The Quest for Queen Mary
The Quest for Queen Mary book cover

The Quest for Queen Mary

Hardcover – December 25, 2018

by
Price
$32.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
336
Publisher
Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1529330625
Dimensions
6.38 x 1.13 x 9.5 inches
Weight
1.3 pounds

Description

Review Funny and astute, it provides a loathly feast for royal-watchers― Hilary Mantel , New Statesman Almost every page is a gem, but the chapter about Henry Duke of Gloucester must be one of the most hilarious pieces of English prose in our language― A.N. Wilson , Spectator Magnificent― Telegraph a delightful and highly indiscreet account of the sheer craziness of royal life.― Moira Hodgson , Wall Street Journal About the Author James Pope-Hennessy was a British biographer and travel writer. His books included London Fabric (for which he was awarded the Hawthornden Prize), Sins of the Fathers (an account of the Atlantic slave traffickers), Anthony Trollope and Queen Victoria at Windsor and Balmoral . He died in 1974. Hugo Vickers is a writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and an acknowledged expert on the British Royal Family. He has written biographies of the Queen Mother, Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough, Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, Princess Andrew of Greece and the Duchess of Windsor. His book The Kiss won the 1996 Stern Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction. His polemic, The Crown - Truth & Fiction attracted international publicity in 2018.

Features & Highlights

  • 'A scary portrait of put-upon servants and potty aristos ... this is arguably the most riotously funny volume published this year'Max Hastings,
  • Sunday Times
  • 'One of the funniest, most eccentric books of the year'Craig Brown,
  • Mail on Sunday
  • When James Pope-Hennessy began his work on Queen Mary's official biography, it opened the door to meetings with royalty, court members and retainers around Europe. The series of candid observations, secrets and indiscretions contained in his notes were to be kept private for 50 years. Now published in full for the first time and edited by the highly admired royal biographer Hugo Vickers, this is a riveting, often hilarious portrait of the eccentric aristocracy of a bygone age.Giving much greater insight into Queen Mary than the official version, and including sharply observed encounters with, among others, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke of Gloucester, and a young Queen Elizabeth, The Quest for Queen Mary is set to be a classic of royal publishing.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(325)
★★★★
25%
(271)
★★★
15%
(162)
★★
7%
(76)
★
23%
(249)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Nothing Deep

I was hoping for deep secrets about Queen Mary, and the deepest was "That she was known to clean her teeth with her tongue when she was nervous and didn't have anyone to talk to". No deep things about Prince Eddy, or her husband, or feelings about others. I wouldn't buy again.
1 people found this helpful
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tedious

not as represnted
1 people found this helpful
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Inside a Biographer’s work.

I read all the reviews of this collection of observations made by a biographer of people interviewed during the time the biography was being written. I found the book extraordinary for its beautifully written observations, not of the subject of the biography, but of the people he interviewed during the process of writing it. The work is more a study of people, the places where they lived and of a world long since gone. I thought that the interviews with the elderly members of the Norwegian royal court were fascinating: his descriptions of the settings for the interviews and of the people he was interviewing were memorable. I notice the variety of reactions to this book from other readers, and I would say that unless the reader knows much, or anything, about European royalty, or Queen Mary, the book would not be as riveting as some, including me, have found it to be. It is a great read and beautifully written.
1 people found this helpful
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Very nice product & fast fulfillment.

I've been wanting to read these interviews for 10 years since I first read the original biography, and I am not disappointed they are very amusing and insightful. You don't need to read the original biography to enjoy this book.
1 people found this helpful
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Difficult read!

I found this to be a difficult book to read. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs trying to find interesting passages. There weren’t many in my view.
1 people found this helpful
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NOT a biography but a collection of reminiscences.

I had hoped to learn more about the life and background of Queen Mary. Although some comments and statements from people who knew her were interesting, I found the overall content gossip-like and distasteful.
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Excellent book

My father loves this book - so well-researched and well-written
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A "making of" book -- fascinating

I love watching documentaries about the making of my favorite movies. This is a "making of" but in book form. Fascinating to learn the history behind the people who knew Queen Mary, and to follow along with the original writer of her original biography.
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Ok book

Hard for me to read but it was ok
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An interesting peek into a particular world

The blurbs said the book is funny. I did not find that, perhaps because I am not a Brit. But it has held my interest. It consists of accounts of interviews (and descriptions of places) with people who knew Queen Mary. It is well written and describes encounters with real people. That the subject is royalty is merely incidental. The people are very real, and it is our shared humanity that makes it interesting.

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