No comments about Queen Victoria.

No comments about The Emperor Charles V: Volume 2.

4 comments about Olga Romanov.

1. Years ago Ian Vorres wrote "the last Grand Duchess", which was a biography of the life of Grand Duchess Olga based on a series of personal interviews he had with her before her death. It was hard to imagine at first why this book was written and what it could cover that the first book didn't.

   I found this book very easy to read. It approaches Olga's remarkable life in chronological order and it never looses track of the fact that this book is about Olga's life and not that of some of her more famous relatives.

   Olga was a very adapable woman. She was born to Czar Alexander 3rd and his wife Marie when they were on the throne of Russia. She lived a life in palaces surrounded by servants and guards. Despite this she always carved out an independant niche for herself and this stood her in good stead when the old russia was engulfed in revolution.

   Olga moved from the life of a pampered princess and society woman to that of a nurse at the front line and from there to a refugee, with her family in Europe and Canada.

   This book fills in some of the areas glossed over in Vorres book. It deals with the later problems with her brother Michael, and the heartache her children bought her later in life. It also deals with lingering mysteries like the sale of her mother's jewels to Queen Mary of England.

   I would have to say this is not a minute by minute account of Olga's life but it does bring her life into perspective and presents a woman who wasn't afraid to take life by the horns and run with it. It's book worth a read, especially if you are interested in the old imperial russia or the life of refugees afterwards.




2. I found this book to be disappointing because of the lack of family geneaologies. There's a one-page chart showing the Duchess Olga's immediate family, but none of the relationships to the British or German dynasties. And yet, the author mentions Olga's referrals to "cousin Georgie", meaning King George V of England, with no explanation of why they are cousins; in another section the author tells us that the Queen of Greece attended a family function leaving the reader to wonder why a monarch from Greece would show up at a Russian family affair. Also Duke Ernst of Hesse is mentioned frequently but we don't know where he fits into the picture - is he a friend, admirer, or relative? For anyone only interested in what happened to the Grand Duchess Olga and why she emigrated to Canada, this book would suffice. For anyone else interested in the European dynasties and how they were complexly related, this book is devoid of all information. Pages are devoted to the alleged disappearance of the Romanov jewels and fortune in England but we aren't told of the English connection. Olga's brother, the Tsar Nicholas II was married to one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters and this is an important fact . Either the author wasn't interested or didn't know the relationships herself.



3. I agree with the reviewer on Amazon.uk who said that this is the best book ever written about the Romanov family. When this book first came out in 1999 it received rave reviews from all the major newspapers in Canada, including The Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen, the Montreal Gazette, the Winnipeg Free Press, etc.....and for good reason. The book reads like a nonfiction novel. It was never meant to be a stodgy historical tome filled with endless digressions about who was related to whom. It's a book with a heart, and soul. Most historical biographies, especially about the Romanovs, are unreadable primarily because they are so dense with detail that a compelling story never emerges. Patricia Phenix knows how to use research in the form of letters and photographs to tell a story and keep a reader transfixed. It could be argued that no historian or writer of popular history knows every detail of a person's life, even if the author has interviewed the subject. That is why there are ultimately dozens of books written about a person's life, because new information is always being found that contradicts other information. Put simply, newspaper critics are right; this is an excellent book; it humanizes Olga Romanov without deifying her. For more excellent reviews of this book, check Amazon.uk.



4. 
   Read the discussion board on Olga Romanov.....
   I had several things to say...

2 comments about Invitation to a Royal Weddiing: Edward and Sophie, June 19, 1999.

1. I have checked this book out so many times at my local libary I just may have to get a copy of this book for my own personal collection! the author has done other books about the wedding of Charles and Diana and Andrew and Sarah . They were very good books, yet this one is the absolute best one of them all! the stories about the couple are terrific, the pictures are senstional! a grand book to read if you are a fan of the royal family! highly recommened!



2. I've got it, there's a lot of information (historical and biographical) here but I wasn't bowled over by it. The most valuable part may be the Sophie material that it contains, she hasn't been abused the way Diana was.

No comments about Earliest English Kings.

No comments about The Lilac Days: The True Story of the Secret Love Affair That Altered the Course of History.

1 comments about Selina: Countess of Huntingdon: Her Pivotal Role in the 18th Century Evangelical Awakening.

1. Faith Cook has done an incredible job on Selina, the Countess of Huntingdon, and weaving the characters of the 18th C revival into an understandable history. In doing so, she has not only allowed the realism of each character to be displayed (graces & faults!) but has provided the reader with a real exciting read! In presenting the life of the Countess she has provided a tremendous story of inspiration as we see that even one who experienced deep hardships, was on fire for the gospel, and undivided in her zeal to see men and women come to know Christ through the preaching of his Word. I recommend it highly!!

1 comments about House of the Turquoise Roof.

1. "House of the Turquoise Roof" is a fascinating look into Old Tibet. Customs and religious rituals are described and explained in a detail that provides a clear picture of life as it was for the Tibetan upper class families. The author is a keen observer, and in spite of the difficulties that were encountered in the book's creation, has still given a story well worth reading.

   Even the author's perspective, clearly influenced by the customs and manners she describes, serves to reinforce the picture that she paints. While the casual reader may find the lengthy and often similar Tibetan names to be confusing, the story in itself somehow transcends this minor difficulty.

   The reviewer only regrets that Mrs. Yuthok's associations were primarily limited to the Tibetan upper class and family servants; there is relatively little exploration of Tibetan peasant life, and in spite of Mrs. Yuthok's high family connections in government, little discussion of the political developments of the day.

   Still, for overall interest, this book is more than just "good," and the reviewer recommends that you sit down with a bag of popcorn and enjoy yourself.

2 comments about Burke's Royal Families of the World (Burke's series).

1. This is one of the finest research book set available. All the world's royal families are at your fingertips. Includes photographs & geneological tables. Highly recommended. Please look at this book.



2. Intended as a companion volume to _Burke's Guide to the Royal Family,_ this product of the "new Burke's" follows the familiar indented-outline format and is very easy to use. The early history of each House is only summarized, but is complete from the sixteenth century or so. Families that are "temporarily out of business" make up the bulk of the book, including portraits of the current pretenders (up to c.1980, anyway). Much readable anecdotal material, and the Introduction has some salty comments on the observed results of replacing hereditary monarchy with "mob democracy." An excellent and trustworthy source for ready-reference.

No comments about Five Stuart Princesses: Margaret Of Scotland, Elizabeth Of Bohemia, Mary Of Orange, Henrietta Of Orleans, Sophia Of Hanover.