be when the author described the priest whom married Mary and Frederick; she said he spoke like the Swedish chief from "The Muppet Show." You know the one who went "Knoucky, knouck, knourk, knourk!"
   
   There are a few things I didn't like about this book; there is this one chapter that tells the paparazzo's point of view on Mary Donaldson's path to Denmark. As well as the paparazzi style pictures that is found in this book. Particularly, this one picture which was taped back together by one of paparazzi; whom dug it out of the then Ms. Donaldson trash can. If this is what Ms. Kate Middleton is currently going through she has my complete sympathy.
   
   Another thing I didn't like about this book was the Aussie slang, which I didn't understand it and the author offered no explanations about what the particular Aussie words mean.
   
   Other than that, the book is like I said humorous and serious at the same time. Also, the author should clearly try to get on "The Daily Show," I believe she would fit in perfectly with the cast members.

No comments about The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords, and Princes.

No comments about Henry IV: The Establishment of the Regime, 1399-1406.

1 comments about The Winter King: Frederick V of the Palatinate and the Coming of the Thirty Years' War.

1. This book is an important work of scholarship for anyone interested in the Thiry Years War. Although it deals with a highly complex period, it nevertheless reads well for someone who does not know much about seventeenth century Europe. This fascinating account of the first stages of the war is told from the perspective of Friedrich V, who ruled Bohemia for less than a year and triggered the longest, most devastating of all the conflicts of the Early Modern period. Mercenaries and kings, unceasing diplomacy and bloody conflict, loyalty and betrayal, all are seen in this sweeping, yet detailed account. This bright, energetic work challenges the usual interpretations about the causes and course of the Thirty Years' War.

5 comments about Helena: Princess Reclaimed : The Life and Times of Queen Victoria's Third Daughter.

1. For the first book about Princess Helena, this was a wonderful find. Chomet's research seems complete, and the writing is rather easy to read. I found many interesting facts about Victoria's third daughter, some of which have been previously published (drug addiction) and others which are generally not known ( the flirtation with the librarian). The book is a must for anyone studying Victoria's family. In particular illegitacy in the royal family. Helena's only grandchild was illegitimate, and only one of her children married. Her family's life is a contrast to all of her siblings, with the exception of Princess Louise.



2. Princess Helena was probably the most active of the daughters of Queen Victoria, but little is written about her. This book gives a little insight into her personality and her activities, that are not mentioned in other books. The illustrations are good, but the book is too thin to really give much info.



3. I am always interested in reading about some of the more obscure royal siblings and what became of their offspring so I was initially very happy to have found this book. However, the first shock was opening it - the print format looks like someone's high school term paper was cut and pasted directly into the book. Double line spacing and a large font were apparently used to plump up the author's sparse material to create the 152 small pages (5 3/4" x 8", not including the sparse index and source acknowledgement pages). The writing is amateurish and uneven, not that of an experienced biographer; the sequence of events is incoherent and information is duplicated and triplicated in various parts of the book (the poor Princess must have died at least 3 times before the final chapter, "The Final Years" which is given 6 1/4 double spaced pages, can you believe it?). Did this book have an editor? There is no evidence as such. This is more like someone's rough draft of a memoir and rough is the working word here. The accompanying photos are mundane and mostly of the "official" variety - few if any candid or informal pictures. Long tracts on Victorian nursing and architecture are included apparently to make up for the dearth of real information about Princess Helena. How and when did she become a drug addict? Who was her supplier? Why didn't her daughters ever marry? A reader can probably glean as much information from previously published magazine articles as there appears to have been very little original research done for this book. All in all, a very disappointing experience.



4. A brave attempt to present the life of the princess -- the first "people's princess". Based on new research not available elsewhere. Easy to read and inexpensive.



5. When I read Marlene Koenig's recommendation ("I recommend you read it") I bought the book and have enjoyed reading it. There is lots of new material and very little padding. This is not the usual volume stuffed with unnecessary detail. It is more of a story, based on fact, of a princess who was once described as dull and not very good looking but turns out to be handsome, talented, interesting and very popular with the Victorian public. There are also one or two unsolved mysteries. The price of this volume is not exorbitant either! I also "recommend you read it".