Here’s an early look at some of next month’s new royalty books. As always, publication dates are subject to change.
Catherine of Aragon by Patrick Williams. The tragic story of Henry VIII’s first unfortunate wife.
The Boleyns by David Loades. The rise and fall of Anne Boleyn and her family.
Queen Elizabeth II: A Diamond Jubilee Souvenir Album by Jane Roberts. A biography in photographs with 300 full-color illustrations.
The Prince’s Speech: On the Future of Food by HRH the Prince of Wales. A 2011 speech by Prince Charles about the growing global food shortage.
Conquest: The English Kingdom of France, 1417-1450 by Juliet Barker. Henry V launched a campaign that would put the crown of France on an English head. Only a peasant girl, Joan of Arc, could halt the English advance.
The Crimes of Elagabalus by Martijn Icks. The life and legacy of Rome’s decadent boy emperor.
King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman. Written by an American secretary who suddenly found herself king of a village in Ghana.
The full list will be published on the Royalty.nu Books page on February 1.
If I could only read one of the books listed above, I think I might pick The Crimes of Elagabalus because I know almost nothing about him, and it looks interesting. Which book would you choose?
Diana’s biographer Lady Colin Campbell has the Queen Mother in her sights
You can find books by Lady Colin Campbell at Amazon.com.
Book Talk: Maid’s tale of Catherine the Great
The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak is available from Amazon.com.
From Vanity Fair, an interview with Sally Bedell Smith, author of a new biography of Queen Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch is available from Amazon.
This month brings a lot of new royal books, and most of them have nice covers. My two runner-up favorites this month are Lost Kingdom (an attractive and colorful cover that fits its topic well) and At the Mercy of the Queen (a suspenseful cover featuring an accurate-looking Tudor gown).
Here’s my pick for best royalty book cover of the month:
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Princess Kandake by Stephanie Jefferson is a young adult (teen) novel about a warrior princess in ancient Nubia. I like this cover for many reasons. You can tell at a glance what it’s about, it looks exciting, and the heroine seems, well, heroic. It’s impressive to see such a nice cover on a self-published book. And it’s unusual to see royalty-themed historical fiction that isn’t about Tudors or royal mistresses. I may buy this book if it becomes available on Kindle. Does it appeal to you?
January is going to be a big month for new royalty books! Here’s a sneak peek:
Lost Kingdom by Julia Flynn Siler. Hawaii’s last queen, the sugar kings, and America’s first imperial adventure.
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith. Biography of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Real Elizabeth by Andrew Marr. A "surprising and very personal" biography of Queen Elizabeth II.
Sister Queens by Julia Fox. Dual biography of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile.
Philip of Spain, King of England by Harry Kelsey. The life of Spain’s King Philip II, who married England’s Queen Mary I and took a keen interest in ruling her kingdom.
Alix and Nicky by Virginia Rounding. A deeply personal study of the last tsar of Russia’s marriage.
The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. Tells the story of Catherine the Great’s rise to power in Russia through the eyes of a servant. (Fiction.)
A complete list of new royalty books will be published on the Royal Books page on January 1. As always, publication dates are subject to change.
All of these books interest me, but if I had to pick just one to read, it would have to be Sister Queens because I like reading about Catherine of Aragon (first wife of Henry VIII). Which book would you choose?
Today (December 14, 2011) is the 150th anniversary of the death of Prince Albert, husband of Britain’s Queen Victoria.
Helen Rappaport’s book A Magnificent Obsession, about the impact of Prince Albert’s death on Queen Victoria and the nation, is scheduled to be published in the U.S. in March. Visit Royalty.nu for other books about Prince Albert.
NOTE: This video includes flashing lights.
Alison Jackson’s book Exposed is available for pre-order from Amazon.com.
This has been a lackluster year for royal book covers. Some months I’ve found it difficult to find a cover worth featuring here on the blog. Among those I have liked, a few themes have recurred. Two covers depicted the pharaoh Cleopatra’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene, and two were comical covers that parodied Britain’s royal wedding.
December brings another blah batch of royalty book covers, but I think the one below is a little bit more interesting than the rest. It’s the second cover I’ve selected this year that features a photo of Queen Elizabeth II. (Here’s the first.)
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As you can see, the book is A Brief History of the Private Life of Elizabeth II by Michael Paterson. The Queen is shown here with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and their children Charles and Anne. It’s a nice, natural-seeming photo (although I wonder: Are they really outdoors, or is that a backdrop?) I like Her Majesty’s hairstyle. And I think we’ve all seen that look on Prince Charles’s face before. There’s not much more I can say about this cover. It’s OK, and it’s the best I can find this month. I hope 2012 will bring many creative, beautiful royalty book covers.
What’s your favorite royal book cover of 2011? Mine is Knit Your Own Royal Wedding. It’s clever, and hilarious, and almost makes me wish I knew how to knit — a perfect cover for the book.
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