Book Club Friday: Elizabeth the Queen

It's no secret that I love the British Monarchy.  I just adore Duchess Catherine and am completely fascinated by Queen Elizabeth II.  I DVR'd all sorts of specials about her during her jubilee and tried to take in as much as possible.  Therefore, it's probably not shocking that I read a 600+ page book on her life!

From Amazon.com
From the moment of her ascension to the throne at age twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II has been the object of unparalleled admiration and scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well do we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in extraordinary detail the public and private lives of one of the world’s most fascinating and enigmatic women. In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We see the young Queen struggling to balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young children. And we gain insight into the Queen’s daily routines, as well as her personal relationships: with Prince Philip, her husband of sixty-four years and the love of her life, her children and their often-disastrous marriages, her grandchildren and friends.

Scrupulously researched and compulsively readable, Elizabeth the Queen is a close-up view of the lively, brilliant, and steadfast woman we’ve known only from a distance, and a captivating window into life at the center of the last great monarchy.

Review

I really enjoyed this book.  I thought it was an excellent history of the Queen's life (not like I would know if it was wrong).  It definitely gave me a perspective on her life and how it has changed over the years.  It really gave me a real appreciation for how difficult her life in the public eye must have been.  Life has really changed since she first became Queen (24 hour news networks, the internet, the paparazzi), yet she seems to have taken it all in stride - something I truly admire.

It's definitely not an easy light read, but if you are interested in Queen Elizabeth II, this book should be a must read and I think you will definitely enjoy it!