No rating. Sadly I chose not to finish this book. Interesting times and places, but I found the writer's style rather laboured and tedious, and I deciNo rating. Sadly I chose not to finish this book. Interesting times and places, but I found the writer's style rather laboured and tedious, and I decided not to continue. The writing is done in a very roundabout fashion, with each hint of the next key moment in the artist Valadon's story often derailed by a wealth of tiny details about various historical points, (e.g. the history of absinthe), before the narrative slowly proceeds. I found this slow pace frustrating. No doubt many readers will enjoy all of the historical background given, but it was too much for me.
To add to this, I could not really connect with or like the central character, Valadon herself. She was an under-parented, wild, out-of-control child, and in what I read up to, looked fair to become a wild and heedless adult with difficult relationships. Yeah, no. The writer lost me along the way, and I decided to drop this one and devote my reading time to something more satisfying. ...more
An enjoyable non-fiction read from Lucy Worsley, a historian and curator of England's historic royal palaces, as well as a TV presenter. I've enjoyed An enjoyable non-fiction read from Lucy Worsley, a historian and curator of England's historic royal palaces, as well as a TV presenter. I've enjoyed some of her docos on TV about various historical characters and royal residences, but this is the first book of hers I've read. I found her writing style to be straightforward and readable. It was also backed up with a weight of historical knowledge and research, with numerous credible sources credited at the back of the book.
The book focussed on Kensington Palace, mostly during the first half of the eighteenth century, during the reigns of King George I and King George II. I've not (yet) been lucky enough to visit the palace (which is now open to the public). But apparently, there is a large mural, painted by William Kent, beside the King's Grand Staircase. It depicts a number of courtiers, servants etc, painted from life. Many but not all have been identified as the actual people they were. Some of these people, as well as the artist himself, form the cast of characters that Ms Worsley focusses on in her book. In the hardback copy, there are coloured plates showing scenes from the mural, which added to the enjoyment of the book.
The kings and queens of course play significant roles in the text, because the lives of the courtiers and servants revolved around them. But we read about the fascinating lives of royal mistresses, ladies-in-waiting, gentleman servants of the king, including two favoured Turkish personal manservants, who continued to wear their turbans throughout their long service. There was Peter 'the Wild Boy' (as he was known at the time), a feral child who had been found living in a European forest. Peter ended up living a long life, and hopefully a happy one in the end. He never really became acclimatised to civilisation, and for some years was treated as a kind of royal pet, until he lived out the rest of his days on a country farm with a kindly family who cared for him. He did wear an iron collar with his name and address in case he became lost. There is a photo of the collar - eek!
Worsley writes with some sympathy towards her cast of characters. The royals themselves led very proscribed and public lives, and the women especially must have found life boring and frustrating at times. Fashion for the upper classes in this period, especially for women, was quite ridiculous. They probably looked fabulous in their huge wigs and wide, elaborate dresses weighted down with silver cloth and heavy jewels, but they weren't allowed to sit down in the presence of the king, so drawing rooms must have been exhausting. Also very smelly in the overheated, crowded rooms, full of courtiers who rarely bathed. Again, eek!
Worsley shows that although the court looked glamorous, and people vied quite viciously to get a position, in fact the jobs were often very tedious and repetitive. No wonder the courtiers loved to gossip, gamble, and indulge in illicit affairs.
So, an interesting read, with a convincing feel to the historical research and background. One day perhaps I'll get to Kensington Palace myself, and see the King's Grand Staircase with its intriguing portraits of long-gone people who apparently gaze out at you as you walk up the stairs. I will definitely consider reading more books by this author. ...more
It took me a while to get through this fairly dense and detailed biography of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Overall I enjoyed the read, and fouIt took me a while to get through this fairly dense and detailed biography of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Overall I enjoyed the read, and found it extremely interesting. I knew a bit about the general events of the period covered, but this book explored things in fascinating detail. The backgrounds of the main characters as well as their families were examined, and this helped the reader to understand the context.
It seems that George and Charlotte truly did love each 0ther, and George was faithful to her throughout his long life, unlike his disreputable forebears. Charlotte had little freedom, as she subsumed her own needs to the god of duty, but she still clearly loved her husband. They had fifteen children together, and the children appear to have had an idyllic younger childhood, with plenty of love from their parents. George was well-known to get down on the floor and roll around and play boisterously with the children, which they must have loved.
Sadly, as the children grew into adulthood, their parents did not know how to deal with them so well. The girls were famously forced to live withdrawn lives, almost like nuns, and they either remained single or didn't marry until middle-age. The boys grew into wild and rather selfish young men. They had numerous illegitimate children between them, but very few legitimate ones. Their overly controlling father is seen as partly to blame, but they also chose to live hedonistic lives.
In contrast, George was an extremely conscientious man. He worked very hard dealing with issues big and small, and never shirking his duties as king. He reigned for 58 years. Amazing. His years of steadiness can perhaps help partly explain why England's monarchy survived, when others all over Europe fell to revolution and other historical events.
George was famously 'mad' in later life, and experts still debate the cause of his madness. This author claims no expertise, simply stating the two currently most widely believed possibilities: an inherited condition known as porphyria, or else, late onset bipolar. The first episode occurred at about age 50, and he was seriously unwell for months. But he recovered and ruled again for more than ten years before being felled by it once more. In later life, his behaviour suggests he became truly 'insane', having completely lost touch with reality, before his eventual death.
I was impressed with the amount of research the author had clearly done. I really enjoyed the fascinating trivia and extra info provided, which helped to make the picture of these people and their times clearer. I would recommend this book to those interested in the period, and those who enjoy a good biography. But it is a large tome, and requires some persistence and patience to get through it. Overall, for me it was a worthwhile and enjoyable read.
An engrossing read based entirely on diary entries from Englishwoman Hermione Ranfurly's experiences during WWII. She and her husband Dan married shorAn engrossing read based entirely on diary entries from Englishwoman Hermione Ranfurly's experiences during WWII. She and her husband Dan married shortly before the war began, and they ended up being separated for most of the war. He was a prisoner of war for some years, and the rest of the time was on active service.
Hermione had followed Dan to North Africa, and she ended up spending most of the war in this area and various spots around the Mediterranean, including Palestine, Cairo, Italy and others. In her role as secretary and PA to various highly placed military officers, Hermione met many famous and influential people, including Churchill, Eisenhower, Hollywood actors etc. She worked hard at her job, with many 12-hour days or longer, and billets ranging from good to terrible. Her separation from Dan, especially when he was a POW, was difficult and at times full of fear for him. Her story was quite moving at times.
It was a very interesting personal viewpoint on those chaotic, unpredictable and difficult years. Luckily for Hermione, both she and her husband survived and, in her own words, had their happily ever after. She always tried to make a diary entry before she went to bed, even if the hour was late. The diary entries ranged from a few sentences to several pages, and made the book easy to read, as the information came in small bites.
March 2024. I haven't rated this book, as I decided to dnf after only reading about half way through. Sforza was certainly a feisty and incredible womMarch 2024. I haven't rated this book, as I decided to dnf after only reading about half way through. Sforza was certainly a feisty and incredible woman, with quite an extraordinary life. However the ins-and-outs of the politics of Renaissance Italy, the backstabbing (and literal stabbings!), violence, betrayals, the OTT extravagance of life amongst the noble class were all a little too much for me, and I decided I had read enough. I returned the book to the library unfinished....more
A fascinating read about a controversial man who led an extraordinary and very long life during a period of enormous change and upheaval. Like all of A fascinating read about a controversial man who led an extraordinary and very long life during a period of enormous change and upheaval. Like all of us, he had his faults, and it seems he found it difficult to be a good and faithful husband and father. But he was apparently a charismatic, capable and loyal man in many ways, and he appears to have had the good of his country foremost in mind throughout his public life.
The events leading up to the death of Barton Key and the subsequent trial are covered in somewhat lengthy detail. There is also a large part of the book devoted to Sickles' varied roles in the lead-up to, during, and after the Civil War. Keneally has obviously done a significant amount of research. I appreciate that Keneally has tried to remain relatively impartial, and he touches on some of the differing attitudes and judgements on Sickles' actions from various sources and historians.
Overall, an interesting and enjoyable read. ...more
[Review June 2022]: I decided to dnf this book at 40% (which in reality is probably about 50% due to the very large notes section at the back). The bo[Review June 2022]: I decided to dnf this book at 40% (which in reality is probably about 50% due to the very large notes section at the back). The book is very long and detailed in its descriptions - too much so for me. The cutesy names the people gave themselves and each other grated on me, and there was a kind of horrible fascination about how awful and simply cruel and immoral some of them were towards each other, often their supposed 'loved ones'. Also, I know little of English politics of this period, which meant the descriptions of people's government roles, their govt. parties, and some of the events that happened, were somewhat confusing, and meant little to me.
There are sections of interest in the book, but other parts where I was bored and was forcing myself to keep reading. So I decided that 40% was enough. I felt I'd read enough to rate it 2 'okay' stars. Well-researched, no doubt, but unfortunately my interest wasn't held enough to wade through the whole thing. Back to the library it goes.........more
3.5 stars. 4 stars for the amazing true story, but only three for the writing style, which wasn't that engaging.
I'm an Australian, but I've never hea3.5 stars. 4 stars for the amazing true story, but only three for the writing style, which wasn't that engaging.
I'm an Australian, but I've never heard of Winifred Steger or this book, which I stumbled across by chance on a library shelf. Steger led a pretty extraordinary life, and the book was well worth the read. As an emigrant English woman in early twentieth century Australia, her choice to marry a Muslim and to convert to Islam was highly unusual. Her children were regarded as 'half-castes', and she lived between two worlds.
But Steger was clearly a woman of great personal strength. She accompanied her husband on the Hajj to Mecca, and she lived for a time in India. Back in Australia, she wrote about her experiences in popular magazine serials, under the pseudonym of 'The Washerwoman' (which she actually was at some periods in her life). After being eventually reunited with some of her children with whom she had lost touch, Steger died aged 99. Her life was truly a unique saga.
The book opened my eyes about many things I had previously known little about: e.g. the life of Afghan camel drivers in early outback Australia, and a bit about the turbulent history of Afghanistan in the 1920s, with the abdication of its royals and the coup by a harsh ruler who was eventually deposed. Steger, amazingly enough, had become a personal friend of Queen Soraya, and was going to be governess to her children when events were overtaken by history....more
4.5 stars. A well-written and very readable biography of a woman who led an extraordinary life. She and her husband and their descendants had a big im4.5 stars. A well-written and very readable biography of a woman who led an extraordinary life. She and her husband and their descendants had a big impact on the course of Australian history, particularly in regards to agriculture, but also government. But it's a fascinating story and I would recommend it beyond just Australian readers as it has wider interest IMO.
Elizabeth was from a fairly simple, but educated family in Devon, England. She married when young, to an ambitious young soldier, John Macarthur. To further his career, John took a posting in the then very new convict settlement in New South Wales, Australia. Not many wives travelled with their husbands to Australia at this time, and Elizabeth was a fairly rare one who did. She had a son aged less than one year, and when they sailed she was also pregnant.
John and Elizabeth travelled with the Second (Convict) Fleet. Elizabeth kept a journal of the trip so we have some idea of how terrible the journey was, both from her journal and from other historic records. During the trip Elizabeth gave birth to a baby girl, but the baby died and was buried at sea. Both her husband and son were seriously ill during the trip and she feared both could die.
Sydney town at that time was a very primitive place. Most of the population were convicts, and there were very few women. Relations with the aboriginal population were still relatively cordial (as long as they kept out of the invading whites' way). There was a shortage of everything, including food. Elizabeth had to contend with all of this as well as a husband whose behaviour was often proud and unpredictable towards others. His behaviour in later life demonstrates clear symptoms of what today we label 'bipolar', and perhaps he was always a bit that way. He and Elizabeth always appeared to love each other, though, through thick and thin.
John and Elizabeth became farmers and John resigned his commission. The eventual fame and success of the Macarthur farming ventures in Australia is legendary, especially in regards to the founding of the wool industry. But this book follows the humble beginnings and the long, rocky road to success. There were good times and bad. There were periods of years at a time when Elizabeth ran all of the farming enterprises herself when John was away in England. She must have been an extraordinary woman. She had numerous children, she ran several farms at separate sites, she organised and managed a large group of employees, many of them convicts. John was often her helpmeet, and the children also helped as they grew up.
But there were times of drought, illnesses, the infamous 'rum rebellion', in which John was a key player, and numerous other challenges to be faced. As the author states, Elizabeth would have worked hard all day every single day.
In the end she lived a long life and died peacefully in old age, although she never returned home to her native Devon to visit her family. The many letters exchanged help give this detailed picture of her life that the author has collated.
So, a fascinating read, and a reminder that 'the good old days' should not be romanticised. It was tough! Well done to the writer for her scholarship and for writing such an accessible and interesting biography....more
A fascinating book. Described by the author as "faction". About well-known historical figures with many letters by and about them as well as other hisA fascinating book. Described by the author as "faction". About well-known historical figures with many letters by and about them as well as other historical accounts and references about their lives available. The writer has relied on the known and woven a story about it, filling in the gaps with conversations and thoughts etc, but almost all of the events being known to have really taken place.
The heroine, Harriet Cavendish (or 'Haryo') was the second daughter of the famous "Duchess" (of Devonshire) about whom there is already a well-known book and film (both called 'Duchess'). Growing up in that crazy, unhappy household, she was brought up very strictly by the famous governess Selina Trimmer. Her unhappy mother did love her, but her father the duke seems to have been largely indifferent to her.
The hero, Granville Leveson-Gower, was much older than Harriet. They had known each other since Harriet was a child. Granville was apparently one of those gorgeous, charismatic people whom everyone adored and talked about and wanted to be with. Like a male equivalent of Princess Diana in terms of charismatic power, perhaps. Tall, handsome, intelligent, (went to uni at age 15), a highly effective diplomat from a young age etc etc.
Granville had a fifteen year affair with a much older woman, Harriet's aunt, the glamorous, gorgeous (and married!) Lady Bessborough. (Another charismatic person like Princess Diana). They had two illegitimate children together but could never marry as she did not wish to divorce and lose her other (legitimate) children. Their affair eventually evolves into mere friendship.
Granville and Harriet slowly fall in love and eventually marry. All of this takes place under the public eye, as every move of the 'Devonshire House set' is fodder for eager gossip, letters, newspaper articles, caricatures etc etc.
It is well-known that in the end Granville and Harriet had a long and happy marriage and that they truly loved each other. Granville apparently gave up his womanising ways and became a faithful and loving husband and father. A reformed rake - the beloved HR trope, but in this case a reality.
The story is a fascinating one, not least because of the secondary characters and the shocking behaviour of many of them. Carolyn Lamb, who fell in love with Byron. Elizabeth Foster, mistress of Harriet's father the duke, who was angling to marry him (and succeeded) etc.
The book itself is a strange combination of documentary-style retelling, and a typical novel. It's so interesting simply because of the subject matter, but it's kind of not one thing or the other - a novel or a biography. All the same, a vey interesting and enjoyable read....more