Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Biography]]__NOTOC__<!-- Remove INSERT NEW REVIEWS BELOW HERE-->{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Laura Thompson1788360702|title=Life in a Cold ClimateCharles, The Alternative Prince: Nancy Mitford The An Unauthorised Biography|author=Edzard Ernst|rating=54

|summary=There can have For over forty years, Prince Charles has been few more extraordinary families in British society an ardent supporter of alternative medicine and cultural life during the early twentieth century than the Mitfordscomplementary therapies. ''Charles, the six daughters and one son of Baron Redesdale. The only son, killed in action during Alternative Prince'' critically assesses the Second World WarPrince's opinions, led an unexceptional life away from beliefs and aims against the headlines, but four background of his sisters more than made up for himthe scientific evidence. Diana, wife There are few instances of the notorious Sir Oswald Mosley, never renounced her admiration for Hitler or the Fascist movement, while Unity, who shared her his beliefs, shot herself on the day war broke out but lingered pathetically for another brain-damaged eight years, being vindicated and the fiercely left-wing Jessica became an active member his relentless promotion of the American Communist Party. Compared treatments which have no scientific support has done considerable damage to them Nancy, the eldest and the subject reputation of a man who is proud of this biographyhis refusal to apply evidence-based, seems logical reasoning to have been the most balanced and least eccentric of them allhis ambitions.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1784082295</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Alan Kennedy1739805100|title=Oscar & LucyLoving the Enemy: Building bridges in a time of war|author=Andrew March

|summary=With ''Loving the film about Alan Turing, Enemy''The Imitation Gametells the quite extraordinary story of author Andrew March'' getting rave reviews and award nominations rights grandparents, who first met when grandfather Fred Clayton went to Dresden to teach in the early days of the Nazi regime in the 1930s. Fred, left a sensitive and centrethoughtful man, had some vague ideas of "building bridges" which may guard against the sterling work done by growing hostilities between nations unfolding in Europe at the Bletchley Park cryptographers during WWII is quite high in our mindstime. But Enigma wasnFred't the only code broken and Turing wasns attempts to separate individual people from ideology weren't the only one doing secret universally successful but heroic workhe did make friendships and connections that lasted for a lifetime. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>095646968X</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=David LodgeWill Brooker|title=Lives in WritingThe Truth About Lisa Jewell|rating=45|genre=EntertainmentBiography|summary=David Lodge Lives in Writing. So blares the cover of my edition, and it's not far wrong. When he's not entertaining us with his Meet [[:Category:David LodgeLisa Jewell|writing careerLisa Jewell]] (now in its third, more erudite one of the most successful British authors I've never knowingly read. Now meet Will Brooker, one of the thousands of less successful authors I quite confidently never have read. This book starts with the two meeting each other, as well, and shows how 2021 drew the two closer and to me more serious stagecloser together. The meeting was some unspecified combination, it seems, of her anecdote about cup cakes, after the first third words of comic light touchesher latest book she was reciting, before he found his metier – and fame her being in a ''black lace mini-dress with TV adaptations– with comedies about gold brocade'' (certainly a get-up never commonly worn at the social and sexual lives author events I get to attend), but pulled Brooker, a professor of academe) hecultural studies who has swallowed Roland Barthes, down the rabbit-hole that is Jewell's teaching about and around writingdiverse output. When I was younger I also read around writing – literature books, Brooker decides he'd like nothing more than to follow her through a year in other words – and Lodgethe published author's were among those I turned life, working tomake a success of the latest title, and struggling with the next in line. Jewell, due diligence appropriately done, agrees. So And this is the result.|isbn=1529136024}}{{Frontpage|author= Martha Leigh|title= Invisible Ink: A Family Memoir|rating= 5|genre= Biography|summary= Martha Leigh begins her book and its contents are talking about a childhood spent in a slightly eccentric, immediately recognisable upper middle class English family. Her father is a Cambridge don, forever clacking away on his typewriter as he edits the complete correspondence of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, his life's work. Her mother is a welcome step back down concert pianist who practises for hours every day. Neither parent is hugely interested in the practicalities of life. There is love in the house but also darker undercurrents that a very familiar roadchild does not fully understand but knows is there.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0099587769</amazonuk>1800460384

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=John Van der KistePolly Barton|title=The Prussian Princesses: The Sisters of Kaiser Wilhelm IIFifty Sounds

|genre=BiographyPolitics and Society|summary=Kaiser Wilhelm II is well known Where do I start? I could start with where Barton herself starts, with the question ''Why Japan?'' Japan has been on my radar for a while and not for if the best of reasons and heworld hadn's certainly overt gone into melt-shadowed his six younger siblingsdown I would have visited by now. I may get there later this year, but I am not hopeful. John Van der KisteAnd like Barton, I don's t know the answer to the question ''why Japan?'' She explains her feelings in respect of the question in the first biography was of his fatheressay, Kaiser Friedrich III and he has also written about Emperor Wilhelm II so he which is well placed to write about on the three youngest children Kaiser Friedrich and Victoriasound ''giro' '' – which she describes as being, Princess Royal. Originally he intended to write about Friedrich's second daughteramong other things, but it quickly became obvious that the most satisfying biography - for reader and author - would be a biography sound of Victoria, Sophie and Margaret, their mother's 'every party where you have to introduce yourself'kleebatt'' or trio, as they were known.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>B00QKROC9W</amazonuk>1913097501

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah ChurchwellFrederic Gros|title=Careless People Murder Mayhem and the Invention A Philosophy of the Great GatsbyWalking

|genre=BiographyPolitics and Society|summary=In I confess I picked this accomplished literary biography Professor Churchwell expertly weaves together three guest listsone up from the library in my pre- the Fitzgeralds and literary cast of New York, the sensationalist tragic murder victims and suspects lockdown forage of New Brunswick, New Jersey and the careless characters of Frandom stuff. Scott's novel using Now I have to go out an buy my own copy so that I can turn down the Fitzgeralds' archives, newspaper clippings, literary scrapbooks,diary entries pages I have marked and anecdotes return to its varying wisdom when I need to link the stories and chronicle the heedless hedonism of the 1920s. It is not only a meticulously researched tribute tracing the genesis of F Some books draw you in slowly. Scott Fitzgerald’s plot skeleton, which he roughly sketched in pencil This one had me in the back of a bookfirst two pages, entitled Man’s Hope, but it also sparkles with sophisticated vocabulary fizzing with the effervescence of wherein Gros explains why ''walking is not a glass of champagne providing new treats for the reader with each inviting chaptersport''.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1844087689</amazonuk>1781688370

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=John BatchelorSharon Blackie|title=Tennyson: To strive, to seek, to findIf Women Rose Rooted|rating=45|genre=Biography|summary=Most readers, if they were asked I normally say that you can tell how much a book means to name the ultimate poet me by how many pages have corners turned down. Perhaps an even greater measure of impact is setting out to buy my own copy before I've finished reading the Victorian age, would almost surely choose Alfred, Lord Tennysonone I've borrowed. He was Poet Laureate I want to avoid clichés like 'powerful' 'inspiring' 'life-changing' – although it is definitely the first two and only time will tell about the third – but clichés exist for over forty years of Queen Victoria’s reign, a reason and inevitably her favourite versifierI'm not sure I can succinctly put it any better.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1845950763</amazonuk>1912836017

 {{newreview Frontpage|authorisbn=Zareer Masani 0241446732|title=MacaulayOur House is on Fire: Britain's Liberal Imperialist Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis|author=Malena Ernman, Greta Thunberg, Beata Thunberg and Svante Thunberg|rating=4.5 |genre=Biography Politics and Society|summary=If Thomas Babington Macaulay is remembered at all today, it is probably for The Ernman / Thunberg family seemed perfectly normal. Malena Ernman was an opera singer and Svante Thunberg took on most of the historical writings to which he devoted himself during the last few years parenting of his lifetheir two daughters. Yet earlier in his careerThen eleven-year-old Greta stopped eating and talking and her sister, Beata, then nine years old, he struggled with what was also a Member of Parliamenthappening. In such circumstances, it's natural to seek a government ministersolution close to home, and served for some years in Indiabut eventually, playing it became clear to the family that they were ''burned-out people on a major reforming role as burned-out planet''. If they were to find a member of the governor-general’s councilway to live happily again their solution would need to be radical. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099587025</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=John Campbell0648684806|title=Roy JenkinsClara Colby: A Well-Rounded LifeThe International Suffragist|author=John Holliday|rating=54

|summary=It must be rare indeed that a British political figure who never became Prime Minister is The path of Clara Dorothy Bewick's life was probably determined when her family emigrated to the USA. At the subject time she was just three-years-old but because of or deserves some childhood ailment, she wasn't allowed to sail with her parents and three brothers. Instead, she remained with her grandparents, who doted on her and saw that she received a biography comprising 750 pages good education, both in and out of textschool. She was the only child in the household and her childhood was glorious. HoweverBy contrast, as John Campbell demonstrates her family had become pioneer farmers in this volumethe mid-west of the United States and life was hard, it is difficult as Clara was to do justice find out when she and her grandparents eventually went to join the lifefamily. Clara would only know her mother for a few months: she was married for fifteen years, had ten pregnancies, times seven surviving children and career of Roy Jenkins died in much less than thatchildbirth not long after Clara arrived. As the eldest girl, a heavy burden would fall on Clara and Wisconsin was a rude awakening.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0224087509</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Walter Dean Myers1789017977|title=An African PrincessRonnie and Hilda's Romance: From African Orphan to Queen Victoria’s Favourite|rating=3.5|genre=Historical Fiction|summary=This elegant edition of An African Princess tells of the life of Sarah Bonetta who is suddenly swept from the threat of Towards a savage execution in 1848 only to face a brave new world under the patronage of the imperious Queen Victoria. Meticulously researched by the twice elected US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Walter Dean Myers, it is a creatively imaginative account, with an historical backbone of genuine diary entries, letters, autobiographical work, contemporary newspapers, social and anthropological studies and period photographs.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406354449</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewNew Life after World War II|author=Nigel Jones|title=Rupert Brooke: Life, Death and MythWendy Williams

|genre=BiographyHistory|summary=Rupert Chawner Brooke’s reputation Ronnie Williams was the son of Thomas Henry Williams (known as Harry) and Ethel Wall. There's some doubt as one of the greatest to whether or not they were ever married or at least best-remembered war poets rests largely on even Harry's birthdate: he claimed to have been born in 1863, but he was already many years older than Ethel and he might well have shaved a few years off his sonnet ''The Soldier''age. Perhaps it For a while, the family was English literature’s abiding loss that quite well-to-do but disaster struck in the 1929 Depression and five-year-old Ronnie had to adjust to a very different lifestyle. One thing he did inherit from his output father was so slender, as his career was cut short so suddenlyneed to be well-turned-out and this would stay with him throughout his life. Had he lived longer he would surely have developed into a notable writerHe joined the army at eighteen in 1942.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781857164</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Amber Hunt and David BatcherPatti Smith|title=The Kennedy Wives: Triumph and Tragedy in America's Most Public FamilyYear of the Monkey

|summary=The Kennedy dynasty is mainly known for On the men who have come to political prominence: Jack Kennedy, the president who was assassinated in November 1963, his brother, Bobbycoast of Santa Cruz, Jack's Attorney General who would be assassinated in June 1968 and Senator Edward Kennedy Patti Smith enters the youngest lunar year of the nine children monkey - the only one of the brothers who wouldpacked with mischief, as they saysorrow, live to comb grey hairand unexpected moments. Not quite so much In a stranger's words, ''Anything is known about the women who were brave enough to marry into possible: after all, it's the family and Amber Hunt and David Batcher have set out to give us some background on five year of these women: Rose Kennedy the matriarch of monkey''. As Smith wanders the family and wife coast of Joe KennedySanta Cruz in solitude, Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of Jack, Ethel, wife of Bobby she reflects on a year that brings huge shifts in her life - loss and Joan and Vickiageing are faced head-on, as it the first and second wives of Teddy Kennedyshifting political waters in America.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0762796340</amazonuk>1526614758

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1912242052|title=The Mystery of Princess Louise: Queen Victoria's Rebellious DaughterO Joy for me!|author=Lucinda HawksleyKeir Davidson|rating=4.53|genre=BiographyArt|summary=As a previous biographer once called her, Princess Louise was Queen Victoria’s unconventional daughter. Always popular with the public ''Oh Joy for me!'' gives Coleridge credit for her comparatively easygoing manner (though, being royal''the first person to walk the mountains alone, she was not averse because he had to pulling rank)for work, as a miner, her forwardquarryman, shepherd or pack-looking views on social issueshorse driver, notably education but because he wanted to for pleasure and votes for womenadventure. His rapturous encounters with their natural beauty, and her artistic interestsits literary consequences, she was certainly one changed our view of the most interesting of her familyworld''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845951549</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=Graff_Find|title=The FroodFind Another Place|author=Jem RobertsBen Graff|rating=43.5|genre=BiographyAutobiography|summary=They say that you should never meet your heroes. After reading 'The Authorised and Very Official History of Douglas Adams and the HitchhikerWhen Ben Graff's Guide to the Galaxy' grandfather Martin handed him a.k.a. plastic folder of handwritten notes from his journal, he didn''the Frood'' I understand whyt take much notice of it. I never heard At the original radio series and I have quite deliberately shied away from the Americanised film version (even if it does sell itself well by having Stephen Fry as age of 24, Graff didn't realise the voice gravity of the book' - I mean, really, in this day and age, who else?!)pages he was holding.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184809437X</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Laura Thompson1789016304|title=War and Love: A Different Class family's testament of Murder: The Story of Lord Lucananguish, endurance and devotion in occupied Amsterdam|author=Melanie Martin

|summary=Effie Gray Melanie Martin read about what happened to Dutch Jews in occupied Amsterdam during World War II and was born entranced by what she discovered, particularly in Perth in 1828''The Diary of Ann Frank'' but then realised that her own family's stories were equally fascinating. A hundred and seven thousand Jews were deported from the city during the war years, but only five thousand survived and knew art critic John Ruskin from an early age. When he finally decided Martin could not understand how this could be allowed to ask her happen in a country with liberal values who were resistant to German occupation. Most people believed that the occupation could never happen: even those who thought that the Germans might reach the city were convinced that they would soon be his wifepushed back, she called off that the Amsterdammers would never allow what happened to escalate in the way that it did, but initial protests melted away as the organisers became more circumspect. It's an engagement and happily acceptedatrocity on a vast scale but made up of tens of thousands of individual tragedies.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0715648578</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1786893452|title=Victoria: A LifeThe Ungrateful Refugee|author=A N WilsonDina Nayeri

|summary=Every few yearsHere in the West, it seemswe see news reports about immigrants on a regular basis – some media welcoming them, we some scaremongering about them. But all of those stories are presented with another generously-sized biography of Queen Victoria. How many times can another author follow Elizabeth Longfordwritten by journalists – almost always western, and almost always, Stanley Weintraubno matter how deep the investigative journalism they carry out, or Christopher Hibbert outsiders to name but three, produce 500 pages or more the world and still say something new about her? Can the blurb’s claim situations that refugees find themselves in. It's rare that we find out the journeys from the refugees themselves – and this is a rare opportunity to do that , in this shows us intelligent, powerful and moving work by Dina Nayeri -someone who was born in the sovereign ‘as she’s never been seen before’ really be justified? Fortunately it can, for even more than middle of a century after her deathrevolution in Iran, there is still new material from previously unseen sources fleeing to add to what we already know about herAmerica as a ten-year-old.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848879563</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=0857058320|title=The Lives of Lord Of All the Famous and the Infamous: Everything You Need To Know About Everyone Who MatteredDead|author=The WeekJavier Cercas and Anne McLean (translator)|rating=4.5

|summary=To describe a book as unputdownable ''Lord Of All the Dead'' is a pretty bold claim journey to makeuncover the author's lost ancestor's life and death. Jeremy OCercas is searching for the meaning behind his great uncle'Grady, editor-in-chief of The Week does just that s death in the foreword to The Lives of Spanish Civil War. Manuel Mena, Cercas' great uncle, is the Famous and figure who looms large over the Infamous, a collection of obituaries from the weekly magazinebook. He died relatively young whilst fighting for Francisco Franco's forces. Thankfully, Cercas ruminates on why his bold judgement is largely spot onuncle fought for this dictator. For those unfamiliar, ''The Week'' collates the best offerings from print media outlets around question at the world, condenses them into smaller chunks, adds a little centre of its own commentary and creates this book is whether it is possible for his great uncle to be a highly concise and entertaining look at hero whilst having fought for the newswrong side.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0091958660</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1788037812|title=Golden ParasolThe Fraternity of the Estranged: The Fight for Homosexual Rights in England, 1891-1908|author=Wendy Law-YoneBrian Anderson

|genre=HistoryBiography|summary=If you look her up Wendy LawOriginally passed in 1885, the law that had made homosexual relations a crime remained in place for 82 years. But during this time, restrictions on same-Yone is described sex relationships did not go unchallenged. Between 1891 and 1908, three books on the nature of homosexuality appeared. They were written by two homosexual men: Edward Carpenter and John Addington Symonds, as a Burmese-born American authorwell as the heterosexual Havelock Ellis. That ''Burmese-born American'' might be an accurate description Exploring the margins of her current citizenshipsociety and studying homosexuality was common on the European Continent, but it barely hints at talked about in the ethnic mix of her heritageUK, nor so the publications of her personal closeness (through her father) these men were hugely significant – contributing to her original homeland's the scientific understanding of homosexuality, and beginning the struggle for freedom recognition and democracyequality, leading to the milestone legalisation of same-sex relationships in 1967.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099555999</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=Buckland_Zoo|title=The Art Man Who Ate the Zoo: Frank Buckland, forgotten hero of Neil Gaimannatural history|author=Hayley CampbellRichard Girling

|summary=In As a conservationist in Victorian England before the early seventies Brian Thompson met Elizabeth Northterm existed, both of them part Frank Buckland was very much a man ahead of failing marriages which would have died without any intervention on their partshis time. They became friendsSurgeon, they fell in love but they never felt the need to marry naturalist, veterinarian and would be together until Liz's death in 2010 at the age of seventy eight. Both are authors - Thompson would maintain that North was the better writer - eccentric sums him up perfectly, and North would perhaps have said that ''she'' should have made that clear. ''A Corner of Paradise'' tells the story - not of the homes they lived in - but of the joy of their relationshipany biographer is immediately presented with a colourful tale to tell.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099581868</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=Williams_Captain|title=Grace: Her Lives - Her LovesCaptain Ronald Campbell of Bombala Station, Cambalong: The startling royal exposéHis Military Life and Times|author=Robert LaceyIvor George Williams

|summary=Twenty-five years before another so-called fairytale royal romance which turned out to be anything but, one In March 1829 Ann Parker married Captain J A Edwards of America’s most beloved screen goddesses crossed the Atlantic and married into the principality 17th Regiment of MonacoFoot. The ceremony He was in 1956 was hailed as the wedding command of the yeartroops and convicts on board a ship sailing from Plymouth to Sydney, but like the later Australia: his wife and similar event, it young son accompanied him. He was not destined to live a long life, dying suddenly at the happiest age of unions34 at Bangalore, leaving his widow to raise their two young sons. Edwards' death left his widow in a difficult position: not only did she have their farm to manage, but she was also responsible for the convicts who worked the land. Two years later she would marry Captain Ronald Campbell.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>191016738X</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=Peacock_mountain|title=One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon RainforestInto The Mountain, A Life of Nan Shepherd|author=Wade DavisCharlotte Peacock

|summary=You have Mostly we choose what books to admire read because there is so little time and so many books… I can understand the ladyapproach, but I also think we sell ourselves short by it, this rather awkward and shy daughter of a staunch Lutheran pastor who himself had been born we sell the myriad lesser-known authors short as a Polish Catholicwell. His daughter studied with such intelligence So while, like most other people I have my favourite genres, and application that soon brought her academic success particularly in Russian and finally in Quantum Chemistry. At the age of 26favoured authors, she obtained her doctorate and - in passing, it rather seems - her first husbandwhile, like most other people I read the physicist Ulrike Merkel. Her rise to power was rapid reviews and took place through the period in which the DDR collapsed as Russian policy under Gorbachev changed. Along with follow up on what appeals, I also have a wry and dry sense of humour Angela Merkel’s personality is the embodiment of the characteristic known in German as ''fleissig'' third- hardworking, sedulous, diligent and assiduousstring to my reading bow: randomness.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846883180</amazonuk>

{{newreview|title=Blazing Star: The Life and Times of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester|author=Alexander Larman|rating=4|genre=Biography|summary=John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was the ultimate 'live fast, die young' icon of the Stuart age, the seventeenth-century embodiment of 'Hope I die before I get old'. Restoration dandy, satirist and pornographic poet, he died a lingering death at the age of 33, racked by venereal disease and alcoholism. If he is remembered at all these days, except by those familiar with the history or literature of the age, it is as the James Dean or the Keith Moon of his day, a hellraiser whose poetry was heavily suppressed for many years by the censors. In fact much of his verse was not published under his name until long after his death, and as most of it was only circulated in manuscript form during his lifetime and a good deal destroyed by his mother after his death, it is uncertain how much does still survive.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781851093</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|title=Dirty Bertie: An English King Made in France|author=Stephen Clarke|rating=4|genre=Biography|summary=Although he was Anglo-German by birth, so Stephen Clarke suggests, King Edward VII was very much a Parisian by nature. As we would expect from the author of several lighthearted books Move on our Gallic neighbours, including ‘1000 Years of Annoying the French’, this is not the most weighty or solemn biography of the King you will ever find, but it is certainly an entertaining, racy gallop through the life of its subject.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780890346</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|title=Josephine: Desire, Ambition, Napoleon|author=Kate Williams|rating=4|genre=Biography|summary=Until reading this biography, it had never really occurred to me just how shadowy a figure the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the best-known European rulers of the age, really was. It may be common knowledge that her name was Josephine, but few of us perhaps really know anything of the woman behind the name.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>009955142X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|title=The Devonshires: The Story of a Family and a Nation|author=Roy Hattersley|rating=4|genre=Biography|summary=According to the back of this book, ‘the story of the Devonshires is the story of Britain’. That’s an extravagant claim, but it contains more than a germ of truth. Certainly one would be hard-pushed to find an aristocratic, non-royal British family who has more consistently been central to our history since medieval times, as this detailed chronicle demonstrates. From the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII presided over in part by Sir William Cavendish, father of the first Earl, to the big business that their ancestral home Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has now become, the somewhat inaccurately geographically-named Devonshires have often been, or helped to, contribute to, part of the fabric of Britain’s past [[Newest Business and present.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099554399</amazonuk>}}Finance Reviews]]